Cariboo River in Bowron Lake Provincial Park (DSCF3180)

Electoral Area C, CaribooBritish Columbia

Some 1,289 people live in this town, in British Columbia. It is part of the Quesnel metro area.

3 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Trougnouf · CC BY 4.0

Population

1,289

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

49.6

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

37%

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 C, Cariboo a good place to live?

Hazard risk is its strong suit (B+). Pupils here do less well than most (D−). At $250,000, the median home value in 2021 came to 3.6 times local household income. Health lags (C−).

Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Electoral Area C, Cariboo has its subject grades alone.

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.

WeakestD⁻Schools C⁻Health

How Electoral Area C, Cariboo grades

Each subject compares Electoral Area C, 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

An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Electoral Area C, Cariboo has its subject grades alone.

SchoolsGraded on exam and test resultsD⁻Open →HealthHealth outcomes are among the weakest comparedC⁻Open →WalkabilityBehind most towns comparedC⁻Open →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentCOpen →Cost of livingHomes are harder to afford than in most townsCOpen →Hazard riskAbove the middle of the towns comparedB⁺Open →SafetyNear typical for the towns comparedB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Electoral Area C, Cariboo stand out

The 3 things Electoral Area C, Cariboo 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

Next to 8%, the median among Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Schools

Behind 97%

of Canadian towns on schools

Its schools grade: D−.

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

37% have a postsecondary qualification

For the middle of Canadian towns, 56%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

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

SchoolsSchools D⁻

3 of Electoral Area C, Cariboo’s 3 tested schools score in the lower two fifths in British Columbia

6schools within 3 kmD⁻Schools Grade

Teenagers have 11 km to go to the closest secondary school, above British Columbia’s towns (1.8 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km) alike. The 3 km around Electoral Area C, Cariboo counts 5 elementary schools and 1 school for every grade.

School	Level	Students	System
Barlow Creek Elementary Bottom fifth in British ColumbiaIn Electoral Area C, CaribooElementary	Elementary	–	English public
St Ann's School IndependentNearest secondary school, 2.4 kmAll grades	All grades	–	Independent

See all 6 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public5

Independent1

Schools within 3 km	Electoral Area C, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Nearest secondary school	11 km	1.8 km	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	6.2 km	0.6 km	0.5 km

11 km

to the nearest secondary school

6.2 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageElectoral Area C, Cariboo’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 school6 schools within 3 km · 5 elementary schools and 1 school for every grade Language0 of 6 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia Questions“What schools are there in Electoral Area C, Cariboo?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

HealthHealth C⁻

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

39%very good or excellent healthC⁻Health Grade

Measured from where people live, the nearest hospital is 12 km away, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (4.4 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km). At 12%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 8.9% for British Columbia. In the health survey, 39% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, fewer than British Columbia’s 50%.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Electoral Area C, Cariboo39%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Electoral Area C, 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

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 C, Cariboo’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 · Not measured by town: health survey and life expectancy (the Northern Interior Health Service Delivery Area)

Climate

January lows in Electoral Area C, Cariboo: −10.8°C, against 0.5°C in British Columbia’s towns and −13.5°C in Canadian towns

24.5°CJuly afternoons

Snowfall adds up to 204 cm a year, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (51 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Frost usually lifts by 22 May and returns around 19 September: 119 days without it. The warmest afternoons come in July, at around 24.5°C in Electoral Area C, Cariboo. Most of the snow comes in January, about 53 cm.

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 C, 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 C, 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 station9.5 km to the station · Quesnel

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

Work & commuteJobs & income C

Trips to work from Electoral Area C, Cariboo are shorter than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 22 min on average

2%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van95%

Walk2%

Census 2021	Electoral Area C, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	22 min	26 min	26 min

$70,000

median household income, 2020

worked from home, May 2021

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Unemployment9.3% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work2% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to250 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Quesnel

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

HousingCost of living C

Most households in Electoral Area C, Cariboo own their home: 88%, more than in British Columbia’s towns or across Canadian towns

$250,000median home value, 2021CCost of living Grade

Shelter took 30% or more of income for 11% of households, lower than 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 C, Cariboo$250,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Electoral Area C, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	11%	21%	18%
Median home value, 2021	$250,000	$720,000	$406,000
Households owning their home	88%	76%	74%
Rent as a share of income	21%	24%	20%

$1,226

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$604

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Owners and renters88% own their home Cost of living3.6 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $250,000, against the median household income Renting$1,226 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey

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. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: one figure for all of the Quesnel metro area

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁺

Electoral Area C, Cariboo is on Canada’s flood inventory: 2 listed, led by Fraser Basin Council

Lowwildfire bandB⁺Hazard risk Grade

NRCan’s model puts the yearly earthquake loss at $0.008 per $1,000 of building value, below British Columbia’s towns ($0.36) and close to Canadian towns ($0.030). Fire seldom reaches Electoral Area C, Cariboo: since 1986, 0.2% of the land within 25 km has burned (0.006% 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 C, Cariboo12%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Electoral Area C, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.008	$0.36	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	12%	1.8%	6.6%

$0.008

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

Low

wildfire band

8.5 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

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

Flood2 flood studies on record WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.2% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Earthquakes$0.008 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 · Area behind the radon tests figures: the Northern Interior health region

Who lives here

Electoral Area C, Cariboo skews older, with 24% of residents 65 or over, more than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns

49.6median age

Visible minorities make up 1.2% of the population, below both British Columbia’s towns (8.6%) and Canadian towns (15%). Children under 15 count for 16% of the people here.

Electoral Area C, CaribooBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

24%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree30%

Postsecondary qualification37%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 46.2% of Electoral Area C, Cariboo

575 women and 670 men at the 2021 census; across Canada, women are 50.9%.

Who lives in Electoral Area C, Cariboo
	Electoral Area C, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	16%	14%	16%
15 to 64	60%	64%	64%
65+	24%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	30%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	37%	56%	56%

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

Ages49.6 median age · 24% are 65 or over Households555 households · 2.2 people per household Immigrants6% are immigrants · 1% belong to a visible minority English and French2% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Outdoors

24% of the land within 10 km of Electoral Area C, Cariboo is protected

24%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected areas take in just over a quarter of the town itself. Jasper National Park is the closest national park, 68 km from town. CPCAD lists 18 protected areas within 10 km. OpenStreetMap shows one beach within 5 km, without a name.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Electoral Area C, Cariboo24%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Electoral Area C, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	24%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	15	14	4

68 km

to Jasper National Park

At the edge

to Wendle Park

beach within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

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

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas18 protected areas within 10 km · Bowron Lake Park National & provincial parks68 km to a national park · Jasper National Park

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

Weather

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

3°Ca normal November afternoon

Across the year, normals run from −11°C nights in January to 25°C afternoons in July. Into December, the normals move to −2°C and −10°C. Snow is normal by November, about 35 cm over the month. In November, the normal is 45 mm of rain and snow.

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 C, 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 C, 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 C, 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⁺

No public library stands in Electoral Area C, Cariboo: the closest, CRDL: Quesnel Branch, is 11 km away

Its libraries report as part of a wider system, so there are no figures for Electoral Area C, Cariboo in particular.

Full pageElectoral Area C, Cariboo’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0.8 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

SafetySafety B⁻

For safety, Electoral Area C, Cariboo gets a B−

63Crime Severity Index

These figures come from the closest detachment: none reports for Electoral Area C, Cariboo itself · Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over the Quesnel detachment area

The index for the force that serves it came to 63, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (83) and Canadian towns (67). The force’s area logs 15.3 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Its police area records 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 C, 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 C, Cariboo’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

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

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

History

Electoral Area C, Cariboo: 2 historic places, every one with the highest designation

2historic places

Go back to 1862 and you reach Barkerville, the oldest of them. At the 2021 census, 4.4% of homes dated from before 1961, below British Columbia’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations2

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

Barkerville 1862
Chee Kung Tong Building 1874

1862

oldest construction date on the record

4.4%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Electoral Area C, Cariboo	British Columbia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	4.4%	11%	18%

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

On the registers2 historic places inside the town Highest designations2 top designations · Barkerville Older homes4.4% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Electoral Area C, 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 C, Cariboo

15pages on Electoral Area C, Cariboo

The big questions

SafetyB⁻Crime Severity Index 63 Housing & costCHomes 3.6 × income Property pricesSchoolsD⁻6 schools within 3 km HealthC⁻Life expectancy 76.6 in its region Work & commuteC45% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors24% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 25°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 49.6 History2 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Barkerville and 7 more in and around Electoral Area C, Cariboo

What there is to see in Electoral Area C, Cariboo and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.

All attractions →

MuseumMuseumBarkervillein town Ski hillSki hillTroll Ski Resortin town MuseumMuseumHalverson House Mining Museumin town MuseumMuseumLee Chong Company General Merchantin town Art galleryArt galleryLouis A. Blanc Photographic Galleryin town Ski hillSki hillHallis Lake Ski Trails1.9 km outside town, to the south

Famous people from around Electoral Area C, Cariboo

One notable person was born in Electoral Area C, Cariboo; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.

Their page →

Bert SincockCanadian baseball player · 1887–1946

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

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

About Electoral Area C, Cariboo

Town in British Columbia

Statistics Canada treats Electoral Area C, 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: 1,289 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Cariboo
Metro area: Quesnel
Census subdivision: 5941026

Electoral Area C, Cariboo’s neighbours

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

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

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Electoral Area C, Cariboo	1,289	—	—	C	B⁻	C⁻
Quesnel	10,253	11	D⁻	C⁻	D	C
Electoral Area A, Cariboo	6,172	13	D	C⁺	B⁻	C⁻
Electoral Area B, Cariboo	4,169	15	D⁻	C	B⁻	C⁻

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

Questions about Electoral Area C, Cariboo

Who are the people of Electoral Area C, Cariboo?

Visible minorities are 1% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 6%, and Indigenous people 10%.

Has Electoral Area C, Cariboo grown?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 1,225 to 1,239 residents (up 1.1%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 1,289.

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

Single-detached houses make up 68% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 29% of households are one person, and the average is 2.2.

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).