We are south centrally located in the interior of BC – approximate distances from Central Okanagan (Kelowna) to: Vancouver 396 kms (246 miles), Calgary 640 kms (379 miles) and Seattle, USA 509 kms (316 miles).
We have access to over 72 million people within 2,000 kms of the Western Canadian and US Pacific Northwest markets.
Our population is 350,927 (estimated) and is concentrated around four urban areas, Vernon, Kelowna, West Kelowna and Penticton.
We have eight First Nations Indian Bands that provide services and facilities to their members within or closely surrounding the Okanagan:
Our average house purchase prices range between $314,500 and $379,800 depending on the municipality.
Our average family income was $57,351 as of the last census in 2006.
Our major economic sectors are agriculture/viticulture, tourism, retail trade, manufacturing, forestry and construction. Emerging industries include film, aviation, health care and technology industries.
We are home to 28,897 businesses with 94% employing less than 20 employees.
We have a labour force of 266,425 people over the age of 15.
We have a number of government and business support offices including a full service passport office, Service BC locations, and a trade commissioner, 12 Chambers of Commerce, three Downtown Associations and a variety of tourism offices.
We have a number of economic development offices representing respective regions throughout the Valley.
For a complete profile of our Valley including detailed demographics, community information, resources and contacts, follow the link below.
Click here for our Okanagan Valley Regional Profile
Map Source: Creative Commons – http://wikitravel.org/en/Okanagan
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