Cowichan Bayin Cowichan Valley D, British Columbia

Measured against local pay, Cowichan Bay costs more to live in than nine in ten Canadian towns

A year’s rent came to just over a fifth of the median household income, between British Columbia’s towns (24%) and Canadian towns (20%). Households that own their home make up 85%. Cowichan Bay doesn’t get its own rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom figures; the ones here come from the Duncan metro area.

The police who cover Cowichan Bay record more serious crime than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 132

No police detachment reports under Cowichan Bay’s name, so these are the nearest detachment’s figures, not the town’s own

Where it is policed, 35.1 violent incidents per 1,000 residents are recorded each year. For violence alone, its police area’s index was 150, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86). The force’s area logs 81.7 thefts, break-ins and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. Figures for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 are published for the Duncan detachment area as a whole, not for Cowichan Bay alone.

Cowichan Bay is a driving town: 93% of commuters go by car, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

The average trip to work took 25 min, close to both British Columbia’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).

Winters are mild in Cowichan Bay: January nights hold at 1.6°C, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

The warmest stretch brings July afternoons of 22.7°C, near British Columbia’s towns (23.1°C) and lower than Canadian towns (25.5°C). Gardeners get 213 frost-free days, from 4 April to 4 November. For the wettest month, look to January: 155 mm on average. December is the snowiest month, with 12 cm on average.

3 above the middle in British Columbia, 5 below: Cowichan Bay’s 11 tested schools

Of the 16, one teaches in French (2% of schools in British Columbia). The 3 km around Cowichan Bay counts 9 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools, 2 schools for every grade and 3 alternative or adult schools. The nearest secondary school is 2.6 km away, above British Columbia’s towns (1.8 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km) alike.

Cowichan Bay skews older, with 27% of residents 65 or over, more than in British Columbia’s towns and across Canadian towns

5.4% of residents belong to a visible minority, below both British Columbia’s towns (8.6%) and Canadian towns (15%). Children under 15 count for 14% of the people here.

A normal November in Cowichan Bay runs from 3°C to 10°C

The month after, December, normally sees 7°C afternoons and 2°C nights. Precipitation in November averages 146 mm. At the extremes, July afternoons reach 23°C and February nights 1°C. ECCC’s forecast for Duncan is on the Weather page, hour by hour.

Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, which takes in Cowichan Bay, is held by Jeff Kibble (Conservative Party of Canada)

Cowichan Bay is part of Cowichan Valley D, a regional district electoral area by Statistics Canada’s count.

The nearest public library to Cowichan Bay is VIRL: Cowichan Branch, 8.1 km away

The next is VIRL: South Cowichan Branch (Electoral Area A, Cowichan Valley), 10 km away.

A national park 9.3 km from Cowichan Bay: Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

Parks and reserves take up 4.2% of the ground within 10 km, lower than British Columbia’s towns (6.7%) yet higher than Canadian towns (2.3%). Eves Park is the closest provincial park, at 4.1 km. The 10 km around town hold 64 protected areas. Within 5 km are 10 beaches; Musgrave Landing Beach is the nearest.

Earthquake risk in Cowichan Bay runs 36 times the typical Canadian town’s: $1.08 per $1,000 a year

Radon topped the guideline in 0.9% of tested homes, below British Columbia’s towns (1.8%) and Canadian towns (6.6%) alike. 4 flood studies cover the town, the latest by Cowichan Valley Regional District. Wildfire is rare near Cowichan Bay: 0.1% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, a burn rate of 0.003% a year. For radon tests, the only official count covers all of the Central Vancouver Island health region, Cowichan Bay included.

Life expectancy around Cowichan Bay is 79.8 years, 1.7 less than for the typical Canadian town

Area-wide: health survey and life expectancy, counted over the Central Vancouver Island Health Service Delivery Area

The region has more smokers than British Columbia, 12% of adults to 8.9%. In the health survey, 47% of adults in the region rated their health very good or excellent, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (50%) and Canadian towns (52%). Closer to home, a hospital is 9.8 km from the average resident of Cowichan Bay, further than the usual 3.7 km.