Lake Country

Small Town Feel, Big Possibilities.

Business Opportunities: Where Every Current Finds Its Course

From Startup Dreams to Legacy Enterprises

Lake Country’s strength lies in supporting investment opportunities of every scale, from major developments to local farms and everything in between, creating a resilient economy where diverse ventures thrive together. With flexible zoning, strong municipal partnerships, and favorable market conditions, the community enables visions – whether industrial, residential, commercial, hospitality, or specialized businesses – to become profitable realities. By aligning investor goals with community direction, Lake Country offers the insight and connections needed to bring concepts to life.

 

As per a recentRetail & Hotels Analysis Report, current gaps in offering vs. demand position Lake Country for hotel, dining, and retail development, with a focus on large-box, lifestyle, and personal health retail.

“Lake Country has some of the best land in the Okanagan Valley, surrounded by deep water, and connected to everything that matters.”

– ​ Dennis O’Rourke, Owner of O'Rourke Family Estate & Peak Cellars

“I realized Lake Country had a small-town feel but was actually a big commuter community. People travel from Vernon and Kelowna, and with Lake Country in the middle, there's always highway traffic.”

– Mackenzie Maunder, Owner and Founder of Beat. Patisserie

“After looking at properties throughout Central Okanagan, we chose Lake Country. The community was underserved and ready. Sometimes the best opportunities are in places others haven't fully recognized yet.”

– Richard Marken, Managing Partner of Cutwater Brewery

Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)​

Gare d’autocars de transport collectif interurbain

• Hôtel Hyatt Place Montréal Centre-Ville offrant des espaces pour réunions, conférences et événements jusqu’à 200 personnes

Lake Country Business Park

200 acres of commercial & industrial zoning by mid 2026.

 

 

Lake Country Business Park

200 acres industrial
zoning by mid-2026

 

Bubna & Copperhill Industrial & Commercial Areas

Watch this page for exciting details to come.

Lake Country at a Glance

Where Stories Begin – Where the Current Carries You Forward

 

There's something about Lake Country that calls to those who understand the rhythm of opportunity. The way it moves quietly at first, then builds into something undeniable. This isn't just another beautiful corner of British Columbia where the mountains meet the lakes.

Lake Country offers an environment where ideas move efficiently from concept to development. For over thirty years, the community has focused on thoughtful, sustainable growth, anticipating future needs rather than pursuing rapid, unchecked expansion.

Population estimated to grow by 87% by 2046

250 acres available land for development

11 minutes to Kelowna International Airport

1,000 issued business licenses

Household incomes rank
22-27% above BC and Canada averages

7 world class wineries

The Lake Country Current

Where the Flow Carries You Home

The Lake Country Current

Where the Flow
Carries You Home

Population Growth

Housing Demand & Supply

Infrastructure

Available Land for Development

Business Eco-System

Thriving Sector or Industries

Quality of Life

Income Levels

Community Investment

Population Tide: The Wave You Want to Ride

Something remarkable is happening in Lake Country. The kind of organic growth that comes when people choose a place, not when they're pushed there by circumstance. There's a substantial workforce currently making the daily pilgrimage to Kelowna, carrying with them the quiet wish to work closer to where they've chosen to build their lives. This isn't just demographic data; it's the foundation of your future market.

Rapid current growth: from 12,922​ in 2016 to estimated​ 17,857​ in 2024.

 

Estimated to grow by​ 87% by 2046 – the fastest growth rate in the Central Okanagan.

Many people from Lake Country commute to Kelowna would love to work closer to home.

Housing Market: More Demand Needs More Supply

As the population grows, housing demand creates significant opportunities for developers. The municipality prioritizes affordable housing applications, resulting in faster permitting, quicker project timelines, and a more efficient path from concept to completion.

To keep up with the population growth housing stock is being increased

 

Multiple affordable housing developments are underway

Affordable housing applications take permitting priority

Infrastructure: The Bones That Bear Weight

Lake Country offers both scenic beauty and strategic connectivity. It is 15 minutes from Kelowna International Airport and the University of BC Okanagan, and within driving distance of Vancouver, Kamloops, and Calgary. This accessibility supports efficient movement of people, goods, and ideas for modern businesses.

Land: Where Vision Finds Its Canvas

As industrial space becomes limited in Kelowna, Lake Country offers 200 acres in the upcoming Business Park by mid-2026 and additional Commercial Areas by 2030. These sites are planned, zoned, and almost ready for a range of development projects. In addition to a variety of areas throughout Lake Country that redevelopment is just waiting for a developer with vision and passion.

Business Ecosystem: Where Entrepreneurs Can Find
Their Own Current

Lake Country’s business community spans more than 1,000 licenses in sectors from technology to tourism, including 150 short-term vacation rentals that highlight a strong visitor market. Its smaller scale means streamlined processes, quicker approvals, and less bureaucracy, delivering time and cost savings for developers from start to finish. Lake Country offers a “concierge” service to help developers and new business owners navigate the processes, in an effort to get you up and running faster.

Thriving Economy: Where Multiple Streams Converge

Like a river branching into many streams, Lake Country’s diverse industries flow through multiple channels, weaving together the resilience that savvy investors value. The agricultural foundation is deep-rooted, supporting thriving orchards and vineyards that feed seven world-class wineries and three cideries. Tourism and agri-tourism surge year-round, with experiences like goat yoga and farm-stay accommodations attracting visitors who return regularly.

Sports tourism represents another rising tide, centred around an ice arena that operates 11 months annually, the R.I.N.K. high-performance hockey academy, and youth hockey camps that bring families and their spending power throughout the seasons. There are a number of new and exciting community amenities that will be launched soon bringing even more visitors to the community. Each sector supports the others, creating an economic web that continues to strengthen the community.

Quality of Life: The Current That Keeps Talent

The smartest investors know that sustainable growth depends on attracting and keeping the right people. Lake Country delivers a lifestyle story that writes itself: crime rates 42% below the BC average, cost of living approximately 17% lower than provincial standards, and educational excellence through three elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and French immersion programs from K-12.

The natural setting provides more than just scenery. It offers the work-life integration that today's talent is often seeking. Hiking trails that clear the mind, biking paths that connect communities, farms and vineyards that feed the body and soul. The Okanagan, Kalamalka, and Wood lakes create recreational opportunities that turn residents into community ambassadors.

Crime rates 42% below BC average

Cost of living ~17% lower than BC average

3 elementary schools
(grades k-5), 1 middle school (grades 6-8),1 high school (grades 7-12), French immersion available from k-12

Proximity to medical care: 30km to Vernon Jubilee Hospital and 21km to Kelowna General Hospital

Income Levels: The Financial Current

In Lake Country, residents thrive. Household incomes sit well above provincial and national averages, and with single-family homes averaging $990,000, the community carries real spending power. That strength drives a healthy retail, service, and hospitality sector, creating opportunities across the commercial market.

Community Investment: Building Tomorrow's Foundation

Lake Country fosters an active, engaged community where residents contribute through volunteerism and youth programs that build long-term community investment. The area's civic infrastructure includes the 150-seat Creekside Theatre, while 2027 will bring completion of both a major community complex, new sport fields and an Indigenous cultural centre, all set among three pristine lakes: Okanagan, Kalamalka, and Wood Lake.

Creekside theatre – performances that acoommodate up to 150

Community complex with over 100,000 SF completion date 2027

Indigenous cultural centre scheduled completion date 2027

3 lakes – Okanagan Lake, Kalamalka Lake, Wood Lake

Local Government Support:
Partnership That Flows Like Water

Where Red Tape Dissolves

Lake Country has a municipal approach that centres on providing concierge-level service to help you navigate the path toward responsible development with the efficiency that your vision deserves. This isn't bureaucratic theatre. It is a business-focused philosophy that recognizes your time and capital have choices.

For development projects along Main Street or in the downtown core, you might qualify for up to a 10-year taxation exemption, a significant financial incentive that directly improves your project's economics. But beyond incentives, our streamlined processes flow from a smaller municipal structure where decisions happen with clarity and speed rather than getting lost in endless committee cycles.

To help guide successful development, a 2025 Business Needs Assessment shares key insights to help guide your investment with the community’s changing needs.

“The community wants to see different offerings and services, and there's no shortage of opportunity or space to grow.”

- ​ Mackenzie Maunder, Owner of Beat Patisserie

Useful Links

Here’s some additional background information to support development and investment opportunities in Lake Country. This context highlights the region’s key strengths, emerging potential, and strategic advantages for investors and developers alike.