AbbotsfordBritish Columbia

It is a town of 175,358 residents in British Columbia. It sits within the Abbotsford - Mission census metropolitan area.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Dllu · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

175,358

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

39.2

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

46%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

TownGrade

C⁻

#2,162 of 2,556

Is Abbotsford a good place to live?

Real strengths, and real weak spots. Abbotsford’s overall grade of C− puts it better than 20% of Canadian towns, #194 of 250 in British Columbia. Prices are high against local incomes (D). It lags on safety as well (C−). Its strongest is walkability (A−). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: C+ for schools, B for health and B for jobs & income.

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestA⁻WalkabilityWeakestDCost of living C⁻Safety

What makes Abbotsford stand out

The 3 things Abbotsford does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Immigrants

Who lives here

29% are immigrants

Against 6% in the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

9.4 times household income

The middle of Canadian towns: 4.7 times

Median owner’s estimate $850,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Cost of living

Behind 93%

of Canadian towns on cost of living

Its cost of living grade: D.

How Abbotsford grades

Each subject compares Abbotsford with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.

How grading works

Cost of livingIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carA⁻Open →SafetyMore crime than in most townsC⁻Open →Hazard riskWeaker than most of the towns comparedC⁺Open →Jobs & incomeClose to the middle of the towns comparedBOpen →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areBOpen →SchoolsNear typical for the towns comparedC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

Nearby attractions

The Reach Gallery Museum and 26 more in and around Abbotsford

Sights in Abbotsford and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.

All attractions →

Art galleryArt galleryThe Reach Gallery Museumin town

MuseumAbbotsford Sikh Templein town MuseumMuseumAbbotsford Sports Hall of Famein town AttractionAttractionBakerview EcoDairyin town Theme parkTheme parkCastle Fun Parkin town MuseumMuseumHeritage Galleryin town

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · ODCAF · federal and Québec heritage registers · CPCAD

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (1)

Abbotsford Sikh Temple: Jacobsimmonds, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Abbotsford.

HousingCost of living D

Home ownership in Abbotsford, 69%, runs below British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

Source area for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: the Abbotsford-Mission metro area

Shelter took 30% or more of income for 24% of households, above British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. Rent took 22% of household income, lower than British Columbia’s towns (24%) yet higher than Canadian towns (20%).

$850,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Abbotsford$850,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Abbotsford	British Columbia	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	24%	21%	18%
Households owning their home	69%	76%	74%
Rent as a share of income	22%	24%	20%

$1,623

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,530

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageAbbotsford’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters69% own their home Cost of living9.4 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $850,000, against the median household income Renting$1,623 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.

Climate

July highs in Abbotsford: 24.4°C, against 23.1°C in British Columbia’s towns and 25.5°C in Canadian towns

January nights fall to 0.6°C on average, near British Columbia’s towns (0.5°C) and higher than Canadian towns (−13.5°C). A normal November brings 233 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. The frost-free season runs from 3 April to 7 November, 218 days. Most of the snow comes in January, about 22 cm.

24.4°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter7.3°C

Spring15.0°C

Summer23.4°C

Autumn15.3°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Abbotsford	British Columbia	Canada
Precipitation a year	1,505 mm	1,152 mm	883 mm
Days with frost a year	49	60	159
January night low	0.6°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	24.4°C	23.1°C	25.5°C

56 cm

of snow a year

days with frost a year

218

frost-free days, 3 Apr to 7 Nov

149

days with precipitation a year

Full pageAbbotsford’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 24.4°C, January lows 0.6°C Rain and snow1,505 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow56 cm of snow a year Weather station4.3 km to the station · Abbotsford

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Abbotsford)

SafetySafety C⁻

Abbotsford’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 108, runs above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

Violent incidents came to 14.9 per 1,000 residents a year, above British Columbia’s towns (12.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike. Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 35.2 per 1,000 residents a year.

96Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202399

202494

202595

2023–2025	Abbotsford	British Columbia	Canada
Violent Crime Severity Index	108	76	86
Violent crime	14.9	12.5	12
Property crime per 1,000	35.2	31	31.2

non-violent Crime Severity Index

21%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageAbbotsford’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety96 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Abbotsford’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Abbotsford safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

Earthquake risk in Abbotsford runs 15 times the typical Canadian town’s: $0.46 per $1,000 a year

3% of radon tests in the survey area came in above the guideline, above British Columbia’s towns (1.8%) but below Canadian towns (6.6%). The national inventory holds one flood map for it, from Province of B.C. - Water, Lands, and Resource Stewardship. Burn scars are few around Abbotsford, with 0.2% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.006% a year).

Lowwildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Abbotsford3%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Abbotsford	British Columbia	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.46	$0.36	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	3%	1.8%	6.6%

$0.46

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Low

wildfire band

2.4 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageAbbotsford’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Earthquakes$0.46 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.2% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodOne flood study on record Radon3% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Not measured by town: radon tests (the Fraser East health region)

Who lives here

Visible minorities make up more of Abbotsford than of British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 40%

Under-15s account for 17% of the population. Retirement age and beyond: 18% of residents are 65 or older. 4.5% of residents have an Indigenous identity, between British Columbia’s towns (5%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).

39.2median age

AbbotsfordBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

17%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree19%

Postsecondary qualification46%

Women and men · all residents

50.5% of Abbotsford’s residents are women

By the 2021 count the town had 77,565 women and 75,960 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.

Who lives in Abbotsford
	Abbotsford	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	17%	14%	16%
15 to 64	64%	64%	64%
65+	18%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	19%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	46%	56%	56%

Full pageAbbotsford’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants29% are immigrants · 40% belong to a visible minority Ages39.2 median age · 18% are 65 or over Households53,235 households · 2.8 people per household English and French4% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Work & commuteJobs & income B

Household incomes in Abbotsford top those of 75% of Canadian towns

92% of commuters drove, above British Columbia’s towns (87%) and close to Canadian towns (89%). Commutes averaged 26 min, about level with both British Columbia’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).

7%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van92%

Walk4%

Public transit2%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Abbotsford	British Columbia	Canada
Car or van	92%	87%	89%
Average trip	26 min	26 min	26 min

$90,000

median household income, 2020

14%

worked from home, May 2021

64%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageAbbotsford’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment7.8% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work7% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to5,650 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Langley

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.

HealthHealth B

Lives run shorter around Abbotsford: 80.0 years, 1.5 below the typical Canadian town’s region

The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the Fraser East Health Service Delivery Area

Smoking takes in one in ten adults, age-standardised, higher than British Columbia’s towns (9%) yet lower than Canadian towns (12%). The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 47%, behind the 50% for British Columbia. The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Abbotsford live 3.6 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km.

47%very good or excellent healthBHealth Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Abbotsford47%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Abbotsford	British Columbia	Canada
Very good or excellent health	47%	50%	52%
Life expectancy at birth	80.0	81.0	81.5
Chronic conditions (average share)	17%	15%	17%
Smokers	10%	9%	12%

80.0

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

10%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.2 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageAbbotsford’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey47% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care3.6 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.2 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 82.9, men 77.2 Conditions and habits17% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

SchoolsSchools C⁺

5 boards run the schools in and around Abbotsford

Of its 72 tested schools, 18 sit in the top two fifths in British Columbia and 38 in the bottom two. One of the 79 teaches in French, against 2% of schools in British Columbia.

79schools within 3 kmC⁺Schools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Abbotsford Christian School IndependentIn AbbotsfordElementary	Elementary	–	Independent
Abbotsford Senior Secondary School Fourth fifth in British ColumbiaIn AbbotsfordSecondary	Secondary	–	English public
des Deux-Rives FrenchTeaches in FrenchAll grades	All grades	–	French public
John Calvin School IndependentResults in the top fifth in British ColumbiaAll grades	All grades	–	Independent

See all 79 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public66

Independent12

French public1

Schools within 3 km	Abbotsford	British Columbia	Canada
School boards	5	2	3

1.5 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageAbbotsford’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The boards5 school boards · SD 34 Abbotsford Every school79 schools within 3 km · 58 elementary schools, 9 secondary schools, 5 schools for every grade and 7 alternative or adult schools Results18 of 72 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Language1 of 79 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia Questions“What schools are there in Abbotsford?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Weather

A normal November in Abbotsford runs from 3°C to 10°C

In November, the normal is 233 mm of rain and snow. Next comes December, with normal highs of 6°C and lows of 1°C. August brings the warmest days, 25°C; January the coldest nights, 1°C. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Abbotsford.

10°Ca normal November afternoon

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November10°C

December6°C

January7°C

February9°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	7°C	1°C	540 mm
Spring	15°C	6°C	354 mm
Summer	23°C	12°C	156 mm
Autumn	15°C	6°C	455 mm

3°C

a normal November night

233 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageAbbotsford’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest August, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Abbotsford); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Abbotsford votes in 2 federal ridings, led by Abbotsford—South Langley and Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford

The 3 ridings of Abbotsford West, Abbotsford South and Abbotsford-Mission each take in part of Abbotsford for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.

Full pageAbbotsford’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itCity Member of ParliamentSukhman Gill

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A⁻

Abbotsford has 8 public library branches

By name: Abbotsford Community Library, FVRL: Clearbrook Library, FVRL: Mount Lehman Library and 5 more.

Full pageAbbotsford’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong2.4 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Gulf Islands National Park Reserve lies 47 km beyond Abbotsford’s edge

CPCAD lists 37 protected areas within 10 km. Cultus Lake Park is the closest provincial park, at 4.0 km. Parks and reserves take up 3.9% of the ground within 10 km, below British Columbia’s towns (6.7%) but above Canadian towns (2.3%). Swimmers have 10 beaches within 5 km, Hayward Lake First Beach the nearest.

3.9%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Abbotsford3.9%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Abbotsford	British Columbia	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	15	14	4
Protected land within 10 km	3.9%	6.7%	2.3%

47 km

to Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

4.0 km

to Cultus Lake Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageAbbotsford’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas37 protected areas within 10 km · Golden Ears Park National & provincial parks47 km to a national park · Gulf Islands National Park Reserve Footpaths & routes2 named routes · Chadsey Lake Trail

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

History

Heritage in Abbotsford: 1 historic place of the highest rank

At the 2021 census, 5% of homes dated from before 1961, below both British Columbia’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%).

1historic place

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations1

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

Abbotsford Sikh Temple 1910

1910

oldest construction date on the record

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Abbotsford	British Columbia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	5%	11%	18%

Full pageAbbotsford’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registersOne historic place inside the town Highest designations1 top designation · Abbotsford Sikh Temple Older homes5% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Abbotsford have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Abbotsford

15pages on Abbotsford

The big questions

SafetyC⁻Crime Severity Index 96 Housing & costDHomes 9.4 × income Property pricesSchoolsC⁺79 schools within 3 km HealthBLife expectancy 80 in its region Work & commuteB60% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors3.9% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 24°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 39.2 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from Abbotsford

43 notable people were born in Abbotsford.

See all 43 →

Devon ToewsCanadian professional ice hockey defenseman · born 1994

Brad MoranCanadian ice hockey player · born 1979

Chase ClaypoolCanadian gridiron football player · born 1998

Ryan CraigCanadian ice hockey player · born 1982

Sunny DhinsaCanadian professional and amateur wrestler · born 1993

Alanna KrausCanadian short track speed skater · born 1977

Photo credits

Devon Toews: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Brad Moran: 5of7, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Chase Claypool: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 · Ryan Craig: Pens Through My Lens, CC BY-SA 3.0

Abbotsford’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

MissionElectoral Area G, Fraser ValleyAbbotsford

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Abbotsford	175,358	—	C⁻	D	C⁻	B
Mission	47,280	11	D	D	C⁻	B
Electoral Area G, Fraser Valley	1,808	14	—	D⁻	C	B⁻

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Abbotsford

Is Abbotsford growing?

It added people: 141,397 in 2016, 153,524 in 2021, 8.6% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 175,358.

What kind of homes are in Abbotsford?

Mostly 37% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 2% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.8 people on average, and 25% have just one.

How old are the people of Abbotsford?

At 39.2, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 17% of the population and seniors 18%.

About Abbotsford

Town in British Columbia

Statistics Canada treats Abbotsford as a single census subdivision in British Columbia, and TownRatings keeps to that line.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 175,358 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Fraser Valley
Metro area: Abbotsford - Mission
Census subdivision: 5909052

Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.

Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).