Photo: Original uploader was Fawcett5 at en.wikipedia Later version(s) were uploaded by Peteforsyth at en.wikipedia . · Public domainPenticton is older than 90% of Canadian towns: a median age of 52
The average household has 2.1 people, against 2.4 across Canada’s towns. Statistics Canada puts Penticton’s population at 39,068 for July 2025. Here, 55% of residents said they have no religion. On children under 15, Penticton sits lower than 88% of Canadian towns: 12%.
What stands out about the people of Penticton
Older than most towns
Half of Penticton’s residents are under 52 and half over; the typical median across Canadian towns is 42. 30% are 65 or over, against 19% across Canada’s towns. Ages ↓
Written from the data on this page: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census.
Growth of +9% since 2016 puts Penticton ahead of 78% of Canadian towns
All figures are the 2021 Census’s unless another date is shown. Residents at the 2016 and 2021 censuses and the latest estimate, with the 2016–2021 change beside other towns.
Change, 2016 to 2021
Medians for comparison: +4% across Canada’s towns; +6% across British Columbia’s towns.
Penticton ranks above 93% of Canadian towns on residents aged 65 and over: 30%
Residents by five-year age band, each beside the typical town (the tick).
The biggest five-year age group is 60–64, with 8.9% of residents, 1.3 times the share across Canada’s towns. The census found that 8.3% of residents are aged 15 to 24 in Penticton. By way of comparison, 19% of residents are 65 or over across Canada’s towns.
Median age of Canadian towns of 2,500+
■ Penticton, 52. The typical town is 42.
Broad ages · share of residents
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 88 men for every 100 women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
38% of households are one person living alone, a share 84% of Canadian towns don’t reach
Household types, then household sizes.
Against British Columbia’s towns and Canada’s towns
People per household
Canada’s towns.
On the census count, 7.5% of households are one-parent families. Against that, 27% of households are one person living alone across Canada’s towns.
43% of residents 15 and over are married, fewer than in 62% of Canadian towns
Married, common-law, single: residents 15 and over.
Marital status · residents 15 and over
23% of adults have never married and don’t live common-law (typical: 27%). Across Canada’s towns, 46% of residents 15 and over are married. For Penticton, the census puts common-law partners at 11%.
Above 76% of Canadian towns: 6.9% of households live in a building of five or more storeys
Dwelling types, tenure and age of the housing. Prices, rents and shelter costs are on Cost of living.
Type of home
Owners and renters · share of households
When homes were built · share of homes
37% of households rent their home; across Canada’s towns the figure is 25%. Lower than in 77% of Canadian towns: 40% of households live in a single-detached house. Newer homes outnumber old: 24% date from 2001 or later, 15% from before 1961.
The median household brings in $68,000 a year
Census incomes are for 2020, the year before the census, when CERB and other pandemic benefits topped up many households. Income per household, before tax, with the groups it falls into.
Households by income · share of households
The median across Canada’s towns is $86,000; Penticton’s, at $68,000, is 21% lower. Within British Columbia’s towns, the household in the middle had $87,000. In 2020, 25% of income recipients drew a COVID-19 emergency or recovery benefit; the typical town had 28%.
Residents who moved in within the year: 16%, a higher share than 85% of Canadian towns
Where immigrants were born and when they came, and how recently residents moved in.
Immigrants, by continent of birth · share of all residents; the bar runs to 20%
When immigrants arrived · share of immigrants
Citizenship and moving · share of residents
Recent arrivals are 18% of immigrants (2011 to 2021), beside 27% across Canada’s towns. Residents who moved in within the year make up 11% across Canada’s towns. The largest groups of immigrants were born in Europe (52%) and in Asia (29%).
Penticton: 6.8% of residents have an Indigenous identity, above 78% of Canadian towns
Visible minority and Indigenous identity, then religion.
Visible minority and Indigenous identity · all residents
Religion · all residents
In Penticton, 8.9% of residents belong to a visible minority, beside 15% across Canada’s towns. Against that, 2.8% of residents have an Indigenous identity across Canada’s towns. Other faiths: Sikh (2.1%).
86% have English as their mother tongue; 6.5% also speak French
The official languages residents can speak, and the ones they learned first.
Can hold a conversation in · share of all residents
Mother tongue · share of all residents
At home: English 94%, French 0.5%. Against a figure of 7.5% across Canada’s towns, the share of bilingual residents in Penticton comes in at 6.5%.
22% of residents 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, fewer than in 63% of Canadian towns
Highest certificate, diploma or degree of residents aged 25 to 64.
Highest qualification · residents 25 to 64
10% have no certificate, diploma or degree (typical: 9.5%). For comparison, 27% of residents 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher across Canada’s towns.
51% of adults were employed in May 2021
May 2021 was still a pandemic month: the census’s work figures reflect that. Work, briefly: employment, unemployment, participation and working from home. Jobs, industries and the commute are on Work & commute.
With 30% of residents 65 or over, the employment rate of 51% sits under the typical 58% across Canada’s towns.
Among 41 towns of 35,986 to 42,135 people, the 2nd oldest
The Canadian towns closest in population, from youngest to oldest.
At one end is Malton (34.8), at the other Sorel-Tracy (53.2). Nearest to Penticton in age: Pointe-Claire (49.2), Fort Erie (51.6) and Sorel-Tracy (53.2).
Nearby, 5 of 6 towns have older populations than Penticton
The closest towns, coloured by how old their residents are.
| Town | People | Away | Median age | 65+ | Immigrants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penticton | 39,068 | — | 52 | 30% | 13% |
| Penticton 1 | 2,147 | 4.4 km | 60.8 | 42% | 0% |
| Electoral Area F, Okanagan-Similkameen | 2,149 | 8.3 km | 52 | 24% | 12% |
| Electoral Area I, Okanagan-Similkameen | 2,372 | 10.8 km | 55.6 | 28% | 14% |
| Naramata | 2,077 | 12.4 km | 59.2 | 32% | 18% |
| Okanagan Falls | 4,002 | 13.2 km | 59.2 | 35% | 13% |
| Summerland | 12,343 | 15.0 km | 54.4 | 32% | 12% |
Health, work, housing and schools
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The census’s own words. The census takes “visible minority” from the Employment Equity Act: anyone other than Indigenous peoples who is non-white in colour or race. Indigenous identity, immigrant status and religion are what residents reported, compared here with other towns and never used as a label.
- Against British Columbia’s towns and Canada’s towns. Two medians frame each figure: one for British Columbia’s towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500 or more, one for all Canadian towns of that size, with whole cities and First Nations reserves left out. Percentiles rank the town within Canada.
- What these tables don’t give. The Census Profile has no unpaid care, cars or internet access, and no change by age since 2016; ethnic origins beyond visible minority and Indigenous identity aren’t charted here.
Questions about Penticton’s residents
What is the median income in Penticton?
$68,000 before tax, in 2020: the middle household’s income in Penticton (Canada’s towns: $86,000).
What is the population of Penticton?
Statistics Canada estimates 39,068 residents for July 2025; the 2021 Census counted 36,885 in Penticton, 9% more than 2016.
What is the average age in Penticton?
52 is the median age, older than 90% of Canadian towns. Under 15: 12%. 65 and over: 30%.
Is Penticton bilingual?
English and French: 6.5% speak both (Canada’s towns: 7.5%). English only: 93%. French only: 0.1%. French mother tongue: 1.7%.
How diverse is Penticton?
Immigrants make up 13% of residents, against 17% across Canada’s towns. 8.9% are members of a visible minority, and 6.8% are First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What religion are people in Penticton?
Christian: 41%. No religion: 55%. Another religion: 4.2%.
Is Penticton good for families?
Across Canada’s towns, a typical 16% of residents are under 15; here, 12%. 44% of households are couple families and 7.5% one-parent families. Schools near Penticton are on its Schools page.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population · Statistics Canada, population estimates for 1 July 2025 (table 17-10-0155). 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).