MetchosinBritish Columbia
Its population rose 8% from 2016 to 2021. 5,207 people live in this town in British Columbia.
Is Metchosin a good place to live?
Mostly strong, with a single weak spot. Health is its strong suit (A). It is strong on safety as well (A−). The catch is cost of living (D−). Overall, that makes a B, good for #53 of 250 in British Columbia. Nationally, it does better than 58% of Canadian towns. The rest of its grades are middling: B for schools, C+ for jobs & income, B− for walkability and C+ 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.
How Metchosin grades
Each subject compares Metchosin 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 Metchosin stand out
The 3 things Metchosin does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Metchosin.
Metchosin is a town of owners: 82% of households own their home, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns
A year’s rent came to 24% of the median household income, about level with British Columbia’s towns (24%) and above Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Metchosin | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 82% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 24% | 24% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 20% | 21% | 18% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: one figure for all of the Victoria metro area
For health, Metchosin is ahead of 91% of Canadian towns
For 2022/2024, the region’s figure is 82.7 years at birth, 84.9 for women and 80.5 for men. At 6%, the share of adults who smoke sits under the 8.9% for British Columbia, and on top of that the three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 14% of adults, below both British Columbia’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%). Across the region, 55% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; British Columbia as a whole manages 50%.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Metchosin | 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 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Area behind the health survey and life expectancy figures: the South Vancouver Island Health Service Delivery Area
Summers stay cool in Metchosin: July afternoons reach 20.6°C, below British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns
Metchosin sees January nights of 3.8°C on average. Frost comes on 10 days a year, below both British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159). A normal December brings 12 cm of snow, the most of any month. The most precipitation falls in November: 129 mm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Metchosin | 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 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Victoria Gonzales (City))
Violent crime weighs less on Metchosin than on British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 41
Police recorded 6.9 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, below both British Columbia’s towns (12.5) and Canadian towns (12). Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 15.7 per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Metchosin | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 15.7 | 31 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 41 | 76 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 6.9 | 12.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
More of the land around Metchosin is protected than around 9 in 10 Canadian towns
CPCAD lists 31 protected areas within 10 km. The nearest provincial park, Sooke Mountain Park, is 0.4 km away. The largest is Greater Victoria Water Supply Area: 20,620 ha, 3.1 km from the edge of town. Protected areas take in 9.6% of the town itself.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Metchosin | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 18% | 6.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 22 | 14 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
No high school in or near Metchosin: the closest is 8.6 km off
Results lean low: 5 of 8 in the lower two fifths in British Columbia.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hans Helgesen Elementary Fourth fifth in British ColumbiaIn MetchosinElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Metchosin | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 8.6 km | 1.8 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Commuters in Metchosin travel further than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns, 32 min on average
91% of commuters drove, above British Columbia’s towns (87%) and close to Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Metchosin | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 32 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 91% | 87% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.
Older residents shape Metchosin: 26% are 65 or over, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns
12% are under 15, below British Columbia’s towns (14%) and Canadian towns (16%) alike. Visible minorities make up 4% of the population, below both British Columbia’s towns (8.6%) and Canadian towns (15%).
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 48.0% of Metchosin
Women numbered 2,430 and men 2,635 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.
| Metchosin | British Columbia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 62% | 64% | 64% |
| 65+ | 26% | 21% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 13% | 13% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 57% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Shaking costs buildings in Metchosin $0.56 a year per $1,000 of value, 19 times the typical town’s
Burn scars are few around Metchosin, with 0.4% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.009% a year). Radon is lower than usual: 1.8% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Also worth knowing: the national inventory holds one flood map for it, from Capital Regional District. Metchosin doesn’t get its own radon tests figures; the ones here come from the South Vancouver Island health region.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Metchosin | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.56 | $0.36 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 1.8% | 1.8% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Expect November days around 10°C in Metchosin, nights around 5°C
Expect about 129 mm of rain and snow over November. About 4 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Next comes December, with normal highs of 8°C and lows of 4°C. August brings the warmest days, 21°C; February the coldest nights, 4°C.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| 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 |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Victoria Gonzales (City)); the forecast is on the Weather page
Stephanie McLean (Liberal Party of Canada) holds Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, the riding that includes Metchosin
20 of the 43 MPs from British Columbia belong to the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
No public library stands in Metchosin: the closest, GVPL: Langford Heritage Branch, is 8.2 km away
After it comes GVPL: Goudy Branch (Langford), 9.3 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
One place in Metchosin, at the top of the registers
At the 2021 census, 14% of homes dated from before 1961, between British Columbia’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Metchosin | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 14% | 11% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Metchosin
Metchosin Pioneer Museum and 5 more in and around Metchosin
What there is to see in Metchosin and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
MuseumFort Rodd Hill4.4 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumMetchosin School Museumin townMuseumMuseumMetchosin Museum Societyin townHistoric siteHistoric siteAlldridge Point Petroglyphs2.6 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumHatley Park National Historic Site3.3 km outside town, to the eastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Fort Rodd Hill: Storeswallah at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Metchosin
No notable person born in Metchosin is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Moka Only: Simon Law, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Robert Henry Pooley: Unknown author, Public domain · Emily Moore: James Boyes from UK, CC BY 2.0
About Metchosin
Town in British Columbia
Metchosin is a municipality in British Columbia, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 5,207 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- Census division
- Capital
- Metro area
- Victoria
- Census subdivision
- 5917042
Metchosin’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metchosin | 5,207 | — | B | D− | A− | A |
| Colwood | 22,794 | 7.2 | B | D− | B+ | A+ |
| Langford | 59,664 | 8.7 | B− | D− | B− | A+ |
| View Royal | 12,795 | 12 | B+ | D− | B | A+ |
| New Songhees 1A | 2,052 | 13 | — | — | — | A+ |
| Sooke | 17,248 | 13 | C− | D− | C | A− |
| Esquimalt | 19,512 | 13 | B+ | D− | A− | A+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Metchosin
What kind of homes are in Metchosin?
78% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.5 people; 20% are one person living alone.
Is Metchosin growing?
It added people: 4,708 in 2016, 5,067 in 2021, 7.6% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 5,207.
How old are the people of Metchosin?
At 50.8, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 12% of the population and seniors 26%.
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).