Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0A median age of 51.6: Central Okanagan is older than 89% of Canadian towns
Of the immigrants living here, 5.9% came between 2011 and 2021; across Canada’s towns the share is 27%. Central Okanagan had about 4,784 residents in July 2025, by Statistics Canada’s estimate, and 1,690 households at the 2021 Census. 8.8% of households rent their home. More Indigenous residents than in 77% of Canadian towns: 6.5%.
What stands out about the people of Central Okanagan
Older than most towns
Line Central Okanagan’s residents up by age and the one in the middle is 51.6; the typical median across Canadian towns is 42. 25% are 65 or over, against 19% across Canada’s towns. Ages ↓
Growing faster than most
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, Central Okanagan went from 3,814 to 4,258 residents (+12%), faster growth than in 86% of Canadian towns. Population change ↓
Written from the data on this page: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census.
Growth of +12% since 2016 puts Central Okanagan ahead of 86% of Canadian towns
Unless a figure says otherwise, it is from the 2021 Census. Residents at the 2016 and 2021 censuses and the latest estimate, with the 2016–2021 change beside other towns.
Change, 2016 to 2021
The median across Canada’s towns is +4%, and across British Columbia’s towns +6%.
Fewer children under 15 than 85% of Canadian towns: 12%
Share of residents in each five-year band; the tick is the typical town.
The figure for residents aged 65 and over is 25% in Central Okanagan and 19% across Canada’s towns. Nearly one in ten residents are aged 15 to 24, a lower share than in 82% of Canadian towns.
Median age of Canadian towns of 2,500+
■ Central Okanagan, 51.6. The typical town is 42.
Broad ages · share of residents
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
About 107 men for every 100 women.
19% of households are one person living alone, below 81% of Canadian towns
Household types, then household sizes.
Against British Columbia’s towns and Canada’s towns
People per household
Canada’s towns.
In Central Okanagan the average household is 2.5 people, beside 2.4 across Canada’s towns. Compared with other places, one-parent families are scarce here: 4.4%, fewer than in 96% of Canadian towns. One-person households make up 27% across Canada’s towns.
Married residents 15 and over: 56%, a higher share than 84% of Canadian towns
Marital status of residents 15 and over, with common-law couples counted apart.
Marital status · residents 15 and over
Common-law partners: 12% here and 11% across Canada’s towns. The wider picture: 46% of residents 15 and over are married across Canada’s towns.
A larger share of households in single-detached houses than 68% of Canadian towns: 77%
Houses and apartments, owners and renters, older and newer homes. Prices, rents and shelter costs are on Cost of living.
Type of home
Owners and renters · share of households
When homes were built · share of homes
Newer homes outnumber old: 30% date from 2001 or later, 5% from before 1961. Households in buildings of five or more storeys are rarer here than in 74% of Canadian towns. As a reference point, 64% of households live in a single-detached house across Canada’s towns.
Half above, half below $99,000 a year in household income
Incomes here are for 2020, the year before the census, CERB and other pandemic benefits included. Income per household, before tax, with the groups it falls into.
Households by income · share of households
Central Okanagan’s median household took in $99,000 before tax, 15% more than the median across Canada’s towns ($86,000). The figure for British Columbia’s towns: $87,000. Emergency and recovery benefits reached 24% of those with an income, beside a typical 28%.
A lower share of residents who moved in within the year than 60% of Canadian towns, at 10%
Immigrants by continent of birth and when they arrived, citizenship, and who moved in recently.
Immigrants, by continent of birth · share of all residents; the bar runs to 20%
When immigrants arrived · share of immigrants
Citizenship and moving · share of residents
Against a figure of 5.8% across Canada’s towns, the share of residents without Canadian citizenship in Central Okanagan comes in at 2.8%. The largest groups of immigrants were born in Europe (57%) and in Asia (21%). By way of comparison, 11% of residents lived at another address a year earlier across Canada’s towns.
Residents with no religion make up 55% in Central Okanagan, more than in 92% of Canadian towns
Visible minority and Indigenous identity, then religion.
Visible minority and Indigenous identity · all residents
Religion · all residents
Against a figure of 15% across Canada’s towns, the share of visible minority residents in Central Okanagan comes in at 5.2%. Residents with no religion: 35% across Canada’s towns, for comparison. Among other religions: Sikh (2.5%).
89% have English as their mother tongue; 5.1% also speak French
English, French and the other languages people grew up with or speak at home.
Can hold a conversation in · share of all residents
Mother tongue · share of all residents
Compared with 7.5% across Canada’s towns, 5.1% of residents speak English and French here. French is the mother tongue of 1.3% and English of 89%; at home, 0.4% speak French most often and 97% English.
16% of residents 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, below 80% of Canadian towns
Highest certificate, diploma or degree of residents aged 25 to 64.
Highest qualification · residents 25 to 64
6.1% have no certificate, diploma or degree (typical: 9.5%). The wider picture: 27% of residents 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher across Canada’s towns.
Employment: 56% of residents 15 and over had a job
These rates date from May 2021, during the pandemic, and run lower than a normal year’s. The census’s work rates at a glance. Jobs, industries and the commute are on Work & commute.
Across Canada’s towns the typical rate is 58%, much like this 56%.
The 9th oldest of 41 towns of 4,692 to 4,876 people
Similar-sized towns by median age; each dot is a town.
Electoral Area B, Nanaimo is the oldest at 63.2, Empire Park the youngest at 30.9. St. Stephen (48), Dundas (51.6), Bathurst (52.4) and Shippagan (54.8): the towns nearest Central Okanagan in median age.
Among its 4 nearest neighbours, 2 are older than Central Okanagan
The closest towns, coloured by how old their residents are.
| Town | People | Away | Median age | 65+ | Immigrants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Okanagan | 4,784 | — | 51.6 | 25% | 12% |
| Kelowna | 167,654 | 9.0 km | 42.4 | 21% | 15% |
| Duck Lake 7 | 2,091 | 9.6 km | 60 | 37% | 12% |
| Lake Country | 17,637 | 13.9 km | 44 | 19% | 12% |
| Tsinstikeptum 10 | 2,081 | 14.7 km | 52 | 25% | 11% |
Health, work, housing and schools
What this data can and can’t tell you
- What these tables don’t give. Some things the page can’t show: the Census Profile asks nothing about unpaid care, cars or internet access, and gives no change by age since 2016. Ethnic origins beyond visible minority and Indigenous identity aren’t charted.
- The census’s own words. Indigenous identity, immigrant status and religion are as residents answered them. “Visible minority” follows the Employment Equity Act, meaning people other than Indigenous peoples who are non-white in colour or race. We compare these figures across towns; none is a label for a town.
- Against British Columbia’s towns and Canada’s towns. A figure here is set beside two middles, the median across British Columbia’s places of 2,500 people or more and the median across all Canadian towns that size; reserves and entire cities are excluded from both.
Questions about Central Okanagan’s residents
What is the population of Central Okanagan?
About 4,784, by Statistics Canada’s estimate for July 2025. The 2021 Census found 4,258 people in Central Okanagan, 12% more than 2016.
What is the average age in Central Okanagan?
The median age is 51.6, older than 89% of Canadian towns. 12% are under 15 and 25% 65 or older.
Is Central Okanagan bilingual?
English and French: 5.1% speak both (Canada’s towns: 7.5%). English only: 95%. French only: 0%. French mother tongue: 1.3%.
How diverse is Central Okanagan?
Immigrants: 12% (Canada’s towns: 17%). Visible minority: 5.2%. Indigenous identity: 6.5%.
What religion are people in Central Okanagan?
55% said they have no religion and 41% that they are Christian; 4% named another faith.
Is Central Okanagan good for families?
12% of residents are under 15 (Canada’s towns: 16%); couple families are 63% of households and one-parent families 4.4%. Schools near Central Okanagan are on its Schools page.
What is the median income in Central Okanagan?
Half of Central Okanagan’s households had more than $99,000 in 2020, before tax; across Canada’s towns the median was $86,000.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population · Statistics Canada, population estimates for 1 July 2025 (table 17-10-0155). 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).