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Living in Powell River

In Powell River, tenants pay an average rent of €765 a month (2025) and unemployment is 7.7% (2021).

Powell River had a population of 14,148 at the end of 2022. The unemployment rate was 7.74% at the end of 2021. Powell River's foreign population totalled 1,745 at the end of 2021.

Last checked 2026-10-1019 sources

Population14,148people31 Dec 2022Official source · Statistics Canada
Median gross salary3,224EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · Statistics Canada
Average rent765.2EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision
Unemployment rate7.74%country median 8.4% — 8% belowOfficial source · Statistics Canada
Recorded crime9,085incidents per 100,000country median 4,873 — 86% aboveOfficial source · Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia

Which Canada-wide rules apply when you move to Powell River?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in CanadaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Powell River.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

In Powell River, 19.9% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing at the end of 2021.

What recurs every month3 published recurring costs, € per month
Powell River recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€50
Transport pass€28
Mobile plan, 10 GB€24
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited49.79 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Bell Fibe 500 home internet3Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB24.27 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Public Mobile 50GB plan9Official · national market
Monthly transport pass28.02 EUR/month13 Sept 2026BC Transit / Powell River Regional Transit2Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent19.9 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada13Official
Dwellings6,718 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada11Official
Main residence dwellings6,402 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada14Official
Average monthly rent (two-bedroom)718.5 EUR/month31 Oct 2023CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 20234Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)765.2 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision1Official

Is Powell River a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker46%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 37–55%
Skilled employee52%strong on work, weak on education · range 43–61%
Student33%strong on cost, weak on education · range 23–43%
Family41%strong on housing, weak on education · range 32–50%
Retirement49%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 38–60%

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Powell River?

The median gross salary is about 3,224 EUR/month (2020). The regional series (home-region basis, 2020) is a separate labelled row in the table.

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

  • Median gross salary: 3,224 EUR/month · Statistics Canada15
  • Median gross salary (regional): 2,048 EUR/month · 2026-09-17 · www150.statcan.gc.ca19

What is the unemployment rate in Powell River?

The unemployment rate is about 7.7 % (2021).

  • Unemployment rate: 7.74 % · Statistics Canada16
Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Powell River is 7.7%. Of 515 cities with data, 125 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Employment rate47.2 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada14Official
Median gross salary3,224 EUR/month31 Dec 2020Statistics Canada15Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,048 EUR/month31 Dec 2020www150.statcan.gc.ca19Official
Unemployment rate7.74 %country median 8.4%31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada16Official

What does a salary buy in Powell River?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Powell River median gross pay: €3,224 (Statistics Canada, 2020-12-31).
Left over each month€1,637of €2,505 take-home
  • Rent
  • Transport
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€2,505
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision · 2025-12-31− €765
Public transport pass€28 · official · BC Transit / Powell River Regional Transit · 2026-09-13− €28
Utilities, 85 m²not published for this city—
Internet€50 · official · Bell Fibe 500 home internet · 2026-09-30− €50
Mobile plan€24 · official · Public Mobile 50GB plan · 2026-09-30− €24
Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish€1,637
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Powell River Salary needed to live in Powell River

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Powell River. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Job Bank and public employment services — Public employment service

Government of Canada

Job SearchMigrant Support
Open official service
Open the Canada service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Powell River. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.

Safety

How safe is Powell River?

Police recorded about 9,085 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia5

Recorded crime across major citiesPowell River highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Powell River highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Winnipeg7,894
Edmonton7,108
Halifax6,020
Vancouver5,438
Calgary4,796
London4,743
Québec4,630
Ottawa4,298
Hamilton4,257
Toronto4,177
Gatineau3,756
Montreal3,674
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents9,085 incidents per 100,000country median 4,87331 Dec 2025Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia5Official

Mobility and administration

Powell River's nearest airport was YPW, 2 km away and offered 1 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport1 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights7Official
Distance to the nearest major airport2 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports8Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)YPW3 Aug 2026OurAirports8Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Powell River. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

IRCC newcomer language-learning services finder — State Language Course

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

For newcomers to Canada.

English, FrenchFree
Open official information
Open the full Canada section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Powell River.

Find courses near Powell River

Climate and air quality

MetricValuePeriodSource
Monthly extreme high temperatureJan 9.48 · Feb 12.55 · Mar 17.96 · Apr 25.9 · May 27.59 · Jun 30.44 · Jul 33.71 · Aug 31.39 · Sep 31.04 · Oct 24.08 · Nov 14.88 · Dec 10.32 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center6Official · coordinate grid
Monthly extreme low temperatureJan -18.8 · Feb -14.55 · Mar -13.44 · Apr -6.27 · May -0.08 · Jun 3.76 · Jul 7.41 · Aug 6.56 · Sep 2.71 · Oct -3.49 · Nov -18.23 · Dec -19.18 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center6Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by monthJan 0.91 · Feb 0.76 · Mar 2.63 · Apr 5.7 · May 11.01 · Jun 13.77 · Jul 16.8 · Aug 16.81 · Sep 13.36 · Oct 8.14 · Nov 3.23 · Dec 0.16 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center6Official · coordinate grid

Population and city profile

Powell River's total area was 28.9 km² at the end of 2021. The city had 6,400 households at the end of 2021. Median age stood at 53.2 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Powell River?

The published population was 14,148 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada12

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Area28.91 km²31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada14Official
City area28.91 km²31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada17Official
Foreign-resident share12.8 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada10Official
Foreign residents1,745 people31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada10Official
Population density482.4 people/km²31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada17Official
Population14,148 people31 Dec 2022Statistics Canada12Official
Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2022

Population rose 4.5% between 2001 and 2022, from 13,534 to 14,148.

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents born abroad12.8 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada13Official
Households6,400 households31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada14Official
Labour force participation rate51.1 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada14Official
Median age53.2 years31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada18Official

Alternatives for people set on Powell River

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Blainville as a Powell River alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 3741 km, better on 4 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

  • Residents: 62,700 Blainville vs 14,148 Powell River+343%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,099 Blainville vs 9,085 Powell River−77%
  • Median gross pay, region: €2,789 Blainville vs €2,048 Powell River+36%
  • Unemployment: 5.6% Blainville vs 7.7% Powell River−28%
  • Median gross pay, city: €3,813 Blainville vs €3,224 Powell River+18%
  • Foreign residents: 11.7% Blainville vs 12.8% Powell River−8%
Full comparisonMore about Blainville

Alternative cities in Canada

Other cities in Canada to compare with Powell River, nearest in population first.

All Canada cities
Parksville14,164 residentsGrand Falls-Windsor14,177 residentsLacombe14,229 residentsWinkler14,066 residentsPrévost14,043 residentsMatane14,034 residents

How does Powell River compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Powell River's.

Open the full comparison

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Powell River when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Put Powell River's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Powell River?

The published population was 14,148 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada.

How safe is Powell River?

Police recorded about 9,085 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia.

What is the typical salary in Powell River?

The median gross salary is about 3,224 EUR/month (2020). The regional series (home-region basis, 2020) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: Statistics Canada.

What is the unemployment rate in Powell River?

The unemployment rate is about 7.7 % (2021). Source: Statistics Canada.

What is the typical salary around Powell River?

The median gross salary is 2,048 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.

How many foreign residents live in Powell River?

1,745 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is Powell River a good place to live?

Powell River may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Powell River, Canada: population, rent, salary, jobs, safety [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 29a235c448de90d0de0ae44b69c51e4f]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/powell-river/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_powell-river-canada-population-rent-salary-jobs-safety_03746b9012ce,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Powell River, Canada: population, rent, salary, jobs, safety},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {29a235c448de90d0de0ae44b69c51e4f},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/powell-river/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Powell River, Canada: population, rent, salary, jobs, safety](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/powell-river/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 29a235c448de90d0de0ae44b69c51e4f; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca · checked 2026-10-08
  2. BC Transit / Powell River Regional Transit bctransit.com · checked 2026-09-15
  3. Bell Fibe 500 home internet bell.ca · checked 2026-09-15
  4. CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 2023 CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey · assets.cmhc-schl.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-18
  5. Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-24
  6. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  7. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  8. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  9. Public Mobile 50GB plan publicmobile.ca · checked 2026-09-15
  10. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Show 9 more sources
  1. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  2. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  3. Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  4. Statistics Canada api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  5. Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-13
  6. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  7. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  8. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  9. www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27

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