Hastings County council received a growth analysis report at its meeting on Thursday.
Jamie Cook of Watson and Associates presented the findings.
Some of the trends presented were Economic Drivers of Population Growth, and Residential.
Under Economic Drivers of Population Growth, Cook concluded that the total employment for the study area in Hastings/Prince Edward County is forecasted to increase by just over 17,000 jobs between 2023 and 2051.
He also notes that with the increase in work-from-home models, including hybrid “work-at-home/work-at-office” models, it’s leading to more possibilities to live and work within the Hastings/Prince Edward County Regional area.
In the section Residential, it was noted that the 75+ age group is growing significantly faster than the total population for the study area.
This means a potential for increased pressure on seniors’ housing, affordable housing and community and social services geared to seniors.
It was also noted that the total permanent population is forecast to increase from 173,200 in 2021 to 223,000 by 2051. This would represent an increase of under 50,000 permanent residents during that time-frame.
The full presentation can be found here.
