Cultus Lakein Fraser Valley H, British Columbia
2,773 residents make their home in this town in British Columbia. It sits within the Chilliwack census metropolitan area.
Is Cultus Lake a good place to live?
Real strengths, and real weak spots. Its weakest is cost of living (D−). School results are strong (A+). Overall, that makes a C, better than 29% of Canadian towns. It ranks #162 of 250 in British Columbia. The rest of its grades are middling: C+ for safety, B− for health and B− for walkability.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. 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 Cultus Lake grades
Each subject compares Cultus Lake 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 Cultus Lake stand out
The 3 things Cultus Lake does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cultus Lake.
Most households in Cultus Lake own their home: 90%, more than in British Columbia’s towns or across Canadian towns
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 16% of households, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). Rent took nearly a quarter of household income, between British Columbia’s towns (24%) and Canadian towns (20%). Nobody publishes rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom for Cultus Lake alone, so this card uses the figure for the Chilliwack metro area.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Cultus Lake | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 90% | 76% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 16% | 21% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 23% | 24% | 20% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.
Results around Cultus Lake lean high: 5 of 9 schools in the top two fifths in British Columbia
Teenagers have 6 km to go to the closest secondary school, above British Columbia’s towns (1.8 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km) alike. Taken together, Cultus Lake and its 3 km edge hold 7 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 1 school for every grade.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cultus Lake Swílhcha Community School Second fifth in British ColumbiaIn Cultus LakeElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| GW Graham Secondary Second fifth in British ColumbiaNearest secondary school, 2.5 kmSecondary | Secondary | – | English public |
| John Calvin School IndependentResults in the top fifth in British ColumbiaAll grades | All grades | – | Independent |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Cultus Lake | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest elementary school | 5.4 km | 0.6 km | 0.5 km |
| Nearest secondary school | 6 km | 1.8 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Trips to work from Cultus Lake take longer than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 34 min on average
Driving is how 96% of commuters got to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Cultus Lake | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 34 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 96% | 87% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
July afternoons in Cultus Lake reach 24.4°C (British Columbia towns 23.1°C, Canadian towns 25.5°C)
Rain and snow peak in November, at 233 mm. Counting rain and snow alike, 1,505 mm falls in a year, above British Columbia’s towns (1,152 mm) and Canadian towns (883 mm) alike. On a January night, the temperature in Cultus Lake falls to about 0.6°C. Gardeners get 218 frost-free days, from 3 April to 7 November.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Cultus Lake | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation a year | 1,505 mm | 1,152 mm | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 49 | 60 | 159 |
| January night low | 0.6°C | 0.5°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 24.4°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Abbotsford)
Cultus Lake skews older, with 30% of residents 65 or over, more than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns
9.5% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, lower than British Columbia’s towns (12%) yet higher than Canadian towns (6.4%). Under 15: 9.6% of residents.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
50.7% of Cultus Lake’s residents are women
The 2021 census counted 1,245 women and 1,210 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| Cultus Lake | British Columbia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.6% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 61% | 64% | 64% |
| 65+ | 30% | 21% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 12% | 13% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 54% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Shaking costs buildings in Cultus Lake $0.28 a year per $1,000 of value, 9 times the typical town’s
Wildfire is rare near Cultus Lake: 0.3% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, a burn rate of 0.007% a year. In Health Canada’s survey, just 3% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Flood mapping exists: 2 studies, most recently by Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. Figures for radon tests are published for the Fraser East health region as a whole, not for Cultus Lake alone.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Cultus Lake | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.28 | $0.36 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 3% | 1.8% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Cultus Lake gets a C+ for safety
The violent index for its police area came to 60, below British Columbia’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86) alike. The index for the force that serves it came to 72, between British Columbia’s towns (83) and Canadian towns (67).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Cultus Lake | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 60 | 76 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 72 | 83 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: one figure for all of the Columbia Valley detachment area
A normal November in Cultus Lake runs from 3°C to 10°C
December follows at 6°C by day and 1°C by night. At the extremes, August afternoons reach 25°C and January nights 1°C. ECCC’s forecast for Chilliwack is on the Weather page, hour by hour.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 7°C | 1°C | 540 mm |
| Spring | 15°C | 6°C | 354 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 12°C | 156 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 6°C | 455 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Abbotsford); the forecast is on the Weather page
Cultus Lake sends Mark Strahl (Conservative Party of Canada) to the Commons from Chilliwack—Hope
Provincially, Cultus Lake votes in Chilliwack-Cultus Lake; the open record doesn’t name its MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly, the provincial or territorial legislature) in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, so the legislature’s own list is linked below.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
No public library stands in Cultus Lake: the closest, FVRL: Yarrow Library, is 6.3 km away
The next is FVRL: Sardis Library (Chilliwack), 8.8 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
In Cultus Lake, 52% of the land is set aside as protected
Protected areas cover nearly a tenth of the land within 10 km, above both British Columbia’s towns (6.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). For a national park, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is 71 km away. Count 14 protected areas within 10 km of town. Within 5 km are 17 beaches; Lindell Beach is the nearest.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Cultus Lake | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 9.3% | 6.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 9 | 14 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
People in Cultus Lake’s health region live to 80.0 on average, 1.5 years short of the typical Canadian town
In the health survey, 47% of adults in the region rated their health very good or excellent, below both British Columbia’s towns (50%) and Canadian towns (52%). Closer to home, a hospital is 13 km from the average resident of Cultus Lake, further than the usual 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Cultus Lake | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 47% | 50% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.0 | 81.0 | 81.5 |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 17% | 15% | 17% |
| Smokers | 10% | 9% | 12% |
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 Fraser East Health Service Delivery Area)
Everything we know about Cultus Lake
Cultus Lake Waterpark and 4 more within 40 km
2 places to visit are mapped within 5 km of Cultus Lake; with them, the best known within 40 km.
Abbey or prioryWestminster Abbey23 km northwest
MuseumAbbotsford Sikh Temple21 km northwestAttractionAttractionChilliwack River Rafting3.8 km outside town, to the eastZooZooGreater Vancouver Zoo35 km northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Westminster Abbey: M. Lounsbery / Mlouns at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Abbotsford Sikh Temple: Jacobsimmonds, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Cultus Lake
No notable person born in Cultus Lake is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Jordyn Huitema: Douglas O'Brien from Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Reece Howden: Clément Bucco-Lechat, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kevin Hill: LG전자, CC BY 2.0
About Cultus Lake
Town in British Columbia
Cultus Lake 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
- 2,773 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- Census division
- Fraser Valley
- Metro area
- Chilliwack
- Census subdivision
- 5909035
Cultus Lake’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cultus Lake | 2,773 | — | C | D− | C+ | B− |
| Tzeachten 13 | 4,899 | 10 | — | — | — | B |
| Chilliwack | 105,520 | 13 | C− | D | D | B |
| Skowkale | 1,114 | 13 | — | — | — | B |
| Electoral Area E, Fraser Valley | 1,748 | 15 | — | D− | D | B− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Cultus Lake
Is Cultus Lake growing?
It grew from 1,847 people in 2016 to 2,459 in 2021, up 33.1%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 2,773.
Who are the people of Cultus Lake?
At the 2021 census, 10% were immigrants and 4% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 5% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Cultus Lake?
87% 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 2.1 people; 32% are one person living alone.
How old are the people of Cultus Lake?
At 56.8, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 10% of the population and seniors 30%.
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).