Photo: Britcruise · CC BY-SA 3.0Indigenous residents: 21%, a higher share than 97% of Canadian towns
Children under 15: 19%, above just over three quarters of Canadian towns. On one-parent families, Burns Lake sits higher than 91% of Canadian towns: 12%. There are 7% fewer residents than in 2016. Census figures put renter households at 41% here.
What stands out about the people of Burns Lake
First Nations, Métis and Inuit residents
21% of residents identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit, more than in 97% of Canadian towns; 16% are Registered or Treaty Indians. Identity & religion ↓
Fewer people than before
Burns Lake went from 1,779 people in 2016 to 1,659 in 2021, −7%: slower growth than in 98% of Canadian towns. Population change ↓
Written from the data on this page: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census.
−7% since 2016, a pace below 98% of Canadian towns
Figures are from the 2021 Census unless dated otherwise. Residents at the 2016 and 2021 censuses and the latest estimate, with the 2016–2021 change beside other towns.
Change, 2016 to 2021
Across Canada’s towns, the typical town changed +4%; across British Columbia’s towns, +6%. By July 2025, the estimate had risen a further 21%.
Burns Lake is younger than 66% of Canadian towns: a median age of 39.6
Residents by five-year age band, each beside the typical town (the tick).
Residents aged 65 and over: 21% here and 19% across Canada’s towns. The biggest five-year age group is 35–39, with 7.8% of residents.
Broad ages · share of residents
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split.
33% of households are one person living alone, a share 73% of Canadian towns don’t reach
Households by family type and by the number of people in them.
Against British Columbia’s towns and Canada’s towns
People per household
Canada’s towns.
Households in Burns Lake hold 2.3 people on average (Canada’s towns: 2.4). Elsewhere, 27% of households are one person living alone across Canada’s towns.
Married residents 15 and over make up 41% in Burns Lake, less than in 67% of Canadian towns
Married, common-law, single: residents 15 and over.
Marital status · residents 15 and over
The share of common-law partners tops just over two thirds of Canadian towns: 13%. To put it in context, 46% of residents 15 and over are married across Canada’s towns.
64% of homes are single-detached houses
Dwelling types, tenure and age of the housing. Prices, rents and shelter costs are on Cost of living.
Type of home
Owners and renters · share of households
When homes were built · share of homes
Older homes outnumber new: 16% predate 1961, 10% date from 2001 or later. Households in buildings of five or more storeys are rarer here than in 74% of Canadian towns. One in ten homes need major repairs, against a typical 5.8%.
Household income, middle of the range: $75,500 a year
Census incomes are for 2020, the year before the census, when CERB and other pandemic benefits topped up many households. What households took in before tax, at the middle and across income groups.
Households by income · share of households
At $75,500, the middle household in Burns Lake earned 12% less than the median across Canada’s towns ($86,000). The figure for British Columbia’s towns: $87,000. Pandemic payments such as CERB reached 24% of income recipients here, against 28% in the typical town.
8.4% of residents are immigrants
Where immigrants were born and when they came, and how recently residents moved in.
Immigrants, by continent of birth · share of all residents; the bar runs to 20%
When immigrants arrived · share of immigrants
Citizenship and moving · share of residents
The share of immigrants trails 69% of Canadian towns: 8.4%. Across Burns Lake, 1.9% of residents are not Canadian citizens. A year before the census, 11% lived somewhere else: fewer than the typical 11% across Canada’s towns.
More residents with no religion than 88% of Canadian towns: 51%
Identity and faith, in the census’s categories.
Visible minority and Indigenous identity · all residents
Religion · all residents
With visible minority residents at 6.5%, Burns Lake is behind 64% of Canadian towns on that count. Across Canada’s towns, 35% of residents said they have no religion.
88% have English as their mother tongue; 3.7% also speak French
The official languages residents can speak, and the ones they learned first.
Can hold a conversation in · share of all residents
Mother tongue · share of all residents
Where 7.5% of residents speak English and French across Canada’s towns, Burns Lake has 3.7%. Locally, 0.3% of residents have French as their mother tongue.
20% of residents 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, fewer than in 66% of Canadian towns
Education of residents 25 to 64, by highest credential.
Highest qualification · residents 25 to 64
Holding no credential: 11% (typical 9.5%). Across Canada’s towns, 27% of residents 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Employment: 63% of residents 15 and over had a job
May 2021 was still a pandemic month: the census’s work figures reflect that. Work, briefly: employment, unemployment, participation and working from home. Jobs, industries and the commute are on Work & commute.
63% of residents 15 and over have a job; across Canada’s towns the typical share is 58%.
Older than Burns Lake: 3 of the 4 towns nearby
Neighbouring places and their median ages; each name opens its page. The nearest places to Burns Lake with figures are 3–71 km away.
| Town | People | Away | Median age | 65+ | Immigrants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burns Lake | 2,007 | — | 39.6 | 21% | 8.4% |
| Electoral Area B, Bulkley-Nechako | 1,769 | 3.3 km | 48.4 | 21% | 6.7% |
| Electoral Area E, Bulkley-Nechako | 1,631 | 28.5 km | 50.4 | 27% | 19% |
| Houston | 3,114 | 61.2 km | 38.8 | 16% | 9.1% |
| Electoral Area D, Bulkley-Nechako | 1,772 | 70.7 km | 52.8 | 24% | 13% |
Health, work, housing and schools
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Against British Columbia’s towns and Canada’s towns. Two medians frame each figure: one for British Columbia’s towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500 or more, one for all Canadian towns of that size, with whole cities and First Nations reserves left out. Percentiles rank the town within Canada.
- What these tables don’t give. Some things the page can’t show: the Census Profile asks nothing about unpaid care, cars or internet access, and gives no change by age since 2016. Ethnic origins beyond visible minority and Indigenous identity aren’t charted.
- The census’s own words. “Visible minority” is the census’s term from the Employment Equity Act: people, other than Indigenous peoples, who are non-white in colour or race. Indigenous identity, immigrant status and religion are as residents answered. The page compares them with other towns and never labels a town by them.
Questions about Burns Lake’s residents
Is Burns Lake bilingual?
English and French: 3.7% speak both (Canada’s towns: 7.5%). English only: 96%. French only: 0%. French mother tongue: 0.3%.
How diverse is Burns Lake?
Immigrants make up 8.4% of residents, against 17% across Canada’s towns. 6.5% are members of a visible minority, and 21% are First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What religion are people in Burns Lake?
Christian: 47%. No religion: 51%. Another religion: 1.9%.
Is Burns Lake good for families?
Across Canada’s towns, a typical 16% of residents are under 15; here, 19%. 46% of households are couple families and 12% one-parent families. Schools near Burns Lake are on its Schools page.
What is the median income in Burns Lake?
$75,500 before tax, in 2020: the middle household’s income in Burns Lake (Canada’s towns: $86,000).
What is the population of Burns Lake?
Statistics Canada estimates 2,007 residents for July 2025; the 2021 Census counted 1,659 in Burns Lake, 7% fewer than 2016.
What is the average age in Burns Lake?
39.6 is the median age. Under 15: 19%. 65 and over: 21%.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population · Statistics Canada, population estimates for 1 July 2025 (table 17-10-0155). 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).