Powell RiverBritish Columbia
With 14,947 residents, it is a town in British Columbia. Its population rose 6% from 2016 to 2021.
Is Powell River a good place to live?
Strong in places, weak in others. Its weakest is cost of living (D). Taken together, its subjects give Powell River a C overall, better than 28% of Canadian towns. The ranking puts it #165 of 250 in British Columbia. People here tend to be in good health (A+). Getting around on foot or by bus is easy (A−). Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for jobs & income and C+ for hazard risk.
Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.
How Powell River grades
Each subject compares Powell 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 TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Powell River stand out
The 3 things Powell River does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Powell River.
Health in Powell River beats almost every Canadian town
Area-wide: health survey and life expectancy, counted over the North Shore/Coast Garibaldi Health Service Delivery Area
In the health survey, nearly three in five adults in the region rated their health very good or excellent, above both British Columbia’s towns (50%) and Canadian towns (52%). Across the region, life runs to 84.3 years on average: women 86.3, men 82.3, in 2022/2024. Smoking is rarer than in the province: 6.5% of adults, against 8.9% for British Columbia. The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Powell River live 2.6 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Powell River | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 59% | 50% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 12% | 15% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 84.3 | 81.0 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 6.5% | 9% | 12% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Measured against local pay, Powell River costs more to live in than 88% of Canadian towns
The median home value was $452,000, between British Columbia’s towns ($720,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000). A year’s rent came to just over a fifth of the median household income, about level with Canadian towns (20%) and below British Columbia’s towns (24%). For rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, the only official count covers all of the Powell River metro area, Powell River included.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Powell River | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $452,000 | $720,000 | $406,000 |
| Rent as a share of income | 21% | 24% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 20% | 21% | 18% |
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.
Powell River’s grade for safety: a C−
Police recorded 22.9 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (12.5) and Canadian towns (12). Property crime runs at 50 per 1,000 people a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Powell River | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 22.9 | 12.5 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 50 | 31 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 99 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Winters are mild in Powell River: January nights hold at 1.5°C, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns
A normal winter brings 51 cm of snow, near British Columbia’s towns (51 cm) and lower than Canadian towns (141 cm). The frost-free season runs from 1 April to 6 November, 218 days. In July, daytime highs in Powell River average 23.1°C. December is the snowiest month, with 17 cm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Powell River | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days with frost a year | 46 | 60 | 159 |
| January night low | 1.5°C | 0.5°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 23.1°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 51 cm | 51 cm | 141 cm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Comox)
Teaching in French: 2 of Powell River’s 12 schools
On the tests, 2 of 9 schools land above the middle in British Columbia, 3 under it. Its 3 km reach takes in 6 elementary schools, 1 secondary school, 2 schools for every grade and 3 alternative or adult schools, all of Powell River’s schooling.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assumption School IndependentIn Powell RiverElementary | Elementary | – | Independent |
| Cote-du-Soleil FrenchIn Powell RiverAll grades | All grades | – | French public |
| Secondaire Brooks FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary | Secondary | – | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Powell River | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Powell River is older than nine in ten Canadian towns: a median age of 53.2
6.1% of residents belong to a visible minority, below both British Columbia’s towns (8.6%) and Canadian towns (15%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
51.9% of Powell River’s residents are women
By the 2021 count the town had 7,230 women and 6,710 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.
| Powell River | British Columbia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 56% | 64% | 64% |
| 65+ | 31% | 21% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 17% | 13% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 52% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Powell River has one of Canada’s highest earthquake risks: $0.38 a year per $1,000, 13 times the typical town’s
Of the homes tested for radon, 2.5% were over 200 Bq/m³, between British Columbia’s towns (1.8%) and Canadian towns (6.6%). No flood study for Powell River is on the national inventory. Figures for radon tests are published for the North Shore/Coast Garibaldi health region as a whole, not for Powell River alone.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Powell River | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.38 | $0.36 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 2.5% | 1.8% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
In Powell River, November normally means 9°C afternoons and 3°C nights
November normally sees 189 mm of precipitation. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Powell River.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 7°C | 1°C | 483 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 212 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 13°C | 97 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 361 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Comox); the forecast is on the Weather page
Aaron Gunn (Conservative Party of Canada) represents Powell River in Ottawa as MP for North Island—Powell River
Powell River is in Powell River-Sunshine Coast for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, whose current MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly, the provincial or territorial legislature) no open source we can use records yet.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Powell River has two public libraries, Powell River Public Library and Powell River Public Library
Powell river public library has 2 branches for the 22,505 people it serves.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
6 named trails run within 2 km of Powell River
9 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name. A provincial park, Inland Lake Park, lies 3.6 km away. Protected areas cover 5.5% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%. There is no national park within 100 km of the town.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Powell River | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 5.5% | 6.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 4 | 14 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Trips to work from Powell River are shorter than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 15 min on average
The car took 87% of commuters, in line with British Columbia’s towns (87%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Powell River | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 15 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 87% | 87% | 89% |
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.
Powell River’s 1 historic place is a top designation
37% of its homes were built before 1961, above British Columbia’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Powell River | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 37% | 11% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Powell River
Forestry Building and 3 more in and around Powell River
Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near Powell River, the best known first.
Famous people from Powell River
14 notable people were born in Powell River.
Photo credits
Don Thompson: Courtesy the Fraser MacPherson estate c/o Guy MacPherson, CC BY 2.0 · Katrine Conroy: BC NDP, CC BY 2.0 · Richard Seeley: Roberta F., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cam Cunning: 5of7, CC BY-SA 2.0
About Powell River
Town in British Columbia
For Powell River, 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
- 14,947 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- Census subdivision
- 5927008
Powell River’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powell River | 14,947 | — | C | D | C− | A+ |
| Electoral Area B, qathet | 1,714 | 4.7 | — | D | B− | A+ |
| Electoral Area C, qathet | 2,409 | 13 | — | D | B− | A+ |
| Electoral Area D, qathet | 1,221 | 19 | — | D | B− | A+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Powell River
How old are the people of Powell River?
At 53.2, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 13% of the population and seniors 31%.
What kind of homes are in Powell River?
72% 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 2.1 people; 35% are one person living alone.
Has Powell River grown?
It grew from 13,157 people in 2016 to 13,943 in 2021, up 6%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 14,947.
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).