10 Best Places To Call Home In British Columbia In 2025
British Columbia is Canada’s westernmost province and is home to a diverse landscape from fjords to granite peaks. It is bounded by Yukon and the Northwest Territories to the north, Alberta to the east, the United States to the south, and both the Pacific Ocean and the southern panhandle of Alaska to the west.
The province is a popular choice for many to call home due to its natural landscapes, access to outdoor recreation activities, and high quality of life. Many people are drawn to Vancouver due to its year-round mild climate, strong economy, and excellent urban conveniences and amenities. British Columbia’s median house price is $943,000, with the city of Vancouver being the most expensive, with the average house cost at $1.15 million.
These 10 towns offer everything people love about British Columbia, from scenic mountains to the Pacific coastline.
Nelson
Nelson is located in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia and is known for its 350 heritage buildings, breathtaking natural surroundings, and vibrant arts community. Nelson's development is soaring, with the largest areas of growth in education and small-to-medium-sized businesses. Selkirk College has two campuses with over 400 students enrolled annually.
With more heritage buildings per capita than any other region in the province, the Nelson Museum, Archives, and Gallery showcase permanent exhibitions of local history and rotating art installations. Nelson boasts a strong, tight-knit community, with many residents enjoying the Nelson Museum to support local artists and the vibrant arts scene Nelson is known for.
Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy living in Nelson because it offers access to the outdoors, like the hike to Pulpit Rock, which showcases panoramic views of the town and surrounding mountains. As of August 2025, the median list price of homes in Nelson was $771,863, which was 3% lower than in July 2025.
Hope
Living in Hope means living in a welcoming community with a peaceful, natural landscape. Hope offers some of the most affordable housing in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, with the median list price in August 2025 at $709,102. Hope is a junction for major highway routes used by tourists and is only a 2-hour drive from Metro Vancouver.
As well as a very accessible downtown area, outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy living in Hope due to activities like cycling, fishing, and hiking. The Hope Lookout Trail is a short drive from downtown. It is a steep and challenging hike, but it rewards hikers with breathtaking views of the Fraser River and the surrounding area.
Hope is known for its strong sense of community, where residents come together for various events and festivals throughout the year. Every year at Memorial Park, the Hope Chainsaw Carving Competiton is held. To see carvings from past competitions, the Hope Chainsaw Carvings are scattered around town and consist of over 80 wood carvings. Hope boasts a creative and inclusive environment which is culminated in the annual Hope Brigade Days festival which features a parade, live music, and other activities.
Campbell River
Campbell River is located on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island and is known for its friendly, small-town character. It offers residents a balanced lifestyle with access to modern amenities, contrasted with natural surroundings. To complement those benefits, the median list price in August 2025 was $696,344. Campbell Rivers boasts a strong economy with several key sectors being: forestry, aquaculture, mining, health and wellness, and tourism.
Campbell River is great for outdoor enthusiasts as it is known as the gateway to Strathcona Provincial Park which allows for adventurous residents to explore the lakes, waterfalls, and glaciers in the park. The Discovery Fishing Pier is a great spot to spend an afternoon fishing with the family. The built in rod stands make it a suitable place for anglers of all ages and skill levels. Public art in the form of murals and carved driftwood sculptures is dotted around the downtown area, adding to Campbell River’s small-town charm.
Campbell River's thriving community can enjoy the Community Center, which includes a gymnasium, lounge, and various-sized activity rooms for rent. Every year on the second weekend of August, residents of Campbell River gather for the annual Salmon Festival to enjoy salmon barbecue, children's activities, live entertainment, and trade show booths.
Cranbrook
Cranbrook is nestled between the Rocky Mountains and the Purcell Mountains. It has been determined to experience more hours of sunshine than any other town or city in British Columbia. If that doesn’t make it a great place to call home, then Cranbrook’s affordable real estate will, with the median home listing price at $665,697 in August 2025. Cranbrook's geography allows its residents to easily access the outdoors. Several hiking trails are only a ten-minute drive from downtown, such as Elizabeth Lake Bird Sanctuary, which offers hiking trails, viewpoints, and wildlife viewing opportunities.
Cranbrook is considered the economic and cultural hub of the region due to East Kootenay Regional Hospital and the College of the Rockies being located in town.
Cranbrook is a golfer's paradise, being home to 8 golf courses within a 30-kilometer radius, such as the Cranbrook Golf Club, which is able to start its season earlier in the year due to the abundance of sunshine Cranbrook is privy to. Key City Theatre is a hub of entertainment in Cranbrook. This 600-seat venue hosts events such as theatre, conferences, and live shows, which are enjoyable for the whole family.
Port Alberni
Port Alberni is situated in the Alberni Inlet of Vancouver Island and is a great place to start a family or retire. It boasts among the cheapest real estate on Vancouver Island, with the median home listing price in August 2025 sitting at $599,083. It is very walkable, particularly around downtown at Alberni Harbour Quay—a waterfront hub for shopping and dining.
Residents enjoy abundant, year-round access to outdoor activities such as kayaking, canoeing, and paddle-boarding, all of which can be launched at Centennial Pier. Port Alberni also offers a variety of amenities, such as West Coast General Hospital, which provides services like medical imaging and emergency care. The Port Alberni North Island College campus is also located in town, offering a mix of programs to serve the region.
Grand Forks
Grand Forks is located on the confluence of the Granby and Kettle Rivers, only a ten-minute drive from Washington state. The town boasts a strong commitment to healthy living, quality of life, and, affordability with the median home listing price in August 2025 at $577,435. As well as affordable real estate, Grand Forks offers one of the lowest property tax and municipal charges in the province.
Every Tuesday and Friday between May and October, farmers, orchard keepers, and bakers bring their products to the farmers' market in Gyro Park to be enjoyed by the idyllic, family-friendly community Grand Forks is known for.
Grand Forks boasts an array of thriving arts, culture, and heritage activities. Such activities include an afternoon spent at one of only a few public art galleries in rural British Columbia. The Gallery 2 Grand Forks Art Gallery showcases exhibitions from local, regional, and national artists with free admission. The Gem Theatre is a family-run movie theatre with a history-themed lobby decorated with memorabilia and pop culture items. The theatre shows a mixture of new releases, retro hits, and documentaries.
Trail
Trail is situated on the banks of the Columbia River. Trail boasts an outdoor-focused lifestyle, a strong industrial job market, and affordable real estate with the median home listing prices of $492,135 in August 2025. Trail is home to two of the region’s largest employers: Tech Trail Operations, and Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital. Many hikes are accessible from Trail, such as Miral Heights Lookout which offers panoramic views of the town.
For a family meal, The Colander Restaurant has been serving authentic Italian food since it opened in 1972 and is regarded by locals as the best place to bring out-of-town guests. Live music is performed every Thursday night between June and August in Gyro Park. It features both local and touring artists, with the suggestion of a $3 minimum donation.
Merritt
Merrit is nestled in the heart of British Columbia’s Nicola Valley, boasting a comfortable climate with long hours of sunshine and very little precipitation throughout the year. Unlike larger urban cities like Vancouver and Kelowna, Merritt is appealing to first-time buyers, families, and retirees alike, with the median housing price in August 2025 sitting at $477,127. It is also home to four elementary schools, one high school, and Nicola Valley Hospital and Health Center, which offers 24/7 emergency care as well as specializing in other forms of care.
Merritt is surrounded by rolling hills, lakes, and forests, providing many residents who enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and fishing with ample opportunities to do so at nearby Nicola Lake. The local community in Merritt is strong, with many locals enjoying the available recreational facilities in town, such as the Nicola Valley Aquatic Center, which features multiple pools, hot tubs, and a sauna.
Lillooet
Lillooet is located on the banks of the Fraser River in a semi-desert climate boasting hot and dry summers with mild winters and affordable real estate compared to other towns in the region, such as Whistler. The median listing price of homes in August 2025 was $475,339. Lillooet is considered one of North America's oldest continuously inhabited settlements, with evidence going back more than 8,000 years. At one point, it was the second-largest community north of San Francisco and west of Chicago.
Lillooet's low cost of living is a major draw for families and active seniors who value a high quality of life. Residents frequent the Lillooet R.E.C. Center year-round to enjoy amenities such as a library, gymnasium, and swimming pool.
The Lillooet Brewing Company offers a diverse range of beers with varying and unique flavours, and is a gathering place for locals, serving food and drinks inside or on their patio. Lillooet is not without its access to the outdoors. With skiing and snowmobiling popular in the winter, and hiking in the summer, there is nothing more iconic than the Seton Lake Lookout, which looks out onto a U-shaped portion of the highway and the emerald coloured water of Seton Lake.
Quesnel
Quesnel is located in the central interior of British Columbia, boasting walkability and affordability, with a median housing listing price in August 2025 at $401,277. Its diverse range of activities also allows residents to be as active as they want. LeBourdais Park is a great place to spend a warm summer’s day with the whole family and enjoy on-site facilities such as picnic tables, a baseball diamond, and a playground. LeBourdais Park hosts the annual Billy Barker Days festival, a four-day event featuring live music, participatory events, and much more.
Quesnel offers public and private education with Primary, Junior, Secondary, and Post-Secondary options. The University of Northern British Columbia South-Central Campus is located in Quesnel.
Quesnel offers its residents ample opportunities to access the outdoors. It is close to Pinnacles Provincial Park and only an 8-kilometer drive from downtown Quesnel. The park comprises 124 hectares of pine forest and is open year-round for hikers to enjoy observing rock formations and views of the town.
Home Awaits in British Columbia
British Columbia has always been a province known for sprawling valleys, towering mountains, and the Pacific coastline. Now, in 2025, everyone from first-time buyers, families, and retirees can enjoy everything that is much loved about British Columbia in these small towns with tight-knit communities, outdoor recreation, and a great quality of life.
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