Independent guide · Updated September 2026
Buying or selling in Kamloops? Start with the facts.
Fifteen neighbourhoods with honest pros and cons, the rules that actually trip people up here (Sun Rivers leases, short-term rentals, slope hazards), dated market numbers and calculators that do the transfer-tax maths for you.
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By Sean Phillips, REALTOR®, Coldwell Banker Executives Realty, Vernon BC. Licensed across British Columbia.
Kamloops & District market, August 2026
- $669,100Single-family benchmark +0.9% y/y
- $508,400Townhome benchmark −2.5% y/y
- $375,900Condo benchmark −1.1% y/y
- 217Sales in August −1.4% y/y
- 1,406Active listings −5.3% y/y
Source: Association of Interior REALTORS®, 3 Sept 2026. AIR describes the market as "balanced." Benchmarks describe a typical home, not an average sale. Full market page and 2026 news.
Why Kamloops, in plain numbers
A river city with prices the Okanagan left behind
Kamloops sits where the North and South Thompson rivers meet. The name comes from the Secwepemctsín Tkʼəmlúps, "meeting of the waters," and the city grew up on the flats and benches around that confluence (Wikipedia). The 2021 Census counted 97,902 people in the city and 114,142 in the wider metro area.
For buyers, the headline is price. The August 2026 single-family benchmark for Kamloops & District was $669,100. For comparison, the North Okanagan benchmark was $756,900 in May 2026, and in April 2026 Zolo ranked Kamloops as BC's most affordable large city. If you have been priced out of Kelowna or its west side (see what West Kelowna homes cost), Kamloops is often the next place people look.
There is a quieter tax point too. Because a typical Kamloops house sits well under $835,000, most first-time buyers here can use the full BC property transfer tax exemption, which is worth up to $8,000. The affordability calculator works it out for your price.
What you get for that price
- Sun and heat. Kamloops is semi-arid, with about 2,080 hours of sunshine and roughly 278 mm of precipitation a year. Summers are hot: the record is 47.3 °C, set on 29 June 2021.
- A regional hospital. Royal Inland Hospital is Interior Health's tertiary referral centre, and a $386 million cancer centre is under construction on its campus.
- A university. Thompson Rivers University's 250-acre campus is in Sahali, and it has had a law school since 2011.
- Big recreation. Sun Peaks, Canada's second-largest ski area by skiable terrain, is about an hour's drive. Kenna Cartwright is the largest municipal park in BC, and the city calls itself the Tournament Capital of Canada.
- Highways and flights. Highways 1, 5 and 97 meet here, and Kamloops Airport (YKA) carried 72,937 passengers in Q2 2026.
Neighbourhood map
Fifteen areas, two rivers, a lot of hillside
Kamloops isn't one market. River-flat neighbourhoods like the North Shore and Brocklehurst are flat, older and more affordable. Hillside areas like Aberdeen, Juniper Ridge and Batchelor Heights have the views and newer homes, and the extra questions that come with slopes. Tap a number to jump to that area's pros and cons.
Tools
Run the numbers before you call anyone
Affordability + transfer tax
Stress-test price ceiling, BC property transfer tax, and the first-time and new-build exemptions, all in one place.
Open calculator Buyer toolNeighbourhood comparison + quiz
A sortable table of 15 areas by setting, drive time and trade-offs, plus a six-question match quiz.
Compare areas Investor toolTRU rental estimator
Cash flow, cap rate and break-even rent for a condo or suited house near campus, with an honest note on 2026 student demand.
Estimate a rental Seller toolNet proceeds estimator
What you would actually walk away with after payout, legal, GST and moving costs. Pair it with a free price opinion.
Estimate proceedsWho lives where
Best fits at a glance
| If you are… | Look first at |
|---|---|
| A young family | Pineview Valley, Brocklehurst, Aberdeen, Juniper Ridge |
| Retiring | Sun Rivers (leasehold), Sahali and Aberdeen condos, downtown |
| A TRU investor or parent | Sahali and Lower Sahali, North Shore |
| On a tight budget | North Shore, Brocklehurst, Valleyview condos and townhomes |
| Chasing trails and snow | Rayleigh and Heffley Creek, Juniper, Barnhartvale, Batchelor |
| After acreage | Barnhartvale, Rayleigh, parts of Westsyde and Dallas |
Get listings
New Kamloops listings, by email
Tell Sean what you want and he'll set up a custom MLS® saved search, so matching homes reach your inbox as they list. There's no obligation and you can unsubscribe any time.
Selling in Kamloops
What's your home worth in a balanced market?
In August 2026 there were 1,406 active listings against 217 sales. AIR calls that balanced, and it means pricing matters again: a well-priced home still sells, while an over-priced one sits. July's release noted that "demand has consistently outpaced the supply of available homes," and August's said wildfire smoke dampened activity.
A price opinion from Sean looks at recent sales on your street type (flat or hillside, suite or no suite, view or no view) and at what you would be competing against. It's free and there's no pressure.
Read the Kamloops selling guide, including the pre-listing checklist and best months to list.
Explore the guide
Everything on this site
Neighbourhoods
A section on each of 15 areas, with verified facts, drive times and honest cons.
Rivers vs hillsides
Floodplain, silt bluffs, slope hazards, wildfire interface and microclimate, explained.
Buying guide
PTT, the vacancy tax, short-term rental rules, leasehold, zoning, strata checks.
Lifestyle
Schools, RIH, Sun Peaks, golf, trails, seasons, smoke and commute times.
Market & news
Monthly AIR numbers for 2026, rents, and ten sourced local stories.
History & facts
From Tkʼemlúps to Fort Kamloops, the CPR and a crater on Mars.
FAQ
Twenty-one real questions buyers and sellers ask about Kamloops.
About Sean
Who writes this guide and why he's worth a call.
Also in Sean's network: the Vernon and Okanagan listings hub, about an hour and three-quarters southeast via Highways 1 and 97.
Questions? Call or text
Get a straight answer about a Kamloops street, suite or price
Ask about a neighbourhood, a legal suite, a Sun Rivers lease, a TRU rental or what your home might sell for. Sean Phillips is a REALTOR® licensed across British Columbia, with a 40-year technology background he puts to work on data like the numbers on this site.