Metropolitan areas lead B.C. in percentage of renters
Among cities and municipalities with more than 5,000 people, Parksville leads British Columbia with the highest percentage of homeowners. Almost 82 per cent of home dwellers in the Vancouver Island city own their property, according to recently released data from the 2016 census.
Other areas with high rates of home ownership are Salmon Arm (77.3 per cent), Cranbrook (77.2 per cent), with Powell Rive and Quesnel (tied at 76.2 per cent) rounding out the top five.
On the other end of the scale, Prince Rupert reportedly has the highest proportion of renters, with just under 40 per cent of residents renting their homes. Dawson Creek (39.3 percent) and Fort St. John (32.3 per cent) make the top five, along with the province’s largest cities, Victoria (37.3 per cent) and Vancouver (36.3 per cent).
Although most areas saw an increase in both owners and renters over the 2011 census, Squamish’s 11.6 per cent rise was by far the biggest jump in home ownership. The largest drop: Williams Lake, down 2.5 per cent.
From Statistics Canada:
|
Geographic name |
Housing Tenure – Owner |
Housing Tenure – Renter |
|
Parksville |
81.9 |
18.1 |
|
Salmon Arm |
77.3 |
22.6 |
|
Cranbrook |
77.2 |
22.8 |
|
Powell River |
76.2 |
23.8 |
|
Quesnel |
76.2 |
23.1 |
|
Courtenay |
75.3 |
24.7 |
|
Chilliwack |
75.1 |
24.6 |
|
Vernon |
74.7 |
25.2 |
|
Kamloops |
73.7 |
26.2 |
|
Kelowna |
73.3 |
26.7 |
|
Port Alberni |
73.3 |
26.7 |
|
Duncan |
73.1 |
26.4 |
|
Campbell River |
72.8 |
27 |
|
Squamish |
72.6 |
27 |
|
Prince George |
72.2 |
27.7 |
|
Abbotsford – Mission |
71.6 |
28.4 |
|
Williams Lake |
71.1 |
27.9 |
|
Terrace |
70.8 |
29.3 |
|
Nelson |
70.5 |
29.6 |
|
Nanaimo |
69.8 |
30.1 |
|
Penticton |
68.3 |
31.6 |
|
Fort St. John |
67.7 |
32.3 |
|
Vancouver |
63.7 |
36.3 |
|
Victoria |
62.6 |
37.3 |
|
Dawson Creek |
60.6 |
39.3 |
|
Prince Rupert |
60.3 |
39.8 |
*Numbers do not include band housing rates
