Electoral Area B, NanaimoBritish Columbia

TownGrade

D⁻

#2,503 of 2,556

Home to 4,702 people, this town lies in British Columbia. It grew by 12% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses.

Population

4,702

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

63.2

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

66%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

20%

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

Is Electoral Area B, Nanaimo a good place to live?

Cost of living is its weak spot (D−). Getting around on foot or by bus is easy (B). Put together, the subjects come to a D− overall, better than 5% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #235 of 250 in British Columbia. It also trails on schools (D−). Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for safety, C+ for health and B− for hazard risk.

This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. Safety less sure: no police service names this town, so its crime figure is the nearest police detachment's, shared with a wider area. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

WeakestD⁻Cost of living D⁻Schools

How Electoral Area B, Nanaimo grades

Each subject compares Electoral Area B, Nanaimo 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 livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesD⁻Open →SchoolsAmong the weakest of the towns comparedD⁻Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workC⁻Open →WalkabilityAbout average among the towns comparedBOpen →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesC⁺Open →SafetyNear typical for the towns comparedB⁻Open →Hazard riskGraded on earthquake risk and radon, with high wildfire risk able to lower itB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Electoral Area B, Nanaimo stand out

The 3 things Electoral Area B, Nanaimo does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

44% are 65 or over

Canadian towns centre on 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Immigrants

Who lives here

20% are immigrants

The median of Canadian towns: 6%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

9.6 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $576,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Electoral Area B, Nanaimo.

HousingCost of living D⁻

Measured against local pay, Electoral Area B, Nanaimo costs more to live in than 98% of Canadian towns

$576,000median home value, 2021D⁻Cost of living Grade

Home ownership covers 88% of households. 16% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.

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

Electoral Area B, Nanaimo$576,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Electoral Area B, Nanaimo	British Columbia	Canada
Households owning their home	88%	76%	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	16%	21%	18%
Rent as a share of income	25%	24%	20%

$930

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$500

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageElectoral Area B, Nanaimo’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Cost of living9.6 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $576,000, against the median household income Renting$930 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Owners and renters88% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.

SchoolsSchools D⁻

No high school in or near Electoral Area B, Nanaimo: the closest is 8.4 km off

1school within 3 kmD⁻Schools Grade

Elementary school is 4.1 km away at the nearest, above both British Columbia’s towns (0.6 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km).

School	Level	Students	System
Gabriola Elementary Bottom fifth in British ColumbiaIn Electoral Area B, NanaimoElementary	Elementary	–	English public

Schools within 3 km	Electoral Area B, Nanaimo	British Columbia	Canada
Nearest secondary school	8.4 km	1.8 km	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	4.1 km	0.6 km	0.5 km

8.4 km

to the nearest secondary school

4.1 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageElectoral Area B, Nanaimo’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school1 elementary school Results0 of 1 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Language0 of 1 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia Questions“What schools are there in Electoral Area B, Nanaimo?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁻

The car carries only 74% of commuters in Electoral Area B, Nanaimo, fewer than in British Columbia’s towns and across Canadian towns

20%walk, cycle or take transit

The commute to work averages 24 min.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van74%

Walk8%

Bicycle6%

Public transit5%

Census 2021	Electoral Area B, Nanaimo	British Columbia	Canada
Car or van	74%	87%	89%
Average trip	24 min	26 min	26 min

$60,400

median household income, 2020

37%

worked from home, May 2021

74%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageElectoral Area B, Nanaimo’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Getting to work20% walk, cycle or take transit Unemployment8.5% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Where people commute to100 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Nanaimo

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.

Climate

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

22.4°CJuly afternoons

Gardeners get 235 frost-free days, from 19 March to 10 November. Frost comes on 40 days a year, below British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Summer highs in Electoral Area B, Nanaimo reach 22.4°C in July. December is the snowiest month, with 14 cm on average.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter7.1°C

Spring13.4°C

Summer21.5°C

Autumn14.0°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Electoral Area B, Nanaimo	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 pageElectoral Area B, Nanaimo’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 station44 km to the station · Vancouver International (Airport)

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

Who lives here

Electoral Area B, Nanaimo is older than 99% of Canadian towns: a median age of 63.2

63.2median age

Visible minorities make up 1.3% of the population, below both British Columbia’s towns (8.6%) and Canadian towns (15%). 3.4% of residents have an Indigenous identity, between British Columbia’s towns (5%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).

Electoral Area B, NanaimoBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

44%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree11%

Postsecondary qualification66%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 52.6% of Electoral Area B, Nanaimo

By the 2021 count the town had 2,370 women and 2,135 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.

Who lives in Electoral Area B, Nanaimo
	Electoral Area B, Nanaimo	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	6.6%	14%	16%
15 to 64	49%	64%	64%
65+	44%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	11%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	66%	56%	56%

Full pageElectoral Area B, Nanaimo’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages63.2 median age · 44% are 65 or over Households2,375 households · 1.9 people per household Immigrants20% are immigrants · 1% belong to a visible minority English and French10% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Outdoors

Gabriola Sands Park begins where Electoral Area B, Nanaimo ends

2.1%of the land within 10 km protected

Within 10 km, 2.1% of the land is protected, below British Columbia’s towns (6.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%) alike. 35 km separate the town from Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, its nearest national park. CPCAD lists 38 protected areas within 10 km.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Electoral Area B, Nanaimo2.1%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Electoral Area B, Nanaimo	British Columbia	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	17	14	4
Protected land within 10 km	2.1%	6.7%	2.3%

35 km

to Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

At the edge

to Gabriola Sands Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageElectoral Area B, Nanaimo’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas38 protected areas within 10 km · Saysutshun (Newcastle Island Marine) Park National & provincial parks35 km to a national park · Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

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

HealthHealth C⁺

Life expectancy around Electoral Area B, Nanaimo is 79.8 years, 1.7 less than for the typical Canadian town

47%very good or excellent healthC⁺Health Grade

Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the Central Vancouver Island Health Service Delivery Area

At 12%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 8.9% for British Columbia. Adults who call their own health very good or excellent: 47%, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (50%) and Canadian towns (52%). The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Electoral Area B, Nanaimo’s is long: 12 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Electoral Area B, Nanaimo47%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Electoral Area B, Nanaimo	British Columbia	Canada
Very good or excellent health	47%	50%	52%
Life expectancy at birth	79.8	81.0	81.5
Smokers	12%	9%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	16%	15%	17%

79.8

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

12 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

4.1 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageElectoral Area B, Nanaimo’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey47% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care12 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 4.1 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 82.6, men 77.1 Conditions and habits16% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

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

Weather

What November brings in Electoral Area B, Nanaimo: 4°C at night, 9°C by day

9°Ca normal November afternoon

December follows at 7°C by day and 1°C by night. Snowfall in a normal November: 3 cm. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 175 mm. Also worth knowing: july brings the warmest days, 22°C; December the coldest nights, 1°C.

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 pageElectoral Area B, Nanaimo’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

Electoral Area B, Nanaimo sends Tamara Kronis (Conservative Party of Canada) to the Commons from Nanaimo—Ladysmith

From British Columbia come 43 MPs, 20 of them with the Liberal Party of Canada.

Full pageElectoral Area B, Nanaimo’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itRegional District Electoral Area Provincial legislatureNanaimo-Gabriola Island

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁻

Electoral Area B, Nanaimo’s public library is VIRL: Gabriola Island Branch

From the centre of Electoral Area B, Nanaimo, it is 4.4 km away.

Full pageElectoral Area B, Nanaimo’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong1.3 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

SafetySafety B⁻

Electoral Area B, Nanaimo gets a B− for safety

59Crime Severity Index

No police detachment reports under Electoral Area B, Nanaimo’s name, so these are the nearest detachment’s figures, not the town’s own

Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 59 over 2023–25, below both British Columbia’s towns (83) and Canadian towns (67). Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 23 per 1,000 residents a year where it is policed. Figures for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 are published for the Nanaimo detachment area as a whole, not for Electoral Area B, Nanaimo alone.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202364

202457

202556

2023–2025	Electoral Area B, Nanaimo	British Columbia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	23	31	31.2
Crime Severity Index	59	83	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	58	76	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

21%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageElectoral Area B, Nanaimo’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety59 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Electoral Area B, Nanaimo’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Electoral Area B, Nanaimo safe?”

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁻

Earthquakes are Electoral Area B, Nanaimo’s biggest hazard: $0.39 of damage a year per $1,000 of buildings, 13 times the norm

Lowwildfire bandB⁻Hazard risk Grade

The radon tests numbers here cover the Central Vancouver Island health region

Radon is lower than usual: 0.9% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Wildfire is rare near Electoral Area B, Nanaimo: 0.4% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, a burn rate of 0.009% a year. The national flood inventory has no study of the town.

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

Electoral Area B, Nanaimo0.9%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Electoral Area B, Nanaimo	British Columbia	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.39	$0.36	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	0.9%	1.8%	6.6%

$0.39

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

Low

wildfire band

3.4 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageElectoral Area B, Nanaimo’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Earthquakes$0.39 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.4% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Radon0.9% 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

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Electoral Area B, Nanaimo

15pages on Electoral Area B, Nanaimo

The big questions

SafetyB⁻Crime Severity Index 59 Housing & costD⁻Homes 9.6 × income Property pricesSchoolsD⁻One school within 3 km HealthC⁺Life expectancy 79.8 in its region Work & commuteC⁻39% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors2.1% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 22°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 63.2 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Gabriola Museum and 9 more in and around Electoral Area B, Nanaimo

From museums to parks and historic sites: Electoral Area B, Nanaimo’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.

All attractions →

MuseumMuseumGabriola Museumin town Art galleryArt galleryNanaimo Museum4.8 km outside town, to the northwest MuseumMuseumVancouver Island Military Museum4.6 km outside town, to the northwest Heritage railwayHeritage railwayNumber 194.7 km outside town, to the northwest Art galleryArt galleryNightmare Oasis4.7 km outside town, to the northwest Art galleryArt galleryNanaimo Art Gallery4.8 km outside town, to the northwest

Famous people from around Electoral Area B, Nanaimo

One notable person was born in Electoral Area B, Nanaimo; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.

Their page →

Ike MacKayCanadian soccer player · born 1948

Diana KrallCanadian recording artist; jazz singer … · born in Nanaimo · born 1964

Jodelle FerlandCanadian actress · born in Nanaimo · born 1994

Ethan KatzbergCanadian hammer thrower · born in Nanaimo · born 2002

Justin ChatwinCanadian film and television actor · born in Nanaimo · born 1982

Brenda TaylorCanadian rower · born in Nanaimo · born 1962

Photo credits

Diana Krall: Chris Govias, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jodelle Ferland: zuko1312, CC BY 2.0 · Ethan Katzberg: Sebleouf, CC BY-SA 4.0

About Electoral Area B, Nanaimo

Town in British Columbia

TownRatings counts Electoral Area B, Nanaimo 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: 4,702 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Nanaimo
Census subdivision: 5921014

Electoral Area B, Nanaimo’s neighbours

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

Electoral Area A, NanaimoNanaimoElectoral Area H, Cowichan ValleyElectoral Area C, NanaimoElectoral Area B, Nanaimo

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Electoral Area B, Nanaimo	4,702	—	D⁻	D⁻	B⁻	C⁺
Electoral Area A, Nanaimo	7,825	9.5	D⁻	D⁻	C	B⁻
Nanaimo	111,845	14	D	D⁻	D	B⁻
Electoral Area H, Cowichan Valley	2,761	16	D	C⁻	C	B⁻
Electoral Area C, Nanaimo	3,733	18	C⁻	D	B⁻	B⁻

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

Questions about Electoral Area B, Nanaimo

Has Electoral Area B, Nanaimo grown?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 4,033 to 4,500 residents (up 11.6%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 4,702.

What kind of homes are in Electoral Area B, Nanaimo?

94% 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 1.9 people; 36% are one person living alone.

Is Electoral Area B, Nanaimo a young town or an old one?

The median resident is 63.2 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 7% are under 15 and 44% are 65 or over.

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).