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 km. All areas outside population centres are classified as rural areas.
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#
The term was first introduced in the Canada 2011 Census; prior to that, Statistics Canada used the term urban area.
In the 2021 Census of Population, Statistics Canada listed 108 population centres in the province of British Columbia.
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.
| Rank | Population centre | Size group | Population (2021) | Population (2016) | Change | Land area (km) | Population density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver | Large urban | 2,426,160 | 2,268,864 | +6.9% | 911.64 | 2,661.3/km |
| 2 | Victoria | Large urban | 363,222 | 337,235 | +7.7% | 222.71 | 1,630.9/km |
| 3 | Kelowna | Large urban | 181,380 | 160,095 | +13.3% | 168.92 | 1,073.8/km |
| 4 | Abbotsford | Large urban | 132,300 | 122,163 | +8.3% | 71.2 | 1,858.1/km |
| 5 | White Rock | Large urban | 109,167 | 93,811 | +16.4% | 54.23 | 2,013.0/km |
| 6 | Nanaimo | Large urban | 106,079 | 96,415 | +10.0% | 86.76 | 1,222.7/km |
| 7 | Kamloops | Medium | 92,442 | 85,702 | +7.9% | 74.35 | 1,243.3/km |
| 8 | Chilliwack | Medium | 81,622 | 73,171 | +11.5% | 56.02 | 1,457.0/km |
| 9 | Prince George | Medium | 67,339 | 66,315 | +1.5% | 73.9 | 911.2/km |
| 10 | Vernon | Medium | 51,896 | 48,425 | +7.2% | 51.16 | 1,014.4/km |
| 11 | Courtenay | Medium | 48,917 | 45,314 | +8.0% | 56.58 | 864.6/km |
| 12 | Campbell River | Medium | 38,108 | 35,440 | +7.5% | 33 | 1,154.8/km |
| 13 | Penticton | Medium | 36,893 | 33,899 | +8.8% | 25.84 | 1,427.7/km |
| 14 | Mission | Medium | 36,193 | 33,713 | +7.4% | 27.23 | 1,329.2/km |
| 15 | Parksville | Small | 27,330 | 25,364 | +7.8% | 27.45 | 995.6/km |
| 16 | Duncan | Small | 24,358 | 23,559 | +3.4% | 22.75 | 1,070.7/km |
| 17 | Tsawwassen | Small | 23,940 | 21,845 | +9.6% | 14.95 | 1,601.3/km |
| 18 | Ladner | Small | 23,016 | 22,193 | +3.7% | 7.38 | 3,118.7/km |
| 19 | Squamish | Small | 22,221 | 18,902 | +17.6% | 22.11 | 1,005.0/km |
| 20 | Port Alberni | Small | 21,711 | 20,910 | +3.8% | 28.49 | 762.1/km |
| 21 | Fort St. John | Small | 21,123 | 20,026 | +5.5% | 14.89 | 1,418.6/km |
| 22 | Cranbrook | Small | 20,008 | 19,641 | +1.9% | 16.32 | 1,226.0/km |
| 23 | Salmon Arm | Small | 16,065 | 14,948 | +7.5% | 20.99 | 765.4/km |
| 24 | Terrace | Small | 14,633 | 14,327 | +2.1% | 22.19 | 659.4/km |
| 25 | Powell River | Small | 13,116 | 12,389 | +5.9% | 17.37 | 755.1/km |
| 26 | Aldergrove | Small | 13,105 | 12,126 | +8.1% | 7.03 | 1,864.2/km |
| 27 | Trail - Fruitvale | Small | 12,863 | 12,736 | +1.0% | 21.65 | 594.1/km |
| 28 | Duck Lake | Small | 12,725 | 10,085 | +26.2% | 24.93 | 510.4/km |
| 29 | Quesnel | Small | 12,110 | 12,196 | −0.7% | 25.23 | 480.0/km |
| 30 | Williams Lake | Small | 11,906 | 11,702 | +1.7% | 27.69 | 430.0/km |
| 31 | Prince Rupert | Small | 11,814 | 11,733 | +0.7% | 7.97 | 1,482.3/km |
| 32 | Dawson Creek | Small | 11,706 | 11,621 | +0.7% | 12.34 | 948.6/km |
| 33 | Sooke | Small | 11,583 | 9,936 | +16.6% | 15.3 | 757.1/km |
| 34 | Nelson | Small | 11,198 | 10,669 | +5.0% | 7.45 | 1,503.1/km |
| 35 | Ladysmith | Small | 11,194 | 10,637 | +5.2% | 13.85 | 808.2/km |
| 36 | Castlegar | Small | 10,029 | 9,592 | +4.6% | 19.01 | 527.6/km |
| 37 | Whistler | Small | 9,974 | 8,739 | +14.1% | 11.74 | 849.6/km |
| 38 | Summerland | Small | 9,860 | 9,466 | +4.2% | 15.83 | 622.9/km |
| 39 | Gibsons | Small | 9,603 | 9,199 | +4.4% | 14.11 | 680.6/km |
| 40 | Sechelt | Small | 9,434 | 8,993 | +4.9% | 11.96 | 788.8/km |
| 41 | Revelstoke | Small | 7,709 | 7,067 | +9.1% | 12.3 | 626.7/km |
| 42 | Shawnigan - Mill Bay | Small | 7,285 | 7,129 | +2.2% | 14.87 | 489.9/km |
| 43 | Kitimat | Small | 6,727 | 6,822 | −1.4% | 4.88 | 1,378.5/km |
| 44 | Oliver | Small | 5,708 | 5,437 | +5.0% | 5.67 | 1,006.7/km |
| 45 | Fernie | Small | 5,519 | 4,860 | +13.6% | 4.49 | 1,229.2/km |
| 46 | Creston | Small | 5,459 | 5,236 | +4.3% | 6.04 | 903.8/km |
| 47 | Armstrong | Small | 5,323 | 5,114 | +4.1% | 5.22 | 1,019.7/km |
| 48 | Smithers | Small | 5,316 | 5,351 | −0.7% | 10.46 | 508.2/km |
| 49 | Merritt | Small | 5,248 | 5,321 | −1.4% | 4.43 | 1,184.7/km |
| 50 | Peachland | Small | 5,006 | 4,698 | +6.6% | 9.83 | 509.3/km |
| 51 | Kimberley | Small | 4,908 | 4,679 | +4.9% | 4.51 | 1,088.2/km |
| 52 | Osoyoos | Small | 4,859 | 4,537 | +7.1% | 4.24 | 1,146.0/km |
| 53 | Aldergrove East | Small | 4,496 | 3,491 | +28.8% | 2.55 | 1,763.1/km |
| 54 | Hope | Small | 4,434 | 4,197 | +5.6% | 5.48 | 809.1/km |
| 55 | Cumberland | Small | 4,190 | 3,600 | +16.4% | 3.91 | 1,071.6/km |
| 56 | Grand Forks | Small | 4,166 | 4,100 | +1.6% | 8.21 | 507.4/km |
| 57 | Chemainus | Small | 4,033 | 3,612 | +11.7% | 5.82 | 693.0/km |
| 58 | Sparwood | Small | 3,990 | 3,646 | +9.4% | 8.61 | 463.4/km |
| 59 | Kent | Small | 3,936 | 3,911 | +0.6% | 4.02 | 979.1/km |
| 60 | Rossland | Small | 3,645 | 3,416 | +6.7% | 4.01 | 909.0/km |
| 61 | Golden | Small | 3,640 | 3,403 | +7.0% | 6.12 | 594.8/km |
| 62 | Cobble Hill | Small | 3,610 | 3,580 | +0.8% | 6.67 | 541.2/km |
| 63 | Port Hardy | Small | 3,393 | 3,643 | −6.9% | 5.15 | 658.8/km |
| 64 | Invermere | Small | 3,340 | 2,911 | +14.7% | 3.44 | 970.9/km |
| 65 | Lake Cowichan | Small | 3,181 | 3,089 | +3.0% | 4.14 | 768.4/km |
| 66 | Enderby | Small | 3,028 | 2,964 | +2.2% | 4.26 | 710.8/km |
| 67 | Pemberton | Small | 2,970 | 2,269 | +30.9% | 2.82 | 1,053.2/km |
| 68 | Mackenzie | Small | 2,856 | 3,262 | −12.4% | 3.43 | 832.7/km |
| 69 | Princeton | Small | 2,826 | 2,745 | +3.0% | 4.48 | 630.8/km |
| 70 | Cowichan Bay | Small | 2,799 | 2,557 | +9.5% | 4.47 | 626.2/km |
| 71 | Fort Nelson | Small | 2,611 | 3,371 | −22.5% | 5.02 | 520.1/km |
| 72 | Tumbler Ridge | Small | 2,389 | 1,987 | +20.2% | 2.95 | 809.8/km |
| 73 | Chase | Small | 2,377 | 2,263 | +5.0% | 2.33 | 1,020.2/km |
| 74 | Blind Bay | Small | 2,369 | 2,113 | +12.1% | 4.14 | 572.2/km |
| 75 | Port McNeill | Small | 2,234 | 2,219 | +0.7% | 2.49 | 897.2/km |
| 76 | Rosedale | Small | 2,232 | 1,894 | +17.8% | 4.39 | 508.4/km |
| 77 | Tofino | Small | 2,217 | 1,736 | +27.7% | 5.47 | 405.3/km |
| 78 | Okanagan Falls | Small | 2,202 | 2,167 | +1.6% | 3.33 | 661.3/km |
| 79 | Burns Lake | Small | 2,117 | 1,942 | +9.0% | 3.12 | 678.5/km |
| 80 | Houston | Small | 2,085 | 2,126 | −1.9% | 2.94 | 709.2/km |
| 81 | Sicamous | Small | 2,041 | 1,786 | +14.3% | 2.63 | 776.0/km |
| 82 | Vanderhoof | Small | 1,967 | 1,979 | −0.6% | 2.85 | 690.2/km |
| 83 | Ucluelet | Small | 1,940 | 1,613 | +20.3% | 2.9 | 669.0/km |
| 84 | Rayleigh | Small | 1,933 | 1,951 | −0.9% | 2.06 | 938.3/km |
| 85 | Roberts Creek | Small | 1,927 | 1,898 | +1.5% | 4.18 | 461.0/km |
| 86 | Elkford | Small | 1,908 | 1,788 | +6.7% | 3.07 | 621.5/km |
| 87 | Keremeos | Small | 1,791 | 1,714 | +4.5% | 2.84 | 630.6/km |
| 88 | One Hundred Mile House | Small | 1,706 | 1,811 | −5.8% | 2.4 | 710.8/km |
| 89 | Lillooet | Small | 1,652 | 1,570 | +5.2% | 2.37 | 697.0/km |
| 90 | Harrison Hot Springs | Small | 1,552 | 1,242 | +25.0% | 1.17 | 1,326.5/km |
| 91 | Fort St. James | Small | 1,497 | 1,721 | −13.0% | 3.22 | 464.9/km |
| 92 | Lumby | Small | 1,484 | 1,303 | +13.9% | 1.14 | 1,301.8/km |
| 93 | Crofton | Small | 1,446 | 1,373 | +5.3% | 2.76 | 523.9/km |
| 94 | Miller's Landing | Small | 1,437 | 1,230 | +16.8% | 1.91 | 752.4/km |
| 95 | Lions Bay | Small | 1,390 | 1,334 | +4.2% | 2.53 | 549.4/km |
| 96 | Yarrow | Small | 1,378 | 1,257 | +9.6% | 3.37 | 408.9/km |
| 97 | Logan Lake | Small | 1,356 | 1,208 | +12.3% | 0.94 | 1,442.6/km |
| 98 | Telkwa | Small | 1,288 | 1,160 | +11.0% | 2.86 | 450.3/km |
| 99 | Barriere | Small | 1,273 | 1,169 | +8.9% | 3.09 | 412.0/km |
| 100 | Fairwinds | Small | 1,207 | 1,147 | +5.2% | 2.13 | 566.7/km |
| 101 | Puntledge | Small | 1,185 | 1,191 | −0.5% | 2.95 | 401.7/km |
| 102 | Ashcroft | Small | 1,182 | 1,084 | +9.0% | 2.05 | 576.6/km |
| 103 | Cultus Lake | Small | 1,164 | 1,053 | +10.5% | 1.8 | 646.7/km |
| 104 | Salmo | Small | 1,140 | 1,141 | −0.1% | 2.44 | 467.2/km |
| 105 | Welcome Beach | Small | 1,116 | 1,125 | −0.8% | 1.41 | 791.5/km |
| 106 | Nakusp | Small | 1,112 | 1,135 | −2.0% | 1.31 | 848.9/km |
| 107 | Mile 108 Recreational Ranch | Small | 1,043 | 1,018 | +2.5% | 2.59 | 402.7/km |
| 108 | Naramata | Small | 1,012 | 1,013 | −0.1% | 2.39 | 423.4/km |