Kelowna Profile

Explore population, households, income, employment, education, commute, occupation, industry, languages, and dwellings for Kelowna. Compare trends since 2016 and dig into the full profile below.

National Rank:37 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Kelowna Population

Total Population (2021)

144,576

Total Population (2016)

127,390

Population Growth

+13.5% (+17,186)

Growth Rank

#66 of 688Same geo level

Male

48.6%70,330

Female

51.4%74,240

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.947

Average Age

43.4

Median Age

42.4

Age Rank

#369 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

5,705(3.9%)

5–9

6,725(4.7%)

10–14

7,160(5.0%)

15–19

7,360(5.1%)

20–24

10,285(7.1%)

25–29

10,660(7.4%)

30–34

10,250(7.1%)

35–39

9,780(6.8%)

40–44

8,775(6.1%)

45–49

8,420(5.8%)

50–54

8,695(6.0%)

55–59

9,845(6.8%)

60–64

9,920(6.9%)

65–69

8,790(6.1%)

70–74

7,745(5.4%)

75–79

5,555(3.8%)

80–84

4,210(2.9%)

85+

4,710(3.3%)

Kelowna Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.3

Total Private Dwellings

67,115

Occupied Private Dwellings

62,209

Size Distribution

1 Person

19,165 (30.8%)

2 Persons

23,755 (38.2%)

3 Persons

8,220 (13.2%)

4 Persons

7,060 (11.3%)

5+ Persons

4,010 (6.4%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

12,250(19.7%)

Couples without children

17,635(28.3%)

One-parent families

4,415(7.1%)

One-person households

19,165(30.8%)

Multigenerational

1,325(2.1%)

Multiple-family

465(0.7%)

Kelowna Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$88,700After tax

Median Household Income

$73,500After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$46,160After tax

Median Individual Income

$37,600After tax

Income Rank

#378 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

83.4%

Employment Income

61.5%

Government Transfers

16.7%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

9,005(7.5%)

$10k–$20k

13,335(11.2%)

$20k–$30k

19,025(15.9%)

$30k–$40k

16,180(13.6%)

$40k–$50k

13,990(11.7%)

$50k–$60k

11,320(9.5%)

$60k–$70k

8,495(7.1%)

$70k–$80k

6,550(5.5%)

$80k–$90k

5,000(4.2%)

$90k–$100k

3,745(3.1%)

$100k+

12,695(10.6%)

Kelowna Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

60.2%

Unemployment Rate

7.9%

Total Labour Force

79,950

Employed

73,605

Unemployed

6,350

Not in Labour Force

42,220

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

10.1%

Children (0–17)

10.6%

Adults (18–64)

9.1%

Seniors (65+)

12.6%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3420 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.302

Kelowna Education

Highest certificate, diploma or degree for the population aged 15 and over, Census 2021. The highest-credential groups are mutually exclusive. Bachelor's degree, master's degree, and medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine sit inside “bachelor's degree or higher” and are not extra slices of the population. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Highest credential

Population aged 15 and over

122,175

No certificate, diploma or degree

14,325 (11.7%)

High school diploma or equivalency

36,990 (30.3%)

Postsecondary credential

70,865 (58.0%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

19,970 (16.3%)64.6% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

6,560 (5.4%)21.2% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

1,095 (0.9%)3.5% of bachelor's or higher

Those credentials are published parts of bachelor's degree or higher. They do not add up to that count. Earned doctorates and other university credentials above the bachelor level stay inside the published total and are not separate columns in this extract.

Share of the population aged 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree

14,325(11.7%)

High school diploma or equivalency

36,990(30.3%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

10,650(8.7%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

25,105(20.5%)

University certificate below bachelor

4,190(3.4%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

30,915(25.3%)

Kelowna Commute

Place of work for the employed labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Worked at home is the census count of people who worked at home, shown as a share of that employed labour force. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Worked at home

20.2%

14,860 people

Share of 73,605 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

14,860(20.2%)

Usual place of work

47,385(64.4%)

No fixed workplace address

11,175(15.2%)

Worked outside Canada

180(0.2%)

Kelowna Occupation

Broad category for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021, using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Legislative and senior management is broad category 0, not every job with “manager” in the title. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

79,955

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

900(1.1%)

Business, finance and administration

12,815(16.0%)

Natural and applied sciences

5,325(6.7%)

Health

7,710(9.6%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

8,710(10.9%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

2,575(3.2%)

Sales and service

22,305(27.9%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

13,770(17.2%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

2,260(2.8%)

Manufacturing and utilities

2,215(2.8%)

Kelowna Industry

Industry sector for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

79,955

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

1,315(1.6%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

775(1.0%)

Utilities

415(0.5%)

Construction

8,430(10.5%)

Manufacturing

3,675(4.6%)

Wholesale trade

2,105(2.6%)

Retail trade

10,050(12.6%)

Transportation and warehousing

3,015(3.8%)

Information and cultural industries

1,595(2.0%)

Finance and insurance

2,630(3.3%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

1,900(2.4%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

6,635(8.3%)

Management of companies and enterprises

140(0.2%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

3,650(4.6%)

Educational services

5,940(7.4%)

Health care and social assistance

11,880(14.9%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

2,010(2.5%)

Accommodation and food services

6,385(8.0%)

Other services (except public administration)

3,525(4.4%)

Public administration

2,515(3.1%)

Kelowna Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

130,800 (91.7%)

French Only

45 (0.0%)

English & French

10,680 (7.5%)

Neither

1,095 (0.8%)

Mother Tongue

English

117,795 (82.6%)

French

2,100 (1.5%)

Non-official languages

19,510 (13.7%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

117,795(82.6%)

Punjabi

3,065(2.1%)

French

2,100(1.5%)

Spanish

1,245(0.9%)

Tagalog

1,225(0.9%)

Mandarin

1,065(0.7%)

Russian

650(0.5%)

Italian

610(0.4%)

Korean

590(0.4%)

Arabic

570(0.4%)

Kelowna Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

26,440(42.5%)

Semi-detached

3,040(4.9%)

Row house

4,945(7.9%)

Duplex

6,650(10.7%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

17,810(28.6%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

2,400(3.9%)

Other attached

120(0.2%)

Movable

805(1.3%)

Housing · Kelowna (CMA), B.C.

These figures are published for Kelowna (CMA), B.C., a census metropolitan area, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Kelowna alone. Shares are calculated on this site from the published household counts in tables 98-10-0252-01 and 98-10-0253-01.

Tenure

Private households

87,615

Owner households

61,135 (69.8%)

Renter households

26,480 (30.2%)

Owners with a mortgage

35,865 (58.7%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

25,275 (41.3%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

2,580 (9.7%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

23,905 (90.3%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$1,410All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,596All households, 2021

Owners, median

$1,380

Renters, median

$1,450

Owners with a mortgage, median

$2,160

Owners without a mortgage, median

$540

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

22,345 (25.5%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

10,835 (17.7%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

11,510 (43.5%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

265 (0.3%)

Monthly shelter cost

Published household counts by shelter-cost band. Census counts are randomly rounded, so the bands can differ slightly from the household total.

Less than $500

11,990(13.7%)

$500 to $749

11,695(13.3%)

$750 to $999

7,535(8.6%)

$1,000 to $1,249

7,575(8.6%)

$1,250 to $1,499

7,600(8.7%)

$1,500 to $1,999

14,685(16.8%)

$2,000 to $2,499

10,875(12.4%)

$2,500 to $2,999

7,215(8.2%)

$3,000 and over

8,450(9.6%)

Shelter cost is the census monthly amount. For owners it includes mortgage payments, property taxes and condominium fees, along with electricity, heat, water and other municipal services. For renters it includes rent and those utility payments when the tenant pays them. Current consumer prices are a separate series on the cost-of-living page. Data sources.

Community snapshot

About Kelowna

Kelowna is the largest city in B.C.’s Okanagan Valley, on the eastern shore of Okanagan Lake. It is a service, tourism, and wine-industry centre in a dry interior climate. Bridges connect to West Kelowna; orchards and vineyards still occupy the benches above the lake. About 145,000 people live in Kelowna.

Known for

Okanagan Lake and beaches
Wine and orchard country
Interior aviation and a growing tech sector
Hot, dry summers
Rapid growth and high housing demand

See & do

City Park and waterfront
Downtown beach, marina, and lakeside path.
Knox Mountain Park
Hilltop views over Okanagan Lake.
Kasugai Gardens
Japanese garden downtown.
Okanagan Heritage Museum
Regional history museum near the waterfront.
Myra Canyon trestles
Historic railway trestles on the Kettle Valley Rail Trail above the city.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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Data sources → Census profiles, housing tables, and consumer prices