The District of West Kelowna, formerly "Westside District Municipality," with its 28,793 citizens, was officially incorporated on December 6, 2007. Up until that day, the area was governed by the Regional District of Central Okanagan and the Province of BC and was the largest unincorporated area in the province. The District of West Kelowna is now the second largest municipality in the Central Okanagan. The total land area of the District of West Kelowna is 121.4 square kilometres. Business Attraction West Kelowna is a visually stunning community in all seasons; its physical landscape still dotted with evidence of its rich agricultural history. Vineyards, orchards and farm industry operate throughout this community. The District is nestled on the gently sloping hills on the central west shores of Okanagan Lake and each of its many neighborhoods boast unique and breathtaking vistas. The primary business areas within the District are Boucherie and Westbank Centres. Residential neighborhoods, some with smaller commercial centres, include: Casa Loma, Glenrosa, Lakeview Heights, Rose Valley, Shannon Lake, Westbank and West Kelowna Estates. West Kelowna surrounds two self-governing reserves of the Westbank First Nation. Economic Diversification West Kelowna has a diverse economy, including agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, retail and construction. West Kelowna has a labor force of 14,395. The largest segment of the labor force is in retail trade (13.2%) and construction (12.4%). There are proportionately more people in the construction industry in West Kelowna (12.5%) than in the province overall (7.6%). Most new employment is created by small and medium sized business. The proportion of self-employed people in West Kelowna (17.6%) was slightly higher in 2006 than in BC overall (14.1%). Household Characteristics The 10,205 households are located in West Kelowna. The average household size is 2.7 people, slightly higher than the BC average of 2.5 people. Two person households were the most common household type in West Kelowna (41.9%), which was a higher proportion than for BC overall (34.2%). The proportion of owned dwellings was higher for West Kelowna (88.0 %) than for the province overall (69.7%). West Kelowna has a higher than average proportion of single-detached housing (75.3%) than BC overall (49.0%). Personal Income The median income of persons 15 years and over in West Kelowna for 2005 was $26,442 compared to $24,867 for BC overall. The average income in West Kelowna was $34,951 compared to $34,519 for BC overall, the median income of households in West Kelowna was $60,639 compared to $52,709 for BC overall. Population West Kelowna’s estimated population density is 2.37 persons per hectare, compared to the provincial average of 4.4 persons per hectare. The largest number is in the age group of 40 to 59 years (31.4%). The population’s median age is 42.7, compared to the provincial average of 40.8. The fastest growing age group between 1996 and 2006 was the 75 years and over age group which grew 88.9% and represents 6.8% of the total population. Population in the 5 to 14 years age group declined 2.7 % in the same period. |