West Kelowna Profile

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

National Rank:133 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

West Kelowna Population

Total Population (2021)

36,078

Total Population (2016)

32,655

Population Growth

+10.5% (+3,423)

Growth Rank

#119 of 688Same geo level

Male

49.5%17,850

Female

50.5%18,230

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.979

Average Age

43.3

Median Age

Age Rank

#355 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

1,705(4.7%)

5–9

2,065(5.7%)

10–14

2,105(5.8%)

15–19

2,015(5.6%)

20–24

1,640(4.5%)

25–29

1,830(5.1%)

30–34

2,275(6.3%)

35–39

2,545(7.1%)

40–44

2,225(6.2%)

45–49

2,235(6.2%)

50–54

2,340(6.5%)

55–59

2,625(7.3%)

60–64

2,770(7.7%)

65–69

2,430(6.7%)

70–74

2,050(5.7%)

75–79

1,390(3.9%)

80–84

945(2.6%)

85+

885(2.5%)

West Kelowna Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.6

Total Private Dwellings

14,746

Occupied Private Dwellings

13,974

Size Distribution

1 Person

2,865 (20.5%)

2 Persons

5,690 (40.7%)

3 Persons

2,110 (15.1%)

4 Persons

2,070 (14.8%)

5+ Persons

1,245 (8.9%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

3,680(26.3%)

Couples without children

4,785(34.2%)

One-parent families

910(6.5%)

One-person households

2,865(20.5%)

Multigenerational

455(3.3%)

Multiple-family

175(1.3%)

West Kelowna Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$100,100After tax

Median Household Income

$87,000After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$47,960After tax

Median Individual Income

$40,000After tax

Income Rank

#177 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

84.0%

Employment Income

62.4%

Government Transfers

15.9%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

2,240(7.7%)

$10k–$20k

3,230(11.1%)

$20k–$30k

4,100(14.1%)

$30k–$40k

3,675(12.6%)

$40k–$50k

3,190(10.9%)

$50k–$60k

2,695(9.3%)

$60k–$70k

2,250(7.7%)

$70k–$80k

1,760(6.0%)

$80k–$90k

1,385(4.8%)

$90k–$100k

1,080(3.7%)

$100k+

3,530(12.1%)

West Kelowna Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

58.7%

Unemployment Rate

7.5%

Total Labour Force

18,975

Employed

17,545

Unemployed

1,430

Not in Labour Force

10,895

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

7.0%

Children (0–17)

7.8%

Adults (18–64)

6.0%

Seniors (65+)

9.1%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3110 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.276

West 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

29,875

No certificate, diploma or degree

3,485 (11.7%)

High school diploma or equivalency

9,380 (31.4%)

Postsecondary credential

17,010 (56.9%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

3,870 (13.0%)69.3% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

965 (3.2%)17.3% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

150 (0.5%)2.7% 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

3,485(11.7%)

High school diploma or equivalency

9,380(31.4%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

3,225(10.8%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

7,075(23.7%)

University certificate below bachelor

1,130(3.8%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

5,585(18.7%)

West 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

18.8%

3,300 people

Share of 17,545 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

3,300(18.8%)

Usual place of work

10,935(62.3%)

No fixed workplace address

3,275(18.7%)

Worked outside Canada

30(0.2%)

West 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

18,975

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

220(1.2%)

Business, finance and administration

3,105(16.4%)

Natural and applied sciences

1,190(6.3%)

Health

1,665(8.8%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

1,945(10.3%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

605(3.2%)

Sales and service

4,960(26.1%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

3,810(20.1%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

525(2.8%)

Manufacturing and utilities

655(3.5%)

West 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

18,975

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

280(1.5%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

270(1.4%)

Utilities

140(0.7%)

Construction

2,330(12.3%)

Manufacturing

995(5.2%)

Wholesale trade

540(2.8%)

Retail trade

2,405(12.7%)

Transportation and warehousing

690(3.6%)

Information and cultural industries

300(1.6%)

Finance and insurance

680(3.6%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

460(2.4%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

1,515(8.0%)

Management of companies and enterprises

45(0.2%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

870(4.6%)

Educational services

1,280(6.7%)

Health care and social assistance

2,510(13.2%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

380(2.0%)

Accommodation and food services

1,225(6.5%)

Other services (except public administration)

915(4.8%)

Public administration

860(4.5%)

West Kelowna Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

33,765 (93.9%)

French Only

10 (0.0%)

English & French

2,035 (5.7%)

Neither

160 (0.4%)

Mother Tongue

English

31,425 (87.4%)

French

485 (1.3%)

Non-official languages

3,510 (9.8%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

31,425(87.4%)

French

485(1.3%)

Punjabi

220(0.6%)

German

220(0.6%)

Spanish

210(0.6%)

Polish

185(0.5%)

Russian

165(0.5%)

Mandarin

140(0.4%)

Italian

130(0.4%)

Tagalog

125(0.3%)

West Kelowna Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

9,505(68.0%)

Semi-detached

525(3.8%)

Row house

465(3.3%)

Duplex

1,280(9.2%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

1,695(12.1%)

Other attached

30(0.2%)

Movable

470(3.4%)

Community snapshot

About West Kelowna

West Kelowna is a city on the west side of Okanagan Lake, opposite Kelowna and linked to it by the William R. Bennett Bridge. It was incorporated from the former Westside district and remains a separate municipality of benches, wineries, and suburban neighbourhoods around Mount Boucherie. Gellatly Bay is the main public waterfront. About 36,000 people live in West Kelowna.

Known for

West side of Okanagan Lake, distinct from the City of Kelowna
Mount Boucherie above the benches
Mission Hill and other west-side wineries
Gellatly Bay waterfront
William R. Bennett Bridge commute into Kelowna

See & do

Mission Hill Family Estate
Landmark winery, amphitheatre, and lookout on the west bench.
Gellatly Bay
Public waterfront, boardwalk, and the old Gellatly nut farm site.
Mount Boucherie
Extinct volcanic hill with trails and views over the lake.
Quails’ Gate Winery
Lakeside estate vineyard on the Boucherie bench.
West Kelowna waterfront parks
Beaches and boat access along the west shore toward the bridge.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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