North SaanichBritish Columbia
This town in British Columbia has a population of 12,986. It is part of the Victoria metro area.
Is North Saanich a good place to live?
Jobs & income is its strong suit (A+). What counts against it is cost of living (D). Put together, the subjects come to an A− overall, ranking #8 of 250 in British Columbia. Set against the rest, it does better than 83% of Canadian towns. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B for schools, 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 North Saanich grades
Each subject compares North Saanich 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 North Saanich stand out
The 3 things North Saanich does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in North Saanich.
Trips to work from North Saanich are shorter than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 22 min on average
90% of commuters drove, close to both British Columbia’s towns (87%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | North Saanich | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 22 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 90% | 87% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
North Saanich scores better for health than 95% of Canadian towns
Expected years of life at birth: 82.7, above British Columbia’s towns (81.0) and Canadian towns (81.5) alike. Smoking is rarer than in the province: 6% of adults, against 8.9% for British Columbia, though the survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 55%, ahead of the 50% for British Columbia. For North Saanich itself the measure is access, and it lags: 6.9 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | North Saanich | 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 · Data for health survey and life expectancy covers the South Vancouver Island Health Service Delivery Area
North Saanich is a town of owners: 88% of households own their home, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns
Rent took 21% of household income, lower than British Columbia’s towns (24%) and near Canadian towns (20%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 15% of households, below British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. Figures for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom are published for the Victoria metro area as a whole, not for North Saanich alone.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | North Saanich | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 88% | 76% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 15% | 21% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 21% | 24% | 20% |
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.
Violent crime weighs less on North Saanich than on British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 33
Property crime ran at 15.3 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (31) and Canadian towns (31.2). Per 1,000 residents, 6.3 violent crimes are recorded each year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | North Saanich | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 15.3 | 31 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 33 | 76 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 6.3 | 12.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Winters are mild in North Saanich: January nights hold at 1.6°C, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns
Most of the snow comes in December, about 12 cm. The thermometer drops below freezing on 45 days a year, below both British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159). Gardeners get 213 frost-free days, from 4 April to 4 November. North Saanich sees July afternoons of 22.7°C on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | North Saanich | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days with frost a year | 45 | 60 | 159 |
| January night low | 1.6°C | 0.5°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 22.7°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 39 cm | 51 cm | 141 cm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Victoria (Airport))
An older town: 35% of people in North Saanich are 65 or over, more than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns
Children under 15 make up 11%, below British Columbia’s towns (14%) and Canadian towns (16%) alike. 6.5% of residents belong to a visible minority, below British Columbia’s towns (8.6%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
51.1% of North Saanich’s residents are women
Here the census found 6,255 women and 5,985 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| North Saanich | British Columbia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 54% | 64% | 64% |
| 65+ | 35% | 21% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 7% | 13% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 68% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
North Saanich’s grade for schools: a B
The 3 km around North Saanich counts 4 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 1 alternative or adult school. An elementary school stands 2.4 km from the centre, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (0.6 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Cove Elementary Fourth fifth in British ColumbiaIn North SaanichElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Parkland Secondary Middle fifth in British ColumbiaIn North SaanichSecondary | Secondary | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | North Saanich | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest elementary school | 2.4 km | 0.6 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve reaches North Saanich
Within 5 km are 24 beaches; Glass Beach is the nearest. Nearly a tenth of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). Public parks and reserves within 10 km: 18, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (14) and Canadian towns (4).
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | North Saanich | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 9.2% | 6.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 18 | 14 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
North Saanich has one of Canada’s highest earthquake risks: $0.73 a year per $1,000, 24 times the typical town’s
Flood mapping exists: a study by Capital Regional District. Radon is lower than usual: 1.8% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | North Saanich | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.73 | $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 · Area behind the radon tests figures: the South Vancouver Island health region
North Saanich in November: highs near 10°C, lows near 3°C
December follows at 7°C by day and 2°C by night. Precipitation in November averages 146 mm. July brings the warmest days, 23°C; February the coldest nights, 1°C. ECCC’s forecast for Victoria (Hartland) is on the Weather page, hour by hour.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 2°C | 386 mm |
| Spring | 14°C | 5°C | 165 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 11°C | 73 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 6°C | 278 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Victoria (Airport)); the forecast is on the Weather page
North Saanich sends Elizabeth May (Green Party of Canada) to the Commons from Saanich—Gulf Islands
20 of the 43 MPs from British Columbia belong to the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
North Saanich has no public library of its own; the nearest is VIRL: Sidney / North Saanich Branch, 2.5 km away
After it comes Piers Island Library (Southern Gulf Islands), 4.5 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Everything we know about North Saanich
British Columbia Aviation Museum and 10 more in and around North Saanich
Sights in North Saanich and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
MuseumBritish Columbia Aviation Museumin town
National park · Parks CanadaGulf Islands National Park Reserve4.6 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumSidney Museum and Archives1.3 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumHenderson Hangarin townMuseumMuseumMain Hangarin townMuseumMuseumRestoration Hangarin townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- British Columbia Aviation Museum: cliff1066, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gulf Islands National Park Reserve: Paul Gierszewski, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sidney Museum and Archives: Sidney Museum, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around North Saanich
No notable person born in North Saanich is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Frances Oldham Kelsey: The photographer is unknown., Public domain · Patrick deWitt: librairie mollat, CC BY 3.0 · Daniel Diemer: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Micah Zandee-Hart: Metropolitan Transportation Authority, CC BY 4.0 · Adam Olsen: BC NDP, CC BY 2.0
About North Saanich
Town in British Columbia
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: North Saanich 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
- 12,986 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- Census division
- Capital
- Metro area
- Victoria
- Census subdivision
- 5917005
North Saanich’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Saanich | 12,986 | — | A− | D | A | A |
| Sidney | 13,445 | 2.4 | B+ | D− | B− | A |
| East Saanich 2 | 1,962 | 9.2 | — | — | — | A+ |
| Electoral Area A, Cowichan Valley | 5,156 | 9.5 | B− | D | B+ | B− |
| Central Saanich | 18,184 | 10 | A | D− | A | A+ |
| Cobble Hill | 5,074 | 11 | B | D− | B+ | C+ |
| Highlands | 2,753 | 16 | C− | D | C | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about North Saanich
Has North Saanich grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 11,249 to 12,235 residents (up 8.8%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 12,986.
What kind of homes are in North Saanich?
Mostly 79% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.4 people on average, and 19% have just one.
How old are the people of North Saanich?
Its median age is 56.8, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2.
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).