Electoral Area B, CaribooBritish Columbia

TownGrade

D⁻

#2,528 of 2,556

The town has 4,169 residents and lies in British Columbia. Statistics Canada counts it in the Quesnel metro area.

Population

4,169

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

48.8

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

42%

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, Cariboo a good place to live?

Electoral Area B, Cariboo grades low on several counts. Pupils here do less well than most (D). The town ranks #240 of 250 in British Columbia, with a D− overall. Set against the rest, it does better than 2% of Canadian towns. At $300,000, the median home value in 2021 came to 3.8 times local household income. Where it does best is hazard risk (B+).

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 DWalkability

How Electoral Area B, Cariboo grades

Each subject compares Electoral Area B, 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

SchoolsIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesDOpen →HealthHealth outcomes are among the weakest comparedC⁻Open →Jobs & incomeWeaker than most of the towns comparedCOpen →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnCOpen →Hazard riskLess exposed to natural hazards than mostB⁺Open →SafetyNear typical for the towns comparedB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Electoral Area B, Cariboo stand out

The 3 things Electoral Area B, Cariboo does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

3% walk, cycle or take transit

The median of Canadian towns: 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Schools

Behind 93%

of Canadian towns on schools

Its schools grade: D.

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

42% have a postsecondary qualification

Against 56% in the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

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

SchoolsSchools D

In the lower two fifths in British Columbia: 6 of the 6 schools around Electoral Area B, Cariboo with results

11schools within 3 kmDSchools Grade

Within 3 km of Electoral Area B, Cariboo are 7 elementary schools, 1 secondary school, 1 school for every grade and 2 alternative or adult schools. From the town centre, high school starts 9.9 km away, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (1.8 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km).

School	Level	Students	System
Bouchie Lake Elementary School Bottom fifth in British ColumbiaIn Electoral Area B, CaribooElementary	Elementary	–	English public
St Ann's School IndependentNearest secondary school, 0 kmAll grades	All grades	–	Independent

See all 11 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public10

Independent1

Schools within 3 km	Electoral Area B, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Nearest secondary school	9.9 km	1.8 km	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	3.4 km	0.6 km	0.5 km

9.9 km

to the nearest secondary school

3.4 km

to the nearest elementary school

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

Results0 of 6 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Every school11 schools within 3 km · 7 elementary schools, 1 secondary school, 1 school for every grade and 2 alternative or adult schools Language0 of 11 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia Questions“What schools are there in Electoral Area B, Cariboo?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

HealthHealth C⁻

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

39%very good or excellent healthC⁻Health Grade

Area-wide: health survey and life expectancy, counted over the Northern Interior Health Service Delivery Area

At 12%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 8.9% for British Columbia. Adults who call their own health very good or excellent: 39%, below both British Columbia’s towns (50%) and Canadian towns (52%). The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Electoral Area B, Cariboo’s is long: 11 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Electoral Area B, Cariboo39%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Electoral Area B, 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

11 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

11 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

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

Health survey39% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting careA pharmacy 11 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 B, Cariboo drop to −10.8°C (British Columbia towns 0.5°C, Canadian towns −13.5°C)

24.5°CJuly afternoons

The frost-free season runs from 22 May to 19 September, 119 days. There are 177 days of frost in a typical year, above British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Midsummer afternoons in Electoral Area B, Cariboo peak at about 24.5°C. Also worth knowing: a normal January brings 53 cm of snow, the most of any month.

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 B, 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	204 cm	51 cm	141 cm
January night low	−10.8°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C

204 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 B, 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 Snow204 cm of snow a year Weather station6.3 km to the station · Quesnel

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

Work & commuteJobs & income C

Commuters in Electoral Area B, Cariboo have a short way to work, 25 min on average, less than in British Columbia’s towns and across Canadian towns

3%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van94%

Public transit2%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Electoral Area B, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	25 min	26 min	26 min

$79,500

median household income, 2020

12%

worked from home, May 2021

11%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

UnemploymentOf the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work3% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to760 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Quesnel

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.

HousingCost of living C

Shelter costs push only 10% of Electoral Area B, Cariboo’s households past 30% of income, fewer than the 18% of the typical Canadian town

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

Source area for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: the Quesnel metro area

A year’s rent came to nearly a fifth of the median household income, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (24%) and Canadian towns (20%). The owner-occupied share of households is 86%.

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

Electoral Area B, Cariboo$300,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Electoral Area B, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	10%	21%	18%
Median home value, 2021	$300,000	$720,000	$406,000
Households owning their home	86%	76%	74%
Rent as a share of income	19%	24%	20%

$1,226

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$616

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Cost of living3.8 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 renters86% 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.

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁺

Electoral Area B, Cariboo is on Canada’s flood inventory: 4 listed, led by Fraser Basin Council

Lowwildfire bandB⁺Hazard risk Grade

Measured across the Northern Interior health region: radon tests

Earthquakes matter little: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.010 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. Burn scars are few around Electoral Area B, Cariboo, with 1.4% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.03% a year).

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

Electoral Area B, Cariboo12%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Electoral Area B, 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

2.9 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

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

Flood4 flood studies on record WildfireLow wildfire band · 1.4% 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

Weather

Electoral Area B, Cariboo in November: highs near 3°C, lows near −5°C

3°Ca normal November afternoon

Expect around 35 cm of snow in November. Next comes December, with normal highs of −2°C and lows of −10°C. Precipitation in November averages 45 mm. At the extremes, July afternoons reach 25°C and January 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 B, 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

A 15,448-vote win for Todd Doherty made Cariboo—Prince George safer in 2021 than 79% of ridings

Electoral Area B, Cariboo is in Cariboo—Prince George, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Todd Doherty of the Conservative Party of Canada.

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

Who runs itRegional District Electoral Area Provincial legislaturePrince George-North Cariboo

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁺

The nearest public library to Electoral Area B, Cariboo is CRDL: Quesnel Branch, 11 km away

No library board reports for Electoral Area B, Cariboo alone: its libraries belong to a county or regional system, whose figures cover many towns.

Full pageElectoral Area B, 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

Who lives here

More of Electoral Area B, Cariboo’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 13%

48.8median age

Visible minorities make up 1.8% of the population, below British Columbia’s towns (8.6%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. 22% of residents have reached 65. The share of residents under 15 is 16%.

Electoral Area B, CaribooBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

16%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree19%

Postsecondary qualification42%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 47.2% of Electoral Area B, Cariboo

Here the census found 1,825 women and 2,045 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.

Who lives in Electoral Area B, Cariboo
	Electoral Area B, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	16%	14%	16%
15 to 64	63%	64%	64%
65+	22%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	19%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	42%	56%	56%

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

Immigrants9% are immigrants · 2% belong to a visible minority Ages48.8 median age · 22% are 65 or over Households1,630 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+

Outdoors

Step out of Electoral Area B, Cariboo into Cottonwood River Park

5.4%of the land within 10 km protected

No national park lies within 100 km. Of the country within 10 km, 5.4% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%. The Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail is the one mapped walking route close by. OpenStreetMap shows 3 unnamed beaches within 5 km.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Electoral Area B, Cariboo5.4%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Electoral Area B, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	5.4%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	8	14	4

At the edge

to Cottonwood River Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

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

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas10 protected areas within 10 km · Fraser River Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Cottonwood River Park Footpaths & routes1 named route · Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail

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

SafetySafety B⁻

Electoral Area B, Cariboo’s grade for safety: a B−

63Crime Severity Index

A best guess: the nearest detachment’s figures, since none is filed under Electoral Area B, Cariboo

The index for the force that serves it came to 63, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (83) and Canadian towns (67). Violence across its police area runs at 15.3 per 1,000 residents a year. Across its police area, there are 25 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202364

202463

202563

2023–2025	Electoral Area B, 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 B, Cariboo’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

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

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 published for the Quesnel detachment area, not by town

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Electoral Area B, Cariboo

15pages on Electoral Area B, Cariboo

The big questions

SafetyB⁻Crime Severity Index 63 Housing & costCHomes 3.8 × income Property pricesSchoolsD11 schools within 3 km HealthC⁻Life expectancy 76.6 in its region Work & commuteC48% 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 48.8 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Famous people from around Electoral Area B, Cariboo

No notable person born in Electoral Area B, 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 B, Cariboo

Town in British Columbia

Every figure TownRatings gives for Electoral Area B, Cariboo covers the municipality as Statistics Canada maps it, one census subdivision in British Columbia.

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

Population: 4,169 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Cariboo
Metro area: Quesnel
Census subdivision: 5941021

Electoral Area B, Cariboo’s neighbours

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

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

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Electoral Area B, Cariboo	4,169	—	D⁻	C	B⁻	C⁻
Quesnel	10,253	11	D⁻	C⁻	D	C
Electoral Area C, Cariboo	1,289	15	—	C	B⁻	C⁻
Electoral Area A, Cariboo	6,172	17	D	C⁺	B⁻	C⁻
Electoral Area I, Cariboo	1,707	19	—	C⁻	B⁻	D

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

Questions about Electoral Area B, Cariboo

Who are the people of Electoral Area B, Cariboo?

At the 2021 census, 9% were immigrants and 2% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 13% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

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

Mostly 85% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.4 people on average, and 25% have just one.

Has Electoral Area B, Cariboo grown?

It added people: 3,842 in 2016, 3,864 in 2021, 0.6% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 4,169.

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

At 48.8, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 16% 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).