PlaceDossier / BC places / Central Kootenay

Central Kootenay, Electoral Area K

An electoral area of the Central Kootenay Regional District. 1,784 people lived here in 2021, up 6.1% from 2016.

Land and hazards

HereRank in BC
In the farmland reserve (ALR)4.9%170th of 267
Burned by wildfire since 19966.2%69th of 215
Years with a mapped wildfire since 191955most recent 2025
Under mineral, placer or coal titles5.5%145th of 219
Land area4,647 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

217 water-supply wells on record; half are deeper than 51 m, and the median tested yield is 36 L/min. Wells here rank 110th of 296 for depth.

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

Climate

No climate station with full normals within 30 km.

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

People and homes

HereBC
Population, 20211,7845,000,879
Change since 2016+6.1%+7.6%
Median age59.642.8
Under 159.0%14.3%
65 and over36.0%20.3%
Median household income (2020)$62,400$85,000
Homes owned by the people living in them89.7%66.8%
Single-detached houses89.0%42.4%
Movable dwellings (mobile homes and the like)10.4%2.5%
Built before 19619.8%12.5%
Needing major repairs10.3%5.8%
Median home value (owners' estimate)$400,000$785,000
Median monthly rent$665$1,370
Worked from home25.0%22.6%
Unemployment rate17.9%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 identity6.2%5.9%
Immigrants14.2%29.0%
Visible minority3.1%34.4%
No religion or a secular outlook61.9%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.