Living in Upper Mission & Kettle Valley, Kelowna
Upper Mission & Kettle Valley grades C overall (51/100), #22 of 27 residential areas in and around Kelowna. Its strongest categories are road safety, nature & outdoors and parks; its weakest are highway access and health care.
Upper Mission & Kettle Valley has about 3,838 home addresses across 35.7 km². Out of 27 residential areas, Upper Mission & Kettle Valley ranks #4 for families, #20 for seniors and #27 for commuters. It grades A for kids at home, road safety, nature & outdoors.
Explore Upper Mission & Kettle Valley on the mapGrades by category
| Category | Grade | What we measured |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | D (44) | Homes within 1 km of a public elementary school and 2 km of a public middle/secondary school |
| Kids at home | A (100) | Share of households that are families with children at home (2021 Census). Used in the Families score only |
| Road safety | A (80) | ICBC-reported crashes per km² per year, 2021–2025 |
| Parks | B (74) | Homes within 400 m of a park, plus 500 m of a playground |
| Nature & outdoors | A (80) | 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 | C (52) | 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 | B (71) | 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 (37) | Homes within 1 km of a grocery store or pharmacy, and 800 m of a café or restaurant |
| Transit | D (33) | Homes within 400 m of a bus stop, and of a stop with 40+ weekday departures |
| Health care | E (13) | Homes within 1.5 km of a walk-in clinic or hospital, and 1 km of a pharmacy |
| Commute time | B (67) | Workers with a commute under 15 minutes, less a penalty for commutes of an hour or more (2021 Census) |
| Highway access | E (6) | Average straight-line distance from homes to the nearest Highway 97 or 33 interchange |
Who lives here
About 11,365 people live in Upper Mission & Kettle Valley (2021 Census), with a median age of 41.8 (city: 43.5). 89.6% of households own their home and 10.1% rent. 49.9% of households are families with children at home, 22.1% of residents are under 15 and 14.3% are 65 or older. 85% of homes are houses and 1% are apartments.
Schools
40.9% of homes are within 1 km of a public elementary school, and 49.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Chute Lake Elementary elementary | 69 | FSA reading beats 63% of BC schools; FSA math beats 74% |
| Canyon Falls Middle School middle | 52 | FSA reading beats 55% of BC schools; FSA math beats 49% |
| Lakeside School Kelowna independent elementary | – | Too few students to publish |
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
89.9% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Okanagan Lake, Lebanon Creek Greenway, Bellevue Creek Greenway, El Camino and Woodhaven Nature Conservancy Regional Park. A bike ride away: Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park, Myra - Bellevue Park, Kettle Valley Rail Trail, Mission Creek and Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park. A short drive away: Telemark Cross-Country Ski Trails Recreation Site, Bear Creek Recreation Site, Rose Valley Regional Park, Highlands Trail - High Rim Trail and Okanagan Rail Trail.
Parks
29 city parks covering 128.1 hectares. 91.4% of homes are within a five-minute walk (400 m) of a park.
Transit
33 bus stops with 862 weekday departures on routes 16. 66.5% of homes are within 400 m of a stop.
Road safety
ICBC recorded 424 crashes inside Upper Mission & Kettle Valley from 2021 to 2025, 67 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 Upper Mission & Kettle Valley
Is Upper Mission & Kettle Valley a good place to live?
Upper Mission & Kettle Valley grades C overall (51/100), #22 of 27 residential areas in and around Kelowna. Its strongest categories are road safety, nature & outdoors and parks; its weakest are highway access and health care. For families it ranks #4, for seniors #20 and for commuters #27. Grades come from public data only, never from reviews or opinion.
What outdoor spots are near Upper Mission & Kettle Valley?
89.9% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Okanagan Lake, Lebanon Creek Greenway, Bellevue Creek Greenway, El Camino and Woodhaven Nature Conservancy Regional Park. A bike ride away: Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park, Myra - Bellevue Park, Kettle Valley Rail Trail, Mission Creek and Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park. A short drive away: Telemark Cross-Country Ski Trails Recreation Site, Bear Creek Recreation Site, Rose Valley Regional Park, Highlands Trail - High Rim Trail and Okanagan Rail Trail. Nature & outdoors grades A.
What schools are in Upper Mission & Kettle Valley?
Public schools inside the boundary: Chute Lake Elementary, Canyon Falls Middle School, Lakeside School Kelowna. 40.9% of homes are within 1 km of an elementary school. Check catchments with Central Okanagan Public Schools (School District 23).
Are the schools in Upper Mission & Kettle Valley good?
On provincial tests, Chute Lake Elementary beats 69% of BC schools and Canyon Falls Middle School 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 Upper Mission & Kettle Valley?
About 11,365 people (2021 Census), with a median age of 41.8. 89.6% of households own their home.
Is there good transit in Upper Mission & Kettle Valley?
66.5% of homes are within 400 m of a bus stop; 33 stops get 862 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
- Lower Mission C · 58
- Midtown & Orchard Park C · 57
- Dilworth & Quail Ridge C · 54
- 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