SmithersBritish Columbia

TownGrade

B⁻

#1,419 of 2,556

The town has 5,627 residents and lies in British Columbia. It is part of Bulkley-Nechako, a census division.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Shawn from Airdrie, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0

Population

5,627

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

39.6

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

52%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

27%

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

Is Smithers a good place to live?

Smithers’s lowest grade is for safety (D). It lags on health as well (C−). The typical owner put their home at $400,000 in 2021: 4.7 years of the median household’s income. Jobs and pay hold up well (A+). All told, that adds up to a B− overall and a rank of #101 of 250 in British Columbia. That leaves it better than 48% of Canadian towns.

Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.

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⁺Jobs & income A⁺Walkability AHazard riskWeakestDSafety C⁻Health

How Smithers grades

Each subject compares Smithers 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

Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentA⁺Open →WalkabilityAmong the easiest places to get around without a carA⁺Open →SafetyIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →Hazard riskBased on earthquake losses and radon in homes; a high wildfire risk can pull it downAOpen →SchoolsSchools rank among the strongest comparedA⁻Open →HealthAmong the weakest of the towns comparedC⁻Open →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesC⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Smithers stand out

The 3 things Smithers does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

27% walk, cycle or take transit

Midway across Canadian towns: 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Jobs & income

Better than 99%

of Canadian towns on jobs & income

Its jobs & income grade: A+.

Walkability

Better than 99%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: A+.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Smithers.

Work & commuteJobs & income A⁺

Trips to work from Smithers are shorter than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 13 min on average

27%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van72%

Walk20%

Bicycle6%

Public transit1%

Census 2021	Smithers	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	13 min	26 min	26 min

$85,000

median household income, 2020

13%

worked from home, May 2021

83%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageSmithers’ work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment6% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work27% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to205 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Bulkley-Nechako A

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.

SafetySafety D

Violent crime weighs more on Smithers than on British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 181

202Crime Severity Index

Property crime accounts for 95.7 incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 30.2 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above both British Columbia’s towns (12.5) and Canadian towns (12).

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023248

2024172

2025187

2023–2025	Smithers	British Columbia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	95.7	31	31.2
Violent crime	30.2	12.5	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	181	76	86

213

non-violent Crime Severity Index

26%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageSmithers’ safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety202 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Smithers’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Smithers safe?”

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk A

Few places are as safe from hazards as Smithers: it beats 92% of Canadian towns

Lowwildfire bandAHazard risk Grade

Source area for radon tests: the Northwest health region

Averaged over the years, quake damage costs $0.009 per $1,000 of buildings, lower than British Columbia’s towns ($0.36) and near Canadian towns ($0.030). Little of the land around Smithers has burned: 0.2% within 25 km since 1986, or 0.005% a year. In Health Canada’s survey, 5.2% of homes tested in Smithers’ area exceeded 200 Bq/m³, close to the typical 6.6%. 2 flood studies cover the town, the latest by Province of B.C. - Water, Lands, and Resource Stewardship.

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

Smithers5.2%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Smithers	British Columbia	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.009	$0.36	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	5.2%	1.8%	6.6%

$0.009

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

Low

wildfire band

0.7 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageSmithers’ flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.2% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Flood2 flood studies on record Earthquakes$0.009 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon5.2% 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

SchoolsSchools A⁻

Smithers’s teenagers travel 55 km to the nearest high school

10schools within 3 kmA⁻Schools Grade

Independent schools number 4 of 10, above the 18% in British Columbia. Results lean high: 4 of 6 in the top two fifths in British Columbia. In French: one of the 10 schools, where in British Columbia the share is 2%.

School	Level	Students	System
Bulkley Valley Christian School IndependentIn SmithersElementary	Elementary	–	Independent
La Grande-Ourse FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary	Elementary	–	French public
Ebenezer Canadian Reformed School IndependentResults in the top fifth in British ColumbiaElementary	Elementary	–	Independent

See all 10 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public5

Independent4

French public1

Schools within 3 km	Smithers	British Columbia	Canada
Nearest secondary school	55 km	1.8 km	1.2 km
School boards	2	2	3

55 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageSmithers’ schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school10 schools within 3 km · 7 elementary schools and 3 alternative or adult schools Results4 of 6 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Language1 of 10 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia The boards2 school boards · SD 54 Bulkley Valley Questions“What schools are there in Smithers?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

HealthHealth C⁻

Life expectancy around Smithers is 77.0 years, 4.5 less than for the typical Canadian town

42%very good or excellent healthC⁻Health Grade

A hospital lies 1.0 km from the typical home, below both British Columbia’s towns (4.4 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km). The region has more smokers than British Columbia, 14% of adults to 8.9%. The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 42%, behind the 50% for British Columbia. For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the Northwest Health Service Delivery Area, Smithers included.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Smithers42%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Smithers	British Columbia	Canada
Very good or excellent health	42%	50%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	21%	15%	17%
Life expectancy at birth	77.0	81.0	81.5
Smokers	14%	9%	12%

77.0

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

1.0 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

14%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

0.9 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageSmithers’ health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey42% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care1.0 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 0.9 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 79.2, men 75.0 Conditions and habits21% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Climate

Summers stay cool in Smithers: July afternoons reach 21.8°C, below British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

21.8°CJuly afternoons

December is the snowiest month, with 48 cm on average. Frosty days number 187 in a normal year, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159). January nights in Smithers drop to −10.9°C on average. Between the last spring frost, 26 May, and the first in autumn, 17 September, lie 113 days.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−2.2°C

Spring10.8°C

Summer20.9°C

Autumn8.7°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Smithers	British Columbia	Canada
Days with frost a year	187	60	159
Precipitation a year	506 mm	1,152 mm	883 mm
July afternoon high	21.8°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
Snowfall a year	184 cm	51 cm	141 cm

184 cm

of snow a year

187

days with frost a year

113

frost-free days, 26 May to 17 Sep

105

days with precipitation a year

Full pageSmithers’ climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 21.8°C, January lows −10.9°C Rain and snow506 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow184 cm of snow a year Weather station4.8 km to the station · Smithers

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

HousingCost of living C⁻

Renting in Smithers costs 19% of household income, less than in both British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

$400,000median home value, 2021C⁻Cost of living Grade

Just over one in ten households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. Home ownership covers 70% of households.

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

Smithers$400,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Smithers	British Columbia	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	12%	21%	18%
Rent as a share of income	19%	24%	20%
Median home value, 2021	$400,000	$720,000	$406,000
Households owning their home	70%	76%	74%

$1,000

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$950

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageSmithers’ cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$1,000 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living4.7 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $400,000, against the median household income Owners and renters70% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.

Who lives here

More of Smithers’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 11%

39.6median age

Immigrants make up 13% of residents, near British Columbia’s towns (12%) and higher than Canadian towns (6.4%). Under-15s account for 18% of the population. The 65-and-over age group makes up 18% of residents.

SmithersBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

18%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree16%

Postsecondary qualification52%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 51.7% of Smithers

The 2021 census counted 2,780 women and 2,600 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Smithers
	Smithers	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	18%	14%	16%
15 to 64	64%	64%	64%
65+	18%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	16%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	52%	56%	56%

Full pageSmithers’ Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants13% are immigrants · 10% belong to a visible minority Ages39.6 median age · 18% are 65 or over Households2,310 households · 2.3 people per household 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+

Weather

A normal November in Smithers runs from −5°C to 1°C

1°Ca normal November afternoon

Expect about 54 mm of rain and snow over November. By December, a normal day reaches −3°C and a night falls to −10°C. A typical November adds 38 cm of snow. Across the year, normals run from −11°C nights in January to 22°C afternoons in July.

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

November1°C

December−3°C

January−3°C

February0°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−2°C	−10°C	110 mm
Spring	11°C	−1°C	85 mm
Summer	21°C	8°C	140 mm
Autumn	9°C	0°C	170 mm

−5°C

a normal November night

54 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageSmithers’ 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 January

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

Town hall

Ellis Ross (Conservative Party of Canada) holds Skeena—Bulkley Valley, the riding that includes Smithers

Across British Columbia, 20 of the 43 MPs sit with the Liberal Party of Canada.

Full pageSmithers’ town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itTown Provincial legislatureBulkley Valley-Stikine

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A

More visits per person served than three in four British Columbia’s town libraries: Smithers Public Library counts 7

Smithers Public Library serves 8,113 people from a single building.

Full pageSmithers’ library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong8.7 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Call Lake Park is 1.9 km from Smithers

5.5%of the land within 10 km protected

Parks and reserves take up 5.5% of the ground within 10 km, below British Columbia’s towns (6.7%) but above Canadian towns (2.3%). There is no national park within 100 km of the town. OpenStreetMap shows 4 unnamed beaches within 5 km.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Smithers5.5%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Smithers	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	5.5%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	5	14	4

1.9 km

to Call Lake Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageSmithers’ outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas5 protected areas within 10 km · Babine Mountains Park National & provincial parks1.9 km to a provincial park · Call Lake Park

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

History

1 historic place on the heritage registers in Smithers

1historic place

15% of its homes were built before 1961, between British Columbia’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%).

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations1

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

Canadian National Railway Station, Smithers, British Columbia 1919

1919

oldest construction date on the record

15%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Smithers	British Columbia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	15%	11%	18%

Full pageSmithers’ history pageOpen the full History page

On the registersOne historic place inside the town Older homes15% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Smithers have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Smithers

15pages on Smithers

The big questions

SafetyDCrime Severity Index 202 Housing & costC⁻Homes 4.7 × income Property pricesSchoolsA⁻10 schools within 3 km HealthC⁻Life expectancy 77 in its region Work & commuteA⁺67% of adults in work Natural hazardsAWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors5.5% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 22°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 39.6 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from Smithers

20 notable people were born in Smithers.

See all 20 →

Gina HoldenCanadian actress · born 1975

Dan HamhuisCanadian ice hockey player · born 1982

Rachelle BrownCanadian curler · born 1986

Ruth HamblinCanadian basketball player · born 1994

Antje von SeydlitzCanadian rower · born 1990

Dan ManganCanadian indie rock musician · born 1983

Photo credits

Gina Holden: Gina_Holden_Elizabeth_Rowin_Saw_3D_premiere.jpg : Cathy Greutert derivative work: MikeAllen 03:25, 30 October 2010 (UTC), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Dan Hamhuis: Leech44, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rachelle Brown: Allthegoldmedals, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ruth Hamblin: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Antje von Seydlitz: Larsena11, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dan Mangan: Martin Cathrae, CC BY-SA 2.0

About Smithers

Town in British Columbia

Smithers 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: 5,627 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Bulkley-Nechako
Census subdivision: 5951043

Smithers’ neighbours

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

Electoral Area A, Bulkley-NechakoTelkwaSmithers

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Smithers	5,627	—	B⁻	C⁻	D	C⁻
Electoral Area A, Bulkley-Nechako	5,829	4.2	B⁻	C⁺	B⁻	D
Telkwa	1,544	13	—	C	B⁻	D

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

Questions about Smithers

Who are the people of Smithers?

At the 2021 census, 13% were immigrants and 10% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 11% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

Is Smithers growing?

It lost people: 5,401 in 2016, 5,378 in 2021, 0.4% fewer, while the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 5,627.

What kind of homes are in Smithers?

Mostly 63% 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 34% 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).