Salmon ArmBritish Columbia
Home to 20,891 people, this town lies in British Columbia. The population grew 10% between 2016 and 2021.
Is Salmon Arm a good place to live?
Some subjects shine; others lag. Cost of living is its weak spot (D). With a C− overall, Salmon Arm is better than 23% of Canadian towns and ranks #183 of 250 in British Columbia. Households here earn well (A−).
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 Salmon Arm grades
Each subject compares Salmon Arm 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 Salmon Arm stand out
The 3 things Salmon Arm does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Salmon Arm.
Salmon Arm earns a D for cost of living
A year’s rent came to just over a fifth of the median household income, below British Columbia’s towns (24%) but above Canadian towns (20%). Home ownership covers 78% of households.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Salmon Arm | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 21% | 24% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 18% | 21% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 78% | 76% | 74% |
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. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom published for the Salmon Arm metro area, not by town
Hazard risk in Salmon Arm is lower than in 85% of Canadian towns
Radon around Salmon Arm is ordinary for Canada: 6.4% of tested homes over the guideline (6.6% typical). The burn rate around Salmon Arm is 0.18% a year (7.4% of the land within 25 km since 1986), a moderate band. Earthquakes are expected to cost $0.013 a year for every $1,000 of buildings, about level with Canadian towns ($0.030) and below British Columbia’s towns ($0.36). Flood mapping exists: 2 studies, most recently by Province of B.C. - Water, Lands, and Resource Stewardship. Salmon Arm doesn’t get its own radon tests figures; the ones here come from the Thompson/Cariboo health region.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Salmon Arm | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.013 | $0.36 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 6.4% | 1.8% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Trips to work from Salmon Arm are shorter than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 18 min on average
89% of commuters drove, about level with both British Columbia’s towns (87%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Salmon Arm | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 18 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 89% | 87% | 89% |
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.
Summer runs warm in Salmon Arm: July highs of 28.3°C, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns
Gardeners get 160 frost-free days, from 28 April to 6 October. Snow totals 203 cm over the year, above British Columbia’s towns (51 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. On a January night, the temperature in Salmon Arm falls to about −5.6°C. Most of the snow comes in December, about 71 cm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Salmon Arm | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 28.3°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 203 cm | 51 cm | 141 cm |
| Precipitation a year | 654 mm | 1,152 mm | 883 mm |
| January night low | −5.6°C | 0.5°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Salmon Arm)
Salmon Arm earns a C for safety
Its violent severity index came to 67, below both British Columbia’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86). Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 37.2 per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Salmon Arm | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 37.2 | 31 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 67 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Salmon Arm’s 11 schools with results spread wide in British Columbia, 2 in the top two fifths and 6 in the bottom two
Taken together, Salmon Arm and its 3 km edge hold 7 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools, 3 schools for every grade and 2 alternative or adult schools.
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bastion Elementary Middle fifth in British ColumbiaIn Salmon ArmElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| J.L. Jackson SecondaryIn Salmon ArmSecondary | Secondary | – | English public |
| King's Christian School IndependentResults in the top fifth in British ColumbiaElementary | Elementary | – | Independent |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Life expectancy around Salmon Arm is 78.8 years, 2.7 less than for the typical Canadian town
The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Salmon Arm is well placed: 2.4 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical. Smoking is commoner than in the province: 13% of adults, against 8.9% for British Columbia. The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 18% of adults, about level with Canadian towns (17%) and above British Columbia’s towns (15%). Across the region, 48% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; British Columbia as a whole reaches 50%. Figures for health survey and life expectancy are published for the Thompson/Cariboo Health Service Delivery Area as a whole, not for Salmon Arm alone.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Salmon Arm | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.8 | 81.0 | 81.5 |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 18% | 15% | 17% |
| Smokers | 13% | 9% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 48% | 50% | 52% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Salmon Arm is older than 89% of Canadian towns: a median age of 51.6
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 7.6% of residents, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (5%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). Immigrants make up one in ten residents, lower than British Columbia’s towns (12%) yet higher than Canadian towns (6.4%).
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 52.6% of Salmon Arm
Here the census found 10,215 women and 9,215 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| Salmon Arm | British Columbia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 55% | 64% | 64% |
| 65+ | 30% | 21% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 16% | 13% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 55% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Salmon Arm in November: highs near 6°C, lows near −1°C
ECCC’s forecast for Salmon Arm is on the Weather page, hour by hour. The month after, December, normally sees 1°C afternoons and −5°C nights. Precipitation in November averages 83 mm.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 2°C | −5°C | 193 mm |
| Spring | 15°C | 3°C | 133 mm |
| Summer | 27°C | 12°C | 143 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 3°C | 185 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Salmon Arm); the forecast is on the Weather page
Mel Arnold (Conservative Party of Canada) holds Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, the riding that includes Salmon Arm
In the census’s list of municipalities, Salmon Arm is a city.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
ORL: Salmon Arm Branch and Silver Creek are Salmon Arm’s two public libraries
No library board reports for Salmon Arm alone: its libraries belong to a county or regional system, whose figures cover many towns.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
1.7 km from Salmon Arm to Herald Park
Protected areas cover 1.3% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%. 73 km separate the town from Mount Revelstoke National Park, its nearest national park. Within 5 km are 2 beaches; Canoe Beach is the nearest.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Salmon Arm | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 1.3% | 6.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 6 | 14 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Salmon Arm
The She Shed and 4 more in and around Salmon Arm
A first look at Salmon Arm’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
Famous people from Salmon Arm
17 notable people were born in Salmon Arm.
Photo credits
Brian Drummond: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Curtis Lazar: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Kris Beech: Anders Henrikson, CC BY 2.0 · Randy Kamp: Greg Nehring from Mission, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
About Salmon Arm
Town in British Columbia
Every figure TownRatings gives for Salmon Arm covers the municipality as Statistics Canada maps it, one census subdivision in British Columbia.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 20,891 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- Census division
- Columbia-Shuswap
- Census subdivision
- 5939032
Salmon Arm’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salmon Arm | 20,891 | — | C− | D | C | C+ |
| Electoral Area F, North Okanagan | 4,969 | 13 | D | D | B− | B− |
| Enderby | 3,292 | 18 | C− | D | B− | B |
| Blind Bay | 9,984 | 19 | D | D | A− | C |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Salmon Arm
Is Salmon Arm growing?
It added people: 17,706 in 2016, 19,432 in 2021, 9.7% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 20,891.
Is Salmon Arm a young town or an old one?
At 51.6, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 15% of the population and seniors 30%.
Who are the people of Salmon Arm?
At the 2021 census, 10% were immigrants and 6% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 8% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Salmon Arm?
Mostly 62% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.3 people on average, and 29% have just one.
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).