Electoral Area A, CaribooBritish Columbia

TownGrade

#2,365 of 2,556

Some 6,172 people live in this town, in British Columbia. It sits within the Quesnel census metropolitan area.

Population

6,172

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

46.4

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

43%

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 A, Cariboo a good place to live?

School results trail most towns (D). Electoral Area A, Cariboo grades D overall and ranks #217 of 250 in British Columbia. Nationally, it does better than 13% of Canadian towns. Health outcomes fall short of most towns (C−). The typical owner put their home at $300,000 in 2021: 3.7 years of the median household’s income. Natural hazards are few (B+). The rest of its grades are middling: B− for safety, B− for jobs & income and C+ for walkability.

Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.

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.

WeakestDSchools C⁻Health

How Electoral Area A, Cariboo grades

Each subject compares Electoral Area A, Cariboo 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

SchoolsSchools are among the weakest comparedDOpen →HealthNear the bottom of the towns comparedC⁻Open →Hazard riskGraded on earthquake risk and radon, with high wildfire risk able to lower itB⁺Open →Cost of livingHomes are harder to afford than in most townsC⁺Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesC⁺Open →Jobs & incomeClose to the middle of the towns comparedB⁻Open →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Electoral Area A, Cariboo stand out

The 2 things Electoral Area A, Cariboo does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Schools

Behind 90%

of Canadian towns on schools

Its schools grade: D.

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

43% have a postsecondary qualification

Compare 56% for the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Electoral Area A, Cariboo.

SchoolsSchools D

Results around Electoral Area A, Cariboo lean low: 7 of 8 schools in the lower two fifths in British Columbia

14schools within 3 kmDSchools Grade

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public11

Independent3

School	Level	Students	System
Ecole Red Bluff Lhtako Elementary Bottom fifth in British ColumbiaIn Electoral Area A, CaribooElementary	Elementary	–	English public
Fraser River Christian School IndependentIn Electoral Area A, CaribooAll grades	All grades	–	Independent

See all 14 schools →

1.6 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageElectoral Area A, Cariboo’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results0 of 8 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Every school14 schools within 3 km · 8 elementary schools, 1 secondary school, 3 schools for every grade and 2 alternative or adult schools Language0 of 14 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia Questions“What schools are there in Electoral Area A, Cariboo?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

HealthHealth C⁻

Lives run shorter around Electoral Area A, Cariboo: 76.6 years, 4.9 below the typical Canadian town’s region

39%very good or excellent healthC⁻Health Grade

Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the Northern Interior Health Service Delivery Area

The region has more smokers than British Columbia, 12% of adults to 8.9%. Chronic conditions run at 20% of adults, age-standardised, above both British Columbia’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%). Across the region, nearly two in five adults say their health is very good or excellent; British Columbia as a whole reaches 50%. Measured from where Electoral Area A, Cariboo’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 8.0 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Electoral Area A, Cariboo39%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Electoral Area A, Cariboo	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

8.0 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

7.7 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageElectoral Area A, Cariboo’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey39% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care8.0 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 7.7 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

Climate

January nights in Electoral Area A, Cariboo drop to −10.8°C (British Columbia towns 0.5°C, Canadian towns −13.5°C)

24.5°CJuly afternoons

Expect July highs of around 24.5°C in Electoral Area A, Cariboo. Frost comes on 177 days a year, above both British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159). The frost-free season runs from 22 May to 19 September, 119 days. Snow peaks in December: 42 cm in a normal year.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−1.3°C

Spring13.0°C

Summer23.5°C

Autumn10.7°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Electoral Area A, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Days with frost a year	177	60	159
Precipitation a year	510 mm	1,152 mm	883 mm
Snowfall a year	176 cm	51 cm	141 cm
January night low	−10.8°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C

176 cm

of snow a year

177

days with frost a year

119

frost-free days, 22 May to 19 Sep

103

days with precipitation a year

Full pageElectoral Area A, Cariboo’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 24.5°C, January lows −10.8°C Rain and snow510 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow176 cm of snow a year Weather station11 km to the station · Quesnel

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Quesnel)

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁺

A flood study covers Electoral Area A, Cariboo: 3 on the national inventory, the newest from Fraser Basin Council

Lowwildfire bandB⁺Hazard risk Grade

The radon tests numbers here cover the Northern Interior health region

Burn scars are few around Electoral Area A, Cariboo, with 1.6% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.04% a year). More homes than usual carry radon here, 12% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%.

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

Electoral Area A, Cariboo12%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Electoral Area A, Cariboo	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

Low

wildfire band

0.7 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageElectoral Area A, Cariboo’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Flood3 flood studies on record WildfireLow wildfire band · 1.6% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Earthquakes$0.010 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

HousingCost of living C⁺

Electoral Area A, Cariboo has just 11% of households spending at least 30% of income on shelter, where the typical Canadian town has 18%

$300,000median home value, 2021C⁺Cost of living Grade

87% of households own their home, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (76%) and Canadian towns (74%).

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

Electoral Area A, Cariboo$300,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Electoral Area A, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	11%	21%	18%
Median home value, 2021	$300,000	$720,000	$406,000
Households owning their home	87%	76%	74%
Rent as a share of income	18%	24%	20%

$1,226

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$760

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageElectoral Area A, Cariboo’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Cost of living3.7 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $300,000, against the median household income Renting$1,226 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Owners and renters87% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020. · Data for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom covers the Quesnel metro area

Weather

What November brings in Electoral Area A, Cariboo: −5°C at night, 3°C by day

3°Ca normal November afternoon

Expect around 31 cm of snow in November. A normal December brings highs of −2°C, lows of −10°C. In November, the normal is 45 mm of rain and snow. July brings the warmest days, 25°C; January the coldest nights, −11°C.

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

November3°C

December−2°C

January−3°C

February1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−1°C	−10°C	108 mm
Spring	13°C	−1°C	91 mm
Summer	24°C	9°C	170 mm
Autumn	11°C	0°C	142 mm

−5°C

a normal November night

45 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageElectoral Area A, Cariboo’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 (Quesnel); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Todd Doherty took Cariboo—Prince George in 2021 by 15,448 votes, more than the margin in 79% of ridings

In the census’s list of municipalities, Electoral Area A, Cariboo is a regional district electoral area.

Full pageElectoral Area A, Cariboo’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Provincial legislaturePrince George-North Cariboo

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁺

The nearest public library to Electoral Area A, Cariboo is CRDL: Quesnel Branch, 5.6 km away

The next is CRDL: McLeese Lake Branch (Electoral Area D, Cariboo), 58 km away.

Full pageElectoral Area A, Cariboo’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

Dragon Mountain Park begins where Electoral Area A, Cariboo ends

5.4%of the land within 10 km protected

Within 10 km, 5.4% of the land is protected, 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.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Electoral Area A, Cariboo5.4%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Electoral Area A, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	5.4%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	4	14	4

At the edge

to Dragon Mountain Park

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageElectoral Area A, Cariboo’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas7 protected areas within 10 km · Dragon Mountain Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Dragon Mountain Park

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

Who lives here

More of Electoral Area A, Cariboo’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 14%

46.4median age

2.8% of residents belong to a visible minority, below both British Columbia’s towns (8.6%) and Canadian towns (15%). Children under 15 count for 17% of the people here. What’s more, the 65-and-over age group makes up 22% of residents.

Electoral Area A, CaribooBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

17%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree23%

Postsecondary qualification43%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 50.2% of Electoral Area A, Cariboo

By the 2021 count the town had 3,100 women and 3,070 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.

Who lives in Electoral Area A, Cariboo
	Electoral Area A, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	17%	14%	16%
15 to 64	61%	64%	64%
65+	22%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	23%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	43%	56%	56%

Full pageElectoral Area A, Cariboo’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants6% are immigrants · 3% belong to a visible minority Ages46.4 median age · 22% are 65 or over Households2,605 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 A, Cariboo are shorter than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 20 min on average

5%walk, cycle or take transit

94% of commuters drove, above British Columbia’s towns (87%) and Canadian towns (89%) alike.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van94%

Walk3%

Public transit1%

Bicycle0%

Census 2021	Electoral Area A, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	20 min	26 min	26 min
Car or van	94%	87%	89%

$80,000

median household income, 2020

worked from home, May 2021

15%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageElectoral Area A, Cariboo’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment11% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work5% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to1,465 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Quesnel

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.

SafetySafety B⁻

Electoral Area A, Cariboo gets a B− for safety

63Crime Severity Index

These figures come from the closest detachment: none reports for Electoral Area A, Cariboo itself · Shared with the rest of the Quesnel detachment area: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000

Its police area recorded 15.3 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (12.5) and Canadian towns (12). Property crime in the area its police cover: 25 per 1,000 people a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202364

202463

202563

2023–2025	Electoral Area A, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	25	31	31.2
Crime Severity Index	63	83	67
Violent crime	15.3	12.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

35%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageElectoral Area A, Cariboo’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety63 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Electoral Area A, Cariboo’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Electoral Area A, Cariboo safe?”

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

History

Heritage in Electoral Area A, Cariboo: 1 historic place of the highest rank

1historic place

Older housing, built before 1961, accounts for 8.3% of homes, below both British Columbia’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%).

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations1

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

Fort Alexandria 1821

1821

oldest construction date on the record

8.3%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Electoral Area A, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	8.3%	11%	18%

Full pageElectoral Area A, Cariboo’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registersOne historic place inside the town Highest designations1 top designation · Fort Alexandria Older homes8.3% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Electoral Area A, Cariboo 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 A, Cariboo

15pages on Electoral Area A, Cariboo

The big questions

SafetyB⁻Crime Severity Index 63 Housing & costC⁺Homes 3.7 × income Property pricesSchoolsD14 schools within 3 km HealthC⁻Life expectancy 76.6 in its region Work & commuteB⁻50% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors5.4% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 25°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 46.4 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from around Electoral Area A, Cariboo

No notable person born in Electoral Area A, Cariboo is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

Rory MacDonaldCanadian mixed martial arts (MMA) fight… · born in Quesnel · born 1989

Aaron GagnonIce hockey player · born in Quesnel · born 1986

Arjun GillCanadian wrestler · born in Quesnel · born 1991

Bob GassoffCanadian ice hockey player · born in Quesnel · 1953–1977

Constance Lindsay SkinnerCanadian journalist · born in Quesnel · 1877–1939

Mitch LoveCanadian ice hockey player · born in Quesnel · born 1984

Photo credits

Rory MacDonald: Canadagift, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Aaron Gagnon: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Arjun Gill: Logan34can, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Constance Lindsay Skinner: No photographer named., Public domain · Mitch Love: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0

About Electoral Area A, Cariboo

Town in British Columbia

Statistics Canada treats Electoral Area A, Cariboo as a single census subdivision in British Columbia, and TownRatings keeps to that line.

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

Population: 6,172 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Cariboo
Metro area: Quesnel
Census subdivision: 5941019

Electoral Area A, Cariboo’s neighbours

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

QuesnelElectoral Area I, CaribooElectoral Area C, CaribooElectoral Area B, CaribooElectoral Area A, Cariboo

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Electoral Area A, Cariboo	6,172	—	D	C⁺	B⁻	C⁻
Quesnel	10,253	5.5	D⁻	C⁻	D	C
Electoral Area I, Cariboo	1,707	7.8	—	C⁻	B⁻	D
Electoral Area C, Cariboo	1,289	13	—	C	B⁻	C⁻
Electoral Area B, Cariboo	4,169	17	D⁻	C	B⁻	C⁻

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

Questions about Electoral Area A, Cariboo

Who are the people of Electoral Area A, Cariboo?

Visible minorities are 3% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 6%, and Indigenous people 14%.

What kind of homes are in Electoral Area A, Cariboo?

Single-detached houses make up 78% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 23% of households are one person, and the average is 2.4.

Is Electoral Area A, Cariboo growing?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it fell from 6,234 to 6,169 residents (1% down; Canadian towns’ median grew 4.1%); Statistics Canada now estimates 6,172.

How old are the people of Electoral Area A, Cariboo?

At 46.4, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 17% of the population and seniors 22%.

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).