City profile
Kelowna is a City of the Future, rapidly evolving and becoming a more urban and dynamic region. The city is the sixth largest in British Columbia, Canada, and has one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country. Situated in the heart of the Okanagan Valley on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the syilx/Okanagan people, Kelowna is surrounded by mountains, lakes and vineyards where residents embrace outdoor adventure and an active lifestyle all year long. The city is also an economic powerhouse, home to robust traditional sectors like agriculture and construction, and burgeoning new sectors such as information technology.
Environics, 2024
Housing
- Residence type: 54.6% houses and 44% apartments
- Over 7,000 rental homes in the development pipeline
- Record breaking $1.8 billion in building permits (+46% from 2022)
Land
- 214 km2 of total land
- 40% of land in the Agricultural Land Reserve
- 48 km2 of water area
- 344 metres (1,129 feet) above sea level
- Okanagan Lake is 110 km long
Climate
- 2,000 hours of sunshine annually
- 366.4 mm annual precipitation (280.7 mm. of rain and 105.5 cm of snow)
- 27.4 C average summer-time daytime high during July and August
- -0.3 C average daytime winter-time high during December and January (-7.7 C average low)
Transportation
- Most extensive bicycle network in Canada for a city its size
- 28.2M trips by walking, biking, and transit
- 6.1M transit ridership (exceeding pre-pandemic annual ridership)
Culture and Events
- 4,000+ people per day on average attend some type of cultural facility or event (1.5 million per year).
- 3,168 full time employees work in the creative sector.
- 300+ permits for events and tournaments issued in 2023.
- Cultural District features Kelowna Museums, Kelowna Community Theatre, Kelowna Art Gallery, Rotary Centre for the Arts, and the Okanagan Regional Library.
- City-funded arts organizations include Ballet Kelowna, Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, Alternator Centre for Contemporary Arts, New Vintage Theatre, and Opera Kelowna.
Economy
- 2,598 new business license applications (+5% from 2022)
- Top 3 sectors: Healthcare and Social Assistance; Retail Trade; Construction
- Top 3 fastest growing sectors: Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; Healthcare and Social Assistance; Education Services; Economic Output.
Major Institutions
- Kelowna International Airport (YLW)
- Two million passengers annually
- Top 10 busiest airports in Canada
- 60 daily non-stop commercial flights with 7 airline partners
- Kelowna General Hospital
- World-class teaching hospital with a full-treatment cancer clinic
- Largest and most comprehensive hospital in the southern interior of B.C.
- UBC Okanagan
- Ranked in top 5% of global universities
- 50% of graduates stay in Okanagan region
- 10,000+ students every year
- Okanagan College
- Second-largest trades training institution in the province
- Over 13,000 students every year
Kelowna is a four-season playground welcoming over two million visitors annually from around the world. The city offers numerous parks, trails, beaches and recreational facilities, which provide a range of activities, including hiking, biking, golfing, swimming, boating, and snow sports. The city is also at the centre of the world-renowned Okanagan wine country, boasting over 40 wineries within a 20-minute drive and a host of award-winning microbreweries, distilleries, and cideries. This, coupled with outdoor markets, galleries, and a vibrant arts and culture sector, makes Kelowna a popular tourist destination.
Learn more:
Arts and Culture
Beaches and Parks
Cultural District
Festivals Kelowna
Recreation Facilities
Tourism Kelowna
Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association
Kelowna’s diverse economy includes a mix of industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, retail trade, construction, technology, healthcare and tourism. The region is renowned for its wine industry and is home to a top-ranked university, a world-class teaching hospital, the second largest trade school in the province, and Kelowna International Airport, one of the largest economic drivers in the Southern Interior. The city also boasts the Kelowna Innovation Centre that fosters technology, entrepreneurship and creativity. A growing hub for technology and aerospace-related companies, Kelowna is fast becoming an economic powerhouse.
Learn more:
Business Licenses
Bidding Opportunities
Building permits
Concession & Vendor Opportunities
Partnerships & Sponsorships
Invest Kelowna
Downtown Kelowna Association
Uptown Rutland Business Improvement Area
Kelowna Innovation Centre
Kelowna offers a high quality of life. Residents enjoy exceptional access to water and the mountains, walkable and bike-friendly communities, neighbourhoods offering a growing mix of housing, excellent schools and facilities, a vibrant cultural hub in the heart of downtown, and a lively brewery, winery, and restaurant sector. The City of Kelowna’s budget and development is shaped by the Imagine Kelowna vision, citizen engagement, council priorities, and strategic plans that help the community thrive through growth and change.
Learn more:
City Annual Report
City Budget
City Online Services
Citizen Survey
Citizen Engagement: Get Involved Program
Community Vision: Imagine Kelowna
Council Priorities
Building a Stronger Kelowna Initiative
Official Community Plan
Property Taxes
