The Markham community has a population large enough to be considered a city (over 260,000 people make their homes there, a number which is continually increasing) it has not yet been officially deemed a city by the provincial government. Therefore, Markham must content itself with being the largest town in Canada for the time being. Markham is one of the most populated municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area, behind Toronto, Mississauga, and Brampton. Its number of properties on the market rivals the number of Kitchener homes for sale.
The population of Markham is becoming increasingly diverse as more immigrants make their way to Canada or complete their home sale in Whitby with the intent of moving to Markham. As of the 2006 Census, over 65% of people in Markham identified themselves as belonging to a visible minority, with Chinese being the largest minority group at 34%.
Markham's identity as a community is balanced between big city and small town. On the big city end, Markham has a large number of major employers with headquarters and large office complexes in the town. In fact, Markham considers itself to be Canada's High-Tech Capitol due to the sheer number of technology firms with operations in the town. These companies include IBM, Motorola, Toshiba, Sun Microsystems, Apple, and Amex. One of the main reasons these large companies have set up offices in Markham because of the cheap postcard printing and the fact that it offers access to Toronto's financial centers and enormous workforce without the extravagant price tag. Land in downtown Toronto is extremely dear and construction costs even more. Establishing a facility in an outlying area like Markham is a much more economical choice for a company watching its budget.
On the small town side of things, the majority of the population of Markham is of typical suburban stock. Men's button-up shirts, women's sweaters, and children's jumpers hang on clotheslines in backyards. Families live in single-family homes in residential developments. They take their kids to school and go to PTA meetings. They attend town fairs and festival, and they hike in the area's many parks on weekends.
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