Vancouver's suburbs are booming, according to the latest census data, with population growth rates reaching nearly 20 per cent over the last five years in some cities.

The number of people in the metropolitan Vancouver area increased by 9.3 per cent between 2006 and 2011, driven by huge population growth in places like Surrey. B.C.'s second largest city has ballooned to 468,251 -- an 18.9-per-cent expansion from five years earlier.

Each month, Surrey's population surges by about 1,000 people, and growth is especially staggering in some newer neighbourhoods like Clayton Heights.

"In 2006, the population in this neighbourhood was just under 4,000. But five years later it's gone up to 14,000. That's a growth of 239 per cent," Peter Liang of Statistics Canada told CTV News.

He says the numbers show a strong trend of "urban spread," with new population density showing up outside of the metropolitan centre. The population of Vancouver proper increased by just 4.4 per cent to 603,502, putting the city's growth rate below the national average of 5.9 per cent and the B.C. rate of seven per cent.

"With the exception of a number of census tracts in the downtown, Mount Pleasant and Fairview areas, a lot of them have actually seen a decline in population or very low population growth," Liang said.

The distinction for the highest growth rate in Metro Vancouver goes to Port Moody, where the population swelled by 19.9 per cent to 32,975. It had the third-biggest growth spurt, trailing only Langford and Lake Country.

Port Moody Mayor Mike Clay says he's not surprised by the census numbers.

"You look around Port Moody, you can see it. You can see the construction here, you can see the new families, the new people in the city. We knew it was happening, we built for it and encouraged it and hopefully we're getting that SkyTrain line in here now to service it," he said.

Clay believes the natural surroundings and extensive park system are attracting people to his city, but affordability is also a major factor.

"We're attracting a lot of intra-migration in the region, where we're getting a lot of young families moving out from maybe Yaletown, Kitsilano. They're starting a family, and they can't afford to live out there," he said.

The mayor says city will be reviewing its official community plan in the coming months to find areas for new housing developments to handle the population boom.

Population growth across the metropolitan Vancouver census area:

  • Burnaby - up 10.1 per cent to 223,218
  • Coquitlam - up 10.4 per cent to 126,456
  • Delta - up 3.3 per cent to 99,863
  • City of Langley - up 6.2 per cent to 25,081
  • Township of Langley - up 11.2 per cent to 104,177
  • Maple Ridge - up 10.3 per cent to 76,052
  • New Westminster - up 12.7 per cent to 65,976
  • City of North Vancouver - up 6.7 per cent to 48,196
  • District of North Vancouver - up 2.2 per cent to 84,412
  • Pitt Meadows - up 13.5 per cent to 17,736
  • Port Coquitlam - up 6.9 per cent to 56,342
  • Port Moody - up 19.9 per cent to 32,975
  • Richmond - up 9.2 per cent to 190,473
  • Surrey - up 18.6 per cent to 468,251
  • Vancouver - up 4.4 per cent to 603,502
  • West Vancouver - up 1.3 per cent to 42,694
  • White Rock - up 3.1 per cent to 19,339

With files from CTV British Columbia's Maria Weisgarber, Peter Grainger and Michele Brunoro