Electoral Area E, Peace RiverBritish Columbia

TownGrade

C⁺

#1,721 of 2,556

Statistics Canada places it in the Peace River census division. 2,737 people call this town in British Columbia home.

1 place within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Mengqiu Chen · CC BY 3.0

Population

2,737

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

39%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

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

Is Electoral Area E, Peace River a good place to live?

Low prices, and some weak spots to weigh against them. Crime is the sore point (D). Overall, Electoral Area E, Peace River earns a C+, better than 37% of Canadian towns. The ranking puts it #133 of 250 in British Columbia. Its strongest subject is cost of living (A−). Households here earn well (B+). Its other grades sit near the middle: B for schools and B for hazard risk.

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. Safety less sure: no police service names this town, so its crime figure is the nearest police detachment's, shared with a wider area. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestA⁻Cost of livingWeakestDSafety DWalkability

How Electoral Area E, Peace River grades

Each subject compares Electoral Area E, Peace River 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

SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentDOpen →WalkabilityAmong the hardest places to get around without a carDOpen →HealthIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedC⁻Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnA⁻Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work beat most townsB⁺Open →SchoolsAbove the middle of the towns comparedBOpen →Hazard riskGraded on earthquake risk and radon, with high wildfire risk able to lower itBOpen →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Electoral Area E, Peace River stand out

The 3 things Electoral Area E, Peace River does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

3% walk, cycle or take transit

The midpoint across Canadian towns is 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

2.9 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $300,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

39% have a postsecondary qualification

Half of Canadian towns are above 56%, half below

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Electoral Area E, Peace River.

SafetySafety D

Violent crime weighs more where Electoral Area E, Peace River is policed than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 211

140Crime Severity Index

A best guess: the nearest detachment’s figures, since none is filed under Electoral Area E, Peace River

The index for the force that serves it came to 140, above both British Columbia’s towns (83) and Canadian towns (67). Violence across its police area runs at 36.2 per 1,000 residents a year. Across its police area, there are 54.1 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Figures for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 are published for the Chetwynd detachment area as a whole, not for Electoral Area E, Peace River alone.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023163

2024116

2025140

2023–2025	Electoral Area E, Peace River	British Columbia	Canada
Violent crime	36.2	12.5	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	211	76	86
Crime Severity Index	140	83	67
Property crime per 1,000	54.1	31	31.2

112

non-violent Crime Severity Index

41%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageElectoral Area E, Peace River’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety140 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Electoral Area E, Peace River’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Electoral Area E, Peace River safe?”

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

Climate

Winter nights bite in Electoral Area E, Peace River: January lows of −16.7°C, colder than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns

21.7°CJuly afternoons

The frost-free season runs from 12 May to 16 September, 127 days. The thermometer drops below freezing on 185 days a year, above both British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159). Electoral Area E, Peace River sees July afternoons of 21.7°C on average. Most of the snow comes in November, about 38 cm.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−7.0°C

Spring8.2°C

Summer20.7°C

Autumn7.0°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Electoral Area E, Peace River	British Columbia	Canada
Days with frost a year	185	60	159
January night low	−16.7°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C
Precipitation a year	464 mm	1,152 mm	883 mm
Snowfall a year	206 cm	51 cm	141 cm

206 cm

of snow a year

185

days with frost a year

127

frost-free days, 12 May to 16 Sep

days with precipitation a year

Full pageElectoral Area E, Peace River’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 21.7°C, January lows −16.7°C Rain and snow464 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow206 cm of snow a year Weather station79 km to the station · Fort St. John

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Fort St. John)

HealthHealth C⁻

Electoral Area E, Peace River’s region trails the typical Canadian town by 4.6 years: life expectancy 76.9

43%very good or excellent healthC⁻Health Grade

Area-wide: health survey and life expectancy, counted over the Northeast Health Service Delivery Area

Age-standardised, 43% of the region’s adults put their health at very good or excellent, below both British Columbia’s towns (50%) and Canadian towns (52%). Smoking is commoner than in the province: 13% of adults, against 8.9% for British Columbia. What sets Electoral Area E, Peace River apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 23 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Electoral Area E, Peace River43%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Electoral Area E, Peace River	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%

76.9

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

23 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

13%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

23 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageElectoral Area E, Peace River’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey43% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting careA pharmacy 23 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 79.5, men 74.4 Conditions and habits17% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

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

HousingCost of living A⁻

Renting in Electoral Area E, Peace River costs 14% of household income, less than in both British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

$300,000median home value, 2021A⁻Cost of living Grade

87% of households own their home, above both British Columbia’s towns (76%) and Canadian towns (74%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for just over one in ten households, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).

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

Electoral Area E, Peace River$300,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Electoral Area E, Peace River	British Columbia	Canada
Rent as a share of income	14%	24%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	11%	21%	18%
Households owning their home	87%	76%	74%

$900

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$860

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageElectoral Area E, Peace River’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$900 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living2.9 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $300,000, against the median household income Owners and renters87% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁺

Trips to work from Electoral Area E, Peace River take longer than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 28 min on average

3%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van96%

Public transit2%

Walk1%

Census 2021	Electoral Area E, Peace River	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	28 min	26 min	26 min

$102,000

median household income, 2020

14%

worked from home, May 2021

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageElectoral Area E, Peace River’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment8.1% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work3% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to570 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Chetwynd

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.

SchoolsSchools B

In the lower two fifths in British Columbia: 4 of the 6 schools around Electoral Area E, Peace River with results

8schools within 3 kmBSchools Grade

Teenagers have 41 km to go to the closest secondary school, above British Columbia’s towns (1.8 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km) alike. The 3 km around Electoral Area E, Peace River counts 7 elementary schools and 1 school for every grade.

School	Level	Students	System
Moberly Lake ElementaryIn Electoral Area E, Peace RiverElementary	Elementary	–	English public
McLeod Elementary Secondary Bottom fifth in British ColumbiaIn Electoral Area E, Peace RiverAll grades	All grades	–	English public
Chetwynd Secondary Top fifth in British ColumbiaResults in the top fifth in British ColumbiaElementary	Elementary	–	English public

See all 8 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public7

Independent1

Schools within 3 km	Electoral Area E, Peace River	British Columbia	Canada
Nearest secondary school	41 km	1.8 km	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	7.8 km	0.6 km	0.5 km
School boards	2	2	3

41 km

to the nearest secondary school

7.8 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageElectoral Area E, Peace River’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results1 of 6 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Every school8 schools within 3 km · 7 elementary schools and 1 school for every grade Language0 of 8 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia The boards2 school boards · SD 59 Peace River South Questions“What schools are there in Electoral Area E, Peace River?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Natural hazardsHazard risk B

A flood study covers Electoral Area E, Peace River: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy

Lowwildfire bandBHazard risk Grade

NRCan’s model puts the yearly earthquake loss at $0.018 per $1,000 of building value, about level with Canadian towns ($0.030) and below British Columbia’s towns ($0.36). In Health Canada’s survey, one in ten homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Burn scars are few around Electoral Area E, Peace River, with 1.5% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.04% a year).

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

Electoral Area E, Peace River10%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Electoral Area E, Peace River	British Columbia	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.018	$0.36	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	10%	1.8%	6.6%

$0.018

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

Low

wildfire band

0.8 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageElectoral Area E, Peace River’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

FloodOne flood study on record WildfireLow wildfire band · 1.5% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Earthquakes$0.018 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon10% 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 · Radon tests: the Northeast health region

Outdoors

More of the land around Electoral Area E, Peace River is protected than around 9 in 10 Canadian towns

19%of the land within 10 km protected

103 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name. The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. 25 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. Some protected land is inside the town: 24% of its area.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Electoral Area E, Peace River19%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Electoral Area E, Peace River	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	19%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	20	14	4

At the edge

to Moberly Lake Park

103

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageElectoral Area E, Peace River’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas25 protected areas within 10 km · Klinse-ZA/Twin Sisters Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Moberly Lake Park Footpaths & routes2 named routes · Monkman Lake Trail

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

Weather

Electoral Area E, Peace River in November: highs near −2°C, lows near −10°C

−2°Ca normal November afternoon

The year peaks in July (22°C) and bottoms out in January (−17°C). Expect about 35 mm of rain and snow over November. A normal December brings highs of −7°C, lows of −15°C. Also worth knowing: the forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Chetwynd.

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

November−2°C

December−7°C

January−9°C

February−5°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−7°C	−15°C	73 mm
Spring	8°C	−2°C	81 mm
Summer	21°C	10°C	199 mm
Autumn	7°C	−2°C	110 mm

−10°C

a normal November night

35 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageElectoral Area E, Peace River’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 (Fort St. John); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, which takes in Electoral Area E, Peace River, is held by Bob Zimmer (Conservative Party of Canada)

Electoral Area E, Peace River is a regional district electoral area by Statistics Canada’s count of municipalities.

Full pageElectoral Area E, Peace River’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Provincial legislaturePeace River South

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁺

No public library stands in Electoral Area E, Peace River: the closest, Chetwynd Public Library, is 8.6 km away

The next is Hudson's Hope Public Library (Hudson's Hope), 48 km away.

Full pageElectoral Area E, Peace River’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

More of Electoral Area E, Peace River’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 17%

42median age

20% of residents are children under 15. Immigrants make up 5.9% of residents, below British Columbia’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (6.4%) alike.

Electoral Area E, Peace RiverBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

20%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree25%

Postsecondary qualification39%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 47.0% of Electoral Area E, Peace River

In 2021 there were 1,250 women to 1,410 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.

Who lives in Electoral Area E, Peace River
	Electoral Area E, Peace River	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	20%	14%	16%
15 to 64	63%	64%	64%
65+	17%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	25%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	39%	56%	56%

Full pageElectoral Area E, Peace River’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants6% are immigrants · 1% belong to a visible minority Ages42 median age · 17% are 65 or over Households1,085 households · 2.4 people per household English and French3% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Electoral Area E, Peace River

15pages on Electoral Area E, Peace River

The big questions

SafetyDCrime Severity Index 140 Housing & costA⁻Homes 2.9 × income Property pricesSchoolsB8 schools within 3 km HealthC⁻Life expectancy 76.9 in its region Work & commuteB⁺61% of adults in work Natural hazardsBWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors19% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 22°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 42 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Kinuseo Falls and 6 more in and around Electoral Area E, Peace River

What there is to see in Electoral Area E, Peace River and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.

All attractions →

WaterfallKinuseo Fallsin town

Ski hillSki hillPowder King Mountain Resort500 m outside town, to the west

Ski hillSki hillLittle Prairie Community Forest Ski Trails1.7 km outside town, to the northwest MuseumMuseumFort St. John North Peace Museum4.9 km outside town, to the northeast Ski hillSki hillBig Bam700 m outside town, to the east MuseumMuseumLittle Prairie Heritage Museum100 m outside town, to the northwest

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

Photo credits (1)

Kinuseo Falls: Susan Clarke, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Electoral Area E, Peace River

Town in British Columbia

The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Electoral Area E, Peace River is one census subdivision in British Columbia, and TownRatings describes all of it.

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

Population: 2,737 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Peace River
Census subdivision: 5955023

Electoral Area E, Peace River’s neighbours

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

ChetwyndElectoral Area E, Peace River

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Electoral Area E, Peace River	2,737	—	C⁺	A⁻	D	C⁻
Chetwynd	2,484	8.9	—	A⁻	D	C

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

Questions about Electoral Area E, Peace River

Who are the people of Electoral Area E, Peace River?

1% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 17% have an Indigenous identity and 6% are immigrants.

Has Electoral Area E, Peace River grown?

It lost people: 2,949 in 2016, 2,660 in 2021, 9.8% fewer, while the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 2,737.

What kind of homes are in Electoral Area E, Peace River?

77% 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 2.4 people; 27% are one person living alone.

How old are the people of Electoral Area E, Peace River?

At 42, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns.

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).