Why is Dufferin the place for your business?
Dufferin County boasts many competitive advantages that will help your business succeed, but our most unique asset is our people. Dufferin County is home to generational families who settled this land and newcomers to Dufferin and to Canada. This rich diversity combined with the natural beauty of the area, it’s competitive housing and land prices and our proximity to the 8 million people who live within 160 km of Dufferin makes a winning combination not readily matched in other regions in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Browse through our site for more information or call our office for more help.
Dufferin County’s Competitive Advantages
- Excellent quality of life with abundant health care, recreational and social opportunities
- Three vibrant urban centres that cater to your every need
- Family oriented community; 27% of residents are under 19, 60% are 20-64
- Average household income of over $94,000
- Rapid growth across sectors with over $170 million in construction value in 2014
- Over 8 million people live within a 160 km radius, including the Greater Toronto Area
- World-class access to markets; located one day’s trucking distance to more than 60% of Canadian market, 1 hour drive from Pearson International Airport
- Home to cultural icons, museums, galleries and accomplished artists in all disciplines
- A diverse growing agri-business sector, including a thriving equine industry and a burgeoning local food sector
- Prime agricultural land including the prized Honeywood loam, a class 1 soil
- A wide selection of industrial, commercial and retail properties available, or ready for development
Dufferin County Council consists of 13 members representing eight municipalities. Each municipality in Dufferin is represented at County Council by their elected representatives. These representatives are Mayors and Deputy Mayors as determined by eligible voters in the municipality. The head of council is the Warden, who is elected from among council members by council.
As an upper-tier municipality, the County delivers services to all residents within the County under the following departments;
- social services
- building and bylaw
- senior services
- emergency management (including ambulance)
- waste management
- roads and infrastructure
Other services such as libraries and parks and recreation are delivered by the lower tier municipalities. Please visit the individual municipality’s website for information. For more information on County services or Council proceedings, please visit the County of Dufferin’s website at www.dufferincounty.ca
The following data is comprised of Statistics Canada National Household Survey 2011 and Analyst (several data set):
| Population (Source: 2015 Analyst Data – EMSI 2015.1) | 60,073 |
| % of population ages 15 and over | 82.70% |
| Total private dwellings | 21,257 |
| Population density per square kilometre | 40.4 |
| Land area | 1486.31km2 |
| Educational Attainment (from 2011 National Household Survey) | |
| Total population 15 years and over (From Analyst 2015.1) | 49,067 |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 8,900 |
| High school certificate or equivalent | 14, 365 |
| Apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma | 4,410 |
| College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma | 10, 345 |
| University certificate or diploma or degree | 7,140 |
| Labour Force Activity (National Household Survey and Analyst Data) | |
| Employed | 29,665 |
| Unemployed | 2,250 |
| Not in work force | 13, 250 |
| Average Earnings | $41,800 |
| Primary Occupations (2014 Analyst EMSI 2014.3) | |
| Secondary and elementary school teachers and educational counselors | 867 |
| Retail salespersons and sales clerks | 855 |
| Contractors, operators and supervisors in agriculture, horticulture and aquaculture | 821 |
| Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related occupations | 637 |
| Cleaners | 610 |
| Paralegals, social services workers and occupations in education and religion, n.e.c. | 593 |
| Assisting occupations in support of health services | 563 |
| Managers in retail trade | 544 |
| Sales and service supervisors | 531 |
| Cashiers | 516 |
| Top Employment Industries (by NAICS) (Analyst (EMSI 2014.3) | Number of Jobs |
| 44-45 Retail trade | 3,522 |
| 62 Health Care & Social Assistance | 2,982 |
| 72 Accommodation and food services | 2,194 |
| 31-33 Manufacturing | 2,182 |
| 23 Construction | 1,630 |
| 81 Other services (except public administration) | 1,535 |
| 61 Educational Services | 1,342 |
| 56 Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services | 1,341 |
| 54 Professional, scientific and technical services | 1,165 |
| 11 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 1,150 |