Dawson CreekBritish Columbia
It lies in Peace River. Population 13,635: a town in British Columbia.
Is Dawson Creek a good place to live?
Crime runs high (D). Dawson Creek’s overall grade, C, puts it better than 29% of Canadian towns. Its place in the ranking is #163 of 250 in British Columbia. Health lags (C+). The typical owner put their home at $300,000 in 2021: 3.7 years of the median household’s income. Jobs & income is where it shines (A−).
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.
What makes Dawson Creek stand out
The 2 things Dawson Creek does most differently from other towns.
How Dawson Creek grades
Each subject compares Dawson Creek 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 →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Dawson Creek.
Violent crime weighs more on Dawson Creek than on British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 300
Violent crime is recorded at 32.3 per 1,000 residents a year. Property crime ran at 75.2 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above British Columbia’s towns (31) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Dawson Creek | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 300 | 76 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 75.2 | 31 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 32.3 | 12.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Dawson Creek has colder winters than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −19.4°C
There are 204 days of frost in a typical year, above British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Frost usually lifts by 5 June and returns around 29 August: 84 days without it. A July afternoon in Dawson Creek typically reaches 22.5°C. A normal January brings 34 cm of snow, the most of any month.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Dawson Creek | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −19.4°C | 0.5°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 204 | 60 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 421 mm | 1,152 mm | 883 mm |
| Snowfall a year | 177 cm | 51 cm | 141 cm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Dawson Creek)
Commuters in Dawson Creek have a short way to work, 17 min on average, less than in British Columbia’s towns and across Canadian towns
The car took 92% of commuters, about level with Canadian towns (89%) and above British Columbia’s towns (87%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Dawson Creek | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 17 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 92% | 87% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
A flood study covers Dawson Creek: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from The Corporation of the City of Dawson Creek
Shaking is less of a worry than in most places, at $0.012 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). In Health Canada’s survey, 10% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Fire seldom reaches Dawson Creek: since 1986, 0.6% of the land within 25 km has burned (0.02% a year). Dawson Creek doesn’t get its own radon tests figures; the ones here come from the Northeast health region.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Dawson Creek | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.012 | $0.36 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 10% | 1.8% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
More of Dawson Creek’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 15%
People 65 and over make up 14% of the town, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (19%). 10% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, below British Columbia’s towns (12%) but above Canadian towns (6.4%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 50.8% of Dawson Creek
Here the census found 6,060 men and 6,260 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Dawson Creek | British Columbia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 67% | 64% | 64% |
| 65+ | 14% | 21% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 22% | 13% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 47% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Expect 76.9 years of life in the region around Dawson Creek, 4.6 under the typical Canadian town
The survey counts 13% of adults as smokers, above British Columbia’s towns (9%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. Across the region, 43% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; British Columbia as a whole reaches 50%. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Dawson Creek is well placed: 1.7 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Dawson Creek | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 76.9 | 81.0 | 81.5 |
| Very good or excellent health | 43% | 50% | 52% |
| Smokers | 13% | 9% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 17% | 15% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Data for health survey and life expectancy covers the Northeast Health Service Delivery Area
Rent takes less of local pay in Dawson Creek than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 18% of household income
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 19% of households, lower than British Columbia’s towns (21%) and near Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Dawson Creek | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $300,000 | $720,000 | $406,000 |
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 24% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 19% | 21% | 18% |
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 Dawson Creek metro area
The nearest provincial park to Dawson Creek is Swan Lake Park, 23 km away
Within 10 km, 1% of the land is protected, below both British Columbia’s towns (6.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). National parks are all over 100 km off. Count 16 protected areas within 10 km of town.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Dawson Creek | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 1% | 6.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 14 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Dawson Creek in November: highs near freezing, lows near −11°C
Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Dawson Creek forecast, on the Weather page. November normally sees 29 mm of precipitation. Into December, the normals move to −5°C and −16°C. Across the year, normals run from −19°C nights in January to 23°C afternoons in July.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −5°C | −17°C | 69 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | −4°C | 73 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 8°C | 186 mm |
| Autumn | 9°C | −3°C | 94 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Dawson Creek); the forecast is on the Weather page
Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, which takes in Dawson Creek, is held by Bob Zimmer (Conservative Party of Canada)
Statistics Canada lists Dawson Creek as a city.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Dawson Creek’s public library is Dawson Creek Municipal Library
It sits 0.5 km from the centre of Dawson Creek.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
In the lower two fifths in British Columbia: 5 of the 8 schools around Dawson Creek with results
Within 3 km of Dawson Creek are 7 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 1 alternative or adult school.
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canalta Elementary Fourth fifth in British ColumbiaIn Dawson CreekElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Dawson Creek Secondary Fourth fifth in British ColumbiaIn Dawson CreekSecondary | Secondary | – | English public |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Dawson Creek Art Gallery and 6 more in and around Dawson Creek
What there is to see in Dawson Creek and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
Everything we know about Dawson Creek
Famous people from Dawson Creek
19 notable people were born in Dawson Creek.
Photo credits
Cody Hay: David W. Carmichael, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bob Zimmer: OhanaUnited Talk page, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ron White: Canadian Film Centre from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0 · Donna Feore: Canadian Film Centre from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0 · Claire Battershill: Simon Fraser University - University Communications, CC BY 2.0
Dawson Creek’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson Creek | 13,635 | — | C | C+ | D | C+ |
| Electoral Area D, Peace River | 5,100 | 8 | C | B | C− | C− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Dawson Creek
Who are the people of Dawson Creek?
At the 2021 census, 10% were immigrants and 14% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 15% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
Is Dawson Creek growing?
Yes: the census counted 12,178 in 2016 and 12,323 in 2021, a rise of 1.2%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 13,635.
What kind of homes are in Dawson Creek?
Single-detached houses make up 61% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 36% of households are one person, and the average is 2.2.
How old are the people of Dawson Creek?
The typical resident is 35.6 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 14% of the population and under-15s at 19%.
About Dawson Creek
Town in British Columbia
For Dawson Creek, TownRatings uses Statistics Canada’s census-subdivision boundary in British Columbia, and every figure on its pages covers that whole area.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 13,635 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- Census division
- Peace River
- Census subdivision
- 5955014
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).