DeltaBritish Columbia

Population 124,670: a town in British Columbia. It is part of the Vancouver metro area.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: UBC Micrometeorology · CC BY 2.0

Population

124,670

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

54%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

14%

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

TownGrade

#1,041 of 2,556

Is Delta a good place to live?

A solid town with one catch. It does especially well on health (A). Walking, cycling and public transport work well here (A+). What counts against it is cost of living (D−). Put together, the subjects come to a B overall, better than 59% of Canadian towns. That places it #52 of 250 in British Columbia. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for safety, B for schools, B for jobs & income and B− for hazard risk.

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⁺Walkability AHealthWeakestD⁻Cost of living

What makes Delta stand out

The 3 things Delta does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Immigrants

Who lives here

33% are immigrants

Where the typical figure for Canadian towns is 6%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

11 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $1,190,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Cost of living

Behind 99%

of Canadian towns on cost of living

Its cost of living grade: D−.

How Delta grades

Each subject compares Delta 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 livingNear the bottom of the towns comparedD⁻Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesA⁺Open →HealthAmong the healthiest places comparedAOpen →Jobs & incomeBetter than most of the towns comparedBOpen →SchoolsGraded on exam and test resultsBOpen →Hazard riskClose to the middle of the towns comparedB⁻Open →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

Nearby attractions

Buried Bulldozer and 44 more in and around Delta

What there is to see in Delta and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.

All attractions →

AttractionAttractionBuried Bulldozerin town AttractionAttractionDelta Nature Reservein town MuseumMuseumDouglas J. Husband Discovery Centrein town Art galleryArt galleryGallery 1710in town AttractionAttractionKirkland Housein town Art galleryArt galleryMichael Abraham Studio Galleryin town

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

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Delta.

HousingCost of living D⁻

Measured against local pay, Delta costs more to live in than almost every Canadian town

Shelter took 30% or more of income for just over a fifth of households, above British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. Rent took just over a quarter of household income, above British Columbia’s towns (24%) and Canadian towns (20%) alike. Nobody publishes rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom for Delta alone, so this card uses the figure for the Vancouver metro area.

$1,190,000median home value, 2021D⁻Cost of living Grade

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

Delta$1,190,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Delta	British Columbia	Canada
Rent as a share of income	26%	24%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	22%	21%	18%

$2,364

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,490

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Cost of living11 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $1,190,000, against the median household income Renting$2,364 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Owners and renters76% own their home

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.

Outdoors

Within 18 km of Delta: Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

The 10 km around town hold 181 protected areas. The nearest provincial park, Peace Arch Park, is 13 km away. Protected areas cover 24% of the land within 10 km, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (6.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). Within its own boundary, 17% of the town is protected.

24%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Delta24%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Delta	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	24%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	162	14	4

18 km

to Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

13 km

to Peace Arch Park

beaches within 5 km

162

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageDelta’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas181 protected areas within 10 km · Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area National & provincial parks18 km to a national park · Gulf Islands National Park Reserve Footpaths & routes9 named routes · Delta South Surrey Regional Greenway

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

HealthHealth A

Delta scores better for health than 89% of Canadian towns

Measured from where Delta’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 5.2 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km. Smoking takes in 8.2% of adults, age-standardised, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (9%) and Canadian towns (12%). The region’s 2022/2024 life expectancy is 83.2, with women at 85.8 and men at 80.7. In the health survey, half of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, close to British Columbia’s 50%.

50%very good or excellent healthAHealth Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Delta50%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Delta	British Columbia	Canada
Life expectancy at birth	83.2	81.0	81.5
Smokers	8.2%	9%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	15%	15%	17%
Very good or excellent health	50%	50%	52%

83.2

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

5.2 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

8.2%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.0 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageDelta’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey50% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care5.2 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.0 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 85.8, men 80.7 Conditions and habits15% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Health survey and life expectancy published for the Fraser South Health Service Delivery Area, not by town

Climate

Winters are mild in Delta: January nights hold at 1.4°C, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

Most of the snow comes in December, about 14 cm. Frosty days number 40 in a normal year, below both British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159). The frost-free season runs from 19 March to 10 November, 235 days. The warmest afternoons come in July, at around 22.4°C in Delta.

22.4°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter7.1°C

Spring13.4°C

Summer21.5°C

Autumn14.0°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Delta	British Columbia	Canada
Days with frost a year	40	60	159
January night low	1.4°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	22.4°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
Snowfall a year	37 cm	51 cm	141 cm

37 cm

of snow a year

days with frost a year

235

frost-free days, 19 Mar to 10 Nov

137

days with precipitation a year

Full pageDelta’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 22.4°C, January lows 1.4°C Rain and snow1,160 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow37 cm of snow a year Weather station16 km to the station · Vancouver International (Airport)

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Vancouver International (Airport))

Work & commuteJobs & income B

Household incomes in Delta top those of 92% of Canadian towns

The average trip to work takes 30 min. The car took 84% of commuters, close to British Columbia’s towns (87%) and below Canadian towns (89%).

14%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van84%

Public transit9%

Walk4%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Delta	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	30 min	26 min	26 min
Car or van	84%	87%	89%

$108,000

median household income, 2020

19%

worked from home, May 2021

36%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Unemployment7.3% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work14% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to6,605 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Surrey

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.

SchoolsSchools B

The schools around Delta answer to 6 boards

From the middle of town, the first elementary school is 4.3 km off, above both British Columbia’s towns (0.6 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km). Results lean low: 53 of 94 in the lower two fifths in British Columbia. Of the 113, 2 teach in French (2% of schools in British Columbia). The 3 km around Delta counts 86 elementary schools, 15 secondary schools, 3 schools for every grade and 9 alternative or adult schools.

113schools within 3 kmBSchools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Ahmadiyya Muslim School IndependentIn DeltaElementary	Elementary	–	Independent
Burnsview Secondary Second fifth in British ColumbiaIn DeltaSecondary	Secondary	–	English public
du Bois-joli FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary	Elementary	–	French public
Delta Christian School IndependentResults in the top fifth in British ColumbiaElementary	Elementary	–	Independent

See all 113 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public87

Independent24

French public2

Schools within 3 km	Delta	British Columbia	Canada
School boards	6	2	3
Nearest secondary school	6.6 km	1.8 km	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	4.3 km	0.6 km	0.5 km

6.6 km

to the nearest secondary school

4.3 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageDelta’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The boards6 school boards · SD 37 Delta Every school113 schools within 3 km · 86 elementary schools, 15 secondary schools, 3 schools for every grade and 9 alternative or adult schools Results22 of 94 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Language2 of 113 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia Questions“What schools are there in Delta?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Weather

A normal November in Delta runs from 4°C to 9°C

At the extremes, July afternoons reach 22°C and December nights 1°C. Next comes December, with normal highs of 7°C and lows of 1°C. Snowfall in a normal November: 3 cm. A normal November brings 175 mm of rain and snow.

9°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November9°C

December7°C

January7°C

February8°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	7°C	1°C	437 mm
Spring	13°C	6°C	251 mm
Summer	21°C	13°C	121 mm
Autumn	14°C	7°C	350 mm

4°C

a normal November night

175 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageDelta’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 July, coldest December

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Vancouver International (Airport)); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Jill McKnight (Liberal Party of Canada) represents Delta in Ottawa as MP for the riding of the same name

For the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Delta spreads over 2 ridings: Delta North and Delta South.

Full pageDelta’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⁺

Delta has 3 public library branches

Among them: FVRL: George Mackie Library, FVRL: Ladner Pioneer Library and FVRL: Tsawwassen Library.

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

Places to belong1.1 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁻

Earthquake risk in Delta runs 20 times the typical Canadian town’s: $0.60 per $1,000 a year

Flood mapping exists: a study by City of Surrey. Burn scars are few around Delta, with 0.1% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.003% a year).

Lowwildfire bandB⁻Hazard risk Grade

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

Delta0%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Delta	British Columbia	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.60	$0.36	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	0%	1.8%	6.6%

$0.60

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

Low

wildfire band

2.0 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

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

Earthquakes$0.60 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.1% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodOne flood study on record Radon0% 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 · Data for radon tests covers the Fraser South health region

SafetySafety B⁻

Delta is graded a B− for safety

The violent crime rate is 9.2 per 1,000 residents a year. Its violent severity index came to 70, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86). Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 23.6 per 1,000 residents a year.

60Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202364

202455

202559

2023–2025	Delta	British Columbia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	23.6	31	31.2
Violent crime	9.2	12.5	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	70	76	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

17%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageDelta’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety60 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Delta’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Delta safe?”

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

Who lives here

Visible minorities make up more of Delta than of British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 45%

One measure of family life: 15% of residents are under 15. 3% of residents have an Indigenous identity, lower than British Columbia’s towns (5%) yet higher than Canadian towns (2.8%). Over-65s are just over a fifth of the population.

44median age

DeltaBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

15%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree14%

Postsecondary qualification54%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 50.7% of Delta

Here the census found 54,950 women and 53,505 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.

Who lives in Delta
	Delta	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	15%	14%	16%
15 to 64	64%	64%	64%
65+	21%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	14%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	54%	56%	56%

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

Immigrants33% are immigrants · 45% belong to a visible minority Ages44 median age · 21% are 65 or over Households38,060 households · 2.8 people per household English and French6% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

History

The registers record 1 historic place in Delta

Homes from before 1961 make up 7% of the stock, below British Columbia’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.

1historic place

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations1

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

Alasken-Reifel Shooting Lodge 1929

1929

oldest construction date on the record

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Delta	British Columbia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	7%	11%	18%

Full pageDelta’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registersOne historic place inside the town Older homes7% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Delta 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 Delta

15pages on Delta

The big questions

SafetyB⁻Crime Severity Index 60 Housing & costD⁻Homes 11 × income Property pricesSchoolsB113 schools within 3 km HealthALife expectancy 83.2 in its region Work & commuteB59% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors24% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 22°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 44 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from Delta

38 notable people were born in Delta.

See all 38 →

Will SassoCanadian actor and comedian · born 1975

Linus SebastianCanadian YouTuber · born 1986

Kyle O'ReillyCanadian professional wrestler · born 1987

Nicolas PetanCanadian ice hockey player · born 1995

Hayley McKelveyCanadian water polo player · born 1996

Martin CumminsCanadian actor · born 1969

Photo credits

Will Sasso: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Linus Sebastian: Tessa Bury, CC BY 4.0 · Kyle O'Reilly: Tabercil, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Nicolas Petan: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Hayley McKelvey: Daieuxetdailleurs, CC BY 4.0

Delta’s neighbours

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

ColebrookStrawberry HillTsawwassenPanorama RidgeBrownsvilleSouth SlopeDelta

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Delta	124,670	—	B	D⁻	B⁻	A
Colebrook	3,617	9	C	D	C⁻	A
Strawberry Hill	37,037	9	D	D⁻	C⁻	A
Tsawwassen	2,629	11	—	—	—	A
Panorama Ridge	36,473	11	C⁻	D⁻	C⁻	A
Brownsville	23,515	11	C⁻	D⁻	C⁻	A
South Slope	8,989	11	B	D⁻	C⁺	A

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

Questions about Delta

What kind of homes are in Delta?

Mostly 56% 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 21% have just one.

Is Delta growing?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 102,238 to 108,455 residents (up 6.1%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 124,670.

How old are the people of Delta?

Its median age is 44, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2.

About Delta

Town in British Columbia

Every figure TownRatings gives for Delta covers the municipality as Statistics Canada maps it, one census subdivision in British Columbia.

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

Population: 124,670 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Greater Vancouver
Metro area: Vancouver
Census subdivision: 5915011

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).