Electoral Area B, Bulkley-NechakoBritish Columbia

Between 2016 and 2021, its population shrank by 9%. The town has 1,769 residents and lies in British Columbia.

1 place within 19 kmMap →

Photo: George Dean · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

1,769

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

48.4

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

36%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako a good place to live?

Prices are modest for what you get (A−). Where it falls short is safety (D). Residents’ health trails most towns (C−). It also trails on walkability (D).

An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako has its subject grades alone.

This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. Safety less sure: no police service names this town, so its crime figure is the nearest police detachment's, shared with a wider area. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestA⁻Cost of livingWeakestDSafety DWalkability

What makes Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako stand out

The 3 things Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

2% walk, cycle or take transit

Where the typical figure for Canadian towns is 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

2.7 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $250,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

36% have a postsecondary qualification

Midway across Canadian towns: 56%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

How Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako grades

Each subject compares Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.

How grading works

An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako has its subject grades alone.

SafetyCrime runs among the highest comparedDOpen →WalkabilityIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areC⁻Open →Cost of livingHomes are easier to afford than in most townsA⁻Open →Hazard riskBetter than most of the towns comparedB⁺Open →SchoolsBased on how pupils do in exams and testsC⁺Open →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako.

SafetySafety D

The force covering Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako records more serious violence than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns, at 196

These figures come from the closest detachment: none reports for Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako itself

Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 47.6 per 1,000 residents a year where it is policed. Its police area recorded 41.8 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above British Columbia’s towns (12.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike. Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako doesn’t get its own Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures; the ones here come from the Burns Lake detachment area.

142Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023135

2024127

2025163

2023–2025	Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Violent crime	41.8	12.5	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	196	76	86
Crime Severity Index	142	83	67
Property crime per 1,000	47.6	31	31.2

121

non-violent Crime Severity Index

34%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageElectoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety142 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

HealthHealth C⁻

Life expectancy around Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako is 76.6 years, 4.9 less than for the typical Canadian town

For Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako itself the measure is access, and it lags: 12 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical. The region has more smokers than British Columbia, just over one in ten adults to 8.9%. Age-standardised, 39% of the region’s adults put their health at very good or excellent, below British Columbia’s towns (50%) and Canadian towns (52%) alike.

39%very good or excellent healthC⁻Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako39%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Very good or excellent health	39%	50%	52%
Life expectancy at birth	76.6	81.0	81.5
Chronic conditions (average share)	20%	15%	17%
Smokers	12%	9%	12%

76.6

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

12 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

12 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageElectoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey39% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting careA pharmacy 12 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 79.5, men 74.0 Conditions and habits20% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Health survey and life expectancy: the Northern Interior Health Service Delivery Area

Climate

Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako has colder winters than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −14.8°C

Frosty days number 246 in a normal year, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159). The warmest afternoons come in July, at around 22.1°C in Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako. A normal October brings 66 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.

22.1°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−2.9°C

Spring10.3°C

Summer20.9°C

Autumn8.8°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Days with frost a year	246	60	159
Precipitation a year	506 mm	1,152 mm	883 mm
January night low	−14.8°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	22.1°C	23.1°C	25.5°C

246

days with frost a year

105

days with precipitation a year

Full pageElectoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 22.1°C, January lows −14.8°C Rain and snow506 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Weather station22 km to the station · Burns Lake Decker Lake

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Burns Lake Decker Lake)

HousingCost of living A⁻

Renting in Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako costs 16% of household income, less than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns

12% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). Households that own their home make up 87%.

$250,000median home value, 2021A⁻Cost of living Grade

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako$250,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Rent as a share of income	16%	24%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	12%	21%	18%
Households owning their home	87%	76%	74%

$930

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$516

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageElectoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$930 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living2.7 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $250,000, against the median household income Owners and renters87% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁺

Wildfire moderate, radon 12%: how Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako stands on hazards

The radon tests numbers here cover the Northern Interior health region

Seismic risk runs low: $0.010 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. Wildfire is a moderate presence around Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako: 5.4% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, 0.14% a year, short of the band that counts against Risk. The national flood inventory has no study of the town.

Moderatewildfire bandB⁺Hazard risk Grade

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako12%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.010	$0.36	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	12%	1.8%	6.6%

$0.010

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Moderate

wildfire band

0.6 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageElectoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon12% of tests above the guideline WildfireModerate wildfire band · 5.4% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.010 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

SchoolsSchools C⁺

Results around Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako lean low: 3 of 3 schools in the lower two fifths in British Columbia

An elementary school stands 4 km from the centre, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (0.6 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km). The 3 km around Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako counts 2 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 1 alternative or adult school.

4schools within 3 kmC⁺Schools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Decker Lake Elementary Fourth fifth in British ColumbiaIn Electoral Area B, Bulkley-NechakoElementary	Elementary	–	English public
Lakes District Secondary Fourth fifth in British ColumbiaNearest secondary school, 0.2 kmSecondary	Secondary	–	English public

See all 4 schools →

Schools within 3 km	Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Nearest elementary school	4 km	0.6 km	0.5 km
Nearest secondary school	3.3 km	1.8 km	1.2 km

4 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageElectoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results0 of 3 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Every school4 schools within 3 km · 2 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 1 alternative or adult school Language0 of 4 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia Questions“What schools are there in Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Weather

In Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako, November normally means 1°C afternoons and −8°C nights

Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Burns Lake forecast, on the Weather page. Looking ahead to December, expect highs near −4°C and lows near −14°C. A normal November brings 54 mm of rain and snow.

1°Ca normal November afternoon

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November1°C

December−4°C

January−4°C

February0°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−3°C	−14°C	110 mm
Spring	10°C	−5°C	85 mm
Summer	21°C	4°C	140 mm
Autumn	9°C	−4°C	170 mm

−8°C

a normal November night

54 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageElectoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Burns Lake Decker Lake); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Ellis Ross (Conservative Party of Canada) holds Skeena—Bulkley Valley, the riding that includes Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako

Across British Columbia, 20 of the 43 MPs sit with the Liberal Party of Canada.

Full pageElectoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itRegional District Electoral Area Provincial legislatureNechako Lakes

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A

Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako has no public library of its own; the nearest is Burns Lake Public Library, 3.3 km away

After it comes Houston Public Library (Houston), 60 km away.

Full pageElectoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Dead Man's Island Park begins where Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako ends

Of the land within 10 km, 6.2% has protected status, lower than British Columbia’s towns (6.7%) yet higher than Canadian towns (2.3%). There is no national park within 100 km of the town. Within 10 km are 18 protected areas.

6.2%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako6.2%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	15	14	4
Protected land within 10 km	6.2%	6.7%	2.3%

At the edge

to Dead Man's Island Park

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageElectoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas18 protected areas within 10 km · Rubyrock Lake Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Dead Man's Island Park

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

Who lives here

More of Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 25%

Immigrants make up 6.7% of residents, below British Columbia’s towns (12%) and close to Canadian towns (6.4%). Over-65s are just over a fifth of the population. Children are 15% of the town.

48.4median age

Electoral Area B, Bulkley-NechakoBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

15%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree27%

Postsecondary qualification36%

Women and men · all residents

49.0% of Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s residents are women

Here the census found 870 men and 835 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.

Who lives in Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako
	Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	15%	14%	16%
15 to 64	64%	64%	64%
65+	21%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	27%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	36%	56%	56%

Full pageElectoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants7% are immigrants · 0% belong to a visible minority Ages48.4 median age · 21% are 65 or over Households710 households · 2.4 people per household English and French3% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁻

Trips to work from Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako are shorter than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 24 min on average

2%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van97%

Walk2%

Census 2021	Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	24 min	26 min	26 min

$93,000

median household income, 2020

14%

worked from home, May 2021

12%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageElectoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment14% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work2% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to370 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Burns Lake

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.

History

A younger housing stock: 89% of Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s homes are from 1961 on

11%built before 1961

11%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	11%	11%	18%

Full pageElectoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes11% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako

15pages on Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako

The big questions

SafetyDCrime Severity Index 142 Housing & costA⁻Homes 2.7 × income Property pricesSchoolsC⁺4 schools within 3 km HealthC⁻Life expectancy 76.6 in its region Work & commuteB⁻54% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁺Wildfire band: moderate

Out and about

Outdoors6.2% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 22°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 48.4 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Famous people from around Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako

No notable person born in Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

Emily DicksonCanadian biathlete · born in Burns Lake · born 1997

Kajan JohnsonCanadian mixed martial arts fighter · born in Burns Lake · born 1984

Cindy BlackstockHuman rights activist · born in Burns Lake · born 1964

Rick MillerCanadian politician · born in Burns Lake · 1960–2013

Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

Burns LakeElectoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako	1,769	—	—	A⁻	D	C⁻
Burns Lake	2,007	3.3	—	A⁻	D	C

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako

Who are the people of Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako?

At the 2021 census, 7% were immigrants and 0% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 25% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

Is Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako growing?

It lost people: 1,885 in 2016, 1,706 in 2021, 9.5% fewer, while the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 1,769.

What kind of homes are in Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako?

85% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.4 people; 24% are one person living alone.

About Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako

Town in British Columbia

The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako is one census subdivision in British Columbia, and TownRatings describes all of it.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 1,769 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Bulkley-Nechako
Census subdivision: 5951028

Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.

Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).