Qualicum BeachBritish Columbia

TownGrade

#1,097 of 2,556

Population 9,640: a town in British Columbia. Statistics Canada counts it in the Parksville metro area.

4 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Ken Walker · CC BY-SA 2.5

Population

9,640

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

67.5

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

64%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

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

Is Qualicum Beach a good place to live?

Good on most counts; one lags. Qualicum Beach’s overall grade of B puts it better than 57% of Canadian towns, #61 of 250 in British Columbia. Its strongest is schools (A). Walkability is a strength too (A−). The trade-off is cost of living (D−). The rest of its grades are middling: B− for health, B for jobs & income and B− for hazard risk.

Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestASchools A⁻WalkabilityWeakestD⁻Cost of living

How Qualicum Beach grades

Each subject compares Qualicum Beach 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 livingGraded on home prices against local incomesD⁻Open →SchoolsSchools rank among the strongest comparedAOpen →WalkabilityAhead of most towns comparedA⁻Open →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentB⁺Open →Jobs & incomeNear typical for the towns comparedBOpen →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesB⁻Open →Hazard riskAbout average among the towns comparedB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Qualicum Beach stand out

The 3 things Qualicum Beach does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

56% are 65 or over

Canadian towns centre on 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Immigrants

Who lives here

20% are immigrants

Against 6% in the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

9.5 times household income

The middle of Canadian towns: 4.7 times

Median owner’s estimate $725,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Qualicum Beach.

HousingCost of living D⁻

Qualicum Beach is a town of owners: 87% of households own their home, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

$725,000median home value, 2021D⁻Cost of living Grade

Shared with the rest of the Parksville metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Shelter took 30% or more of income for 17% of households, about level with Canadian towns (18%) and below British Columbia’s towns (21%). Rent took 25% of household income, near British Columbia’s towns (24%) and higher than Canadian towns (20%).

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

Qualicum Beach$725,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Qualicum Beach	British Columbia	Canada
Households owning their home	87%	76%	74%
Rent as a share of income	25%	24%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	17%	21%	18%

$1,563

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$640

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageQualicum Beach’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters87% own their home Cost of living9.5 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $725,000, against the median household income Renting$1,563 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey

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.

SchoolsSchools A

Results around Qualicum Beach split both ways in British Columbia: 2 of 4 schools high, 1 low

6schools within 3 kmASchools Grade

Within 3 km of Qualicum Beach are 3 elementary schools, 1 secondary school, 1 school for every grade and 1 alternative or adult school. An elementary school stands 2.1 km from the centre, above British Columbia’s towns (0.6 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km) alike.

School	Level	Students	System
Arrowview Elementary Fourth fifth in British ColumbiaIn Qualicum BeachElementary	Elementary	–	English public
Coast Karma Academy IndependentIn Qualicum BeachAll grades	All grades	–	Independent

See all 6 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public5

Independent1

Schools within 3 km	Qualicum Beach	British Columbia	Canada
Nearest elementary school	2.1 km	0.6 km	0.5 km

0.7 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageQualicum Beach’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results2 of 4 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Every school6 schools within 3 km · 3 elementary schools, 1 secondary school, 1 school for every grade and 1 alternative or adult school Language0 of 6 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia Questions“What schools are there in Qualicum Beach?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Climate

Qualicum Beach has milder winters than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of 1.5°C

23.1°CJuly afternoons

Frosty days number 46 in a normal year, below British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Between the last spring frost, 1 April, and the first in autumn, 6 November, lie 218 days. Expect July highs of around 23.1°C in Qualicum Beach. Snow peaks in December: 17 cm in a normal year.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter6.6°C

Spring13.2°C

Summer22.0°C

Autumn13.6°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Qualicum Beach	British Columbia	Canada
Days with frost a year	46	60	159
January night low	1.5°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	23.1°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
Snowfall a year	51 cm	51 cm	141 cm

51 cm

of snow a year

days with frost a year

218

frost-free days, 1 Apr to 6 Nov

131

days with precipitation a year

Full pageQualicum Beach’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 23.1°C, January lows 1.5°C Rain and snow1,152 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow51 cm of snow a year Weather station53 km to the station · Comox

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Comox)

Who lives here

Older than 99% of Canadian towns: half of Qualicum Beach is over 67.5

67.5median age

3.3% of residents belong to a visible minority, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (8.6%) and Canadian towns (15%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 3.2% of residents, lower than British Columbia’s towns (5%) yet higher than Canadian towns (2.8%).

Qualicum BeachBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

56%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree8%

Postsecondary qualification64%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 54.9% of Qualicum Beach

4,195 men and 5,110 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.

Who lives in Qualicum Beach
	Qualicum Beach	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	6.8%	14%	16%
15 to 64	37%	64%	64%
65+	56%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	8.1%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	64%	56%	56%

Full pageQualicum Beach’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages67.5 median age · 56% are 65 or over Households4,435 households · 2 people per household Immigrants20% are immigrants · 3% belong to a visible minority English and French7% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

SafetySafety B⁺

Qualicum Beach’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 33, runs below British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

51Crime Severity Index

Violent crime runs at 6.8 per 1,000 residents a year. Thefts, break-ins and damage came to 18.4 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (31) and Canadian towns (31.2).

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202362

202443

202549

2023–2025	Qualicum Beach	British Columbia	Canada
Violent Crime Severity Index	33	76	86
Property crime per 1,000	18.4	31	31.2
Violent crime	6.8	12.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

14%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageQualicum Beach’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety51 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Qualicum Beach’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Qualicum Beach safe?”

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

Work & commuteJobs & income B

Trips to work from Qualicum Beach are shorter than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 22 min on average

9%walk, cycle or take transit

86% of commuters drove, about level with both British Columbia’s towns (87%) and Canadian towns (89%).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van86%

Walk7%

Public transit1%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Qualicum Beach	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	22 min	26 min	26 min
Car or van	86%	87%	89%

$76,500

median household income, 2020

25%

worked from home, May 2021

39%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageQualicum Beach’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment7.7% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work9% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to345 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Parksville

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.

Weather

Expect November days around 9°C in Qualicum Beach, nights around 3°C

9°Ca normal November afternoon

For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Qualicum Beach forecast. In November, the normal is 189 mm of rain and snow.

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November9°C

December6°C

January6°C

February7°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	7°C	1°C	483 mm
Spring	13°C	5°C	212 mm
Summer	22°C	13°C	97 mm
Autumn	14°C	7°C	361 mm

3°C

a normal November night

189 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageQualicum Beach’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 February

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Comox); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Courtenay—Alberni came down to 8,431 votes in 2021, closer than 67% of the country’s ridings

For local government, Qualicum Beach is a town.

Full pageQualicum Beach’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Member of ParliamentGord Johns Provincial legislatureLadysmith-Oceanside

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁻

Qualicum Beach’s public library is VIRL: Qualicum Beach Branch

It sits 1.2 km from the centre of Qualicum Beach.

Full pageQualicum Beach’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong4.2 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Protected land at Qualicum Beach’s edge: Parksville-Qualicum Beach Wildlife Management Area

4.4%of the land within 10 km protected

For a provincial park, Little Qualicum Falls Park lies 5.5 km off. Within 10 km of the town, 4.4% of the land is protected, against 2.3% around a typical Canadian town. 63 km separate the town from Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, its nearest national park.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Qualicum Beach4.4%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Qualicum Beach	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	4.4%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	9	14	4

63 km

to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

5.5 km

to Little Qualicum Falls Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageQualicum Beach’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas24 protected areas within 10 km · Parksville-Qualicum Beach Wildlife Management Area National & provincial parks63 km to a national park · Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

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

HealthHealth B⁻

Expect 79.8 years of life in the region around Qualicum Beach, 1.7 under the typical Canadian town

47%very good or excellent healthB⁻Health Grade

For Qualicum Beach itself the measure is access, and it lags: 8.7 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical. The region has more smokers than British Columbia, just over one in ten adults to 8.9%. Adults who call their own health very good or excellent: 47%, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (50%) and Canadian towns (52%).

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Qualicum Beach47%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Qualicum Beach	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

8.7 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.7 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageQualicum Beach’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey47% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care8.7 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.7 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 · Area behind the health survey and life expectancy figures: the Central Vancouver Island Health Service Delivery Area

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁻

Shaking costs buildings in Qualicum Beach $0.47 a year per $1,000 of value, 16 times the typical town’s

Lowwildfire bandB⁻Hazard risk Grade

Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Central Vancouver Island health region

Little of the land around Qualicum Beach has burned: 0.5% within 25 km since 1986, or 0.01% a year. Of the homes tested for radon, 0.9% were over 200 Bq/m³, below both British Columbia’s towns (1.8%) and Canadian towns (6.6%). Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy has mapped the flood hazard here: one study on the national inventory.

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

Qualicum Beach0.9%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Qualicum Beach	British Columbia	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.47	$0.36	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	0.9%	1.8%	6.6%

$0.47

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

Low

wildfire band

9.4 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageQualicum Beach’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Earthquakes$0.47 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.5% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodOne 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

History

2 historic places on the heritage registers in Qualicum Beach

2historic places

Before 1961 is when 6.3% of the homes went up, below both British Columbia’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%). Go back to 1882 and you reach Kinkade Farmstead, the oldest of them. The list takes in a heritage railway station and a Recognized Federal Heritage Building.

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations2

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

1882

oldest construction date on the record

6.3%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Qualicum Beach	British Columbia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	6.3%	11%	18%

Full pageQualicum Beach’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers2 historic places inside the town Older homes6.3% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Qualicum Beach have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Qualicum Beach

15pages on Qualicum Beach

The big questions

SafetyB⁺Crime Severity Index 51 Housing & costD⁻Homes 9.5 × income Property pricesSchoolsA6 schools within 3 km HealthB⁻Life expectancy 79.8 in its region Work & commuteB32% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors4.4% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 23°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 67.5 History2 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Oceanside Art Gallery and 6 more in and around Qualicum Beach

A first look at Qualicum Beach’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.

All attractions →

Art galleryArt galleryOceanside Art Galleryin town

MuseumQualicum Beach Museumin town Art galleryArt galleryStone Cottage Galleryin town Heritage railwayHeritage railwayBloedel, Stewart & Welch No. 4in town AttractionAttractionHamilton Hobby Farm2.5 km outside town, to the southwest AttractionAttractionNorth Island Wildlife Recovery & Educational Centre4.8 km outside town, to the south

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (1)

Qualicum Beach Museum: Snoeske, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from around Qualicum Beach

2 notable people were born in Qualicum Beach; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.

Their page →

John SavageBritish Columbia politician · 1936–2018

Sascha BraunigCanadian artist · born 1983

Justin SorensenPlayer of American and Canadian football · born in Parksville · born 1986

Nicholas BennettCanadian Paralympic swimmer · born in Parksville · born 2003

Trevor HirschfieldCanadian wheelchair rugby player · born in Parksville · born 1983

Darren BerreclothCanadian mountain biker · born in Parksville · born 1981

Photo credits

Justin Sorensen: Michael Tedesco, CC BY 2.0

About Qualicum Beach

Town in British Columbia

Statistics Canada treats Qualicum Beach as a single census subdivision in British Columbia, and TownRatings keeps to that line.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 9,640 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Nanaimo
Metro area: Parksville
Census subdivision: 5921023

Qualicum Beach’s neighbours

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

Electoral Area G, NanaimoElectoral Area F, NanaimoParksvilleElectoral Area H, NanaimoQualicum Beach

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Qualicum Beach	9,640	—	B	D⁻	B⁺	B⁻
Electoral Area G, Nanaimo	8,412	5.2	B	D	A⁻	B⁻
Electoral Area F, Nanaimo	8,810	6.8	C⁺	D	A⁻	B⁻
Parksville	15,371	8.6	C	D⁻	C⁻	B
Electoral Area H, Nanaimo	4,815	19	C	D	B⁺	C⁺

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

Questions about Qualicum Beach

Is Qualicum Beach a young town or an old one?

The typical resident is 67.5 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 56% of the population and under-15s at 7%.

What kind of homes are in Qualicum Beach?

79% 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 people; 29% are one person living alone.

Is Qualicum Beach growing?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 8,943 to 9,303 residents (up 4%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 9,640.

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).