Bella Coola is a community of approximately 600 at the western extremity of the Bella Coola valley. Bella Coola may actually refer to the entire valley, encompassing the settlements of Bella Coola, Lower Bella Coola, Hagensborg, Saloompt, Nusatsum, Firvale and Stuie. It is also the seat of the Central Coast Regional District.
Bella Coola (the entire valley) contains a population of 2289 as of the 2001 Canadian census. This was a drop of 4.6% from the 1996 census, when the population was 2400 (exactly). However, the on-reserve native Canadian (almost entirely Nuxálk) population increased from 873 (1996) to 909 (2001), an increase from 36.4% to 39.7% of the overall population.
