KelownaBritish Columbia

The town has 167,654 residents and lies in British Columbia. Its census division is Central Okanagan.

5 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Jd.101 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

167,654

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

42.4

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

58%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

13%

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

TownGrade

C⁻

#2,183 of 2,556

Is Kelowna a good place to live?

Housing is expensive (D−). Kelowna’s overall grade is C−, better than a fifth of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #196 of 250 in British Columbia. Police record more crime here than in most towns (D). It does especially well on jobs & income (A). Add walkability to its strengths (A). Natural hazards weigh more here (D−).

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in 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. Wildfire lowers this town's Hazard risk Grade: a high share of the land around it has burned in the last 40 years.

StrongestAWalkability AJobs & incomeWeakestD⁻Cost of living D⁻Hazard risk

What makes Kelowna stand out

The 3 things Kelowna does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Cost of living

Behind 99%

of Canadian towns on cost of living

Its cost of living grade: D−.

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

8.8 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $725,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Immigrants

Who lives here

15% are immigrants

Midway across Canadian towns: 6%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

How Kelowna grades

Each subject compares Kelowna 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 grading works

Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesD⁻Open →Hazard riskNear the bottom of the towns comparedD⁻Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesAOpen →SafetyCrime runs among the highest comparedDOpen →Jobs & incomeAmong the best of the towns comparedAOpen →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areBOpen →SchoolsSchools trail most of those comparedC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

Nearby attractions

St. Michael and All Angels Cathedral and 11 more in and around Kelowna

What there is to see in Kelowna and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.

All attractions →

CathedralSt. Michael and All Angels Cathedralin town MuseumMuseumOkanagan Heritage Museumin town MuseumMuseumOkanagan Mission (Pandosy's Farm)in town MuseumMuseumBC Wine Museumin town MuseumMuseumBritish Columbia Orchard Industry Museumin town Art galleryArt galleryFINA Galleryin town

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · ODCAF · federal and Québec heritage registers · CPCAD

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (1)

St. Michael and All Angels Cathedral: Rob, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Kelowna.

HousingCost of living D⁻

Rent takes more of local pay in Kelowna than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 31% of household income

Owners make up 65% of households. 27% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). Nobody publishes rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom for Kelowna alone, so this card uses the figure for the Kelowna metro area.

$725,000median home value, 2021D⁻Cost of living Grade

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Kelowna$725,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Kelowna	British Columbia	Canada
Rent as a share of income	31%	24%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	27%	21%	18%
Households owning their home	65%	76%	74%

$2,098

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,340

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageKelowna’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$2,098 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Cost of living8.8 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $725,000, against the median household income Owners and renters65% own their home

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.

Natural hazardsHazard risk D⁻

Kelowna faces more hazards than 97% of Canadian towns

Measured across the Okanagan health region: radon tests

Of the homes tested for radon, 17% were over 200 Bq/m³, above both British Columbia’s towns (1.8%) and Canadian towns (6.6%). Wildfire is a real hazard for Kelowna: 17% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, 0.43% a year, in the high band. NRCan expects $0.024 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings here, near the typical $0.030. 3 flood studies cover the town, the latest by Okanagan Basin Water Board.

Highwildfire bandD⁻Hazard risk Grade

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Kelowna17%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Kelowna	British Columbia	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	17%	1.8%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.024	$0.36	$0.030

$0.024

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

High

wildfire band

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageKelowna’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireHigh wildfire band · 17% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Flood3 flood studies on record Earthquakes$0.024 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon17% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

SafetySafety D

Kelowna’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 120, runs above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

Property crime runs at 56.9 per 1,000 people a year. Police recorded 21.4 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (12.5) and Canadian towns (12).

126Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023139

2024122

2025116

2023–2025	Kelowna	British Columbia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	56.9	31	31.2
Violent crime	21.4	12.5	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	120	76	86

129

non-violent Crime Severity Index

24%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageKelowna’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety126 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Kelowna’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Kelowna safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

Work & commuteJobs & income A

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

The car took 84% of commuters, close to British Columbia’s towns (87%) and below Canadian towns (89%).

13%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van84%

Walk6%

Public transit4%

Bicycle3%

Census 2021	Kelowna	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	20 min	26 min	26 min
Car or van	84%	87%	89%

$82,000

median household income, 2020

20%

worked from home, May 2021

89%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageKelowna’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment7.9% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work13% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to1,705 commuters · The biggest flow out: to West Kelowna

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.

Climate

Summer runs warm in Kelowna: July highs of 28.5°C, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

The thermometer drops below freezing on 151 days a year, above British Columbia’s towns (60) and close to Canadian towns (159). Expect January lows of around −5.9°C in Kelowna. December is the snowiest month, with 31 cm on average. June is the wettest month, with 55 mm of rain and snow on average.

28.5°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter1.8°C

Spring15.3°C

Summer26.9°C

Autumn13.7°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Kelowna	British Columbia	Canada
July afternoon high	28.5°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
Precipitation a year	447 mm	1,152 mm	883 mm
January night low	−5.9°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	151	60	159

93 cm

of snow a year

151

days with frost a year

days with precipitation a year

Full pageKelowna’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 28.5°C, January lows −5.9°C Rain and snow447 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow93 cm of snow a year Weather station10 km to the station · Kelowna

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Kelowna)

HealthHealth B

52% of adults around Kelowna rate their health very good or excellent

Shared with the rest of the Okanagan Health Service Delivery Area: health survey and life expectancy

For 2022/2024, the region’s figure is 81.0 years at birth, 84.1 for women and 78.2 for men. The region has more smokers than British Columbia, 12% of adults to 8.9%. On average 16% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, higher than British Columbia’s towns (15%) yet lower than Canadian towns (17%). The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Kelowna’s is long: 5.6 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.

52%very good or excellent healthBHealth Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Kelowna52%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Kelowna	British Columbia	Canada
Smokers	12%	9%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	16%	15%	17%
Very good or excellent health	52%	50%	52%

5.6 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

2.0 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageKelowna’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey52% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care5.6 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 2.0 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 84.1, men 78.2 Conditions and habits16% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

SchoolsSchools C⁺

Kelowna’s 43 schools with results spread wide in British Columbia, 14 in the top two fifths and 21 in the bottom two

Its 3 km reach takes in 41 elementary schools, 3 secondary schools and 5 alternative or adult schools, all of Kelowna’s schooling. One of the 49 teaches in French, against 2% of schools in British Columbia. From the middle of town, the first elementary school is 2.1 km off, above both British Columbia’s towns (0.6 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km).

49schools within 3 kmC⁺Schools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
A S Matheson Elementary Fourth fifth in British ColumbiaIn KelownaElementary	Elementary	–	English public
Immaculata Regional High School IndependentIn KelownaSecondary	Secondary	–	Independent
de l'Anse-au-sable FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary	Elementary	–	French public
Aberdeen Hall Preparatory School IndependentResults in the top fifth in British ColumbiaElementary	Elementary	–	Independent

See all 49 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public36

Independent12

French public1

Schools within 3 km	Kelowna	British Columbia	Canada
School boards	2	2	3
Nearest elementary school	2.1 km	0.6 km	0.5 km

2.4 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageKelowna’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results14 of 43 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Every school49 schools within 3 km · 41 elementary schools, 3 secondary schools and 5 alternative or adult schools Language1 of 49 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia The boardsSD 23 Central Okanagan Questions“What schools are there in Kelowna?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Outdoors

Protected land around Kelowna beats 9 in 10 Canadian towns

Count 36 protected areas within 10 km of town. National parks are all over 100 km off. Swimmers have 42 beaches within 5 km, Poplar point beach the nearest.

13%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Kelowna13%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Kelowna	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	13%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	17	14	4

At the edge

to Okanagan Mountain Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageKelowna’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas36 protected areas within 10 km · Okanagan Mountain Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Okanagan Mountain Park

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

Weather

Expect November days around 6°C in Kelowna, nights around −2°C

Snowfall in a normal November: 18 cm. November normally sees 49 mm of precipitation. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Kelowna.

6°Ca normal November afternoon

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November6°C

December1°C

January1°C

February4°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	2°C	−6°C	106 mm
Spring	15°C	1°C	95 mm
Summer	27°C	10°C	122 mm
Autumn	14°C	2°C	124 mm

−2°C

a normal November night

49 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageKelowna’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Kelowna); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

2 MPs share Kelowna, which straddles Kelowna and Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna

72% of Kelowna residents have Stephen Fuhr as their MP; most of the rest have Dan Albas.

Full pageKelowna’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itCity Provincial legislatureKelowna-Mission

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B

Kelowna’s public library works from 4 branches

By name: ORL: Kelowna Branch, ORL: Mission Branch, ORL: Rutland Branch and 1 more.

Full pageKelowna’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong1.7 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

14% more residents in 2021 than in 2016: Kelowna grew faster than most Canadian towns

People 65 and over make up just over a fifth of the town, close to British Columbia’s towns (21%) and above Canadian towns (19%). 5.6% of residents have an Indigenous identity, above both British Columbia’s towns (5%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).

42.4median age

KelownaBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

21%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree12%

Postsecondary qualification58%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 51.4% of Kelowna

Of the 2021 count, 74,240 were women and 70,330 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).

Who lives in Kelowna
	Kelowna	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	14%	14%	16%
15 to 64	65%	64%	64%
65+	21%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	12%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	58%	56%	56%

Full pageKelowna’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages42.4 median age · 21% are 65 or over Households62,210 households · 2.3 people per household Immigrants15% are immigrants · 14% belong to a visible minority English and French8% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

History

Canada’s registers list 2 historic places in Kelowna

The earliest construction date, 1904, belongs to Brigadier Angle Armoury. Counted by designation, there are a Recognized Federal Heritage Building and a heritage railway station. Older housing, built before 1961, accounts for 6.4% of homes, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%).

2historic places

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations2

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

1904

oldest construction date on the record

6.4%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Kelowna	British Columbia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	6.4%	11%	18%

Full pageKelowna’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers2 historic places inside the town Older homes6.4% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Kelowna have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Kelowna

15pages on Kelowna

The big questions

SafetyDCrime Severity Index 126 Housing & costD⁻Homes 8.8 × income Property pricesSchoolsC⁺49 schools within 3 km HealthBLife expectancy 81 in its region Work & commuteA60% of adults in work Natural hazardsD⁻Wildfire band: high

Out and about

Outdoors13% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 29°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 42.4 History2 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from Kelowna

88 notable people were born in Kelowna.

See all 88 →

Taylor KitschCanadian actor and model · born 1981

Kelsey SerwaCanadian freestyle skier · born 1989

Taylor HicksonCanadian actress · born 1997

Lee TockarCanadian voice actor · born 1969

Scott FrandsenCanadian rower · born 1980

DatsikCanadian DJ, musician, and dubstep producer · born 1988

Photo credits

Taylor Kitsch: Moody College of Communication from Austin, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Kelsey Serwa: Robert Thivierge, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Taylor Hickson: Saturn SK, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lee Tockar: AgPhoenix2581, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Scott Frandsen: Sander.v.Ginkel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Datsik: Piper Ferguson, CC BY-SA 4.0

Kelowna’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

Tsinstikeptum 10Central OkanaganWest KelownaTsinstikeptum 9Duck Lake 7Kelowna

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Kelowna	167,654	—	C⁻	D⁻	D	B
Tsinstikeptum 10	2,081	6.9	—	—	—	B⁺
Central Okanagan	4,784	9	C⁻	D⁻	C⁻	B⁻
West Kelowna	40,274	12	C⁻	D⁻	C⁺	B
Tsinstikeptum 9	10,514	12	—	—	—	B
Duck Lake 7	2,091	15	—	—	—	B⁻

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Kelowna

Has Kelowna grown?

It added people: 127,390 in 2016, 144,576 in 2021, 13.5% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 167,654.

What kind of homes are in Kelowna?

43% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 4% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.3 people; 31% are one person living alone.

Is Kelowna a young town or an old one?

The median resident is 42.4 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 14% are under 15 and 21% are 65 or over.

About Kelowna

Town in British Columbia

Statistics Canada treats Kelowna as a single census subdivision in British Columbia, and TownRatings keeps to that line.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 167,654 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Central Okanagan
Census subdivision: 5935010

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).