List of population centres in British Columbia

A population centre, in Canadian census data, is a populated place, or a cluster of interrelated populated places, which meets the demographic characteristics of an urban area, having a population of at least 1,000 people and a population density of no fewer than 400 persons per square km2.[1] All areas outside population centres are classified as rural areas.

The term was first introduced in the Canada 2011 Census; prior to that, Statistics Canada used the term urban area.[1]

Snapshot of Southern BC population centres. Vancouver is highlighted. Does not follow municipal boundaries. More examples can be found on https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/search-recherche/lst/results-resultats.cfm?Lang=E&GEOCODE=59#

In the 2021 Census of Population, Statistics Canada listed 108 population centres in the province of British Columbia.[2]

List

The below table is a list of those population centres in British Columbia from the 2021 Census of Population as designated, named, and delineated by Statistics Canada.[2]

Rank Population centre[2] Size group[2] Population (2021)[2] Population (2016)[2] Change[2] Land area (km2)[2] Population density[2]
1 Vancouver Large urban 2,426,160 2,268,864 +6.9% 911.64 2,661.3/km2
2 Victoria Large urban 363,222 337,235 +7.7% 222.71 1,630.9/km2
3 Kelowna Large urban 181,380 160,095 +13.3% 168.92 1,073.8/km2
4 Abbotsford Large urban 132,300 122,163 +8.3% 71.2 1,858.1/km2
5 White Rock Large urban 109,167 93,811 +16.4% 54.23 2,013.0/km2
6 Nanaimo Large urban 106,079 96,415 +10.0% 86.76 1,222.7/km2
7 Kamloops Medium 92,442 85,702 +7.9% 74.35 1,243.3/km2
8 Chilliwack Medium 81,622 73,171 +11.5% 56.02 1,457.0/km2
9 Prince George Medium 67,339 66,315 +1.5% 73.9 911.2/km2
10 Vernon Medium 51,896 48,425 +7.2% 51.16 1,014.4/km2
11 Courtenay Medium 48,917 45,314 +8.0% 56.58 864.6/km2
12 Campbell River Medium 38,108 35,440 +7.5% 33 1,154.8/km2
13 Penticton Medium 36,893 33,899 +8.8% 25.84 1,427.7/km2
14 Mission Medium 36,193 33,713 +7.4% 27.23 1,329.2/km2
15 Parksville Small 27,330 25,364 +7.8% 27.45 995.6/km2
16 Duncan Small 24,358 23,559 +3.4% 22.75 1,070.7/km2
17 Tsawwassen Small 23,940 21,845 +9.6% 14.95 1,601.3/km2
18 Ladner Small 23,016 22,193 +3.7% 7.38 3,118.7/km2
19 Squamish Small 22,221 18,902 +17.6% 22.11 1,005.0/km2
20 Port Alberni Small 21,711 20,910 +3.8% 28.49 762.1/km2
21 Fort St. John Small 21,123 20,026 +5.5% 14.89 1,418.6/km2
22 Cranbrook Small 20,008 19,641 +1.9% 16.32 1,226.0/km2
23 Salmon Arm Small 16,065 14,948 +7.5% 20.99 765.4/km2
24 Terrace Small 14,633 14,327 +2.1% 22.19 659.4/km2
25 Powell River Small 13,116 12,389 +5.9% 17.37 755.1/km2
26 Aldergrove Small 13,105 12,126 +8.1% 7.03 1,864.2/km2
27 Trail - Fruitvale Small 12,863 12,736 +1.0% 21.65 594.1/km2
28 Duck Lake Small 12,725 10,085 +26.2% 24.93 510.4/km2
29 Quesnel Small 12,110 12,196 −0.7% 25.23 480.0/km2
30 Williams Lake Small 11,906 11,702 +1.7% 27.69 430.0/km2
31 Prince Rupert Small 11,814 11,733 +0.7% 7.97 1,482.3/km2
32 Dawson Creek Small 11,706 11,621 +0.7% 12.34 948.6/km2
33 Sooke Small 11,583 9,936 +16.6% 15.3 757.1/km2
34 Nelson Small 11,198 10,669 +5.0% 7.45 1,503.1/km2
35 Ladysmith Small 11,194 10,637 +5.2% 13.85 808.2/km2
36 Castlegar Small 10,029 9,592 +4.6% 19.01 527.6/km2
37 Whistler Small 9,974 8,739 +14.1% 11.74 849.6/km2
38 Summerland Small 9,860 9,466 +4.2% 15.83 622.9/km2
39 Gibsons Small 9,603 9,199 +4.4% 14.11 680.6/km2
40 Sechelt Small 9,434 8,993 +4.9% 11.96 788.8/km2
41 Revelstoke Small 7,709 7,067 +9.1% 12.3 626.7/km2
42 Shawnigan - Mill Bay Small 7,285 7,129 +2.2% 14.87 489.9/km2
43 Kitimat Small 6,727 6,822 −1.4% 4.88 1,378.5/km2
44 Oliver Small 5,708 5,437 +5.0% 5.67 1,006.7/km2
45 Fernie Small 5,519 4,860 +13.6% 4.49 1,229.2/km2
46 Creston Small 5,459 5,236 +4.3% 6.04 903.8/km2
47 Armstrong Small 5,323 5,114 +4.1% 5.22 1,019.7/km2
48 Smithers Small 5,316 5,351 −0.7% 10.46 508.2/km2
49 Merritt Small 5,248 5,321 −1.4% 4.43 1,184.7/km2
50 Peachland Small 5,006 4,698 +6.6% 9.83 509.3/km2
51 Kimberley Small 4,908 4,679 +4.9% 4.51 1,088.2/km2
52 Osoyoos Small 4,859 4,537 +7.1% 4.24 1,146.0/km2
53 Aldergrove East Small 4,496 3,491 +28.8% 2.55 1,763.1/km2
54 Hope Small 4,434 4,197 +5.6% 5.48 809.1/km2
55 Cumberland Small 4,190 3,600 +16.4% 3.91 1,071.6/km2
56 Grand Forks Small 4,166 4,100 +1.6% 8.21 507.4/km2
57 Chemainus Small 4,033 3,612 +11.7% 5.82 693.0/km2
58 Sparwood Small 3,990 3,646 +9.4% 8.61 463.4/km2
59 Kent Small 3,936 3,911 +0.6% 4.02 979.1/km2
60 Rossland Small 3,645 3,416 +6.7% 4.01 909.0/km2
61 Golden Small 3,640 3,403 +7.0% 6.12 594.8/km2
62 Cobble Hill Small 3,610 3,580 +0.8% 6.67 541.2/km2
63 Port Hardy Small 3,393 3,643 −6.9% 5.15 658.8/km2
64 Invermere Small 3,340 2,911 +14.7% 3.44 970.9/km2
65 Lake Cowichan Small 3,181 3,089 +3.0% 4.14 768.4/km2
66 Enderby Small 3,028 2,964 +2.2% 4.26 710.8/km2
67 Pemberton Small 2,970 2,269 +30.9% 2.82 1,053.2/km2
68 Mackenzie Small 2,856 3,262 −12.4% 3.43 832.7/km2
69 Princeton Small 2,826 2,745 +3.0% 4.48 630.8/km2
70 Cowichan Bay Small 2,799 2,557 +9.5% 4.47 626.2/km2
71 Fort Nelson Small 2,611 3,371 −22.5% 5.02 520.1/km2
72 Tumbler Ridge Small 2,389 1,987 +20.2% 2.95 809.8/km2
73 Chase Small 2,377 2,263 +5.0% 2.33 1,020.2/km2
74 Blind Bay Small 2,369 2,113 +12.1% 4.14 572.2/km2
75 Port McNeill Small 2,234 2,219 +0.7% 2.49 897.2/km2
76 Rosedale Small 2,232 1,894 +17.8% 4.39 508.4/km2
77 Tofino Small 2,217 1,736 +27.7% 5.47 405.3/km2
78 Okanagan Falls Small 2,202 2,167 +1.6% 3.33 661.3/km2
79 Burns Lake Small 2,117 1,942 +9.0% 3.12 678.5/km2
80 Houston Small 2,085 2,126 −1.9% 2.94 709.2/km2
81 Sicamous Small 2,041 1,786 +14.3% 2.63 776.0/km2
82 Vanderhoof Small 1,967 1,979 −0.6% 2.85 690.2/km2
83 Ucluelet Small 1,940 1,613 +20.3% 2.9 669.0/km2
84 Rayleigh Small 1,933 1,951 −0.9% 2.06 938.3/km2
85 Roberts Creek Small 1,927 1,898 +1.5% 4.18 461.0/km2
86 Elkford Small 1,908 1,788 +6.7% 3.07 621.5/km2
87 Keremeos Small 1,791 1,714 +4.5% 2.84 630.6/km2
88 One Hundred Mile House Small 1,706 1,811 −5.8% 2.4 710.8/km2
89 Lillooet Small 1,652 1,570 +5.2% 2.37 697.0/km2
90 Harrison Hot Springs Small 1,552 1,242 +25.0% 1.17 1,326.5/km2
91 Fort St. James Small 1,497 1,721 −13.0% 3.22 464.9/km2
92 Lumby Small 1,484 1,303 +13.9% 1.14 1,301.8/km2
93 Crofton Small 1,446 1,373 +5.3% 2.76 523.9/km2
94 Miller's Landing Small 1,437 1,230 +16.8% 1.91 752.4/km2
95 Lions Bay Small 1,390 1,334 +4.2% 2.53 549.4/km2
96 Yarrow Small 1,378 1,257 +9.6% 3.37 408.9/km2
97 Logan Lake Small 1,356 1,208 +12.3% 0.94 1,442.6/km2
98 Telkwa Small 1,288 1,160 +11.0% 2.86 450.3/km2
99 Barriere Small 1,273 1,169 +8.9% 3.09 412.0/km2
100 Fairwinds Small 1,207 1,147 +5.2% 2.13 566.7/km2
101 Puntledge Small 1,185 1,191 −0.5% 2.95 401.7/km2
102 Ashcroft Small 1,182 1,084 +9.0% 2.05 576.6/km2
103 Cultus Lake Small 1,164 1,053 +10.5% 1.8 646.7/km2
104 Salmo Small 1,140 1,141 −0.1% 2.44 467.2/km2
105 Welcome Beach Small 1,116 1,125 −0.8% 1.41 791.5/km2
106 Nakusp Small 1,112 1,135 −2.0% 1.31 848.9/km2
107 Mile 108 Recreational Ranch Small 1,043 1,018 +2.5% 2.59 402.7/km2
108 Naramata Small 1,012 1,013 −0.1% 2.39 423.4/km2

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "From urban areas to population centres" Archived 2012-12-13 at the Wayback Machine. Statistics Canada, May 5, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and population centres". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.