KamloopsBritish Columbia

Kamloops’s grade for cost of living: a D

Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom for the Kamloops metro area

The median home value was $552,000, below British Columbia’s towns ($720,000) but above Canadian towns ($406,000). The owner-occupied share of households is 70%.

Violent crime weighs more on Kamloops than on British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 135

Property crime runs at 74.8 per 1,000 people a year. Violent incidents came to 24.6 per 1,000 residents a year, above both British Columbia’s towns (12.5) and Canadian towns (12).

Kamloops has warmer summers than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: July afternoons reach 29.3°C

Some 63 cm of snow falls in a typical year, higher than British Columbia’s towns (51 cm) yet lower than Canadian towns (141 cm). The coldest nights come in January, when Kamloops averages a low of −5.7°C. Between the last spring frost, 25 April, and the first in autumn, 12 October, lie 170 days. June is the wettest month, with 36 mm of rain and snow on average.

Flood mapping exists for Kamloops: 4 on record, latest by Fraser Basin Council

NRCan’s model puts the yearly earthquake loss at $0.015 per $1,000 of building value, lower than British Columbia’s towns ($0.36) and near Canadian towns ($0.030). About as many homes carry radon around Kamloops as elsewhere, 6.4% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Wildfire is a moderate presence around Kamloops: 8.7% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, 0.22% a year, short of the band that counts against Risk. Kamloops doesn’t get its own radon tests figures; the ones here come from the Thompson/Cariboo health region.

Trips to work from Kamloops are shorter than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 20 min on average

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

Lives run shorter around Kamloops: 78.8 years, 2.7 below the typical Canadian town’s region

Shared with the rest of the Thompson/Cariboo Health Service Delivery Area: health survey and life expectancy

At 13%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 8.9% for British Columbia. On average 18% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, higher than British Columbia’s towns (15%) and near Canadian towns (17%). Across the region, 48% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; British Columbia as a whole reaches 50%. What sets Kamloops apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 5.5 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).

What November brings in Kamloops: −1°C at night, 6°C by day

A typical November adds 10 cm of snow. By December, a normal day reaches 1°C and a night falls to −5°C. Expect about 26 mm of rain and snow over November. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Kamloops forecast.

Kamloops votes in 2 federal ridings, led by Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola and Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies

Statistics Canada lists Kamloops as a city.

Kamloops’s public library works from 4 branches

They are Aberdeen Tiny Library, TNRL: Kamloops Library, TNRL: North Kamloops Library and 1 more.

More of Kamloops’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 11%

9.9% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, between British Columbia’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (6.4%). Retirement age and beyond: 20% of residents are 65 or older. Under 15: 15% of residents.

Mixed results around Kamloops: 12 high and 13 low of 38 schools in British Columbia

Schooling in French is on offer at one of the 42; in British Columbia, 2% of schools teach in it. Within 3 km of Kamloops are 33 elementary schools, 5 secondary schools and 4 alternative or adult schools. The nearest secondary school is 2.5 km away, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (1.8 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km).

More of the land around Kamloops is protected than around 9 in 10 Canadian towns

16 protected areas lie within 10 km. No national park lies within 100 km. Within its own boundary, 13% of the town is protected.

The registers list 5 historic places in Kamloops, 2 at the top

Canadian National Railway Station, Kamloops, British Columbia, begun in 1926, is the oldest by its record. On the list: a heritage railway station, a Recognized Federal Heritage Building and a provincial or municipal listing. Also worth knowing: just over a tenth of its homes were built before 1961, about level with British Columbia’s towns (11%) and below Canadian towns (18%).