Electoral Area A, qathetBritish Columbia

With 1,330 residents, it is a town in British Columbia. Its census division is Powell River.

Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain

Population

1,330

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

57.2

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

61%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

14%

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

Is Electoral Area A, qathet a good place to live?

Health is a strength (A). Its weakest is cost of living (D). Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for safety, B for walkability and B for hazard risk. Jobs and pay trail most towns (D).

Canadian towns get an overall grade from 2,500 residents, so Electoral Area A, qathet has subject grades only.

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. Crime here is counted against the people who live here, but many visitors or second-home owners add to it, so the rate per resident runs higher than residents' own 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.

StrongestAHealth A⁻SchoolsWeakestDCost of living DJobs & income

How Electoral Area A, qathet grades

Each subject compares Electoral Area A, qathet 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

Canadian towns get an overall grade from 2,500 residents, so Electoral Area A, qathet has subject grades only.

HealthAmong the healthiest places comparedAOpen →Cost of livingNear the bottom of the towns comparedDOpen →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workDOpen →SchoolsSchools rank among the strongest comparedA⁻Open →Hazard riskAbout average among the towns comparedBOpen →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesBOpen →SafetyGraded on crime per residentB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Electoral Area A, qathet stand out

The 3 things Electoral Area A, qathet does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

9.8 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $600,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Immigrants

Who lives here

15% are immigrants

Canadian towns centre on 6%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

20% unemployment

Of the labour force, against 10% for the median of Canadian towns

41% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Electoral Area A, qathet.

HealthHealth A

For health, Electoral Area A, qathet is ahead of 95% of Canadian towns

59%very good or excellent healthAHealth Grade

In the health survey, 59% of adults in the region rated their health very good or excellent, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (50%) and Canadian towns (52%). A baby born in the region can expect 84.3 years, 86.3 for a girl and 82.3 for a boy (2022/2024). The region has fewer smokers than British Columbia, 6.5% of adults to 8.9%. For Electoral Area A, qathet itself the measure is access, and it lags: 21 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Electoral Area A, qathet59%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Electoral Area A, qathet	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%

84.3

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

21 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

6.5%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

23 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageElectoral Area A, qathet’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey59% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care21 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 23 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 86.3, men 82.3 Conditions and habits12% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Health survey and life expectancy: one figure for all of the North Shore/Coast Garibaldi Health Service Delivery Area

HousingCost of living D

Most households in Electoral Area A, qathet own their home: 86%, more than in both British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

$600,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

A year’s rent came to just over a fifth of the median household income, lower than British Columbia’s towns (24%) and near Canadian towns (20%). 17% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below British Columbia’s towns (21%) and close to Canadian towns (18%).

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

Electoral Area A, qathet$600,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Electoral Area A, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
Households owning their home	86%	76%	74%
Rent as a share of income	21%	24%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	17%	21%	18%

$800

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$540

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageElectoral Area A, qathet’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters86% own their home Cost of living9.8 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $600,000, against the median household income Renting$800 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.

Work & commuteJobs & income D

Electoral Area A, qathet has a smaller share of its working-age people in jobs than nine in ten Canadian towns

14%walk, cycle or take transit

Commutes averaged 25 min, below both British Columbia’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min). The car carried just over four in five commuters at the census.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van82%

Walk14%

Census 2021	Electoral Area A, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
Car or van	82%	87%	89%
Average trip	25 min	26 min	26 min

$61,200

median household income, 2020

28%

worked from home, May 2021

26%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageElectoral Area A, qathet’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment20% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work14% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to155 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Powell River

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.

SchoolsSchools A⁻

Electoral Area A, qathet has one French-language school among its 5

5schools within 3 kmA⁻Schools Grade

Elementary school is 17 km away at the nearest, above both British Columbia’s towns (0.6 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km). Taken together, Electoral Area A, qathet and its 3 km edge hold 3 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 1 alternative or adult school.

School	Level	Students	System
James Thomson Elementary Middle fifth in British ColumbiaNearest elementary school, 0.8 kmElementary	Elementary	–	English public
Secondaire Brooks FrenchNearest secondary school, 2.9 kmSecondary	Secondary	–	French public

See all 5 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public4

French public1

Schools within 3 km	Electoral Area A, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
Nearest secondary school	21 km	1.8 km	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	17 km	0.6 km	0.5 km
School boards	2	2	3

21 km

to the nearest secondary school

17 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageElectoral Area A, qathet’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Language1 of 5 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia Every school5 schools within 3 km · 3 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 1 alternative or adult school Results0 of 3 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia The boards2 school boards · SD 47 qathet Questions“What schools are there in Electoral Area A, qathet?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Climate

Winters are mild in Electoral Area A, qathet: January nights hold at 1.5°C, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

23.1°CJuly afternoons

Electoral Area A, qathet sees July afternoons of 23.1°C on average. There are 46 days of frost in a typical year, below both British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159). The frost-free season runs from 1 April to 6 November, 218 days. Most of the snow comes in December, about 17 cm.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter6.6°C

Spring13.2°C

Summer22.0°C

Autumn13.6°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Electoral Area A, qathet	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

51 cm

of snow a year

days with frost a year

218

frost-free days, 1 Apr to 6 Nov

131

days with precipitation a year

Full pageElectoral Area A, qathet’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 23.1°C, January lows 1.5°C Rain and snow1,152 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow51 cm of snow a year Weather station40 km to the station · Comox

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

Who lives here

An older town: 32% of people in Electoral Area A, qathet are 65 or over, more than in both British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

57.2median age

Both official languages: 15% of residents, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (5.8%) and Canadian towns (7.5%). Under-15s account for 10% of the population.

Electoral Area A, qathetBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

32%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree10%

Postsecondary qualification61%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 47.6% of Electoral Area A, qathet

Here the census found 655 men and 595 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.

Who lives in Electoral Area A, qathet
	Electoral Area A, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	10%	14%	16%
15 to 64	58%	64%	64%
65+	32%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	10%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	61%	56%	56%

Full pageElectoral Area A, qathet’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages57.2 median age · 32% are 65 or over Households635 households · 2 people per household Immigrants15% are immigrants · 4% belong to a visible minority English and French15% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Outdoors

Protected land around Electoral Area A, qathet beats 9 in 10 Canadian towns

17%of the land within 10 km protected

OpenStreetMap shows 7 unnamed beaches within 5 km. Within 100 km there is no national park. 37 protected areas lie within 10 km.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Electoral Area A, qathet17%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Electoral Area A, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	17%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	21	14	4

At the edge

to Copeland Islands Marine Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageElectoral Area A, qathet’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas37 protected areas within 10 km · Clendinning Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Copeland Islands Marine Park Footpaths & routes6 named routes · Sunshine Coast Trail

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk B

Electoral Area A, qathet’s hazards at a glance: a low wildfire record and 2.5% of area homes over the radon guideline

Lowwildfire bandBHazard risk Grade

The expected yearly loss to earthquakes is $0.15 for each $1,000 of buildings, lower than British Columbia’s towns ($0.36) yet higher than Canadian towns ($0.030). The national flood inventory has no study for Electoral Area A, qathet. Nobody publishes radon tests for Electoral Area A, qathet alone, so this card uses the figure for the North Shore/Coast Garibaldi health region.

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

Electoral Area A, qathet2.5%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Electoral Area A, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.15	$0.36	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	2.5%	1.8%	6.6%

$0.15

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

Low

wildfire band

23 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageElectoral Area A, qathet’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon2.5% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.15 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

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

Weather

Electoral Area A, qathet in November: highs near 9°C, lows near 3°C

9°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November9°C

December6°C

January6°C

February7°C

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

3°C

a normal November night

189 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageElectoral Area A, qathet’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 February

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

Town hall

Electoral Area A, qathet sends Aaron Gunn (Conservative Party of Canada) to the Commons from North Island—Powell River

20 of the 43 MPs from British Columbia belong to the Liberal Party of Canada.

Full pageElectoral Area A, qathet’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itRegional District Electoral Area Provincial legislaturePowell River-Sunshine Coast

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A

The nearest public library to Electoral Area A, qathet is VIRL: Cortes Island Branch, 22 km away

After it comes Powell River Public Library (Powell River), 23 km away.

Full pageElectoral Area A, qathet’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong1.5 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

SafetySafety B⁻

Electoral Area A, qathet gets a B− for safety

65Crime Severity Index

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

Violent crime in the area its police cover: 14.6 per 1,000 people a year. The violent index for its police area came to 97, above British Columbia’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86) alike. Property crime in the area its police cover: 24.6 per 1,000 people a year. For Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, the only official count covers all of the Powell River detachment area, Electoral Area A, qathet included.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202371

202476

202548

2023–2025	Electoral Area A, qathet	British Columbia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	24.6	31	31.2
Violent Crime Severity Index	97	76	86
Crime Severity Index	65	83	67
Violent crime	14.6	12.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

34%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageElectoral Area A, qathet’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety65 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Electoral Area A, qathet’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Electoral Area A, qathet safe?”

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

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Electoral Area A, qathet

15pages on Electoral Area A, qathet

The big questions

SafetyB⁻Crime Severity Index 65 Housing & costDHomes 9.8 × income Property pricesSchoolsA⁻5 schools within 3 km HealthALife expectancy 84.3 in its region Work & commuteD41% of adults in work Natural hazardsBWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors17% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 23°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 57.2 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Townsite Heritage Society and 2 more in and around Electoral Area A, qathet

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

All attractions →

MuseumMuseumTownsite Heritage Society2.4 km outside town, to the south MuseumMuseumForestry Building4.5 km outside town, to the south MuseumMuseumQathet Museum and Archives Society4.6 km outside town, to the south

About Electoral Area A, qathet

Town in British Columbia

Electoral Area A, qathet is a municipality in British Columbia, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.

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

Population: 1,330 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Powell River
Census subdivision: 5927010

Questions about Electoral Area A, qathet

Has Electoral Area A, qathet grown?

It added people: 1,105 in 2016, 1,250 in 2021, 13.1% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 1,330.

What kind of homes are in Electoral Area A, qathet?

Households hold 2 people on average, and 38% have just one.

Do people in Electoral Area A, qathet speak French?

French alone: 0%.

How old are the people of Electoral Area A, qathet?

At 57.2, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 10% of the population and seniors 32%.

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).