CastlegarBritish Columbia
Home to 9,465 people, this town lies in British Columbia. Its census division is Central Kootenay.
Is Castlegar a good place to live?
Safety is its weak spot (C−). Owners valued their homes at a median $400,000 in 2021, which is 4.9 years of the typical household’s pay. Fewer journeys need a car (A−). Overall, that makes a C−, good for #190 of 250 in British Columbia. Nationally, it does better than just over a fifth of Canadian towns. The rest of its grades are middling: B for health and B for jobs & income.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
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. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.
How Castlegar grades
Each subject compares Castlegar 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 TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Castlegar stand out
The one thing Castlegar does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Castlegar.
For safety, Castlegar gets a C−
Violence reaches 20.4 per 1,000 residents a year. Thefts, break-ins and damage came to 44.4 per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (31) and Canadian towns (31.2).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Castlegar | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 20.4 | 12.5 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 44.4 | 31 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 94 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Measured against local pay, Castlegar costs more to live in than 78% of Canadian towns
14% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). 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%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Castlegar | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 21% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 19% | 24% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $400,000 | $720,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.
Castlegar has warmer summers than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: July afternoons reach 29.3°C
Frosty days number 120 in a normal year, higher than British Columbia’s towns (60) yet lower than Canadian towns (159). The coldest nights come in January, when Castlegar averages a low of −4.0°C. A normal December brings 47 cm of snow, the most of any month. December is the wettest month, with 98 mm of rain and snow on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Castlegar | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 29.3°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −4.0°C | 0.5°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 120 | 60 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 759 mm | 1,152 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Warfield)
Most schools around Castlegar score below the middle in British Columbia: 3 of 4
Counting a 3 km margin, Castlegar has 3 elementary schools and 1 secondary school. Measured from the centre, the closest high school lies 3.3 km off, above both British Columbia’s towns (1.8 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinnaird Elementary Middle fifth in British ColumbiaIn CastlegarElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Stanley Humphries Secondary Fourth fifth in British ColumbiaIn CastlegarSecondary | Secondary | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Castlegar | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 3.3 km | 1.8 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Life expectancy around Castlegar is 79.5 years, 2.0 less than for the typical Canadian town
The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 55%, ahead of the 50% for British Columbia. Chronic conditions run at 14% of adults, age-standardised, below both British Columbia’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%). For Castlegar itself the measure is access, and it lags: 21 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Castlegar | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 55% | 50% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.5 | 81.0 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 9.9% | 9% | 12% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Area behind the health survey and life expectancy figures: the Kootenay-Boundary Health Service Delivery Area
High radon around Castlegar: 29% of homes tested in the area exceed 200 Bq/m³
Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Kootenay/Boundary health region
Little of the land around Castlegar has burned: 2% within 25 km since 1986, or 0.05% a year. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Castlegar | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 29% | 1.8% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.008 | $0.36 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Trips to work from Castlegar are shorter than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 20 min on average
90% of commuters drove to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Castlegar | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 20 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 90% | 87% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.
Expect November days around 5°C in Castlegar, nights around −1°C
In November, the normal is 86 mm of rain and snow. A typical November adds 23 cm of snow. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Castlegar forecast.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 1°C | −4°C | 253 mm |
| Spring | 15°C | 3°C | 186 mm |
| Summer | 28°C | 12°C | 140 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 4°C | 180 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Warfield); the forecast is on the Weather page
Castlegar’s MP is Helena Konanz (Conservative Party of Canada), for Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay
20 of the 43 MPs from British Columbia belong to the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Castlegar’s public library is Castlegar & District Public Library
The library is 4 km from the centre of Castlegar.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Brilliant Dam Conservation Lands begins at the edge of Castlegar
3.8 km from town is Champion Lakes Park, the nearest provincial park. Protected areas cover 6% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%. There is no national park within 100 km of the town. Within 5 km lie 3 beaches, unnamed on the map.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Castlegar | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 6% | 6.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 4 | 14 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
More of Castlegar’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 6.8%
Immigrants make up nearly one in ten residents, lower than British Columbia’s towns (12%) yet higher than Canadian towns (6.4%). Visible minorities make up 7.3% of the population, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (8.6%) and Canadian towns (15%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
51.3% of Castlegar’s residents are women
Census 2021 put women at 4,275 and men at 4,065; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| Castlegar | British Columbia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 60% | 64% | 64% |
| 65+ | 25% | 21% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 14% | 13% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 56% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Castlegar’s 1 historic place is a top designation
Homes from before 1961 make up 25% of the stock, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Castlegar | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 25% | 11% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Castlegar
Castlegar Museum and 4 more in and around Castlegar
Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near Castlegar, the best known first.
Famous people from Castlegar
13 notable people were born in Castlegar.
Photo credits
Martin Popoff: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMetalVoice, CC BY 3.0 · Shawn Hook: Daniel Åhs Karlsson, CC BY 3.0
About Castlegar
Town in British Columbia
Statistics Canada treats Castlegar 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
- 9,465 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- Census division
- Central Kootenay
- Census subdivision
- 5903045
Castlegar’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castlegar | 9,465 | — | C− | C− | C− | B |
| Electoral Area J, Central Kootenay | 3,915 | 6.1 | C+ | C− | A− | B |
| Electoral Area B (Lower Columbia-Old-Glory), Kootenay Boundary | 1,432 | 9.2 | — | C− | B− | A− |
| Electoral Area I, Central Kootenay | 2,758 | 13 | C+ | D | A− | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Castlegar
Is Castlegar a young town or an old one?
Half its people are older than 45.6 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 15%, people 65 and over 25%.
Who are the people of Castlegar?
7% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 7% have an Indigenous identity and 9% are immigrants.
Is Castlegar growing?
Yes: the census counted 8,039 in 2016 and 8,338 in 2021, a rise of 3.7%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 9,465.
What kind of homes are in Castlegar?
68% 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 2.3 people; 30% are one person living alone.
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).