Electoral Area E, Bulkley-NechakoBritish Columbia

In British Columbia, this town has 1,631 residents. Its census division is Bulkley-Nechako.

Photo: George Dean · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

1,631

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

50.4

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

48%

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 E, Bulkley-Nechako a good place to live?

Cost of living is its strong suit (B). Health lags (D). Safety is weaker too (D). Hazard risk is weaker too (D−). It is hard to get around without a car (D). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for schools and B for jobs & income.

Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako is graded subject by subject, but Canadian towns need 2,500 residents for an overall grade.

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. Wildfire lowers this town's Hazard risk Grade: a high share of the land around it has burned in the last 40 years.

WeakestD⁻Hazard risk DHealth

How Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako grades

Each subject compares Electoral Area E, 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

Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako is graded subject by subject, but Canadian towns need 2,500 residents for an overall grade.

Hazard riskIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedD⁻Open →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areDOpen →WalkabilityAmong the hardest places to get around without a carDOpen →SafetyGraded on crime per residentDOpen →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnBOpen →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workBOpen →SchoolsClose to the middle of the towns comparedB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako stand out

The 3 things Electoral Area E, 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

Half of Canadian towns are above 8%, half below

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Immigrants

Who lives here

19% are immigrants

The midpoint across Canadian towns is 6%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Hazard risk

Behind 98%

of Canadian towns on hazard risk

Its hazard risk grade: D−.

The data

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk D⁻

Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako’s grade for hazard risk: a D−

Highwildfire bandD⁻Hazard risk Grade

Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Northern Interior health region

The expected yearly loss to earthquakes is $0.011 for each $1,000 of buildings, about level with Canadian towns ($0.030) and below British Columbia’s towns ($0.36). In Health Canada’s survey, just over one in ten homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Fire is a regular visitor: 19% of the land within 25 km of Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako has burned since 1986 (0.50% a year).

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

Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako12%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.011	$0.36	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	12%	1.8%	6.6%

$0.011

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

High

wildfire band

1.2 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

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

WildfireHigh wildfire band · 19% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.011 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon12% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

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

HealthHealth D

On health, Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako falls short of 94% of Canadian towns

39%very good or excellent healthDHealth Grade

The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the Northern Interior Health Service Delivery Area

A hospital lies 31 km from the typical home, above British Columbia’s towns (4.4 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km) alike. Smoking is commoner than in the province: just over one in ten adults, against 8.9% for British Columbia. People in the region live to 76.6 on average: 79.5 for women and 74.0 for men in 2022/2024. Adults here are less upbeat about their health than the province: 39% very good or excellent, against 50% in British Columbia.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako39%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Electoral Area E, 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

31 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

30 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

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

Health survey39% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care31 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 30 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

SafetySafety D

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

142Crime Severity Index

A best guess: the nearest detachment’s figures, since none is filed under Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako · Source area for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: the Burns Lake detachment area

Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 142 over 2023–25, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (83) and Canadian towns (67). The force’s area logs 41.8 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Property crime in the area its police cover: 47.6 per 1,000 people a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023135

2024127

2025163

2023–2025	Electoral Area E, 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 E, Bulkley-Nechako’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

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

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

Climate

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

22.1°CJuly afternoons

Rain and snow peak in October, at 66 mm. There are 246 days of frost in a typical year, above both British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159). In July, daytime highs in Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako average 22.1°C.

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 E, 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 E, 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 station44 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 B

Rent takes less of local pay in Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 14% of household income

$300,000median home value, 2021BCost of living Grade

Home ownership covers 85% of households. Shelter took 30% or more of income for nearly one in ten households, below both British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).

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

Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako$300,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	9%	21%	18%
Rent as a share of income	14%	24%	20%
Median home value, 2021	$300,000	$720,000	$406,000
Households owning their home	85%	76%	74%

$705

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$424

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Renting$705 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living3.8 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $300,000, against the median household income Owners and renters85% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.

Work & commuteJobs & income B

Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako has 0.3 jobs for every resident in work, so most leave town for work

2%walk, cycle or take transit

The average trip to work took 27 min, close to both British Columbia’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van95%

Walk2%

Census 2021	Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	27 min	26 min	26 min

$79,000

median household income, 2020

25%

worked from home, May 2021

26%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Unemployment11% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work2% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to220 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Burns Lake

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.

Who lives here

Older residents shape Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako: 27% are 65 or over, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

50.4median age

Just over one in ten residents have an Indigenous identity, above British Columbia’s towns (5%) and Canadian towns (2.8%) alike. Children under 15 count for 18% of the people here.

Electoral Area E, Bulkley-NechakoBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

27%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree18%

Postsecondary qualification48%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 48.2% of Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako

Women numbered 730 and men 785 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.

Who lives in Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako
	Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	18%	14%	16%
15 to 64	55%	64%	64%
65+	27%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	18%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	48%	56%	56%

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

Ages50.4 median age · 27% are 65 or over Households620 households · 2.4 people per household Immigrants19% are immigrants · 4% belong to a visible minority 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+

Outdoors

Protected areas cover 41% of Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako

35%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected areas open to the public, within 10 km of the town: 15, above British Columbia’s towns (14) and Canadian towns (4) alike. There is no national park within 100 km of the town. 8 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name. OpenStreetMap shows one walking route nearby, the Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako35%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	35%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	15	14	4

At the edge

to Tweedsmuir Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

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

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas17 protected areas within 10 km · Tweedsmuir Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Tweedsmuir Park Footpaths & routes1 named route · Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail

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

Weather

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

1°Ca normal November afternoon

ECCC’s forecast for Burns Lake is on the Weather page, hour by hour. The month after, December, normally sees −4°C afternoons and −14°C nights. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 54 mm.

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 E, 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) represents Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako in Ottawa as MP for Skeena—Bulkley Valley

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

Full pageElectoral Area E, 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

The nearest public library to Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako is Burns Lake Public Library, 29 km away

Its libraries report as part of a wider system, so there are no figures for Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako in particular.

Full pageElectoral Area E, 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

SchoolsSchools B⁻

Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako’s teenagers travel 28 km to the nearest high school

2schools within 3 kmB⁻Schools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Francois Lake Elementary Middle fifth in British ColumbiaIn Electoral Area E, Bulkley-NechakoElementary	Elementary	–	English public

See all 2 schools →

Schools within 3 km	Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako	British Columbia	Canada
Nearest secondary school	28 km	1.8 km	1.2 km

28 km

to the nearest secondary school

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

Every school2 elementary schools Results0 of 1 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Language0 of 2 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia Questions“What schools are there in Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

History

89% of Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako’s homes date from 1961 or later

11%built before 1961

11%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

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

Full pageElectoral Area E, 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 E, 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 E, Bulkley-Nechako

15pages on Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako

The big questions

SafetyDCrime Severity Index 142 Housing & costBHomes 3.8 × income Property pricesSchoolsB⁻2 schools within 3 km HealthDLife expectancy 76.6 in its region Work & commuteB54% of adults in work Natural hazardsD⁻Wildfire band: high

Out and about

Outdoors35% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 22°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 50.4 HistoryTown hallFamous people

About Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako

Town in British Columbia

TownRatings counts Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in British Columbia; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.

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

Population: 1,631 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Bulkley-Nechako
Census subdivision: 5951031

Questions about Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako

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

93% 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; 26% are one person living alone.

Is Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako growing?

It went from 1,593 people in 2016 to 1,512 in 2021, down 5.1%, while the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 1,631.

How old are the people of Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako?

The median resident is 50.4 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 18% are under 15 and 27% are 65 or over.

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).