Living in Smithers

In Smithers, unemployment is 6% (2021).

Residents of Smithers numbered 5,725 at the end of 2022. An unemployment rate of 5.96% was measured at the end of 2021. Foreign residents numbered 660 at the end of 2021.

Last checked 2026-10-0215 sources

Population5,725people31 Dec 2022Official source · Statistics Canada

Median gross salary (region)2,680EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · www150.statcan.gc.ca

Unemployment rate5.96%country median 8.4% — 29% belowOfficial source · Statistics Canada

Recorded crime13,631incidents per 100,000country median 4,873 — 180% aboveOfficial source · Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia (Table 351001-0084-01)

PM2.5, annual mean6.91µg/m³31 Dec 2024Nearest stationOfficial source · Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), NAPS

Lower unemployment than 80% of Canadian cities that publish it, more recorded crime than any other Canadian city that publishes it and dirtier air than 87% of Canadian cities that publish it.

Which Canada-wide rules apply when you move to Smithers?

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 Smithers.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Smithers counted 2,411 dwellings at the end of 2021.

No city-level rent figure is published for Smithers. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month3 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€50

Transport pass€31

Mobile plan, 10 GB€24

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	49.79 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Bell Fibe 500 home internet²Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	24.27 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Public Mobile 50GB plan⁸Official · national market
Monthly transport pass	31.14 EUR/month	13 Sept 2026	BC Transit / Smithers & District Transit¹Official
Dwellings	2,411 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁰Official
Main residence dwellings	2,313 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹²Official

Is Smithers 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 worker51%strong on work, weak on housing · range 41–61%

Skilled employee56%strong on work, weak on education · range 46–66%

Student42%strong on cost, weak on education · range 31–53%

Family39%strong on family, weak on education · range 29–49%

Retirement48%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 36–60%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Smithers?

The unemployment rate is about 6 % (2021).

Unemployment rate: 5.96 % · Statistics Canada¹³

Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Smithers is 6.0%. Of 515 cities with data, 125 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.

125

108

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1212–1414–1616–1818–2020–22

Smithers 6.0%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment rate	66.5 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹²Official
Median gross salary (regional)	2,680 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	www150.statcan.gc.ca¹⁵Official
Unemployment rate	5.96 %country median 8.4%	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹³Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Smithers. 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 Smithers. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.

Safety

How safe is Smithers?

Police recorded about 13,631 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 (Table 351001-0084-01)⁴

Recorded crime across major citiesSmithers highlighted among comparable cities

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	13,631 incidents per 100,000country median 4,873	31 Dec 2025	Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia (Table 351001-0084-01)⁴Official

Mobility and administration

Smithers's nearest airport was YYD, 5 km away and offered 3 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	3 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights⁶Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	5 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁷Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	YYD	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁷Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Smithers. 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 Smithers.

Find courses near Smithers

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Smithers?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.9 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

PM2.5 — annual mean: 6.91 µg/m³ · Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), NAPS³

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.56.9WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in CanadaAnnual PM2.5 in Smithers is 6.9 µg/m³. Of 123 cities with data, 46 have annual PM2.5 of 3 to under 4 µg/m³.

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1010–1113–1415–1616–1717–1820–2140–41

Smithers 6.9

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	6.91 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), NAPS³Official · nearest-station reading
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 1.26 · Feb 1.31 · Mar 3.8 · Apr 17.71 · May 22.54 · Jun 28.88 · Jul 30.5 · Aug 29.27 · Sep 24.36 · Oct 19.31 · Nov 4.32 · Dec 1.57 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁵Official · coordinate grid
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan -44.9 · Feb -39.74 · Mar -38.74 · Apr -28.44 · May -13.23 · Jun -1.78 · Jul 1.44 · Aug 1.72 · Sep -5.59 · Oct -21.47 · Nov -33.52 · Dec -39.81 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁵Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by month	Jan -11.1 · Feb -10.58 · Mar -6.85 · Apr -1.72 · May 5.53 · Jun 9.86 · Jul 12.13 · Aug 11.61 · Sep 6.97 · Oct 0.57 · Nov -6.86 · Dec -11.86 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁵Official · coordinate grid

Population and city profile

At the end of 2021, the city's area measured 15.3 km². The number of households reached 2,310 at the end of 2021. The population density of Smithers stood at 352.4 people per km² at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Smithers?

The published population was 5,725 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada¹¹

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport88.5%
Foreign residents11.5%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Area	15.26 km²	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹²Official
City area	15.26 km²	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁴Official
Foreign-resident share	12.55 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada⁹Official
Foreign residents	660 people	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada⁹Official
Population density	352.4 people/km²	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁴Official
Population	5,725 people	31 Dec 2022	Statistics Canada¹¹Official

Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2022

5,349

5,484

5,618

5,753

5,72520012005200920152022

Population rose 1.4% between 2001 and 2022, from 5,648 to 5,725.

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Households	2,310 households	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹²Official
Labour force participation rate	70.6 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹²Official

Alternatives for people set on Smithers

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 Smithers alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 3823 km, better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Residents: 62,700 Blainville vs 5,725 Smithers+995%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,099 Blainville vs 13,631 Smithers−85%
Unemployment: 5.6% Blainville vs 6.0% Smithers−6%
Median gross pay, region: €2,789 Blainville vs €2,680 Smithers+4%
Foreign residents: 11.7% Blainville vs 12.6% Smithers−7%

Full comparison More about Blainville

Alternative cities in Canada

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

All Canada cities

Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan5,721 residents Stettler5,749 residents Creston5,693 residents Spallumcheen5,693 residents St. Paul5,771 residents Armstrong5,677 residents

How does Smithers compare?

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Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Smithers 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 Smithers'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 Smithers?

The published population was 5,725 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is the air quality good in Smithers?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.9 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), NAPS.

How safe is Smithers?

What is the unemployment rate in Smithers?

The unemployment rate is about 6 % (2021). Source: Statistics Canada.

What is the typical salary around Smithers?

The median gross salary is 2,680 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.

How many foreign residents live in Smithers?

660 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is Smithers a good place to live?

Smithers 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). Smithers, Canada: population, salary, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version b6af03f84b9d03967d4ebd668d0ff7c6]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/smithers/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_smithers-canada-population-salary-cost-of-living-jobs_f9719ebad628,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Smithers, Canada: population, salary, cost of living, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {b6af03f84b9d03967d4ebd668d0ff7c6},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/smithers/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Smithers, Canada: population, salary, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/smithers/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version b6af03f84b9d03967d4ebd668d0ff7c6; 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

BC Transit / Smithers & District Transit bctransit.com · checked 2026-09-15
Bell Fibe 500 home internet bell.ca · checked 2026-09-15
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), NAPS data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-05
Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia (Table 351001-0084-01) www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-28
NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Public Mobile 50GB plan publicmobile.ca · checked 2026-09-15
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07

Show 5 more sources

Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27

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