PentictonBritish Columbia

Population 39,068: a town in British Columbia. It grew by 9% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses.

Photo: Original uploader was Fawcett5 at en.wikipedia Later version(s) were uploaded by Peteforsyth at en.wikipedia . · Public domain

Population

39,068

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

51%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

16%

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

TownGrade

#1,919 of 2,556

Is Penticton a good place to live?

A town of contrasts. Buying in is costly (D−). Safety lags (D). Its strongest is walkability (A+). It also does well on schools (A−). The overall grade comes out at C, better than 29% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #160 of 250 in British Columbia. Natural hazards weigh more here (D−).

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.

StrongestA⁺Walkability A⁻SchoolsWeakestD⁻Cost of living D⁻Hazard risk

What makes Penticton stand out

The 3 things Penticton does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Cost of living

Behind 98%

of Canadian towns on cost of living

Its cost of living grade: D−.

Hazard risk

Behind 98%

of Canadian towns on hazard risk

Its hazard risk grade: D−.

Walkability

Better than 96%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: A+.

How Penticton grades

Each subject compares Penticton 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 riskIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedD⁻Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesA⁺Open →SafetyCrime runs among the highest comparedDOpen →SchoolsAbove the middle of the towns comparedA⁻Open →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesB⁺Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workBOpen →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Penticton.

HousingCost of living D⁻

Home ownership in Penticton, 63%, runs below British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

A year’s rent came to 27% of the median household income, above both British Columbia’s towns (24%) and Canadian towns (20%). 26% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, above British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. Penticton doesn’t get its own rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom figures; the ones here come from the Penticton metro area.

$524,000median home value, 2021D⁻Cost of living Grade

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

Penticton$524,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Penticton	British Columbia	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	26%	21%	18%
Rent as a share of income	27%	24%	20%
Households owning their home	63%	76%	74%
Median home value, 2021	$524,000	$720,000	$406,000

$1,511

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$940

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Owners and renters63% own their home Cost of living7.7 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $524,000, against the median household income Renting$1,511 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey

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.

Natural hazardsHazard risk D⁻

Penticton earns a D− for hazard risk

Radon tests for the Okanagan health region

One flood study covers the town, by Okanagan Basin Water Board. Radon is higher than usual: 17% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Earthquakes are expected to cost $0.025 a year for every $1,000 of buildings, below British Columbia’s towns ($0.36) and close to Canadian towns ($0.030). Fire is a regular visitor: nearly a fifth of the land within 25 km of Penticton has burned since 1986 (0.48% a year).

Highwildfire bandD⁻Hazard risk Grade

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

Penticton17%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Penticton	British Columbia	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	17%	1.8%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.025	$0.36	$0.030

$0.025

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

High

wildfire band

0.1 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

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

WildfireHigh wildfire band · 19% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodOne flood study on record Earthquakes$0.025 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

Penticton’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 143, runs above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

Police recorded 27.4 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (12.5) and Canadian towns (12). Property crime accounts for 86.9 incidents per 1,000 residents a year.

164Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023180

2024168

2025145

2023–2025	Penticton	British Columbia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	86.9	31	31.2
Violent crime	27.4	12.5	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	143	76	86

174

non-violent Crime Severity Index

21%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pagePenticton’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety164 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Penticton’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Penticton safe?”

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

Climate

Penticton has warmer summers than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: July afternoons reach 29.2°C

January nights in Penticton drop to −3.2°C on average. A normal year brings 344 mm of precipitation, below both British Columbia’s towns (1,152 mm) and Canadian towns (883 mm). Between the last spring frost, 30 April, and the first in autumn, 8 October, lie 160 days. Rain and snow peak in June, at 44 mm.

29.2°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter2.8°C

Spring15.8°C

Summer27.4°C

Autumn14.5°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Penticton	British Columbia	Canada
July afternoon high	29.2°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
Precipitation a year	344 mm	1,152 mm	883 mm
January night low	−3.2°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	109	60	159

62 cm

of snow a year

109

days with frost a year

160

frost-free days, 30 Apr to 8 Oct

days with precipitation a year

Full pagePenticton’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 29.2°C, January lows −3.2°C Rain and snow344 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow62 cm of snow a year Weather station2.7 km to the station · Penticton

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

SchoolsSchools A⁻

Penticton’s 12 schools with results spread wide in British Columbia, 3 in the top two fifths and 6 in the bottom two

Of the 16, 2 teach in French (2% of schools in British Columbia). The 3 km around Penticton counts 7 elementary schools, 3 secondary schools, 3 schools for every grade and 3 alternative or adult schools.

16schools within 3 kmA⁻Schools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Columbia Elementary Fourth fifth in British ColumbiaIn PentictonElementary	Elementary	–	English public
Entre-lacs FrenchIn PentictonAll grades	All grades	–	French public
Secondaire de Penticton FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary	Secondary	–	French public
West Bench Elementary Top fifth in British ColumbiaResults in the top fifth in British ColumbiaElementary	Elementary	–	English public

See all 16 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public12

French public2

Independent2

Schools within 3 km	Penticton	British Columbia	Canada
School boards	2	2	3

0.5 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pagePenticton’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results3 of 12 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Every school16 schools within 3 km · 7 elementary schools, 3 secondary schools, 3 schools for every grade and 3 alternative or adult schools Language2 of 16 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia The boards2 school boards · SD 67 Okanagan Skaha Questions“What schools are there in Penticton?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

HealthHealth B⁺

Very good or excellent health for 52% of adults in Penticton’s health region

Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the Okanagan Health Service Delivery Area

The survey counts just over one in ten adults as smokers, above both British Columbia’s towns (9%) and Canadian towns (12%). The region’s 2022/2024 life expectancy is 81.0, with women at 84.1 and men at 78.2. What sets Penticton apart within its region is a short trip to hospital, 1.9 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).

52%very good or excellent healthB⁺Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Penticton52%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

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

1.9 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.0 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pagePenticton’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey52% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care1.9 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.0 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

Who lives here

Older residents shape Penticton: 30% are 65 or over, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

Immigrants make up 13% of residents, above both British Columbia’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (6.4%). Children under 15 count for just over a tenth of the people here.

52median age

PentictonBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

30%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree15%

Postsecondary qualification51%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 53.1% of Penticton

Women numbered 19,585 and men 17,300 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.

Who lives in Penticton
	Penticton	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	12%	14%	16%
15 to 64	58%	64%	64%
65+	30%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	15%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	51%	56%	56%

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

Ages52 median age · 30% are 65 or over Households17,360 households · 2.1 people per household Immigrants13% are immigrants · 9% belong to a visible minority English and French7% speak both · 0.1% speak French but not English

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

Work & commuteJobs & income B

Trips to work from Penticton are shorter than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 17 min on average

81% of commuters drove, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (87%) and Canadian towns (89%).

16%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van81%

Walk12%

Bicycle2%

Public transit2%

Census 2021	Penticton	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	17 min	26 min	26 min
Car or van	81%	87%	89%

$68,000

median household income, 2020

14%

worked from home, May 2021

82%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Unemployment8.4% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work16% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to365 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Summerland

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.

Outdoors

Few places match Penticton for protected land nearby: more than 9 in 10 Canadian towns

For a swim, Marina Way Beach is the nearest of 61 beaches within 5 km. Within 100 km there is no national park. 26 areas within 10 km are protected for nature.

12%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Penticton12%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Penticton	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	12%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	15	14	4

At the edge

to Skaha Bluffs Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pagePenticton’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas26 protected areas within 10 km · Mctaggart-Cowan/Nsek'iniw't Wildlife Management Area National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Skaha Bluffs Park

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

Weather

In Penticton, November normally means 7°C afternoons and freezing nights

Precipitation in November averages 28 mm. Then December: 2°C by day, −3°C at night. Normal highs peak at 29°C in July; nights bottom out at −3°C in January. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Penticton forecast.

7°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November7°C

December2°C

January2°C

February5°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	3°C	−3°C	77 mm
Spring	16°C	3°C	87 mm
Summer	27°C	12°C	99 mm
Autumn	15°C	4°C	82 mm

0°C

a normal November night

28 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pagePenticton’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 (Penticton); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Penticton’s voice in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is Amelia Boultbee

Across British Columbia, 20 of the 43 MPs sit with the Liberal Party of Canada.

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

Member of ParliamentHelena Konanz Provincial legislaturePenticton-Summerland

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁺

Penticton’s public library is Penticton Public Library

A single building, Penticton Public Library, serves 39,068 people.

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

A year at the library4.2 visits per person served The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong2 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

History

Canada’s registers list 2 historic places in Penticton

Before 1961 is when 15% of the homes went up, higher than British Columbia’s towns (11%) yet lower than Canadian towns (18%).

2historic places

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings2

Among them

15%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Penticton	British Columbia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	15%	11%	18%

Full pagePenticton’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers2 historic places inside the town Older homes15% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Penticton have?”

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

Nearby attractions

Penticton Museum and 5 more in and around Penticton

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

All attractions →

MuseumMuseumPenticton Museumin town

MuseumSicamousin town

Historic shipNaramatain town Theme parkTheme parkLoco Landing Adventure Parkin town MuseumMuseumPenticton's Museum & Archivesin town ZooZooOkanagan Game Farm3.3 km outside town, to the southwest

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

Photo credits (2)

Sicamous: Darren Kirby from Edmonton, AB, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Naramata: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Penticton

15pages on Penticton

The big questions

SafetyDCrime Severity Index 164 Housing & costD⁻Homes 7.7 × income Property pricesSchoolsA⁻16 schools within 3 km HealthB⁺Life expectancy 81 in its region Work & commuteB51% of adults in work Natural hazardsD⁻Wildfire band: high

Out and about

Outdoors12% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 29°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 52 History2 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from Penticton

38 notable people were born in Penticton.

See all 38 →

Alexis SmithCanadian-born American actress and singer · 1921–1993

Tyler BreezeCanadian professional wrestler and actor · born 1988

Julia RansomCanadian biathlete · born 1993

Mark RycroftCanadian ice hockey player · born 1978

Gordon HerbertCanadian-Finnish basketball coach · born 1959

Andy MoogCanadian ice hockey player · born 1960

Photo credits

Alexis Smith: Whitey Schafer, Public domain · Tyler Breeze: Miguel Discart from Bruxelles, Belgique, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Julia Ransom: Wikijunkie, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mark Rycroft: Kaiser matias, Public domain

Penticton’s neighbours

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

Penticton 1Electoral Area F, Okanagan-SimilkameenElectoral Area I, Okanagan-SimilkameenNaramataOkanagan FallsSummerlandPenticton

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Penticton	39,068	—	C	D⁻	D	B⁺
Penticton 1	2,147	4.4	—	—	—	B⁺
Electoral Area F, Okanagan-Similkameen	2,149	8.3	—	C	C⁺	B
Electoral Area I, Okanagan-Similkameen	2,372	11	—	D	C⁺	B
Naramata	2,077	12	—	D	C⁺	B
Okanagan Falls	4,002	13	C	D	C⁺	B
Summerland	12,343	15	B	D⁻	B	B⁺

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

Questions about Penticton

Has Penticton grown?

Yes: the census counted 33,761 in 2016 and 36,885 in 2021, a rise of 9.3%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 39,068.

What kind of homes are in Penticton?

Mostly 40% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 7% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.1 people on average, and 38% have just one.

Who are the people of Penticton?

9% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 7% have an Indigenous identity and 13% are immigrants.

About Penticton

Town in British Columbia

For Penticton, 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: 39,068 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Okanagan-Similkameen
Census subdivision: 5907041

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).