SalmoBritish Columbia
Population 1,310: a town in British Columbia. It lies in Central Kootenay.
Is Salmo a good place to live?
Getting around on foot or by bus is easy (A−). Its schools beat most (B+). The local economy is weaker than most (D−). Owners valued their homes at a median $340,000 in 2021, which is 6 years of the typical household’s pay. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for safety and B for health.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Salmo gets subject grades but no overall one among Canadian towns.
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 is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. 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 Salmo grades
Each subject compares Salmo with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
With fewer than 2,500 residents, Salmo gets subject grades but no overall one among Canadian towns.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Salmo stand out
The 3 things Salmo does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Salmo.
Household incomes in Salmo are lower than in 94% of Canadian towns
The car took 92% of commuters, above British Columbia’s towns (87%) and Canadian towns (89%) alike. The average trip to work takes 28 min.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Salmo | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 28 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 92% | 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.
Measured against local pay, Salmo costs more to live in than 88% of Canadian towns
A year’s rent came to just over a fifth of the median household income, between British Columbia’s towns (24%) and Canadian towns (20%). Households that own their home make up 72%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Salmo | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $340,000 | $720,000 | $406,000 |
| Rent as a share of income | 22% | 24% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 72% | 76% | 74% |
| 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.
Summer runs warm in Salmo: July highs of 28.5°C, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns
Winter lows average −2.9°C in January, lower than British Columbia’s towns (0.5°C) yet higher than Canadian towns (−13.5°C). Most of the snow comes in December, about 47 cm. Rain and snow peak in December, at 98 mm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Salmo | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 28.5°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −2.9°C | 0.5°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 100 | 60 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 759 mm | 1,152 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Nelson)
Salmo’s teenagers travel 31 km to the nearest high school
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salmo Elementary School Fourth fifth in British ColumbiaIn SalmoElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Salmo | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 31 km | 1.8 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Radon is Salmo’s main hazard: 29% of tested homes in its area top Health Canada’s guideline
The burn rate around Salmo is 0.08% a year (3.3% of the land within 25 km since 1986), a moderate band. Flood mapping exists: a study by Regional District of Central Kootenay. The expected yearly loss to earthquakes is $0.010 for each $1,000 of buildings, lower than British Columbia’s towns ($0.36) and near Canadian towns ($0.030). Nobody publishes radon tests for Salmo alone, so this card uses the figure for the Kootenay/Boundary health region.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Salmo | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 29% | 1.8% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.010 | $0.36 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
A hospital trip from Salmo means 32 km on average, in a straight line
In the health survey, 55% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, more than British Columbia’s 50%. The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 14% of adults, below both British Columbia’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%). For 2022/2024, the region’s figure is 79.5 years at birth, 82.8 for women and 76.5 for men. Salmo doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the Kootenay-Boundary Health Service Delivery Area.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Salmo | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 55% | 50% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.5 | 81.0 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 9.9% | 9% | 12% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Salmo is 0.7 km from Erie Creek Park
Within 10 km, the count of public protected areas is 1, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (14) and Canadian towns (4). There is no national park within 100 km of the town. The protected share within 10 km is 0.5%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%. The Great Northern Trail is the one mapped walking route close by.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Salmo | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.5% | 6.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 1 | 14 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Older than 86% of Canadian towns: half of Salmo is over 50.4
5.3% of residents belong to a visible minority, below both British Columbia’s towns (8.6%) and Canadian towns (15%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up nearly one in ten residents, above both British Columbia’s towns (5%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 51.5% of Salmo
In 2021 there were 585 women to 550 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.
| Salmo | British Columbia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 58% | 64% | 64% |
| 65+ | 28% | 21% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 20% | 13% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 52% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Salmo’s grade for safety: a B−
Measured across the Salmo detachment area: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000
Where it is policed, 14.7 violent incidents per 1,000 residents are recorded each year. Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 22.5 per 1,000 residents a year where it is policed. Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 69 over 2023–25, lower than British Columbia’s towns (83) and near Canadian towns (67).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Salmo | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 22.5 | 31 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 14.7 | 12.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
A normal November in Salmo runs from freezing to 6°C
The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Castlegar. A normal December brings highs of 1°C, lows of −3°C. Snowfall in a normal November: 23 cm. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 86 mm.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 2°C | −3°C | 253 mm |
| Spring | 15°C | 3°C | 186 mm |
| Summer | 27°C | 12°C | 140 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 4°C | 180 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Nelson); the forecast is on the Weather page
Rob Morrison (Conservative Party of Canada) represents Salmo in Ottawa as MP for Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies
Locally, Salmo is run as a village.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Salmo’s public library is Salmo Valley Public Library
It sits 0.2 km from the centre of Salmo.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Canada’s registers list 1 historic place in Salmo
35% of its homes were built before 1961, above both British Columbia’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Salmo | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 35% | 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 Salmo
About Salmo
Town in British Columbia
TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Salmo is one municipality in British Columbia, figures and all.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 1,310 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- Census division
- Central Kootenay
- Census subdivision
- 5903011
Salmo’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salmo | 1,310 | — | — | D | B− | B |
| Electoral Area G, Central Kootenay | 1,795 | 8 | — | C− | B− | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Salmo
Who are the people of Salmo?
5% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 8% have an Indigenous identity and 7% are immigrants.
How old are the people of Salmo?
The median resident is 50.4 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 14% are under 15 and 28% are 65 or over.
What kind of homes are in Salmo?
A household averages 2 people; 40% are one person living alone.
Has Salmo grown?
It lost people: 1,141 in 2016, 1,140 in 2021, 0.1% fewer, while the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 1,310.
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).