Williams Lake Profile

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

National Rank:385 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Williams Lake Population

Total Population (2021)

10,947

Total Population (2016)

10,753

Population Growth

+1.8% (+194)

Growth Rank

#497 of 688Same geo level

Male

49.3%5,395

Female

50.7%5,555

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.971

Average Age

41.7

Median Age

40.8

Age Rank

#259 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

580(5.3%)

5–9

615(5.6%)

10–14

640(5.8%)

15–19

650(5.9%)

20–24

695(6.3%)

25–29

760(6.9%)

30–34

725(6.6%)

35–39

700(6.4%)

40–44

635(5.8%)

45–49

645(5.9%)

50–54

705(6.4%)

55–59

675(6.2%)

60–64

695(6.3%)

65–69

685(6.3%)

70–74

555(5.1%)

75–79

385(3.5%)

80–84

285(2.6%)

85+

320(2.9%)

Williams Lake Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.3

Total Private Dwellings

5,066

Occupied Private Dwellings

4,736

Size Distribution

1 Person

1,610 (34.0%)

2 Persons

1,630 (34.4%)

3 Persons

655 (13.8%)

4 Persons

505 (10.7%)

5+ Persons

335 (7.1%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

920(19.4%)

Couples without children

1,135(24.0%)

One-parent families

475(10.0%)

One-person households

1,610(34.0%)

Multigenerational

95(2.0%)

Multiple-family

25(0.5%)

Williams Lake Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$79,800After tax

Median Household Income

$69,000After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$43,840After tax

Median Individual Income

$37,600After tax

Income Rank

#477 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

79.0%

Employment Income

67.4%

Government Transfers

21.0%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

650(7.5%)

$10k–$20k

1,025(11.9%)

$20k–$30k

1,335(15.4%)

$30k–$40k

1,245(14.4%)

$40k–$50k

1,020(11.8%)

$50k–$60k

755(8.7%)

$60k–$70k

625(7.2%)

$70k–$80k

530(6.1%)

$80k–$90k

370(4.3%)

$90k–$100k

275(3.2%)

$100k+

815(9.4%)

Williams Lake Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

56.1%

Unemployment Rate

7.9%

Total Labour Force

5,405

Employed

4,975

Unemployed

425

Not in Labour Force

3,465

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

11.5%

Children (0–17)

12.8%

Adults (18–64)

9.0%

Seniors (65+)

17.7%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3010 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.269

Williams Lake 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

8,870

No certificate, diploma or degree

1,980 (22.3%)

High school diploma or equivalency

3,120 (35.2%)

Postsecondary credential

3,770 (42.5%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

825 (9.3%)67.6% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

275 (3.1%)22.5% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

45 (0.5%)3.7% 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

1,980(22.3%)

High school diploma or equivalency

3,120(35.2%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

830(9.4%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

1,350(15.2%)

University certificate below bachelor

375(4.2%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

1,220(13.8%)

Williams Lake 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

7.7%

385 people

Share of 4,975 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

385(7.7%)

Usual place of work

4,055(81.5%)

No fixed workplace address

530(10.7%)

Worked outside Canada

0(0.0%)

Williams Lake 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

5,400

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

60(1.1%)

Business, finance and administration

725(13.4%)

Natural and applied sciences

295(5.5%)

Health

425(7.9%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

655(12.1%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

100(1.9%)

Sales and service

1,440(26.7%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

1,005(18.6%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

235(4.4%)

Manufacturing and utilities

380(7.0%)

Williams Lake 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

5,400

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

285(5.3%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

275(5.1%)

Utilities

20(0.4%)

Construction

335(6.2%)

Manufacturing

580(10.7%)

Wholesale trade

125(2.3%)

Retail trade

720(13.3%)

Transportation and warehousing

170(3.1%)

Information and cultural industries

50(0.9%)

Finance and insurance

120(2.2%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

35(0.6%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

210(3.9%)

Management of companies and enterprises

0(0.0%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

150(2.8%)

Educational services

325(6.0%)

Health care and social assistance

790(14.6%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

95(1.8%)

Accommodation and food services

380(7.0%)

Other services (except public administration)

225(4.2%)

Public administration

410(7.6%)

Williams Lake Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

10,240 (95.5%)

English & French

425 (4.0%)

Neither

50 (0.5%)

Mother Tongue

English

9,400 (87.7%)

French

105 (1.0%)

Non-official languages

1,005 (9.4%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

9,400(87.7%)

Punjabi

305(2.8%)

French

105(1.0%)

Tagalog

65(0.6%)

Spanish

45(0.4%)

Korean

40(0.4%)

Mandarin

25(0.2%)

Cantonese

25(0.2%)

Arabic

20(0.2%)

Portuguese

20(0.2%)

Williams Lake Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

2,170(45.8%)

Semi-detached

235(5.0%)

Row house

360(7.6%)

Duplex

500(10.5%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

950(20.0%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

5(0.1%)

Other attached

15(0.3%)

Movable

505(10.7%)

Housing · Williams Lake (CA), B.C.

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

9,525

Owner households

7,120 (74.8%)

Renter households

2,410 (25.3%)

Owners with a mortgage

3,765 (52.9%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

3,350 (47.1%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

360 (14.9%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

2,055 (85.3%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$850All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,000All households, 2021

Owners, median

$770

Renters, median

$930

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,470

Owners without a mortgage, median

$344

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

1,180 (12.4%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

600 (8.4%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

585 (24.3%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

35 (0.4%)

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

2,885(30.3%)

$500 to $749

1,300(13.6%)

$750 to $999

1,250(13.1%)

$1,000 to $1,249

1,125(11.8%)

$1,250 to $1,499

925(9.7%)

$1,500 to $1,999

1,190(12.5%)

$2,000 to $2,499

500(5.2%)

$2,500 to $2,999

215(2.3%)

$3,000 and over

140(1.5%)

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 Williams Lake

Williams Lake is a city in British Columbia’s Cariboo region, at the junction of Highways 97 and 20. A historic stampede, ranching culture, and a role as a service hub for Chilcotin and Cariboo communities define the interior plateau city. About 11,000 people live in Williams Lake.

Known for

Cariboo region service hub
Williams Lake Stampede and ranching culture
Junction of Highways 97 and 20
Gateway to the Chilcotin and Bella Coola Highway
Interior plateau forestry and ranch economy

See & do

Williams Lake Stampede grounds
Home of the renowned Cariboo rodeo and stampede.
Downtown Williams Lake
Shops and services for the regional hub.
Scout Island Nature Centre
Marsh boardwalks and lake-edge trails in town.
Station House Gallery / heritage area
Arts and local history in the city core.
Highway 20 Chilcotin approaches
Gateway drives toward Bella Coola country.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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