Statistics Canada says Peterborough had such a population surge from 2017 to 2018 that it's now the fastest-growing census metropolitan area (CMA) in Canada.

According to new data released Friday, Peterborough saw a 3.1 per cent increase in its population between July 1, 2017, and July 1, 2018.

The Peterborough CMA includes the city and adjacent townships of Selwyn, Cavan Monaghan, Otonabee-South Monaghan and Douro-Dummer.

Statistics Canada says the population for Peterborough CMA on July 1, 2018 was 131,283.

An increase of 3.1 per cent would mean 4,069 people became new residents of Peterborough CMA between 2017 and 2018.

In that same time frame, Canada's overall population increased by 1.4 per cent, and the population of all census metropolitan areas across the country rose by 1.8 per cent.

All CMAs in the top five for population growth were in Ontario: Peterborough was followed by Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (2.6 per cent increase), Ottawa (2.5 per cent), Windsor (2.5 per cent) and London (2.4 per cent).

Meanwhile, Statistics Canada also reported Friday that Peterborough CMA is second in Canada in terms of senior population.

People older than 65 make up 22.2 per cent of Peterborough CMA's population.

Trois-Rivieres is ahead of Peterborough with 23.2 per cent, and St. Catharines/Niagara is in third place with 22.1 per cent.

That seniors' population combined with strong growth and a hot real estate market likely means Peterborough's becoming even more popular as a retirement city, said Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Stuart Harrison.

But there could be another factor driving the growth, too.

In an analysis on its website, Statistics Canada identifies immigration — particularly the increased admission of foreign students — as "the key driver of population growth in urban Canada."

At Fleming College, there's certainly been a surge in international students.

Spokesperson Sara O'Halloran wrote in an email on Friday that in fall 2017, there were 845 international students at the Sutherland campus — and that figure increased to 1,600 in the fall of 2018.

Trent University spokesperson Marilyn Burns wrote in an email that Trent had “unprecedented enrolment growth” over the last several years.

On their Peterborough and Durham campuses combined they had a 15 per cent enrolment increase from 2016/17 to 2017/18, she wrote; in the fall of 2018, there were 10,264 full-time students enrolled.

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International student enrolment at Trent increased from 623 students in the fall of 2017 to 769 students in the fall of 2018, she added.

Mayor Diane Therrien wrote in a text message on Friday that Peterborough's lucky to have so many young people and grandparents.

"We benefit from both a dynamic student and senior population," she wrote.

Peterborough's housing vacancy rate has been stuck at one per cent for a few years while the cost of real estate has ramped up: In September, the average sale price of a house in the city and County of Peterborough soared to an all-time high of $448,993.

Continued growth will present challenges for planning, Therrien wrote — and for her, the answer is not urban sprawl.

"Peterborough should be an example of sustainable development and smart growth — and we are working with staff and developers to achieve this objective," she wrote.

Although real estate prices have increased, Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones points out that it's still less expensive to buy a home here than in the GTA.

People are likely considering that relative affordability, Jones said, and deciding to live, work or retire here.

The fact that Peterborough topped the list of fast-growing CMAs seemed surprising to Jones at first, but on second thought he said it made sense.

"Who wouldn't want to live here?"