Aerial photograph of Esquimalt Lagoon and Coburg Peninsula (2021)

ColwoodBritish Columbia

TownGrade

#997 of 2,556

The population grew 12% between 2016 and 2021. The town has 22,794 residents and lies in British Columbia.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Kyle Wilson · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

22,794

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

42.4

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

55%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

11%

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

Is Colwood a good place to live?

Colwood’s strongest is health (A+). The town’s overall B puts it #43 of 250 in British Columbia. Nationally, it does better than 60% of Canadian towns. Add jobs & income to its strengths (A). Homes are dear (D−). Schools lag (C−).

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⁺Health AJobs & income AWalkabilityWeakestD⁻Cost of living C⁻Schools

How Colwood grades

Each subject compares Colwood 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 livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnD⁻Open →HealthAmong the healthiest places comparedA⁺Open →Jobs & incomeAmong the best of the towns comparedAOpen →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesAOpen →SchoolsSchools trail most of those comparedC⁻Open →SafetyBetter than most of the towns comparedB⁺Open →Hazard riskClose to the middle of the towns comparedC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Colwood stand out

The 3 things Colwood does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Cost of living

Behind 97%

of Canadian towns on cost of living

Its cost of living grade: D−.

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

5% unemployment

The median of Canadian towns: 10%

62% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

7.9 times household income

The middle of Canadian towns: 4.7 times

Median owner’s estimate $800,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Colwood.

HousingCost of living D⁻

Colwood is graded a D− for cost of living

$800,000median home value, 2021D⁻Cost of living Grade

A year’s rent came to 25% of the median household income, close to British Columbia’s towns (24%) and above Canadian towns (20%). The owner-occupied share of households is 74%.

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

Colwood$800,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Colwood	British Columbia	Canada
Rent as a share of income	25%	24%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	19%	21%	18%

$2,121

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,680

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Cost of living7.9 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $800,000, against the median household income Renting$2,121 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Owners and renters74% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares. · Not measured by town: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom (the Victoria metro area)

HealthHealth A⁺

Health in Colwood beats 95% of Canadian towns

55%very good or excellent healthA⁺Health Grade

Adults who call their own health very good or excellent: 55%, above British Columbia’s towns (50%) and Canadian towns (52%) alike; by contrast, the region has fewer smokers than British Columbia, 6% of adults to 8.9%. Life expectancy in the region is 82.7 years (84.9 for women, 80.5 for men, 2022/2024). Closer to home, a hospital is 6.3 km from the average resident of Colwood, further than the usual 3.7 km. Figures for health survey and life expectancy are published for the South Vancouver Island Health Service Delivery Area as a whole, not for Colwood alone.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Colwood55%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Colwood	British Columbia	Canada
Smokers	6%	9%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	14%	15%	17%
Very good or excellent health	55%	50%	52%
Life expectancy at birth	82.7	81.0	81.5

82.7

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

6.3 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

of adults smoke, age-standardised

0.8 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageColwood’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey55% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care6.3 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 0.8 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 84.9, men 80.5 Conditions and habits14% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

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

Climate

Summers stay cool in Colwood: July afternoons reach 20.6°C, below British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

20.6°CJuly afternoons

The year’s precipitation totals 675 mm, below both British Columbia’s towns (1,152 mm) and Canadian towns (883 mm). The coldest nights come in January, when Colwood averages a low of 3.8°C. A normal December brings 12 cm of snow, the most of any month. November is the wettest month, with 129 mm of rain and snow on average.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter8.0°C

Spring13.6°C

Summer20.0°C

Autumn14.2°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Colwood	British Columbia	Canada
July afternoon high	20.6°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	10	60	159
January night low	3.8°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C
Precipitation a year	675 mm	1,152 mm	883 mm

39 cm

of snow a year

days with frost a year

104

days with precipitation a year

Full pageColwood’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 20.6°C, January lows 3.8°C Rain and snow675 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow39 cm of snow a year Weather station12 km to the station · Victoria Gonzales (City)

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Victoria Gonzales (City))

Work & commuteJobs & income A

Colwood has 0.5 jobs for every resident in work, so most leave town for work

11%walk, cycle or take transit

Commutes averaged 25 min, below British Columbia’s towns (26 min) and close to Canadian towns (26 min). 85% of commuters drove to work at the census.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van85%

Public transit5%

Walk4%

Bicycle2%

Census 2021	Colwood	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	25 min	26 min	26 min
Car or van	85%	87%	89%

$102,000

median household income, 2020

20%

worked from home, May 2021

14%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Unemployment5.1% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work11% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to1,435 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Langford

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.

SchoolsSchools C⁻

Colwood’s teenagers travel 1.6 km to the nearest high school

27schools within 3 kmC⁻Schools Grade

16 of 25 schools with results score below the middle in British Columbia. Counting each board with a school within 3 km gives 2, close to British Columbia’s towns (2) and below Canadian towns (3).

School	Level	Students	System
Brookes Westshore IndependentIn ColwoodElementary	Elementary	–	Independent

See all 27 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public24

Independent3

Schools within 3 km	Colwood	British Columbia	Canada
School boards	2	2	3

1.6 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageColwood’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school27 schools within 3 km · 24 elementary schools and 3 alternative or adult schools Results3 of 25 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Language0 of 27 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia The boardsSD 62 Sooke Questions“What schools are there in Colwood?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

SafetySafety B⁺

Colwood is graded a B+ for safety

50Crime Severity Index

Property crime runs at 20.1 per 1,000 people a year. Its violent severity index came to 64, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86). Violent crime runs at 13.4 per 1,000 residents a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202351

202449

202550

2023–2025	Colwood	British Columbia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	20.1	31	31.2
Violent Crime Severity Index	64	76	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

39%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageColwood’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety50 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Colwood’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Colwood safe?”

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

Outdoors

More of the land around Colwood is protected than around 9 in 10 Canadian towns

19%of the land within 10 km protected

Within 10 km, the count of public protected areas is 22, above both British Columbia’s towns (14) and Canadian towns (4). Goldstream Park is the closest provincial park, at 3.4 km. For a national park, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is 17 km away. 21 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Glen Lake South Beach.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Colwood19%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Colwood	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	19%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	22	14	4

17 km

to Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

3.4 km

to Goldstream Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageColwood’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas36 protected areas within 10 km · Greater Victoria Water Supply Area National & provincial parks17 km to a national park · Gulf Islands National Park Reserve Footpaths & routes4 named routes · Trans-Canada Trail - Galloping Goose Regional Trail

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

Shaking costs buildings in Colwood $1.09 a year per $1,000 of value, 36 times the typical town’s

Lowwildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

Shared with the rest of the South Vancouver Island health region: radon tests

Of the homes tested for radon, 1.8% were over 200 Bq/m³, about level with British Columbia’s towns (1.8%) and below Canadian towns (6.6%). Fire seldom reaches Colwood: since 1986, 0.3% of the land within 25 km has burned (0.007% a year). Also worth knowing: the national inventory holds one flood map for it, from Capital Regional District.

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

Colwood1.8%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Colwood	British Columbia	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$1.09	$0.36	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	1.8%	1.8%	6.6%

$1.09

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

Low

wildfire band

5.6 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

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

Earthquakes$1.09 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.3% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodOne flood study on record Radon1.8% 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

Weather

Expect November days around 10°C in Colwood, nights around 5°C

10°Ca normal November afternoon

About 4 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Precipitation in November averages 129 mm. Looking ahead to December, expect highs near 8°C and lows near 4°C. Normal highs peak at 21°C in August; nights bottom out at 4°C in February.

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

November10°C

December8°C

January8°C

February9°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	8°C	4°C	259 mm
Spring	14°C	7°C	126 mm
Summer	20°C	12°C	48 mm
Autumn	14°C	8°C	242 mm

5°C

a normal November night

129 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageColwood’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 February

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Victoria Gonzales (City)); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Stephanie McLean (Liberal Party of Canada) represents Colwood in Ottawa as MP for Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke

Colwood is in Esquimalt-Colwood for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, whose current MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly, the provincial or territorial legislature) no open source we can use records yet.

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

Who runs itCity

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C

Colwood’s public library is GVPL: Juan de Fuca Branch

From the centre of Colwood, it is 3.4 km away.

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

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

13% more residents in 2021 than in 2016: Colwood grew faster than most Canadian towns

42.4median age

Under 15: 17% of residents. Retirement age and beyond: 19% of residents are 65 or older. First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 4.9% of residents, close to British Columbia’s towns (5%) and above Canadian towns (2.8%).

ColwoodBritish 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 degree11%

Postsecondary qualification55%

Women and men · all residents

50.7% of Colwood’s residents are women

In 2021 there were 9,615 women to 9,350 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.

Who lives in Colwood
	Colwood	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	17%	14%	16%
15 to 64	64%	64%	64%
65+	19%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	11%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	55%	56%	56%

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

Ages42.4 median age · 19% are 65 or over Households7,425 households · 2.5 people per household Immigrants13% are immigrants · 11% belong to a visible minority English and French8% speak both · 0.1% speak French but not English

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

History

Heritage in Colwood: 27 historic places, 7 of the highest rank

27historic places

Go back to 1859 and you reach Fisgard Lighthouse, the oldest of them. The record has 20 Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings. 9.8% of its homes were built before 1961, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%).

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations7

Other federal designations20

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

Fisgard Lighthouse 1859
Fort Rodd Hill 1895
Hatley Park / Former Royal Roads Military College 1908
Gun Emplacement and Magazine, Lower Battery 1895

1859

oldest construction date on the record

9.8%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Colwood	British Columbia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	9.8%	11%	18%

Full pageColwood’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers27 historic places inside the town Highest designations7 top designations · Fisgard Lighthouse Older homes9.8% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Colwood 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 Colwood

15pages on Colwood

The big questions

SafetyB⁺Crime Severity Index 50 Housing & costD⁻Homes 7.9 × income Property pricesSchoolsC⁻27 schools within 3 km HealthA⁺Life expectancy 82.7 in its region Work & commuteA62% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors19% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 21°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 42.4 History27 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Fort Rodd Hill and 12 more in and around Colwood

The best-known places to visit in and around Colwood come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.

All attractions →

MuseumFort Rodd Hillin town

MuseumCraigflower Manor House1.8 km outside town, to the east MuseumMuseumHatley Park National Historic Sitein town MuseumMuseumCFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum - NAD291.9 km outside town, to the east MuseumMuseumCFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum - NAD202 km outside town, to the east MuseumMuseumMetchosin School Museum2.7 km outside town, to the southwest

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

Photo credits (2)

Fort Rodd Hill: Storeswallah at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Craigflower Manor House: euxneks, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from around Colwood

No notable person born in Colwood is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

Nelly FurtadoPortuguese-Canadian singer and songwrit… · born in Victoria · born 1978

William VickreyCanadian-American professor of economic… · born in Victoria · 1914–1996

David FosterCanadian musician, record producer, son… · born in Victoria · born 1949

Emily CarrCanadian painter and writer · born in Victoria · 1871–1945

Meghan OryCanadian actress · born in Victoria · born 1982

Ryder HesjedalRacing cyclist · born in Victoria · born 1980

Photo credits

William Vickrey: Unknown author, Public domain · David Foster: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Meghan Ory: Thibault from Paris, France, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ryder Hesjedal: ...some guy, CC BY 2.0

About Colwood

Town in British Columbia

Statistics Canada treats Colwood 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: 22,794 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Capital
Metro area: Victoria
Census subdivision: 5917041

Colwood’s neighbours

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

LangfordView RoyalNew Songhees 1AEsquimaltMetchosinVictoriaColwood

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Colwood	22,794	—	B	D⁻	B⁺	A⁺
Langford	59,664	3.2	B⁻	D⁻	B⁻	A⁺
View Royal	12,795	5.3	B⁺	D⁻	B	A⁺
New Songhees 1A	2,052	5.7	—	—	—	A⁺
Esquimalt	19,512	6.3	B⁺	D⁻	A⁻	A⁺
Metchosin	5,207	7.2	B	D⁻	A⁻	A
Victoria	103,888	10	B⁻	D⁻	D	A⁺

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

Questions about Colwood

Is Colwood growing?

It grew from 16,859 people in 2016 to 18,961 in 2021, up 12.5%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 22,794.

What kind of homes are in Colwood?

49% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 3% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.5 people; 22% are one person living alone.

Who are the people of Colwood?

Visible minorities are 11% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 13%, and Indigenous people 5%.

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).