Langley Township, which used to be a sleepy, farming community, is quickly growing into a big municipality.

Its population jumped from 104,000 in 2011 to 117,000 in 2016, according to data from the latest census.

"I'm not that surprised because I'm here working in this community every day and I see all the new complexes going up," said Alistair Young, a Realtor who works in Langley.

"There's tons of buildings and it's everything from condos to townhouses to single detached homes."

He says many of his clients are choosing Langley over Surrey because of its easy access to Highway 1.

"We have new communities in the Willoughby and Walnut Grove Area that are minutes from the highway," Young said.

"If you go into a lot of the nice communities in South Surrey, it's quite a trek to get into the city from there."

Langley's population increased by 12.6 per cent between 2011 and 2016. (Jesse Johnston/CBC)

Work where you live

Langley Township planners have noticed an increase in people who have found jobs close to home.

"That's changing quite dramatically, and we can see that right now we have about 7,000 licensed businesses in the township and we see a lot of people that live work and play in the same community," said Val Gafka, Langley Township's senior manager of corporate administration.

"We are proud to say that we are one of those communities that offers one job for every constituent."

Ryan Moreno who started the Joseph Richard Group with a business partner opened a nightclub in Langley more than a decade ago.

Since then, his company has set up a string of pubs and restaurants in the community.

"Growing up there, I saw the evolution of restaurant offerings in Langley," he said.

"We saw lots of young families planting roots in the area and we saw a real opportunity there.

Big city problems

As Langley has grown, its homeless population has grown right along with it.

Many of the people in the area who live on the street gather near social services that are offered in the city, which is a separate municipality.

However, Friends Langley Vineyard Church Pastor Leith White says homelessness is an issue that spreads throughout the entire community and region.

He expects that will become clear when the homeless count is conducted next month.

"We want to get as accurate a count as possible, so that it's reflecting reality," White said.

"Three years ago, the number we had in Langley was 90 and there was much discussion about the accuracy of it. This time around, I think we're going to see a number three times that."