SecheltBritish Columbia

TownGrade

B⁻

#1,315 of 2,556

Between 2016 and 2021, its population grew by 6%. Home to 11,558 people, this town lies in British Columbia.

3 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: waferboard · CC BY 2.0

Population

11,558

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

57.6

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

59%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

11%

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

Is Sechelt a good place to live?

The picture is mixed. People here tend to be in good health (A+). Add jobs & income to its strengths (A−). Housing is expensive (D−). Put together, the subjects come to a B− overall, better than 51% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #87 of 250 in British Columbia. It also trails on safety (D).

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. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestA⁺Health A⁻Jobs & income A⁻WalkabilityWeakestD⁻Cost of living DSafety

How Sechelt grades

Each subject compares Sechelt 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

HealthAmong the healthiest places comparedA⁺Open →Cost of livingIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedD⁻Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentDOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the strongest comparedA⁻Open →WalkabilityAhead of most towns comparedA⁻Open →SchoolsGraded on exam and test resultsB⁺Open →Hazard riskNear typical for the towns comparedC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Sechelt stand out

The 3 things Sechelt does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Immigrants

Who lives here

23% are immigrants

The midpoint across Canadian towns is 6%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

9.6 times household income

The middle of Canadian towns: 4.7 times

Median owner’s estimate $700,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

37% are 65 or over

Half of Canadian towns are above 19%, half below

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sechelt.

HealthHealth A⁺

For health, Sechelt is ahead of almost every Canadian town

59%very good or excellent healthA⁺Health Grade

Smokers make up 6.5% of the region’s adults, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (9%) and Canadian towns (12%). The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 59%, ahead of the 50% for British Columbia; what’s more, for 2022/2024, the region’s figure is 84.3 years at birth, 86.3 for women and 82.3 for men. Closer to home, a hospital sits 3.0 km from the average resident of Sechelt, about the norm of 3.7 km.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Sechelt59%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Sechelt	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

6.5%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

2.1 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageSechelt’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey59% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care3.0 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 2.1 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 published for the North Shore/Coast Garibaldi Health Service Delivery Area, not by town

HousingCost of living D⁻

Rent takes more of local pay in Sechelt than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 30% of household income

$700,000median home value, 2021D⁻Cost of living Grade

81% of households own their home, above British Columbia’s towns (76%) and Canadian towns (74%) alike.

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

Sechelt$700,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Sechelt	British Columbia	Canada
Rent as a share of income	30%	24%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	22%	21%	18%
Households owning their home	81%	76%	74%

$1,350

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$860

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageSechelt’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$1,350 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living9.6 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $700,000, against the median household income Owners and renters81% own their home

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.

SafetySafety D

Sechelt’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 115, runs above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

141Crime Severity Index

Property crime ran at 58.9 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above British Columbia’s towns (31) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike. Violent crime runs at 23 per 1,000 residents a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023127

2024148

2025149

2023–2025	Sechelt	British Columbia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	58.9	31	31.2
Violent crime	23	12.5	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	115	76	86

153

non-violent Crime Severity Index

24%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageSechelt’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety141 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Sechelt’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Sechelt safe?”

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

Climate

Sechelt has milder winters than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of 3.3°C

23.0°CJuly afternoons

There are 17 days of frost in a typical year, below both British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159). July afternoons in Sechelt average 23.0°C. Snow peaks in December: 14 cm in a normal year. Rain and snow peak in November, at 245 mm.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter7.6°C

Spring14.1°C

Summer22.1°C

Autumn14.3°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Sechelt	British Columbia	Canada
Days with frost a year	17	60	159
January night low	3.3°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C
Precipitation a year	1,537 mm	1,152 mm	883 mm
Snowfall a year	37 cm	51 cm	141 cm

37 cm

of snow a year

days with frost a year

142

days with precipitation a year

Full pageSechelt’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 23.0°C, January lows 3.3°C Rain and snow1,537 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow37 cm of snow a year Weather station51 km to the station · Vancouver (Harbour)

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

Work & commuteJobs & income A⁻

Trips to work from Sechelt are shorter than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 20 min on average

11%walk, cycle or take transit

At the census, 86% of commuters went by car.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van86%

Walk8%

Public transit2%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Sechelt	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	20 min	26 min	26 min
Car or van	86%	87%	89%

$73,500

median household income, 2020

20%

worked from home, May 2021

64%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageSechelt’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment6.5% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work11% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to360 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Sechelt (Part)

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 B⁺

Teaching in French: 2 of Sechelt’s 8 schools

8schools within 3 kmB⁺Schools Grade

Within 3 km of Sechelt are 7 elementary schools and 1 secondary school. The 6 with results split, 1 in the upper two fifths in British Columbia and 2 in the lower.

School	Level	Students	System
Chatelech Secondary Second fifth in British ColumbiaIn SecheltElementary	Elementary	–	English public
Secondaire Chatelech FrenchIn SecheltSecondary	Secondary	–	French public
du Pacifique FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary	Elementary	–	French public

See all 8 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public6

French public2

Schools within 3 km	Sechelt	British Columbia	Canada
School boards	2	2	3

0.4 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageSechelt’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Language2 of 8 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia Every school8 schools within 3 km · 7 elementary schools and 1 secondary school Results1 of 6 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia The boards2 school boards · SD 46 Sunshine Coast Questions“What schools are there in Sechelt?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Who lives here

A median age of 57.6: Sechelt is older than 97% of Canadian towns

57.6median age

4.9% of residents have an Indigenous identity, close to British Columbia’s towns (5%) and above Canadian towns (2.8%). Visible minorities make up just over a tenth of the population, higher than British Columbia’s towns (8.6%) yet lower than Canadian towns (15%).

SecheltBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

37%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree12%

Postsecondary qualification59%

Women and men · all residents

52.9% of Sechelt’s residents are women

Here the census found 5,110 men and 5,735 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.

Who lives in Sechelt
	Sechelt	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	12%	14%	16%
15 to 64	51%	64%	64%
65+	37%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	12%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	59%	56%	56%

Full pageSechelt’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages57.6 median age · 37% are 65 or over Households5,125 households · 2.1 people per household Immigrants23% are immigrants · 12% belong to a visible minority English and French7% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

Earthquake risk in Sechelt runs 11 times the typical Canadian town’s: $0.33 per $1,000 a year

Lowwildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

Radon tests for the North Shore/Coast Garibaldi health region

In Health Canada’s survey, just 2.5% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Fire seldom reaches Sechelt: since 1986, 0.5% of the land within 25 km has burned (0.01% a year). The national flood inventory has no study of the town.

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

Sechelt2.5%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Sechelt	British Columbia	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.33	$0.36	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	2.5%	1.8%	6.6%

$0.33

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

Low

wildfire band

0.3 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageSechelt’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Earthquakes$0.33 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.5% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Radon2.5% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

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

Weather

What November brings in Sechelt: 5°C at night, 10°C by day

10°Ca normal November afternoon

Into December, the normals move to 7°C and 3°C. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Sechelt forecast, on the Weather page.

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November10°C

December7°C

January7°C

February8°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	8°C	3°C	554 mm
Spring	14°C	7°C	353 mm
Summer	22°C	14°C	158 mm
Autumn	14°C	9°C	473 mm

5°C

a normal November night

245 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageSechelt’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 December

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

Town hall

Patrick Weiler (Liberal Party of Canada) holds West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, the riding that includes Sechelt

In the census’s list of municipalities, Sechelt is a district municipality.

Full pageSechelt’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Provincial legislaturePowell River-Sunshine Coast

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A

Sechelt Public Library is Sechelt’s public library

Sechelt Public Library reports for 20,779 people, a wider area than Sechelt, and its figures cover all of them.

Full pageSechelt’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

A year at the library3.9 visits per person served The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong3.2 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

More of the land around Sechelt is protected than around 8 in 10 Canadian towns

7.5%of the land within 10 km protected

Within 10 km are 17 protected areas. For a national park, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is 68 km away. 24 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Welcome Beach.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Sechelt7.5%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Sechelt	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	7.5%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	14	14	4

68 km

to Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

At the edge

to Porpoise Bay Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageSechelt’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas17 protected areas within 10 km · Tetrahedron Park National & provincial parks68 km to a national park · Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

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

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Sechelt

15pages on Sechelt

The big questions

SafetyDCrime Severity Index 141 Housing & costD⁻Homes 9.6 × income Property pricesSchoolsB⁺8 schools within 3 km HealthA⁺Life expectancy 84.3 in its region Work & commuteA⁻49% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors7.5% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 23°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 57.6 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Famous people from Sechelt

6 notable people were born in Sechelt.

See all 6 →

David OliverCanadian ice hockey player · born 1971

Silas WhiteCanadian publisher · born 1977

Carol MontgomeryTriathlete

Aaron PearlCanadian actor · born 1972

Matt WarhurstCanadian musician · born 1975

Gracey HemstreetCanadian cyclist · born 2004

Photo credits

David Oliver: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Silas White: Kw28902955, CC BY-SA 4.0

About Sechelt

Town in British Columbia

TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Sechelt 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: 11,558 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Sunshine Coast
Census subdivision: 5929011

Sechelt’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

Welcome BeachRoberts CreekElectoral Area E, Sunshine CoastSechelt

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Sechelt	11,558	—	B⁻	D⁻	D	A⁺
Welcome Beach	3,130	11	C⁺	D⁻	C⁺	A⁺
Roberts Creek	3,779	12	B	D⁻	C⁺	A⁺
Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast	4,279	18	B⁻	D⁻	C⁺	A⁺

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Sechelt

What kind of homes are in Sechelt?

Mostly 75% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 3% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.1 people on average, and 35% have just one.

Is Sechelt growing?

It added people: 10,216 in 2016, 10,847 in 2021, 6.2% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 11,558.

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).