New WestminsterBritish Columbia
Between 2016 and 2021, its population grew by 11%. A town of 92,124 in British Columbia.
Is New Westminster a good place to live?
Real strengths, and real weak spots. Housing is expensive (D−). Safety is weaker too (C). Health is a strength (A). It also does well on walkability (A+). The overall grade comes out at C+, better than 44% of Canadian towns. That places it #112 of 250 in British Columbia.
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.
What makes New Westminster stand out
The 3 things New Westminster does most differently from other towns.
How New Westminster grades
Each subject compares New Westminster 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 →
Holy Eucharist Cathedral and 31 more in and around New Westminster
From museums to parks and historic sites: New Westminster’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
CathedralHoly Trinity Cathedralin townArt galleryArt galleryAmelia Douglas Galleryin townMuseumMuseumAnvil Centrein townMuseumMuseumCanadian Lacrosse Hall of Famein townMuseumMuseumFraser River Discovery Centrein townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Holy Trinity Cathedral: sageb1, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in New Westminster.
Rent takes more of local pay in New Westminster than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 34% of household income
Area-wide: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, counted over the Vancouver metro area
The median home value was $700,000, close to British Columbia’s towns ($720,000) and above Canadian towns ($406,000). Home ownership covers 55% of households.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | New Westminster | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 34% | 24% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 30% | 21% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 55% | 76% | 74% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $700,000 | $720,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.
Health in New Westminster beats 90% of Canadian towns
The region’s 2022/2024 life expectancy is 84.4, with women at 86.6 and men at 82.1. About as many adults call their health very good or excellent here as across British Columbia, 48% against 50%. Smokers make up 7.5% of the region’s adults, below both British Columbia’s towns (9%) and Canadian towns (12%). For New Westminster itself the measure is access, and it scores well: 1.8 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | New Westminster | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 84.4 | 81.0 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 7.5% | 9% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 48% | 50% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
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 Fraser North Health Service Delivery Area
New Westminster earns a C for safety
Police recorded 16.1 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above British Columbia’s towns (12.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike. Property crime runs at 35 per 1,000 people a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | New Westminster | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 16.1 | 12.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 95 | 76 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 35 | 31 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
July afternoons in New Westminster reach 25.0°C (British Columbia towns 23.1°C, Canadian towns 25.5°C)
A normal January night drops to 0.5°C, near British Columbia’s towns (0.5°C) and higher than Canadian towns (−13.5°C). The frost-free season runs from 11 April to 30 October, 201 days. January is the wettest month, with 252 mm of rain and snow on average. December is the snowiest month, with 14 cm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | New Westminster | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation a year | 1,649 mm | 1,152 mm | 883 mm |
| January night low | 0.5°C | 0.5°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 60 | 60 | 159 |
| Snowfall a year | 37 cm | 51 cm | 141 cm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Pitt Meadows)
Schools in New Westminster: 6 boards, side by side
The 3 km around New Westminster counts 60 elementary schools, 10 secondary schools, 2 schools for every grade and 16 alternative or adult schools. On the tests, 25 of 69 schools land above the middle in British Columbia, 28 under it.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Hidayah School IndependentIn New WestminsterElementary | Elementary | – | Independent |
| New Westminster Secondary Fourth fifth in British ColumbiaIn New WestminsterSecondary | Secondary | – | English public |
| Home Learners Program OnlineResults in the top fifth in British ColumbiaAlternative or adult | Alternative or adult | – | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | New Westminster | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 6 | 2 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Trips to work from New Westminster take longer than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 33 min on average
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | New Westminster | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 33 min | 26 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.
New Westminster has more protected land around it than 8 in 10 Canadian towns
Biggest among them: Belcarra Regional Park, 1,030 ha, 6.4 km off. Within 10 km, the count of public protected areas is 81, above both British Columbia’s towns (14) and Canadian towns (4). 41 km separate the town from Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, its nearest national park. For walks, 4 named routes run within 2 km, such as the BC Parkway and Central Valley Greenway.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | New Westminster | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 81 | 14 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 8% | 6.7% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
New Westminster has one of Canada’s highest earthquake risks: $0.43 a year per $1,000, 14 times the typical town’s
2 flood studies cover the town, the latest by City of Coquitlam. Burn scars are few around New Westminster, with 0.1% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.003% a year).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | New Westminster | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.43 | $0.36 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 0% | 1.8% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Radon tests: the Fraser North health region
Visible minorities make up more of New Westminster than of British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 47%
Under 15: 13% of residents. People 65 and over make up 16% of the town, below both British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (19%).
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 50.7% of New Westminster
By the 2021 count the town had 40,045 women and 38,875 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.
| New Westminster | British Columbia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 71% | 64% | 64% |
| 65+ | 16% | 21% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 10% | 13% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 63% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
What November brings in New Westminster: 2°C at night, 10°C by day
A normal December brings highs of 6°C, lows of freezing. November normally sees 249 mm of precipitation. A typical November adds 3 cm of snow. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Vancouver.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 7°C | 0°C | 600 mm |
| Spring | 15°C | 5°C | 373 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 12°C | 153 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 6°C | 523 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Pitt Meadows); the forecast is on the Weather page
New Westminster sends Jake Sawatzky (Liberal Party of Canada) to the Commons from New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville
Of the 43 Commons seats from British Columbia, the Liberal Party of Canada holds 20.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Fewer visits per person served than 82% of British Columbia’s town libraries: New Westminster Public Library counts 3.1
New Westminster Public Library has 3 branches for the 92,124 people it serves.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
The registers record 2 historic places in New Westminster
At the 2021 census, nearly a fifth of homes dated from before 1961, above both British Columbia’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%). The earliest construction date, 1895, belongs to Armoury. The record has a Recognized Federal Heritage Building and a provincial or municipal listing.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
- Armoury 1895
- Holy Trinity Cathedral 1902
| Heritage | New Westminster | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 19% | 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 New Westminster
Famous people from New Westminster
167 notable people were born in New Westminster.
Photo credits
Raymond Burr: NBC TV, Public domain · Robert Langlands: Author - Dr. Jeff Mozzochi (passed copyright for the photo to owner - professor Robert Phelan Langlands), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Devin Townsend: Andre Mesker from Oosterwolde, the Netherlands, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Robert Thirsk: NASA, Public domain · Alexz Johnson: Justin Higuchi, CC BY 2.0 · Brendan Fehr: Kristin Dos Santos from Los Angeles, California, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
New Westminster’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Westminster | 92,124 | — | C+ | D− | C | A |
| East Burnaby | 17,233 | 2.3 | B− | D− | C+ | A |
| Edmonds | 34,805 | 2.9 | C+ | D− | C+ | A |
| Bridgeview | 3,511 | 3.7 | C− | D− | C− | A |
| Buckingham Heights | 8,794 | 4 | B− | D− | C+ | A |
| Brownsville | 23,515 | 4.6 | C− | D− | C− | A |
| Royal Oak | 18,364 | 4.7 | B− | D− | C+ | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about New Westminster
Has New Westminster grown?
It added people: 70,996 in 2016, 78,916 in 2021, 11.2% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 92,124.
What kind of homes are in New Westminster?
14% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 35% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.2 people; 37% are one person living alone.
How old are the people of New Westminster?
The median resident is 40.4 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 13% are under 15 and 16% are 65 or over.
About New Westminster
Town in British Columbia
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: New Westminster is one census subdivision in British Columbia, and TownRatings describes all of it.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 92,124 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- Census division
- Greater Vancouver
- Metro area
- Vancouver
- Census subdivision
- 5915029
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).