Living in Williams Lake

In Williams Lake, tenants pay an average rent of €907 a month (2025) and unemployment is 8% (2021).

The population of Williams Lake totalled 11,385 at the end of 2022. Williams Lake had an unemployment rate of 7.96% at the end of 2021. Williams Lake had a foreign population of 955 at the end of 2021.

Last checked 2026-10-1020 sources

Population11,385people31 Dec 2022Official source · Statistics Canada

Median gross salary3,420EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · Statistics Canada

Average rent907.1EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision

Unemployment rate7.96%country median 8.4% — 5% belowOfficial source · Statistics Canada

Recorded crime17,327incidents per 100,000country median 4,873 — 256% aboveOfficial source · Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia (Table 351001-0084-01)

PM2.5, annual mean2.9µg/m³31 Dec 2024Nearest stationOfficial source · Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), NAPS

More recorded crime than any other Canadian city that publishes it and cleaner air than 81% of Canadian cities that publish it.

Which Canada-wide rules apply when you move to Williams Lake?

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 Williams Lake.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

In Williams Lake, 13.8% 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

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€50

Transport pass€27

Mobile plan, 10 GB€24

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	49.79 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Bell Fibe 500 home internet³Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	24.27 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Public Mobile 50GB plan¹⁰Official · national market
Monthly transport pass	26.78 EUR/month	13 Sept 2026	BC Transit / Williams Lake Transit²Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent	13.8 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁴Official
Dwellings	5,066 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹²Official
Main residence dwellings	4,736 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁵Official
Average monthly rent (two-bedroom)	1,219 EUR/month	31 Oct 2023	CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 2023⁴Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	907.1 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision¹Official

Is Williams Lake 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 worker28%strong on work, weak on safety · range 19–37%

Skilled employee53%strong on work, weak on education · range 44–62%

Student31%strong on cost, weak on education · range 21–41%

Family38%strong on family, weak on education · range 29–47%

Retirement29%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 18–40%

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Williams Lake?

The median gross salary is about 3,420 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: 3,420 EUR/month · Statistics Canada¹⁶
Median gross salary (regional): 2,549 EUR/month · 2026-09-17 · www150.statcan.gc.ca²⁰

What is the unemployment rate in Williams Lake?

The unemployment rate is about 8 % (2021).

Unemployment rate: 7.96 % · Statistics Canada¹⁷

Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Williams Lake is 8.0%. 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

Williams Lake 8.0%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment rate	56.1 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁵Official
Median gross salary	3,420 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	Statistics Canada¹⁶Official
Median gross salary (regional)	2,549 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	www150.statcan.gc.ca²⁰Official
Unemployment rate	7.96 %country median 8.4%	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁷Official

What does a salary buy in Williams Lake?

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

Left over each month€1,626of €2,634 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.	€2,634
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision · 2025-12-31	− €907
Public transport pass€27 · official · BC Transit / Williams Lake Transit · 2026-09-13	− €27
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	€1,626

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Williams Lake Salary needed to live in Williams Lake

Public employment service

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

Safety

How safe is Williams Lake?

Police recorded about 17,327 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)⁶

Recorded crime across major citiesWilliams Lake 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	17,327 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)⁶Official

Mobility and administration

Williams Lake's nearest airport was YWL, 8 km away and offered 2 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	2 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights⁸Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	8 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁹Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	YWL	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁹Official

Language courses and integration

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

Find courses near Williams Lake

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Williams Lake?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 2.9 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline. Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), NAPS⁵

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

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

PM2.52.9WHO 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 Williams Lake is 2.9 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

Williams Lake 2.9

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	2.9 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), NAPS⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 3.9 · Feb 8.35 · Mar 16.91 · Apr 22.45 · May 30.16 · Jun 32.33 · Jul 34.68 · Aug 33.99 · Sep 31.84 · Oct 25.52 · Nov 14.42 · Dec 5.5 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁷Official · coordinate grid
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan -42.21 · Feb -36.58 · Mar -30.65 · Apr -13.9 · May -5.72 · Jun -0.61 · Jul 2.15 · Aug 1.72 · Sep -5.89 · Oct -15.43 · Nov -35.17 · Dec -39.75 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁷Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by month	Jan -8.06 · Feb -6.89 · Mar -1.98 · Apr 3.22 · May 9.06 · Jun 13.03 · Jul 16.57 · Aug 15.89 · Sep 10.42 · Oct 3.52 · Nov -2.82 · Dec -8.19 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁷Official · coordinate grid

Population and city profile

Williams Lake spanned 33.1 km² at the end of 2021. Williams Lake counted 4,735 households at the end of 2021. At the end of 2021, the median age reached 40.8 years.

How many people live in Williams Lake?

The published population was 11,385 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada¹³

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport91.6%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Area	33.12 km²	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁵Official
City area	33.12 km²	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁸Official
Foreign-resident share	8.92 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹¹Official
Foreign residents	955 people	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹¹Official
Population density	330.5 people/km²	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁸Official
Population	11,385 people	31 Dec 2022	Statistics Canada¹³Official

Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2022

10,889

11,169

11,449

11,729

11,38520012005200920152022

Population fell 2.5% between 2001 and 2022, from 11,671 to 11,385.

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	8.9 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁴Official
Households	4,735 households	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁵Official
Labour force participation rate	60.9 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁵Official
Median age	40.8 years	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁹Official

Alternatives for people set on Williams Lake

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 Williams Lake alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 3531 km, better on 5 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Residents: 62,700 Blainville vs 11,385 Williams Lake+451%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,099 Blainville vs 17,327 Williams Lake−88%
Unemployment: 5.6% Blainville vs 8.0% Williams Lake−30%
Median gross pay, city: €3,813 Blainville vs €3,420 Williams Lake+11%
Foreign residents: 11.7% Blainville vs 8.9% Williams Lake+31%
Median gross pay, region: €2,789 Blainville vs €2,549 Williams Lake+9%

Full comparison More about Blainville

Alternative cities in Canada

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

All Canada cities

Saint-Raymond11,390 residents Nelson11,467 residents Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts11,484 residents Saint-Hippolyte11,499 residents Sechelt11,238 residents L'Île-Perrot11,548 residents

How does Williams Lake compare?

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Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Williams Lake 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 Williams Lake'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 Williams Lake?

The published population was 11,385 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is the air quality good in Williams Lake?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 2.9 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline. Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), NAPS.

How safe is Williams Lake?

What is the typical salary in Williams Lake?

The median gross salary is about 3,420 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 Williams Lake?

The unemployment rate is about 8 % (2021). Source: Statistics Canada.

What is the typical salary around Williams Lake?

The median gross salary is 2,549 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.

Is Williams Lake a good place to live?

Williams Lake 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). Williams Lake, Canada: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 24bab88dba5485e150aba52b8feeb5e9]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/williams-lake/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_williams-lake-canada-population-rent-salary-jobs_e9ff85a510cd,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Williams Lake, Canada: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {24bab88dba5485e150aba52b8feeb5e9},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/williams-lake/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Williams Lake, Canada: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/williams-lake/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 24bab88dba5485e150aba52b8feeb5e9; 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

Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca · checked 2026-10-08
BC Transit / Williams Lake Transit bctransit.com · checked 2026-09-15
Bell Fibe 500 home internet bell.ca · checked 2026-09-15
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
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

Show 10 more sources

Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Statistics Canada api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-13
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27

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