Photo: Gerry Thomasen from Nanaimo, Canada · CC BY 2.0Owners put the median home in Nanaimo at $600,000
Behind it are the answers of 28,765 owners at the 2021 census. Keep in mind these are owners’ estimates from the 2021 census, not recorded sales. Statistics Canada counted 2,590 buyers in 2023, paying a median $682,000.
Three ways to price a home in Nanaimo
Every figure here is compared within the province, against British Columbia’s towns, since each province assesses on its own terms.
median, owners’ estimate
- Average
- $626K
- Owners
- 28,765
- British Columbia’s towns
- $720K
- The typical Canadian town
- $406K
median sale price
- Average sale
- $700K
- ÷ buyers’ income
- 4.8×
- Buyers
- 2,590
- British Columbia’s towns
- $682K
all residential
- British Columbia’s towns
- $671K
Census 2021 (Statistics Canada); Canadian Housing Statistics Program, tables 46-10-0099 and 46-10-0093; Québec rôle d’évaluation foncière 2026 (MAMH).
Houses against condos in Nanaimo: 90% more on the roll
Detached houses account for 55% of the 34,300 properties on Nanaimo’s 2024 roll; condos for 14%.
Median assessment by type, 2024 the tick is the median of British Columbia’s towns
Canadian Housing Statistics Program, table 46-10-0093 (2024): residential properties on the assessment roll, vacant land left out. The ticks are the median of British Columbia’s towns with their own figure; assessments compare within a province only.
The homes of Nanaimo, by period and type
43,165 occupied homes stood in Nanaimo in 2021, and single-detached houses made up 52% of them. Half went up before 2001.
Homes by period of construction the tick is the median of British Columbia’s towns
Homes by kind
| Nanaimo | British Columbia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Condominiums | 16% | 10% | 8% |
| Needing major repairs | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| Too small for the household | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| Households in core housing need | 12% | 10% | 7% |
Census 2021 (Statistics Canada): occupied private dwellings; core housing need as Statistics Canada defines it. Ticks and columns are medians of the towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500 or more.
Building ahead of British Columbia’s towns: 26.4 new homes a year per 1,000 in Nanaimo, against 18.1
Over 2018–2023, 6,639 homes were permitted in Nanaimo, close to 1,107 each year. Multi-unit buildings took most: single-unit ones were just 5%, where British Columbia’s towns built 27%.
The busiest year: 2019, with 1,554 new homes
New homes a year per 1,000 homes
977 new homes in the 12 months to August 2026, up 79% on the year before
Statistics Canada, tables 46-10-0087 (building permits by census subdivision, 2018–2023: dwelling units created, new construction and conversions) and 34-10-0292 (monthly, metro areas). Per 1,000: units a year over 2019–2023 against occupied homes in 2021. · Monthly permits published for the Nanaimo metro area, not by town
Nanaimo against British Columbia’s towns: 17% under the $720,000 median
254 of British Columbia’s towns (2,500 people or more), by median value at the 2021 census, dearest first.
Census 2021, owners’ estimates; towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500 or more, no city as a whole, no reserve.
Nanaimo’s neighbours by home value
The places around Nanaimo at the 2021 census: median and average value, and how many own.
| Town | Median home value | Average | Owners | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nanaimo | $600K | $626K | 67% | |
| Electoral Area C, Nanaimo | $900K | $984K | 84% | 3.4 |
| Lantzville | $850K | $976K | 87% | 9.9 |
| Electoral Area A, Nanaimo | $685K | $712K | 84% | 13.7 |
| Electoral Area B, Nanaimo | $576K | $654K | 88% | 14.5 |
| Fairwinds | $900K | $1.01M | 91% | 17.4 |
Census 2021 values; km.
Questions about property prices in Nanaimo
Is Nanaimo expensive for British Columbia?
On census values, Nanaimo sits among the cheaper of British Columbia’s towns (median $720,000).
How many households in Nanaimo are in core housing need?
In line with British Columbia’s towns (10%): 12% in Nanaimo, counting the households whose home falls short on cost, size or repair.
What is the average house price in Nanaimo?
Buyers paid $700,000 on average in 2023, or 4.8 years of their income at the median.
Can I see individual sales or prices by street?
No. Sales are published as town figures (median, average, buyers); street-level or single sales aren’t released.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · Statistics Canada, Canadian Housing Statistics Program · Statistics Canada, building permits (tables 46-10-0087 and 34-10-0292). 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).