The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) is in southern

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, adjacent to the

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

state of

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. It is bounded by

Fraser Valley Regional District The Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) is a regional district in British Columbia, Canada. Its headquarters are in the city of Chilliwack. The FVRD covers an area of 13,361.74 km2 (5,159 sq mi). It was created in 1995 by a ...

to the west,

Thompson-Nicola Regional District The Thompson–Nicola Regional District is a regional district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The Canada 2021 Census population was 143,680 and the area covers 44,449.49 square kilometres. The administrative offices are in the ma ...

and

Regional District of Central Okanagan The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) is a regional district in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, representing two unincorporated Electoral Areas of Central Okanagan East and Central Ok ...

to the north,

Regional District of Kootenay Boundary The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) is one of 28 regional districts in the province of British Columbia, Canada. As of the 2016 Canadian census, the population was 31,447. The area is 8,095.62 km2 (3,125.74 sq mi). The RDKB ...

to the east, and by

Okanogan County, Washington Okanogan County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington along the Canada–U.S. border. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,104. The county seat is Okanogan, while the most populous city is Omak. It is the largest ...

to the south. At the 2011 census the population was 80,742. The district covers a land area of . The administrative offices are in the City of Penticton.

Population history

* 2021: 90,178 (+8.6%) * 2016: 83,022 (+2.8%) * 2011: 80,742 (+1.6%) * 2006: 79,475 (+3.7%) * 2001: 76,635 (+0.9%) * 1996: 75,933

Municipalities

RDOS comprises six municipalities and nine rural electoral areas designated Electoral areas A - I. The municipalities of RDOS are

Penticton Penticton ( ) is a city in the Okanagan, Okanagan Valley of the British Columbia, Canada, situated between Okanagan Lake, Okanagan and Skaha Lake, Skaha lakes. In the 2021 Canadian Census, its population was 36,885, while its Census geographic un ...

, Summerland,

Osoyoos Osoyoos (, ) is the southernmost town in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia between Penticton and Omak. The town is north of the United States border in the Washington State and is adjacent to the Osoyoos Indian reserve. The origin of ...

Oliver Oliver may refer to: Arts, entertainment and literature Books * ''Oliver the Western Engine'', volume 24 in ''The Railway Series'' by Rev. W. Awdry * ''Oliver Twist'', a novel by Charles Dickens Fictional characters * Ariadne Oliver ...

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

, and

Keremeos Keremeos () is a village in British Columbia, Canada. The name originated from the Similkameen dialect of the Okanagan language word "Keremeyeus" meaning "creek which cuts its way through the flats" referring to Keremeos Creek which flows down fr ...

Demographics

As a

census division Census divisions, in Canada and the United States, are areas delineated for the purposes of statistical analysis and presentation; they have no government in and of themselves. The census divisions of Canada are second-level census geographic uni ...

in the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. It is headquartered in ...

, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

Ethnicity

*Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.

Language

According to the 2011 Census, 84.43% of Okanagan-Similkameen's population have

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

mother tongue A first language (L1), native language, native tongue, or mother tongue is the first language a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongue'' refers ...

;

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

is the

of 2.99% of the population, followed by

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabis, Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a ...

(2.86%),

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

(1.90%), Portuguese (1.06%),

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

(0.80%), Ukrainian (0.42%), Hungarian (0.41%),

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

(0.41%), and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

(0.39%).Census Profile Okanagan-Similkameen, RD British Columbia http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CD&Code1=5907&Geo2=PR&Code2=01&Data=Count&SearchText=Okanagan-Similkameen&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1

Electoral areas

; Okanagan-Similkameen A : Rural areas surrounding Osoyoos, including Anarchist Mountain to the east between Rock Creek and

. : Population: 2,139 ; Okanagan-Similkameen B : The valley of the

Similkameen River The Similkameen River runs through southern British Columbia, Canada, eventually discharging into the Okanagan River near Oroville, Washington, in the United States. Through the Okanagan River, it drains to the Columbia River. The river is said ...

from Cawston downstream to Chopaka, at the US border. : Population: 1,151 ; Okanagan-Similkameen C : Rural areas surrounding Oliver. : Population: 3,986 ; Okanagan-Similkameen D : Rural areas and unincorporated communities southeast of Penticton, including

Okanagan Falls Okanagan Falls (also known as OK Falls) is a community located on the south end of Skaha Lake in British Columbia, Canada. It voted to become an incorporated municipality in 2025. History The community was founded in 1893 as Dogtown. The current ...

. : Population: 4,016 ; Okanagan-Similkameen E : Rural areas and unincorporated settlements to the northeast of Penticton including

Naramata Naramata is an unincorporated community in the Okanagan region of south central British Columbia, Canada. On the eastern shore of southern Okanagan Lake, the locality is by road about north of Penticton. Name origin In November 1906, John Moore ...

. : Population: 2,015 ; Okanagan-Similkameen F : Rural areas west of Summerland and northwest of Penticton. : Population: 2,092 ; Okanagan-Similkameen G : Rural areas of the middle Similkameen Valley surrounding Keremeos, including Hedley. : Population: 2,298 ; Okanagan-Similkameen H : Rural areas and unincorporated communities in the upper Similkameen Valley, including Tulameen and Coalmont. : Population: 2,232 ; Okanagan-Similkameen I : Rural areas southwest of Penticton, including

Kaleden Kaleden () is an unincorporated community about midway along the western shore of Skaha Lake in the Okanagan region of south central British Columbia. Adjacent to BC Highway 97, the locality is by road about south of Penticton. Agriculture As e ...

Population history

Municipalities

Demographics

Ethnicity

Language

Electoral areas

Notes

References

External links