Surrey vs Burnaby: Population & Income Compared

Surrey and Burnaby are two of Metro Vancouver's largest municipalities outside the City of Vancouver itself. Figures for 2021 show Surrey pulling ahead on growth and income. Here is a clear head-to-head.

Population & growth

Surrey counted 568,322 residents in 2021, compared with Burnaby at 249,125. Size, however, is not the same as momentum. Surrey's population rose 9.7% from 2016 to 2021, while Burnaby grew 7% over the same period.

In short: Surrey remains more than twice as large; Surrey added people faster from 2016 to 2021.

Income

Median after-tax household income tells another part of the story. Surrey households sat at $87,000 (median after tax), versus $73,500 in Burnaby. That gap matters for cost-of-living and labour-market conversations across the two cities.

Age profile

Average age was 39.5 years in Surrey and 42 in Burnaby. Surrey's younger profile contrasts with Burnaby in this census snapshot.

Quick comparison table

• Population (2021): Surrey 568,322 · Burnaby 249,125
• Growth 2016–2021: Surrey 9.7% · Burnaby 7%
• Median HH income (after tax): Surrey $87,000 · Burnaby $73,500
• Average age: Surrey 39.5 · Burnaby 42

Surrey is more than twice Burnaby's population, grew faster, and has higher median household income plus a younger average age — all from the same 2021 data release.

Explore the full datasets

Dig into every section (households, labour, languages, dwellings) on the location profiles, or build your own side-by-side:

• Surrey demographic profile
• Burnaby demographic profile
• Location Comparison tool — select Census subdivision, then Surrey and Burnaby