British Columbia · Census Metropolitan Area
Victoria by the numbers
Victoria is Canada's 16th largest metro area, home to about 445K people, growing slower than the country since 2021 (+7.4% vs +9.3%). A two-bedroom rents for about $2,121, the median age is 44.8 and January averages 5°C.
People
Population of Victoria
The Victoria census metropolitan area had an estimated 445,090 people on July 1, 2025, up +7.4% since 2021 (Canada grew +9.3%). The 2021 Census counted 397,237 people, +8.0% more than in 2016.
The City of Victoria itself had an estimated 103,888 residents in 2025.
Municipalities in the Victoria area
| Municipality | 2025 estimate | 2021 Census | 2016–21 growth | People / km² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saanich | 126,011 | 117,735 | +3.1% | 1,137 |
| Victoria | 103,888 | 91,867 | +7.1% | 4,722 |
| Langford | 59,664 | 46,584 | +31.8% | 1,124 |
| Colwood | 22,794 | 18,961 | +12.5% | 1,074 |
| Oak Bay | 18,626 | 17,990 | -0.6% | 1,710 |
| Esquimalt | 19,512 | 17,533 | -0.7% | 2,477 |
| Central Saanich | 18,184 | 17,385 | +3.4% | 422 |
| Sooke | 17,248 | 15,086 | +16.0% | 267 |
| Sidney | 13,445 | 12,318 | +5.5% | 2,413 |
| North Saanich | 12,986 | 12,235 | +8.8% | 329 |
| View Royal | 12,795 | 11,575 | +11.2% | 808 |
| Juan de Fuca (Part 1) | 5,439 | 5,132 | +9.9% | 23 |
| Metchosin | 5,207 | 5,067 | +7.6% | 73 |
| Highlands | 2,753 | 2,482 | +11.6% | 65 |
| New Songhees 1A | 2,052 | 1,839 | -0.2% | 2,590 |
| East Saanich 2 | 1,962 | 1,790 | +6.0% | 688 |
| South Saanich 1 | 799 | 712 | -13.4% | 341 |
| Cole Bay 3 | 298 | 266 | -19.9% | 94 |
| T'Sou-ke | 257 | 230 | +2.2% | 308 |
| Becher Bay 1 | 250 | 221 | +71.3% | 84 |
| Esquimalt | 135 | 120 | — | 554 |
| Union Bay 4 | 123 | 109 | +16.0% | 377 |
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0148-01, Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0155-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0003-01
2021 Census
Who lives in Victoria
Age
Median age is 44.8 (Canada: 41.6). 23.4% of residents are 65 or older and 12.7% are under 15.
Languages
10.1% can speak both official languages. At home, 91.1% speak mostly English, 0.5% mostly French and 6.3% mostly another language.
Immigration
18.9% of residents are immigrants (Canada: 23.0%), and 2.6% arrived between 2016 and 2021.
Education: 39.0% of 25 to 64 year olds hold a bachelor's degree or higher; 19.9% have a college or CEGEP diploma and 7.6% a trades certificate.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0030-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0223-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0227-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0302-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0384-01
Money
Income and jobs in Victoria
Half of Victoria households made more than $85,000 in 2020 and half made less. Across Canada the median was $84,000.
Unemployment rate
In September 2026, the unemployment rate was 5.8% and 60.1% of adults had a job.
Prices: the Consumer Price Index for Victoria was up +3.4% over the year to September 2026 (Canada: +3.1%).
Gas prices
Regular gas averaged 210.0¢ a litre in September 2026, +21.7% from a year earlier (Canada: 184.3¢). Compare gas prices across Canada →
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0061-01, Statistics Canada, Table 14-10-0459-01, Statistics Canada, Table 18-10-0004-01, Statistics Canada, Table 18-10-0001-01
Housing
Housing in Victoria
Average rent (October 2025)
A two-bedroom apartment rented for $2,121 a month on average, +6.3% from a year earlier and +40.9% over five years. The rental vacancy rate was 3.1%. Within the City of Victoria itself, a two-bedroom averaged $2,076.
New homes being built
Builders started 4,060 new homes in the Victoria area in the 12 months to September 2026, -17.0% from the year before. That is 9.1 new homes per 1,000 residents. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 34-10-0154-01 (CMHC housing starts)
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0258-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0256-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0253-01, Statistics Canada, Table 34-10-0133-01, Statistics Canada, Table 34-10-0127-01
Commuting
Getting around Victoria
Census day 2021 fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, so transit use is lower than in normal years.
Safety
Crime in Victoria
The Crime Severity Index weighs each police-reported crime by how serious it is. Canada in 2006 = 100. Victoria's index rose +4.8% in the latest year.
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0026-01
Every crime type in Victoria → Car theft, break-ins, fraud, homicides and more.
Climate
Victoria weather and climate
30-year averages (1981–2010) from the Saanichton Cda weather station, 21.8 km from the city centre.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010
Official city data
Victoria open data & fun facts
Saanich Open Data · 51 datasets
- Property Line Property Line is captured to provide an accurate representation of lot line boundaries to support management, planning and maintenance of properties within the District of Saanich.
- Water Hydrant The water hydrant is captured to support the management, planning, and maintenance of water assets.
- Building Building rooflines are captured to support District management and planning.
- Zoning Zoning regulates the use of land and the location, use, size and shape of buildings and structures erected thereon.
City of Victoria Open Data Portal · 417 datasets
- Tree Species (Parks trees database) Trees in the City of Victoria parks trees database, with species and size.
- Business Licences - Current Year Business licences issued by the City of Victoria in the current year.
- 2016 Short Form Census (100% Sample) broken down by neighbourhood 2016 Short Form Census (100% Sample) broken down by neighbourhood data published on this portal.
- 2016 Long Form Census (25% Sample) broken down by neighbourhood 2016 Long Form Census (25% Sample) broken down by neighbourhood data published on this portal.
- Traffic Volume Traffic Volume (24hr count).
Out of all Canadian metro areas with data
How Victoria ranks
Compare
Municipality profiles
Cities and towns in the Victoria area
Cities near Victoria
Interactive timeline
History of Victoria
Victoria grew on the homelands of the Lekwungen peoples, known today as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, whose ancestors have lived here for at least 4,000 years. A Hudson's Bay Company fort built in 1843 became the capital of the colony of Vancouver Island, a gold-rush boom town in 1858 and, from 1871, the capital of the province of British Columbia. The city is home to Canada's oldest Chinatown and the Pacific naval base at Esquimalt, and its early growth was shaped by the Douglas Treaties, the 1862 smallpox epidemic and anti-Chinese laws.
FAQ
Victoria questions, answered
What is the population of Victoria?
The Victoria metro area had an estimated 445,090 people on July 1, 2025 (Statistics Canada). The City of Victoria itself had about 103,888.
How much is rent in Victoria?
In October 2025 the average rent in Victoria was $1,624 for a one-bedroom and $2,121 for a two-bedroom apartment (CMHC Rental Market Survey).
What is the average household income in Victoria?
The median household income in Victoria was $85,000 before tax in 2020 ($75,500 after tax), according to the 2021 Census. The average was $107,000.
What is the unemployment rate in Victoria?
The unemployment rate in Victoria was 5.8% in September 2026 (Labour Force Survey, three-month moving average, seasonally adjusted).
How cold does it get in Victoria?
January averages 4.8°C, with average lows of 2.2°C. Victoria gets about 22 cm of snow a year, and in July the average daily high is 22.1°C (1981–2010 climate normals).
Is Victoria bilingual?
10.1% of people in Victoria can speak both English and French; 89.0% speak English only and 0.0% French only (2021 Census).
What is the median age in Victoria?
The median age in Victoria was 44.8 in the 2021 Census, compared with 41.6 for Canada.
Is Victoria safe?
Victoria had a Crime Severity Index of 74.6 in 2025, compared with 75.0 for Canada as a whole. A lower number means less, and less serious, police-reported crime.
Built October 30, 2026 from the latest published official data.