# List of metropolitan areas in British Columbia

The table below lists the census metropolitan areas and agglomerations in British Columbia by population, using data from the Canada 2016 Census. Each entry is identified as a census metropolitan area (CMA) or a census agglomeration (CA), as defined by Statistics Canada. Any other census subdivision that comprises at least 10 percent of the CMA or CA population is listed in parentheses.
A city's metropolitan area, in colloquial or administrative terms, may differ from its CMA as defined by Statistics Canada, resulting in differing populations. Such is the case with the Greater Toronto Area and the National Capital Region, in the separate provinces of Ontario, where their metropolitan populations are notably higher than their respective CMA populations. Statistics Canada listed 19 CMAs and CAs in the Canada 2016 Census.

## Metropolitan areas

| Rank | Geographic name | Type | Region | Regional district | Population (2021) | Population (2016) | Population (2011) |
| 1 | Vancouver | CMA | Lower Mainland | Metro Vancouver | 2,632,000 | 2,463,431 | 2,313,328 |
| 2 | Victoria | CMA | Vancouver Island | Capital | 393,812 | 367,770 | 344,580 |
| 3 | Kelowna | CMA | Thomson-Okanagan | Central Okanagan | 229,401 | 194,882 | 179,839 |
| 4 | Abbotsford | CMA | Lower Mainland | Fraser Valley | 195,726 | 180,518 | 170,191 |
| 5 | Nanaimo | CMA | Vancouver Island | Nanaimo | 115,459 | 104,936 | 98,021 |
| 6 | Kamloops | CMA | Thomson-Okanagan | Thompson-Nicola | 114,142 | 103,811 | 98,754 |
| 7 | Chilliwack | CMA | Lower Mainland | Fraser Valley | 113,767 | 101,512 | 92,308 |
| 8 | Prince George | CA | Cariboo | Fraser-Fort George | 89,490 | 86,622 | 84,232 |
| 9 | Vernon | CA | Thomson-Okanagan | North Okanagan | 67,086 | 61,334 | 58,584 |
| 10 | Courtenay | CA | Vancouver Island | Comox Valley | 63,300 | 54,157 | 51,787 |
| 11 | Penticton | CA | Thomson-Okanagan | Okanagan-Similkameen | 47,380 | 43,432 | 42,361 |
| 12 | Duncan | CA | Vancouver Island | Cowichan Valley | 45,047 | 44,451 | 43,252 |
| 13 | Campbell River | CA | Vancouver Island | Strathcona | 35,519 | 37,861 | 36,096 |
| 14 | Williams Lake | CA | Cariboo | Cariboo | 29,504 | 18,277 | 18,490 |
| 15 | Fort St. John | CA | Peace-North | Peace River | 28,729 | 28,396 | 26,380 |
| 16 | Cranbrook | CA | Kootenay | East Kootenay | 27,040 | 26,083 | 25,037 |
| 17 | Port Alberni | CA | Vancouver Island | Alberni-Clayoquot | 25,786 | 25,112 | 25,465 |
| 18 | Quesnel | CA | Cariboo | Cariboo | 24,234 | 23,146 | 23,566 |
| 19 | Squamish | CA | Sunshine Coast | Squamish-Lillooet | 23,819 | 17,479 | 15,256 |
| 20 | Powell River | CA | Sunshine Coast | Powell River | 21,496 | 16,783 | 16,689 |
| 21 | Salmon Arm | CA | Cariboo | Columbia-Shuswap | 19,432 | 17,904 | 17,683 |
| 22 | Nelson | CA | Kootenay | Central Kootenay | 19,119 | 18,307 | 17,987 |
| 23 | Smithers | CA | Bulkley Valley | Regional District of Bulkey-Nechako | 15,378 | 15,401 | 15,324 |
| 24 | Trail | CA | Kootenay | West Kootenay-Boundary | 15,143 | 14,352 | 13,961 |
| 25 | Terrace | CA | North Coast | Kitimat-Stikine | 14,633 | 15,723 | 15,569 |
| 26 | Creston | CA | Kootenays | Central Kootenay | 14,108 | 13,423 | 12,722 |
| 27 | Dawson Creek | CA | Peace-North | Peace River | 12,323 | 12,178 | 11,583 |
| 28 | Prince Rupert | CA | North Coast | Skeena-Queen Charlotte | 12,300 | 12,687 | 13,052 |
| 29 | Merritt | CA | Thompson-Nicola | Thompson | 10,751 | 10,739 | 10,613 |
| 30 | Kitimat | CA | North Coast | Kitimat-Stikine | 9,414 | 8,968 | 8,879 |
| 31 | Osoyoos | CA | Thompson-Okanagan | Boundary | 9,121 | 7,705 | 7,145 |
| 32 | Revelstoke | CA | Thompson-Okanagan | Columbia Shuswap | 8,981 | 8,545 | 8,130 |
| 33 | Fernie | CA | Kootenays | East Kootenay | 8,320 | 7,916 | 7,532 |
| 34 | Invermere | CA | Kootenays | Columbia Shuswap | 8,256 | 7,478 | 6,773 |
| 35 | Grand Forks | CA | Kootenays | Kootenay Boundary | 7,300 | 7,150 | 7,000 |