Penticton is one of just two cities in the world situated between two lakes. Beaches and water fun are part of the summer culture here – dive in like a local and get wet. Okanagan and Skaha beaches feature nearly 15 acres of premium, sandy beach and swimming areas. Along with the year round outdoor recreation activities available there are over 80 wineries in the Penticton area, 8 craft breweries, 2 cideries and 3 distilleries all within and easy walking or biking distance of the downtown core. The average commute in Penticton is less than 15 minutes. No matter where you live, you can be at the shops, beach, school or job in very little time.
It's name, according to the City, comes from the Interior Salish word "snpintktn," which translates to something between "a place where people live year-round" and "a place to stay forever.”
It has a small-town feel, but in a lot of ways it has world-class amenities. The access to wine country in Penticton is even better than it is in Kelowna, it's got a lake on either end of town, the food scene is growing, the brewery scene is growing, and that's why we think Penticton is a great spot.A focus on creating more attainable and accessible housing saw Penticton have a strong year in 2024, with more than 600 units receiving development permit approval. Further work on the remaining Official Community Plan Housing Task Force recommendations is planned for 2025. This includes various ways for the City to support more affordable housing.
Council has initiated the Social Housing & Infrastructure Plan, which will work with local partners to not only identify land amongst partners and funding opportunities, but be a guide for future social housing needs and a roadmap for how to get there.
The City completed a Housing Needs Assessment, released in July 2023, which showed that between 2016 and 2021, Penticton’s annual growth rate was high, at 1.9%. If this trend continues, the City will have 20,000 additional residents by 2046, putting the population above 56,000. To meet this population projection, the City will need to add 240-380 new residential units every year.
