Population growth 2025: chestermere +9.2%, olds −3.5%

Population change enters City Score as the growth pillar. OpenStats uses Statistics Canada census subdivision population estimates, expressed as an annual growth rate, then ranks all hometowns with a usable series. On the 2025 population-growth edition, Chestermere, AB ranks #1 at about +9.2% year over year. At the bottom, Olds, AB ranks #343 at about −3.5%. The full table spans 343 cities, the same corpus as the composite board.

Fastest growers

Chestermere at +9.2% leads a cluster of Alberta and Ontario exurban communities. Thorold at +8.0% and Beaumont at +6.3% follow on the same scale. Smiths Falls and Lloydminster (Part), SK show that mid-size centres can post mid-single-digit growth without being provincial capitals. Shediac and Dieppe carry Atlantic growth above +4% on this edition.

Large metros are absent from the top ten on this pillar. Growth rank describes StatCan CSD estimates, not municipal housing starts or building permit value alone. A city can post strong permit standing while growth rank sits mid-table if population estimates move slowly.

Shrinking cities

Negative growth appears in both large suburbs and smaller centres. Three Metro Vancouver neighbours cluster at ranks 338–340 with declines between −1.7% and −1.9%. Mississauga at −2.1% shows a large GTA suburb on the same tail as Marystown, NL at −2.0%. Olds at −3.5% is the largest decline in the 343-city corpus. Readers comparing provinces should open the study table rather than assuming every city in a province shares the same direction.

Growth inside City Score

The growth pillar carries equal weight with tax, construction, connectivity, radon, water, seismic hazard, and crime severity. Ottawa ranks #44 on growth in 2025 composite inputs, which helps explain Ottawa’s #5 composite rank alongside mild CSI and solid construction standing. Toronto ranks #302 on growth, which pulls Toronto’s composite down even when permit dollars remain large in absolute terms.

Missing population years leave the growth pillar unobserved and trigger median fill at 50% standing. Most cities in the corpus carry a full series for 2025; check the hometown chart for pillar badges before comparing two slugs.

Atlantic and Ontario growth contrast

Shediac at +4.7% and Dieppe at +4.1% show New Brunswick communities rising on the same StatCan series that puts Marystown at −2.0% near the bottom. Smiths Falls at +5.3% demonstrates eastern Ontario growth separate from Toronto’s −2.1% decline on this edition. The spread reminds readers that provincial narratives hide city-level direction on the growth pillar.

Methods in plain language

Growth rates are computed from StatCan CSD population files wired through scripts/lib/city-score-timeseries.mjs. The study ranks annual percentage change among hometowns with consecutive usable estimates. OpenStats publishes observed historical rates only on each refresh.

Compare growth to the City Score 2025 board when you ask whether fast growth translates into top composite standing. Chestermere leads growth while composite standing depends on the other seven pillars. Olds sits last on growth while still observing other pillars on its chart.

StatCan CSD estimates versus housing starts

Growth rank describes Statistics Canada census subdivision population estimates expressed as an annual rate, then ranked across the 343-city corpus. Housing starts and building permit value can move on separate pillars without guaranteeing the same direction on growth. Chestermere at plus 9.2% leads the edition while large metros sit absent from the top ten on this pillar. Olds at minus 3.5% anchors the bottom of the corpus with the largest decline on the scale shown in the tail table.

Negative growth appears in both large suburbs and smaller centres, which warns against provincial generalizations. Three Metro Vancouver neighbours cluster at ranks 338 through 340 with declines between minus 1.7% and minus 1.9%. Mississauga at minus 2.1% shows a large GTA suburb on the same tail as Marystown, NL at minus 2.0%. Readers should open the study table when they compare provinces because direction varies city by city on the same series.

Growth inside equal-weight composite math

Ottawa ranks 44 on growth in 2025 composite inputs, which helps explain Ottawa’s rank 5 composite placement alongside mild CSI and solid construction standing. Toronto ranks 302 on growth, which pulls Toronto’s composite down even when permit dollars remain large in absolute terms. Chestermere leads growth while composite standing still depends on the other seven pillars. Olds sits last on growth while still observing other pillars on its chart when those editions place the slug.

Atlantic and Ontario contrast on one series

Shediac at plus 4.7% and Dieppe at plus 4.1% show New Brunswick communities rising on the same StatCan series that puts Marystown near the bottom. Smiths Falls at plus 5.3% demonstrates eastern Ontario growth separate from Toronto’s decline on this edition. The spread reminds readers that provincial narratives hide city-level direction on the growth pillar. Missing population years leave growth unobserved and trigger median fill at 50% standing until the series extends.

Growth rates are computed from StatCan CSD population files wired through city-score-timeseries helpers on refresh. OpenStats publishes observed historical rates only on each rebuild. Compare growth to the City Score 2025 board when you ask whether fast growth translates into top composite standing, then open hometown charts for pillar badges before you face two slugs in the compare arena.