York Region
York Region covers 1,776 square kilometres and stretches from Lake Simcoe in the north to Steeles Avenue in the south. It borders Simcoe County and Peel Region in the west and Durham Region in the east. The total population increased by approximately 20,600 in 2009 to an estimated 1,032,600 people. Forty-three percent of the population is comprised of immigrants to Canada (the average in Ontario is 28%). Thirty-seven percent of the population of York Region is a visible minority. Of that 37%, the groups with the largest populations are Chinese peoples comprising 42%, South Asians (East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, etc.) 24%, West Asians (Iranian, Afghan, etc.) 6%, Black 6%, and Filipinos 5%.
Your Community Facts Sheet
- Total Population: 931,874
- In York Region, there were more than 200 distinct ethnic groups identified in the 2006 Census
- Canadian descent was identified as the most common ethnic group in Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, Newmarket and Whitchurch-Stouffville
- People of Chinese descent were the most common ethnic group in Markham and Richmond Hill.
- Italian was the most common in King and Vaughan
Visible Minorities Group
The fastest growing visible minority groups between 2001 and 2006 were:
- West Asian – e.g. Iranian, Afghan (grew by 144%)
- Southeast Asian – e.g., Burmese, Cambodian and Indonesian (grew by 95%)
- Korean (grew by 84%)
- Latin American (grew by 81%)
- South Asian (grew by 70%)
- People who identified themselves as Chinese were the largest visible minority group in Aurora, Markham, Richmond Hill and Whitchurch-Stouffville
- People who identified themselves as South Asian were the largest visible minority group in Vaughan and King
- People who identified themselves as Black were the largest visible minority group in Georina and East Gwillimbury
Diversity of Residents Living in York Region PDF download
| Top 5 Ethnic Origins | % of people | Top 5 visible minorities in
York Region |
No. of People: | Top 5 Home Language Groups: | |||
| 1 | Chinese | 21% | 1 | Chinese | 138,575 | 1 | Chinese, n.o.s. |
| 2 | Italian | 19% | 2 | South Asian e.g. Indian | 80,595 | 2 | Italian |
| 3 | East Indian | 8% | 3 | West Asian e.g. Iranian | 20,860 | 3 | Russian |
| 4 | Canadian | 7% | 4 | Black | 20,770 | 4 | Persian (Farsi) |
| 5 | English | 5% | 5 | Filipino | 17,150 | 5 | Tamil |
| Other | 40% |
Area Municipalities in York Region
There are nine Area Municipalities in York Region. Each has its own website which can be accessed by clicking on the map or on the name of the individual municipalities.
Other Community Resources
AWIC Community and Social Services
Established in 1976, AWIC has a long history of serving newcomers, primarily the South Asian Community in and around North York, Ontario, Canada. Over the past 34 years, AWIC has served over 35,000 clients by providing settlement and employment services. AWIC Community and Social Services provides settlement and employment services as well as training & volunteer opportunities for newcomers to Canada — giving them the tools to integrate and participate in Canadian society while maintaining their ethnic heritage.