Living in Lower Mission, Kelowna
Lower Mission grades C overall (58/100), #19 of 27 residential areas in and around Kelowna. Its strongest categories are schools, nature & outdoors and childcare; its weakest are health care and shops & food.
Lower Mission has about 2,039 home addresses across 10.7 km². Out of 27 residential areas, Lower Mission ranks #2 for families, #21 for seniors and #23 for commuters. It grades A for schools, nature & outdoors, childcare, commute time.
Explore Lower Mission on the mapGrades by category
| Category | Grade | What we measured |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | A (90) | Homes within 1 km of a public elementary school and 2 km of a public middle/secondary school |
| Kids at home | B (69) | Share of households that are families with children at home (2021 Census). Used in the Families score only |
| Road safety | C (64) | ICBC-reported crashes per km² per year, 2021–2025 |
| Parks | C (63) | Homes within 400 m of a park, plus 500 m of a playground |
| Nature & outdoors | A (87) | How close homes are to a trail, natural area or shoreline the public can reach, to a bigger one for a bike ride (a river, lake or long trail), and to a major destination for a drive (a big lake, large park or the ocean) |
| Childcare | A (86) | Homes within 800 m of a licensed group centre or preschool, and 1 km of care for under-3s (home daycares alone don’t count) |
| Quiet streets | D (44) | How close homes are to traffic: right beside a highway counts most, fading out by 300 m; arterial roads fade out by 150 m and collector roads by 100 m (OpenStreetMap road types) |
| Shops & food | D (33) | Homes within 1 km of a grocery store or pharmacy, and 800 m of a café or restaurant |
| Transit | D (43) | Homes within 400 m of a bus stop, and of a stop with 40+ weekday departures |
| Health care | E (7) | Homes within 1.5 km of a walk-in clinic or hospital, and 1 km of a pharmacy |
| Commute time | A (86) | Workers with a commute under 15 minutes, less a penalty for commutes of an hour or more (2021 Census) |
| Highway access | D (33) | Average straight-line distance from homes to the nearest Highway 97 or 33 interchange |
Who lives here
About 7,160 people live in Lower Mission (2021 Census), with a median age of 46.2 (city: 43.5). 81.7% of households own their home and 17.8% rent. 35.6% of households are families with children at home, 15.8% of residents are under 15 and 21.5% are 65 or older. 63% of homes are houses and 17% are apartments.
Schools
89.5% of homes are within 1 km of a public elementary school, and 92% are within 2 km of a public middle or secondary school. Across Central Okanagan Public Schools (School District 23), 96% of students graduate within six years of starting Grade 8 (BC: 92.5%, 2024/2025); the Province doesn't publish this for single schools.
| School | Beats % of BC schools | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Dorothea Walker Elementary elementary | 68 | FSA reading beats 68% of BC schools; FSA math beats 68% |
| Bellevue Creek Elementary elementary | – | Too few students to publish |
| Okanagan Mission Secondary secondary | 72 | 86% proficient in graduation literacy (BC 75%); 51% in graduation numeracy (BC 47%) |
| Anne McClymont Elementary elementary | 72 | FSA reading beats 78% of BC schools; FSA math beats 66% |
| École de l'Anse-au-sable francophone elementary | 52 | FSA reading beats 50% of BC schools; FSA math beats 54% |
Provincial test results (FSA 2023/2024–2025/2026, graduation assessments 2022/2023–2024/2025) compared with every BC school. They don't count toward any grade, because scores follow family income closely. How we work these out.
Nature & outdoors
100% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Okanagan Lake, Mission Ridge Park, Bellevue Creek Greenway, Mission Recreation Park and Woodhaven Nature Conservancy Regional Park. A bike ride away: Mission Creek, Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park, Myra - Bellevue Park, Mission Creek Greenway and Cedar Mountain Regional Park. A short drive away: Telemark Cross-Country Ski Trails Recreation Site, Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park, Bear Creek Recreation Site, Rose Valley Regional Park and Highlands Trail - High Rim Trail.
Parks
13 city parks covering 67.3 hectares. 61.5% of homes are within a five-minute walk (400 m) of a park.
Transit
38 bus stops with 886 weekday departures on routes 1, 5, 16. 75.2% of homes are within 400 m of a stop.
Road safety
ICBC recorded 408 crashes inside Lower Mission from 2021 to 2025, 123 of them with injuries or deaths.
Crime
No public crime data exists at the neighbourhood level, so we don't estimate it.
Common questions about Lower Mission
Is Lower Mission a good place to live?
Lower Mission grades C overall (58/100), #19 of 27 residential areas in and around Kelowna. Its strongest categories are schools, nature & outdoors and childcare; its weakest are health care and shops & food. For families it ranks #2, for seniors #21 and for commuters #23. Grades come from public data only, never from reviews or opinion.
What outdoor spots are near Lower Mission?
100% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Okanagan Lake, Mission Ridge Park, Bellevue Creek Greenway, Mission Recreation Park and Woodhaven Nature Conservancy Regional Park. A bike ride away: Mission Creek, Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park, Myra - Bellevue Park, Mission Creek Greenway and Cedar Mountain Regional Park. A short drive away: Telemark Cross-Country Ski Trails Recreation Site, Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park, Bear Creek Recreation Site, Rose Valley Regional Park and Highlands Trail - High Rim Trail. Nature & outdoors grades A.
What schools are in Lower Mission?
Public schools inside the boundary: Dorothea Walker Elementary, Bellevue Creek Elementary, Okanagan Mission Secondary, Anne McClymont Elementary, École de l'Anse-au-sable. 89.5% of homes are within 1 km of an elementary school. Check catchments with Central Okanagan Public Schools (School District 23).
Are the schools in Lower Mission good?
On provincial tests, Okanagan Mission Secondary beats 72% of BC schools, Anne McClymont Elementary beats 72% of BC schools, Dorothea Walker Elementary beats 68% of BC schools and École de l'Anse-au-sable beats 52% of BC schools (FSA 2023/2024–2025/2026, graduation assessments 2022/2023–2024/2025). SD23 graduates 96% of students within six years (BC 92.5%). Test scores follow family income closely, so visit and talk to the school too.
How many people live in Lower Mission?
About 7,160 people (2021 Census), with a median age of 46.2. 81.7% of households own their home.
Is there good transit in Lower Mission?
75.2% of homes are within 400 m of a bus stop; 38 stops get 886 BC Transit departures on a weekday. Transit grades D.
Compare Kelowna neighbourhoods
Best overall · Best for families with young kids · Best for seniors and retirees · Best for commuters
- South Pandosy A · 85
- Martin Park A · 80
- Bankhead B · 79
- Stillingfleet & Pacific Court B · 79
- Capri & Parkinson B · 78
- Rutland B · 77
- Guisachan B · 76
- KLO & Cameron Park B · 75
- Glenmore B · 74
- Abbott Street B · 73
- South Glenmore B · 73
- Belgo B · 72
- Mission Shores & Casorso B · 72
- North Rutland B · 70
- Downtown Kelowna B · 69
- Hollywood & Quigley B · 67
- North End B · 65
- Fitzpatrick & Findlay B · 65
- Midtown & Orchard Park C · 57
- Dilworth & Quail Ridge C · 54
- Upper Mission & Kettle Valley C · 51
- Black Mountain C · 47
- Wilden & McKinley Landing C · 46
- Crawford & East Kelowna C · 46
- Postill & Tower Ranch D · 42
- Southeast Kelowna D · 41
Data last built 2026-11-06. How these grades are calculated