Powell River Profile

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

National Rank:303 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Powell River Population

Total Population (2021)

13,943

Total Population (2016)

13,157

Population Growth

+6.0% (+786)

Growth Rank

#271 of 688Same geo level

Male

48.1%6,710

Female

51.9%7,230

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.928

Average Age

Median Age

53.2

Age Rank

#627 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

505(3.6%)

5–9

615(4.4%)

10–14

655(4.7%)

15–19

660(4.7%)

20–24

520(3.7%)

25–29

550(3.9%)

30–34

665(4.8%)

35–39

770(5.5%)

40–44

720(5.2%)

45–49

685(4.9%)

50–54

880(6.3%)

55–59

1,130(8.1%)

60–64

1,275(9.1%)

65–69

1,270(9.1%)

70–74

1,120(8.0%)

75–79

765(5.5%)

80–84

535(3.8%)

85+

615(4.4%)

Powell River Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.1

Total Private Dwellings

6,718

Occupied Private Dwellings

6,402

Size Distribution

1 Person

2,220 (34.7%)

2 Persons

2,525 (39.5%)

3 Persons

755 (11.8%)

4 Persons

585 (9.1%)

5+ Persons

315 (4.9%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

1,110(17.3%)

Couples without children

2,040(31.9%)

One-parent families

435(6.8%)

One-person households

2,220(34.7%)

Multigenerational

115(1.8%)

Multiple-family

25(0.4%)

Powell River Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$72,000After tax

Median Household Income

$61,200After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$39,520After tax

Median Individual Income

$34,400After tax

Income Rank

#588 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

73.8%

Employment Income

53.2%

Government Transfers

26.3%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

905(7.8%)

$10k–$20k

1,535(13.2%)

$20k–$30k

2,070(17.8%)

$30k–$40k

1,860(16.0%)

$40k–$50k

1,510(13.0%)

$50k–$60k

1,115(9.6%)

$60k–$70k

775(6.7%)

$70k–$80k

490(4.2%)

$80k–$90k

370(3.2%)

$90k–$100k

270(2.3%)

$100k+

715(6.2%)

Powell River Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

47.2%

Unemployment Rate

7.7%

Total Labour Force

6,075

Employed

5,610

Unemployed

465

Not in Labour Force

5,815

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

12.6%

Children (0–17)

13.6%

Adults (18–64)

10.9%

Seniors (65+)

15.2%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.2970 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.266

Powell River 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

11,890

No certificate, diploma or degree

2,010 (16.9%)

High school diploma or equivalency

3,655 (30.7%)

Postsecondary credential

6,225 (52.4%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

1,155 (9.7%)61.6% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

395 (3.3%)21.1% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

75 (0.6%)4.0% 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

2,010(16.9%)

High school diploma or equivalency

3,655(30.7%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

1,505(12.7%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

2,395(20.1%)

University certificate below bachelor

445(3.7%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

1,875(15.8%)

Powell River 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

11.9%

670 people

Share of 5,610 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

670(11.9%)

Usual place of work

3,890(69.3%)

No fixed workplace address

1,040(18.5%)

Worked outside Canada

0(0.0%)

Powell River 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

6,070

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

45(0.7%)

Business, finance and administration

755(12.4%)

Natural and applied sciences

240(4.0%)

Health

655(10.8%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

770(12.7%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

260(4.3%)

Sales and service

1,610(26.5%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

1,195(19.7%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

225(3.7%)

Manufacturing and utilities

230(3.8%)

Powell River 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

6,070

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

230(3.8%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

45(0.7%)

Utilities

45(0.7%)

Construction

560(9.2%)

Manufacturing

335(5.5%)

Wholesale trade

80(1.3%)

Retail trade

885(14.6%)

Transportation and warehousing

280(4.6%)

Information and cultural industries

80(1.3%)

Finance and insurance

140(2.3%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

115(1.9%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

315(5.2%)

Management of companies and enterprises

0(0.0%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

200(3.3%)

Educational services

335(5.5%)

Health care and social assistance

1,125(18.5%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

190(3.1%)

Accommodation and food services

465(7.7%)

Other services (except public administration)

270(4.4%)

Public administration

280(4.6%)

Powell River Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

12,740 (92.7%)

French Only

5 (0.0%)

English & French

955 (7.0%)

Neither

40 (0.3%)

Mother Tongue

English

12,055 (87.7%)

French

290 (2.1%)

Non-official languages

1,180 (8.6%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

12,055(87.7%)

French

290(2.1%)

Italian

205(1.5%)

Spanish

75(0.5%)

Mandarin

60(0.4%)

Tagalog

50(0.4%)

Punjabi

40(0.3%)

Korean

35(0.3%)

Cantonese

30(0.2%)

Russian

30(0.2%)

Powell River Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

4,615(72.1%)

Semi-detached

250(3.9%)

Row house

105(1.6%)

Duplex

305(4.8%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

920(14.4%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

20(0.3%)

Other attached

25(0.4%)

Movable

165(2.6%)

Housing · Powell River (CA), B.C.

These figures are published for Powell River (CA), B.C., a census agglomeration, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Powell River 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

8,140

Owner households

6,215 (76.4%)

Renter households

1,925 (23.6%)

Owners with a mortgage

3,050 (49.1%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

3,170 (51.0%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

255 (13.2%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

1,670 (86.8%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$820All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,045All households, 2021

Owners, median

$750

Renters, median

$920

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,550

Owners without a mortgage, median

$444

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

1,580 (19.4%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

870 (14.0%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

710 (36.9%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

0 (0.0%)

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

2,240(27.5%)

$500 to $749

1,425(17.5%)

$750 to $999

995(12.2%)

$1,000 to $1,249

855(10.5%)

$1,250 to $1,499

665(8.2%)

$1,500 to $1,999

1,005(12.3%)

$2,000 to $2,499

525(6.4%)

$2,500 to $2,999

265(3.3%)

$3,000 and over

165(2.0%)

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 Powell River

Powell River is a city on British Columbia’s northern Sunshine Coast, on the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and the mainland. Pulp-and-paper heritage, coastal inlets, and ferry links via Horseshoe Bay and Comox define a rainforest community apart from Metro Vancouver. About 14,000 people live in Powell River.

Known for

Northern Sunshine Coast city on the Strait of Georgia
Historic pulp-and-paper mill town
Ferry gateway via Horseshoe Bay and Comox
Coastal trails, lakes, and rainforest setting
Townsite heritage neighbourhood

See & do

Powell River Townsite
Heritage mill-town streetscape and museum.
Willingdon Beach
Waterfront park and campsite on the harbour.
Inland Lake Provincial Park
Forest lake for camping, paddling, and cycling.
Sunshine Coast Trail approaches
Long-distance hiking through coastal rainforest.
Marine Avenue downtown
Shops and services along the waterfront strip.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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