Economy, jobs and prices in Kelowna, Canada: official figures
The median total income of households in Kelowna was C$82,000 in 2020, as reported in the 2021 Census, joint 26th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site; the median for Canada was C$84,000.
What is the median after-tax household income in Kelowna?
After income taxes, the median household in Kelowna had C$73,500 in 2020 (joint 30th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site; Canada: C$73,000).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat is the median salary in Kelowna?
People in Kelowna who worked full-year, full-time in 2020 had median employment income of C$60,800, 26th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$63,600).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat was the unemployment rate in Kelowna at the 2021 Census?
At the 2021 Census, taken in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in Kelowna was 7.9%, 15th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site, below the national 10.3%; 6,350 people aged 15 and over were looking for work.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat industries do people in Kelowna work in?
In 2021, 14.9% of the labour force in Kelowna worked in health care and social assistance, 12.6% in retail trade, 4.6% in manufacturing and 8.3% in professional, scientific and technical services (Canada: 12.7%, 11.1%, 8.0% and 8.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow do people in Kelowna get to work?
Of employed residents of Kelowna commuting to a usual or no fixed workplace in May 2021, 84.3% went by car, truck or van, 4.0% by public transit and 6.4% on foot; 20.2% of all employed residents worked at home (Canada: 7.7% by transit, 24.3% at home).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Kelowna now?
In the three months July to September 2026, the Labour Force Survey put the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Kelowna census metropolitan area at 9.3%, the highest of 41 metropolitan areas in the survey, against 7.1% a year earlier and 6.5% for Canada; 61.0% of people aged 15 and over were employed.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is a house worth in Kelowna?
Owners in Kelowna valued their homes at a median C$725,000 in 2021, 25th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$472,000); median monthly shelter costs for owned dwellings were C$1,340 and 58.0% of owner households had a mortgage.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is rent in Kelowna?
Renter households in Kelowna paid median monthly shelter costs of C$1,440 in 2021, 17th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$1,070); 35.3% of households rented their home (Canada: 33.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow Kelowna compares with other cities in Canada
Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Kelowna ranks 43 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | Burnaby | C$83,000 |
| 41 | Vancouver | C$82,000 |
| 42 | Gatineau | C$82,000 |
| 43 | Kelowna | C$82,000 |
| 44 | Lethbridge | C$82,000 |
| 45 | Halifax | C$81,000 |
| 46 | Winnipeg | C$80,000 |
Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Kelowna ranks 44 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | Kitchener | C$62,000 |
| 42 | Terrebonne | C$62,000 |
| 43 | Richmond | C$61,600 |
| 44 | Kelowna | C$60,800 |
| 45 | London | C$60,400 |
| 46 | Laval | C$60,400 |
| 47 | Chilliwack | C$60,000 |
Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 (2021)
Kelowna ranks 55 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 52 | Laval | 8.6% |
| 53 | Nanaimo | 8.4% |
| 54 | Victoria | 8.1% |
| 55 | Kelowna | 7.9% |
| 56 | Longueuil | 7.8% |
| 57 | Abbotsford | 7.8% |
| 58 | Abbotsford-Mission | 7.6% |
Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) (2021)
Kelowna ranks 29 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Winnipeg | 65.7% |
| 27 | Laval | 65.6% |
| 28 | Halifax | 65.5% |
| 29 | Kelowna | 65.4% |
| 30 | Waterloo | 65.4% |
| 31 | Lethbridge | 65.4% |
| 32 | Abbotsford | 65.3% |
Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Kelowna ranks 25 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Waterloo | C$750,000 |
| 23 | Victoria | C$750,000 |
| 24 | Chilliwack | C$750,000 |
| 25 | Kelowna | C$725,000 |
| 26 | Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo | C$700,000 |
| 27 | Hamilton | C$700,000 |
| 28 | Guelph | C$700,000 |
Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Kelowna ranks 17 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Toronto | C$1,500 |
| 15 | Langley | C$1,500 |
| 16 | Burnaby | C$1,490 |
| 17 | Kelowna | C$1,440 |
| 18 | Whitby | C$1,430 |
| 19 | Waterloo | C$1,400 |
| 20 | Saanich | C$1,400 |
More on Kelowna: overview · education and schools · poverty and living standards · all cities in Canada
Sources
- Statistics Canada: Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population (98-316-X2021001): census subdivisions, selected characteristics (Census Profile SDMX API extract, dataflow DF_CSD, gender total, counts and rates), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 46d086943a5e…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 14-10-0459-01: Labour force characteristics by census metropolitan area, three-month moving average, seasonally adjusted (Web Data Service extract: unemployment and employment rates, latest 13 months; request saved as lfs-14100459-cma.request.json, geography names in lfs-14100459-metadata.json), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5f4399c9fdfa…)
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