Huron County bracing for 25% population growth by 2051

Donny Rivers and Heidi Peever stand on the edge of the latest housing development that’s about to be built in Huron County.

“Ten years ago, we didn’t see any of this. I’ve always thought that maybe we are a little behind the times in terms of new developments. But, this is a welcome addition to the area for sure,” said Rivers, broker of record for Caldwell Banker Realty in Goderich, Ont.

The 26 estate homes that will make up Saltford Estates near Goderich will be needed, as Huron County braces for population growth the area has rarely seen before.

“Our population has been, what I would call, stagnant, and we are projected to see a one per cent increase growth annually. Over 25 years, that’s 25 per cent population growth. That is substantial,” said Huron County Warden Glen McNeil.

That works out to 26,100 new residents by 2051, according to a consultant’s report just presented to Huron County Council.

That means Huron County’s population, currently at 64,100, will top 90,000 in less than 30 years. There isn’t a baby boom coming, which means the majority of those new Huron County residents will come from outside the area, predominantly people from big cities trying to escape to the countryside or near countryside.

“From the GTA, London, Kitchener-Waterloo. We’re already seeing a lot of new residents from those places,” said Rivers.

Growth projections for Huron County. (Source: Huron County)

In order to house everyone, Huron County will have to ramp up home construction. From 2001 to 2016, 120 homes were added on average each year in Huron County. From 2016 to 2021, that number jumped to 230 homes built each year.

Projections suggest home construction will have to reach 355 per year, from now until 2051, to meet demand.

“We’re going to see apartments, more townhouses, single unit dwellings, triplexes, detached. It’s going to take all kinds of different housing for the population growth, we’re going to see in Huron County,” said Warden McNeil.

Huron County’s builders and real estate agents said they’re ready.

“We think this will be a really popular place for people. The market is ready for it, for sure,” said Heidi Peever, a Goderich Royal LePage realtor.

“I think it’s going to be really exciting times, the next five to 10 years in Huron County,” added Rivers.

You can see the entire consultant’s report about Huron County’s population projections by visiting the county’s website. 

Downtown Goderich, Ont. is seen on March 5, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)