HopeBritish Columbia
Some 7,183 people live in this town, in British Columbia. It grew by 8% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses.
Is Hope a good place to live?
A tough set of grades. At D− overall, Hope ranks #248 of 250 in British Columbia. It comes out behind almost every Canadian town. Its weakest subject is schools (D−). Cost of living is weaker too (D−). Where it does best is walkability (A−). Crime is the sore point (D). The local economy is weaker than most (D).
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 Hope grades
Each subject compares Hope 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 Hope stand out
The 3 things Hope does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Hope.
The nearest high school to Hope is 0.8 km away
On results, 3 of its 3 tested schools sit in the lower two fifths in British Columbia.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coquihalla Elementary Bottom fifth in British ColumbiaIn HopeElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Hope gets a D− for cost of living
Rent took 24% of household income, near British Columbia’s towns (24%) and higher than Canadian towns (20%). The owner-occupied share of households is 79%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Hope | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 24% | 24% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 79% | 76% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 21% | 21% | 18% |
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.
Hope’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 173, runs above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns
Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 108.1 per 1,000 residents a year. Violent incidents came to 32.8 per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (12.5) and Canadian towns (12).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Hope | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 108.1 | 31 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 32.8 | 12.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 173 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Hope has a smaller share of its working-age people in jobs than 86% of Canadian towns
The average trip to work took 25 min, below both British Columbia’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min). 88% of commuters drove, near both British Columbia’s towns (87%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Hope | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 25 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 88% | 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.
Hardly any Canadian towns collect more precipitation than Hope: 1,734 mm a year
A normal July day peaks at 24.9°C, higher than British Columbia’s towns (23.1°C) yet lower than Canadian towns (25.5°C). November is the wettest month, with 268 mm of rain and snow on average. Snow peaks in January: 18 cm in a normal year. Winter lows in Hope average 0.8°C in January.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Hope | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation a year | 1,734 mm | 1,152 mm | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 35 | 60 | 159 |
| January night low | 0.8°C | 0.5°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 24.9°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Agassiz)
Flood mapping exists for Hope: 3 on record, latest by Province of B.C. - Water, Lands, and Resource Stewardship
Shaking is a bigger worry than in most places, at $0.078 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Fewer homes than usual carry radon here, 3% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Wildfire is rare near Hope: 1.1% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, a burn rate of 0.03% a year. For radon tests, the only official count covers all of the Fraser East health region, Hope included.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Hope | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.078 | $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
Hope skews older, with 31% of residents 65 or over, more than in both British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 11% of residents, above British Columbia’s towns (5%) and Canadian towns (2.8%) alike. 12% of residents are children under 15.
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 50.6% of Hope
Census 2021 put women at 3,385 and men at 3,300; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| Hope | British Columbia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 57% | 64% | 64% |
| 65+ | 31% | 21% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 21% | 13% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 45% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Expect 80.0 years of life in the region around Hope, 1.5 under the typical Canadian town
Age-standardised, 47% of the region’s adults put their health at very good or excellent, below British Columbia’s towns (50%) and Canadian towns (52%) alike. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Hope is well placed: 2.1 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical. A pharmacy is nearer: 1.9 km on average, with 2.2 within 3 km of the typical home.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Hope | 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 · Area behind the health survey and life expectancy figures: the Fraser East Health Service Delivery Area
Hope in November: highs near 9°C, lows near 4°C
Snowfall in a normal November: 7 cm. December follows at 6°C by day and 1°C by night. ECCC’s forecast for Hope 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 | 604 mm |
| Spring | 15°C | 6°C | 365 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 13°C | 215 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 7°C | 552 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Agassiz); the forecast is on the Weather page
Chilliwack—Hope, which takes in Hope, is held by Mark Strahl (Conservative Party of Canada)
In the census’s list of municipalities, Hope is a district municipality.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Hope’s public library is FVRL: Hope Library
It stands 0.2 km from the centre of Hope.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
More of the land around Hope is protected than around 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Within 100 km there is no national park. The 10 km around town hold 11 protected areas.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Hope | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 15% | 6.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 9 | 14 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Heritage in Hope: 2 historic places, all of the highest rank
The earliest construction date, 1848, belongs to Fort Hope. Before 1961 is when 15% of the homes went up, above British Columbia’s towns (11%) but below Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
- Fort Hope 1848
- Christ Church 1861
| Heritage | Hope | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 15% | 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 Hope
Famous people from Hope
3 notable people were born in Hope.
Photo credits
Jeff Hoggan: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Darren Huston: World Travel & Tourism Council, CC BY 2.0
About Hope
Town in British Columbia
Hope 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
- 7,183 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- Census division
- Fraser Valley
- Census subdivision
- 5909009
Questions about Hope
Has Hope grown?
It added people: 6,181 in 2016, 6,686 in 2021, 8.2% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 7,183.
Who are the people of Hope?
Visible minorities are 8% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 14%, and Indigenous people 11%.
What kind of homes are in Hope?
Mostly 74% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.2 people on average, and 33% have just one.
Is Hope a young town or an old one?
Its median age is 54.8, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2.
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).