Electoral Area E, Central KootenayBritish Columbia

TownGrade

B⁺

#702 of 2,556

It is part of the Nelson metro area. The town has 4,309 residents and lies in British Columbia.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain

Population

4,309

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

51.2

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

59%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

11%

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay a good place to live?

Pupils here do better than most (A+). It also does well on safety (A). Buying in is costly (D). Overall, that makes a B+, better than 70% of Canadian towns. That places it #23 of 250 in British Columbia. The rest of its grades are middling: B for walkability and C+ for hazard risk.

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. 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.

StrongestA⁺Schools ASafetyWeakestDCost of living

How Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay grades

Each subject compares Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay 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

SchoolsGraded on exam and test resultsA⁺Open →Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesDOpen →SafetyIn the top fifth of the towns comparedAOpen →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workCOpen →HealthResidents are healthier than in most townsB⁺Open →WalkabilityAhead of most towns comparedBOpen →Hazard riskNear typical for the towns comparedC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay stand out

The 3 things Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Schools

Better than 96%

of Canadian towns on schools

Its schools grade: A+.

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

7.8 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $548,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Cost of living

Behind 93%

of Canadian towns on cost of living

Its cost of living grade: D.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay.

SchoolsSchools A⁺

Most of the schools around Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay score above the middle in British Columbia: 8 of 14

18schools within 3 kmA⁺Schools Grade

The 3 km around Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay counts 8 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools, 5 schools for every grade and 3 alternative or adult schools. Of the 18, 2 teach in French (2% of schools in British Columbia). Elementary school is 2.8 km away at the nearest, above British Columbia’s towns (0.6 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km) alike.

School	Level	Students	System
Blewett Elementary School Second fifth in British ColumbiaIn Electoral Area E, Central KootenayElementary	Elementary	–	English public
Nelson Waldorf School IndependentIn Electoral Area E, Central KootenayAll grades	All grades	–	Independent
Secondaire de Nelson FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary	Secondary	–	French public
St Joseph School IndependentResults in the top fifth in British ColumbiaAll grades	All grades	–	Independent

See all 18 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public12

Independent4

French public2

Schools within 3 km	Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
School boards	2	2	3
Nearest elementary school	2.8 km	0.6 km	0.5 km

2.8 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageElectoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results8 of 14 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Every school18 schools within 3 km · 8 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools, 5 schools for every grade and 3 alternative or adult schools Language2 of 18 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia The boards2 school boards · SD 8 Kootenay Lake Questions“What schools are there in Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

HousingCost of living D

Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay is a town of owners: 82% of households own their home, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

$548,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

Rent took nearly a quarter of household income, between British Columbia’s towns (24%) and Canadian towns (20%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for just over a fifth of households, near British Columbia’s towns (21%) and higher than Canadian towns (18%).

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

Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay$548,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Households owning their home	82%	76%	74%
Rent as a share of income	23%	24%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	21%	21%	18%

$980

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$735

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageElectoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters82% own their home Cost of living7.8 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $548,000, against the median household income Renting$980 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census

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.

SafetySafety A

Crime runs lighter where Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay is policed than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns, at an index of 36

36Crime Severity Index

These figures come from the closest detachment: none reports for Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay itself · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 for the Nelson detachment area

Property crime in its police area ran at 16.2 per 1,000 residents a year, below British Columbia’s towns (31) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike. Where it is policed, 8 violent incidents per 1,000 residents are recorded each year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202343

202436

202529

2023–2025	Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Crime Severity Index	36	83	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	32	76	86
Property crime per 1,000	16.2	31	31.2
Violent crime	8	12.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

20%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageElectoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety36 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay safe?”

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

Work & commuteJobs & income C

Trips to work from Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay take longer than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 30 min on average

11%walk, cycle or take transit

88% of commuters drove, close to both British Columbia’s towns (87%) and Canadian towns (89%).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van88%

Walk8%

Public transit2%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	30 min	26 min	26 min
Car or van	88%	87%	89%

$70,500

median household income, 2020

24%

worked from home, May 2021

28%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageElectoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment8.2% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work11% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to530 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Nelson

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

Climate

Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay has warmer summers than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: July afternoons reach 28.5°C

28.5°CJuly afternoons

For the wettest month, look to December: 98 mm on average. A normal January night drops to −2.9°C, between British Columbia’s towns (0.5°C) and Canadian towns (−13.5°C). Most of the snow comes in December, about 47 cm.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter2.2°C

Spring14.5°C

Summer26.5°C

Autumn13.5°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
July afternoon high	28.5°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
January night low	−2.9°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	100	60	159
Precipitation a year	759 mm	1,152 mm	883 mm

151 cm

of snow a year

100

days with frost a year

122

days with precipitation a year

Full pageElectoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 28.5°C, January lows −2.9°C Rain and snow759 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow151 cm of snow a year Weather station4.2 km to the station · Nelson

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

HealthHealth B⁺

Lives run shorter around Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay: 79.5 years, 2.0 below the typical Canadian town’s region

55%very good or excellent healthB⁺Health Grade

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

The survey finds 55% of adults in very good or excellent health, above both British Columbia’s towns (50%) and Canadian towns (52%). Measured from where Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 17 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay55%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay	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%

79.5

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

17 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

9.9%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

17 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageElectoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey55% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting careA pharmacy 17 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 82.8, men 76.5 Conditions and habits14% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Who lives here

An older town: 27% of people in Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay are 65 or over, more than in British Columbia’s towns and across Canadian towns

51.2median age

First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 7.5% of residents, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (5%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). Children are 13% of the town.

Electoral Area E, Central KootenayBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

27%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree13%

Postsecondary qualification59%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 47.9% of Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay

Women numbered 1,865 and men 2,030 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.

Who lives in Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay
	Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	13%	14%	16%
15 to 64	61%	64%	64%
65+	27%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	13%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	59%	56%	56%

Full pageElectoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages51.2 median age · 27% are 65 or over Households1,800 households · 2.2 people per household Immigrants11% are immigrants · 3% belong to a visible minority English and French8% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

29% of homes tested in Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s area are above the radon guideline

Moderatewildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

Measured across the Kootenay/Boundary health region: radon tests

Seismic risk runs low: $0.007 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. Fire reaches the land around Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay now and then: 6.6% within 25 km since 1986 (0.17% a year), below the high band. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town.

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

Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay29%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	29%	1.8%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.007	$0.36	$0.030

$0.007

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

Moderate

wildfire band

0.9 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageElectoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon29% of tests above the guideline WildfireModerate wildfire band · 6.6% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.007 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

Outdoors

Protected areas cover 26% of the country around Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay

26%of the land within 10 km protected

OpenStreetMap shows 2 walking routes nearby, including the Slocan Valley Rail Trail and Great Northern Trail. The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. Within its own boundary, 31% of the town is protected. 24 protected areas lie within 10 km.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay26%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	26%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	15	14	4

At the edge

to Kokanee Glacier Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageElectoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas24 protected areas within 10 km · Kokanee Glacier Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Kokanee Glacier Park Footpaths & routes2 named routes · Slocan Valley Rail Trail

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

Weather

A normal November in Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay runs from freezing to 6°C

6°Ca normal November afternoon

By December, a normal day reaches 1°C and a night falls to −3°C. In November, the normal is 86 mm of rain and snow. A typical November adds 23 cm of snow. Normal highs peak at 29°C in July; nights bottom out at −3°C in December.

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

November6°C

December1°C

January1°C

February4°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	2°C	−3°C	253 mm
Spring	15°C	3°C	186 mm
Summer	27°C	12°C	140 mm
Autumn	14°C	4°C	180 mm

0°C

a normal November night

86 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageElectoral Area E, Central Kootenay’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 December

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Nelson); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Rob Morrison (Conservative Party of Canada) represents Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay in Ottawa as MP for Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies

Kootenay Central is the riding Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay votes in for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and its MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly, the provincial or territorial legislature) isn’t named here because no open list records the members.

Full pageElectoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itRegional District Electoral Area

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A

No public library stands in Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay: the closest, Nelson Public Library, is 3.4 km away

After it comes Salmo Valley Public Library (Salmo), 31 km away.

Full pageElectoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0.2 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay

15pages on Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay

The big questions

SafetyACrime Severity Index 36 Housing & costDHomes 7.8 × income Property pricesSchoolsA⁺18 schools within 3 km HealthB⁺Life expectancy 79.5 in its region Work & commuteC54% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: moderate

Out and about

Outdoors26% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 29°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 51.2 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Whitewater Mountain Resort and 8 more in and around Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay

A first look at Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.

All attractions →

Ski hillSki hillWhitewater Mountain Resortin town AttractionAttractionKootenay Mountain Ziplinein town Ski hillSki hillWhitewater Ski Resortin town Historic siteHistoric siteProctor Pictographsin town CathedralCathedralMary Immaculate Cathedral, Nelson800 m outside town, to the northwest PierPierNelson Pier1.3 km outside town, to the north

Famous people from around Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay

One notable person was born in Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.

Their page →

Dale McMullinCanadian ice hockey player · born 1955

Thomas MiddleditchCanadian actor · born in Nelson · born 1982

Sarah AllenCanadian actress · born in Nelson · born 1980

John GreysonCanadian filmmaker · born in Nelson · born 1960

Greg AdamsCanadian ice hockey player · born in Nelson · born 1963

Danny GareCanadian ice hockey player · born in Nelson · born 1954

Photo credits

Thomas Middleditch: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sarah Allen: Canadian Film Centre, CC BY 2.0 · John Greyson: TheDuty Myth, CC BY 3.0

About Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay

Town in British Columbia

Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay is a municipality in British Columbia, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.

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

Population: 4,309 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Central Kootenay
Metro area: Nelson
Census subdivision: 5903041

Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay’s neighbours

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

NelsonElectoral Area F, Central KootenayElectoral Area E, Central Kootenay

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay	4,309	—	B⁺	D	A	B⁺
Nelson	12,126	3.2	B	D⁻	C⁻	A
Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay	4,209	7.5	A⁻	D	A	A⁻

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

Questions about Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay

Who are the people of Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay?

3% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 8% have an Indigenous identity and 11% are immigrants.

What kind of homes are in Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay?

88% 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 2.2 people; 31% are one person living alone.

Is Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay growing?

It added people: 3,772 in 2016, 3,897 in 2021, 3.3% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 4,309.

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).