PlaceDossier / BC places / Cariboo

Cariboo, Electoral Area D

An electoral area of the Cariboo Regional District. 2,870 people lived here in 2021, down 2% from 2016.

Land and hazards

HereRank in BC
In the farmland reserve (ALR)68%6th of 267
Burned by wildfire since 19967.3%60th of 215
Years with a mapped wildfire since 191941most recent 2025
Under mineral, placer or coal titles19%51st of 219
Land area877 km²

Shares of the land area, measured by us from the provincial maps. Fire perimeters before the 1950s are less complete. A title or a past fire somewhere in the area says nothing about a given lot: a property report checks the parcel itself.

Source: Agricultural Land Reserve polygons, Agricultural Land Commission (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Fire perimeters – historical, BC Wildfire Service (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Mineral, placer and coal tenures, Mineral Titles Branch (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); 2021 census subdivision boundaries, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).

Water wells

627 water-supply wells on record; half are deeper than 38 m, and the median tested yield is 26 L/min. Wells here rank 163rd of 296 for depth.

Source: Groundwater wells (GWELLS), Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

Climate

HereRank in BC
January mean temperature-6.7 °C
July mean temperature16 °C197th of 237
Yearly precipitation451 mm
Yearly snowfall177 cm49th of 237

Normals for 1981-2010 at the Williams Lake A station, about 22 km from the centre of the area. Elevation matters a lot in BC: a hillside lot can be much colder and snowier than the station.

Source: Climate normals 1981-2010, Environment and Climate Change Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada).

People and homes

HereBC
Population, 20212,8705,000,879
Change since 2016-2%+7.6%
Median age47.242.8
Under 1515.0%14.3%
65 and over20.7%20.3%
Median household income (2020)$87,000$85,000
Homes owned by the people living in them86.9%66.8%
Single-detached houses83.2%42.4%
Movable dwellings (mobile homes and the like)14.3%2.5%
Built before 196111.4%12.5%
Needing major repairs8.6%5.8%
Median home value (owners' estimate)$300,000$785,000
Median monthly rent$990$1,370
Worked from home10.0%22.6%
Unemployment rate6.5%8.4%

Bars: the dark bar is this place, the gold mark is BC.

Source: Census of Population 2021, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).

Who lives here

HereBC
Indigenous identity17.8%5.9%
Immigrants7.7%29.0%
Visible minority1.9%34.4%
No religion or a secular outlook66.0%52.1%

Bars: the dark bar is this place, the gold mark is BC.

Shown for context, like the other census figures. We don't rank or score places on these.

Source: Census of Population 2021, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).

Census figures are from 2021; the next census results start in 2027. Area boundaries are Statistics Canada's census subdivisions, which follow municipal and electoral area lines.