Bowen IslandBritish Columbia
4,501 residents make their home in this town in British Columbia. It is part of the Vancouver metro area.
Is Bowen Island a good place to live?
Much to like here, and you pay for it. Its strongest subject is schools (A+). What holds it back is cost of living (D−). All told, that adds up to an A overall and a rank of #3 of 250 in British Columbia. Nationally, it does better than 95% of Canadian towns. The rest of its grades are middling: B for walkability and B for hazard risk.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around 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.
How Bowen Island grades
Each subject compares Bowen Island 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 TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Bowen Island stand out
The 3 things Bowen Island does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bowen Island.
Bowen Island’s teenagers travel 7.6 km to the nearest high school
2 of its 2 schools with results sit in the top two fifths in British Columbia.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowen Island Community School Second fifth in British ColumbiaIn Bowen IslandElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Island Pacific School IndependentResults in the top fifth in British ColumbiaElementary | Elementary | – | Independent |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Bowen Island | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 7.6 km | 1.8 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
The police who cover Bowen Island record less serious crime than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 24
Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over the Bowen Island detachment area
For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 11.9 property crimes are reported each year. The violent index for its police area came to 16, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86). What’s more, the force’s area logs 5.1 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Bowen Island | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 24 | 83 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 16 | 76 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 11.9 | 31 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 5.1 | 12.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Measured against local pay, Bowen Island costs more to live in than almost every Canadian town
The rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom numbers here cover the Vancouver metro area
Households that own their home make up 85%. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 23% of households, above both British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Bowen Island | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 85% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 25% | 24% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 23% | 21% | 18% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.
Bowen Island scores better for health than 97% of Canadian towns
Smoking is rarer than in the province: 6.5% of adults, against 8.9% for British Columbia. Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect 12% of the region’s adults on average, below both British Columbia’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%). Adults here are more upbeat about their health than the province: 59% very good or excellent, against 50% in British Columbia. A baby born in the region can expect 84.3 years, 86.3 for a girl and 82.3 for a boy (2022/2024). Bowen Island doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the North Shore/Coast Garibaldi Health Service Delivery Area.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Bowen Island | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 59% | 50% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 12% | 15% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 84.3 | 81.0 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 6.5% | 9% | 12% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Trips to work from Bowen Island take longer than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 31 min on average
75% of commuters drove, below British Columbia’s towns (87%) and Canadian towns (89%) alike.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Bowen Island | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or van | 75% | 87% | 89% |
| Average trip | 31 min | 26 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Winters are mild in Bowen Island: January nights hold at 3.3°C, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns
A normal July day peaks at 23.0°C, close to British Columbia’s towns (23.1°C) and below Canadian towns (25.5°C). Most of the snow comes in December, about 14 cm. November is the wettest month, with 245 mm of rain and snow on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Bowen Island | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days with frost a year | 17 | 60 | 159 |
| January night low | 3.3°C | 0.5°C | −13.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,537 mm | 1,152 mm | 883 mm |
| Snowfall a year | 37 cm | 51 cm | 141 cm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Vancouver (Harbour))
52 public protected areas lie within 10 km of Bowen Island
17% of the town lies within a protected area. Within 10 km of the town, 7.2% of the land is protected, against 2.3% around a typical Canadian town.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Bowen Island | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 52 | 14 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 7.2% | 6.7% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Hazards in Bowen Island: wildfire low, radon over the guideline in 2.5% of tested homes
Radon tests for the North Shore/Coast Garibaldi health region
Averaged over the years, quake damage costs $0.15 per $1,000 of buildings, between British Columbia’s towns ($0.36) and Canadian towns ($0.030). Wildfire is rare near Bowen Island: 0.1% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, a burn rate of 0.001% a year. No one has filed a flood map for Bowen Island on the national inventory.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Bowen Island | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.15 | $0.36 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 2.5% | 1.8% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Bowen Island skews older, with 25% of residents 65 or over, more than in British Columbia’s towns and across Canadian towns
6.6% of residents belong to a visible minority, below both British Columbia’s towns (8.6%) and Canadian towns (15%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 2.8% of residents, below British Columbia’s towns (5%) and close to Canadian towns (2.8%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 51.2% of Bowen Island
Here the census found 2,180 women and 2,075 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| Bowen Island | British Columbia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 60% | 64% | 64% |
| 65+ | 25% | 21% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 8.5% | 13% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 68% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
What November brings in Bowen Island: 5°C at night, 10°C by day
December follows at 7°C by day and 3°C by night. Precipitation in November averages 245 mm. ECCC’s forecast for Gibsons is on the Weather page, hour by hour.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 3°C | 554 mm |
| Spring | 14°C | 7°C | 353 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 14°C | 158 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 9°C | 473 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Vancouver (Harbour)); the forecast is on the Weather page
Patrick Weiler (Liberal Party of Canada) represents Bowen Island in Ottawa as MP for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country
20 of the 43 MPs from British Columbia belong to the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
More visits per person served than 98% of British Columbia’s town libraries: Bowen Island Public Library counts 11.6
A single building, Bowen Island Public Library, serves 4,501 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Everything we know about Bowen Island
Arts Pacific Gallery and 6 more in and around Bowen Island
A first look at Bowen Island’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
Famous people from around Bowen Island
No notable person born in Bowen Island is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Serinda Swan: AMFM STUDIOS LLC, CC BY 3.0 · Ryan Dempster: User Mshake3 on en.wikipedia, Public domain · Andrew Lord: Augustiner, CC BY 3.0 · Jake Christiansen: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0
About Bowen Island
Town in British Columbia
TownRatings counts Bowen Island as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in British Columbia; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 4,501 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- Census division
- Greater Vancouver
- Metro area
- Vancouver
- Census subdivision
- 5915062
Bowen Island’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowen Island | 4,501 | — | A | D− | A+ | A+ |
| Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast | 2,691 | 12 | C+ | D− | C+ | A+ |
| Gibsons | 5,090 | 12 | B− | D− | C+ | A+ |
| West Vancouver | 47,929 | 13 | B+ | D− | B | A+ |
| Lions Bay | 1,375 | 14 | — | D | A+ | A+ |
| Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast | 4,279 | 14 | B− | D− | C+ | A+ |
| Electoral Area A, Metro Vancouver | 22,031 | 15 | A− | D− | A+ | A+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Bowen Island
Is Bowen Island growing?
It grew from 3,680 people in 2016 to 4,256 in 2021, up 15.7%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 4,501.
What kind of homes are in Bowen Island?
Mostly 89% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.5 people on average, and 23% have just one.
Is Bowen Island a young town or an old one?
At 50, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 15% of the population and seniors 25%.
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).