Electoral Area E, Sunshine CoastBritish Columbia

TownGrade

B⁻

#1,393 of 2,556

In British Columbia, this town has 4,279 residents. Between 2016 and 2021, its population grew by 6%.

Population

4,279

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

50.8

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

58%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

11%

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

Is Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast a good place to live?

Some subjects shine; others lag. Cost of living is its weak spot (D−). It lags on safety as well (C+). Health is a strength (A+). The overall grade lands at B−, #96 of 250 in British Columbia. Set against the rest, it does better than 49% of Canadian towns.

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 is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around 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.

StrongestA⁺Health A⁻Jobs & incomeWeakestD⁻Cost of living

How Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast grades

Each subject compares Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast 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 livingAmong the weakest of the towns comparedD⁻Open →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areA⁺Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the strongest comparedA⁻Open →WalkabilityAhead of most towns comparedB⁺Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentC⁺Open →Hazard riskMore exposed to natural hazards than mostC⁺Open →SchoolsGraded on exam and test resultsB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast stand out

The 3 things Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

9.3 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $800,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Cost of living

Behind 99%

of Canadian towns on cost of living

Its cost of living grade: D−.

Immigrants

Who lives here

15% are immigrants

Where the typical figure for Canadian towns is 6%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast.

HousingCost of living D⁻

Renting in Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast eats 26% of household income, more than in British Columbia’s towns and across Canadian towns

$800,000median home value, 2021D⁻Cost of living Grade

Owners make up just over four in five households, above both British Columbia’s towns (76%) and Canadian towns (74%). 17% 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 E, Sunshine Coast$800,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast	British Columbia	Canada
Rent as a share of income	26%	24%	20%
Households owning their home	82%	76%	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	17%	21%	18%

$1,400

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$850

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageElectoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$1,400 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living9.3 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $800,000, against the median household income Owners and renters82% 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.

HealthHealth A⁺

Few places match Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast for health: it beats 96% of Canadian towns

59%very good or excellent healthA⁺Health Grade

Chronic conditions run at just over one in ten adults, age-standardised, below both British Columbia’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%). Adults here are more upbeat about their health than the province: 59% very good or excellent, against 50% in British Columbia. In addition, people in the region live to 84.3 on average: 86.3 for women and 82.3 for men in 2022/2024. Smoking is rarer than in the province: 6.5% of adults, against 8.9% for British Columbia. Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the North Shore/Coast Garibaldi Health Service Delivery Area.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast59%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast	British Columbia	Canada
Very good or excellent health	59%	50%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	12%	15%	17%
Life expectancy at birth	84.3	81.0	81.5
Smokers	6.5%	9%	12%

84.3

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

17 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

6.5%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.8 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageElectoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey59% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care17 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.8 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 86.3, men 82.3 Conditions and habits12% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

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

Climate

Winters are mild in Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast: January nights hold at 3.3°C, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

23.0°CJuly afternoons

December is the snowiest month, with 14 cm on average. The thermometer drops below freezing on 17 days a year, below both British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159). In July, daytime highs in Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast average 23.0°C.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter7.6°C

Spring14.1°C

Summer22.1°C

Autumn14.3°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast	British Columbia	Canada
Days with frost a year	17	60	159
January night low	3.3°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C
Precipitation a year	1,537 mm	1,152 mm	883 mm
Snowfall a year	37 cm	51 cm	141 cm

37 cm

of snow a year

days with frost a year

142

days with precipitation a year

Full pageElectoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 23.0°C, January lows 3.3°C Rain and snow1,537 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow37 cm of snow a year Weather station32 km to the station · Vancouver (Harbour)

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

Work & commuteJobs & income A⁻

Trips to work from Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast are shorter than from British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 21 min on average

11%walk, cycle or take transit

The car took 84% of commuters, about level with British Columbia’s towns (87%) and below Canadian towns (89%).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van84%

Walk6%

Public transit5%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	21 min	26 min	26 min
Car or van	84%	87%	89%

$87,000

median household income, 2020

24%

worked from home, May 2021

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageElectoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment6.1% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work11% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to475 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Gibsons

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

SafetySafety C⁺

For safety, Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast gets a C+

77Crime Severity Index

Source area for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: the Sunshine Coast detachment area

Violent incidents in its police area came to 16 per 1,000 residents a year, above both British Columbia’s towns (12.5) and Canadian towns (12). The violent index for its police area came to 94, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86).

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202378

202480

202571

2023–2025	Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast	British Columbia	Canada
Violent crime	16	12.5	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	94	76	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

27%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageElectoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety77 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast safe?”

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast has one of Canada’s highest earthquake risks: $0.45 a year per $1,000, 15 times the typical town’s

Lowwildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

Health Canada’s survey found radon above the guideline in 2.5% of homes, higher than British Columbia’s towns (1.8%) yet lower than Canadian towns (6.6%). Burn scars are few around Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast, with 0.4% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.01% a year). No one has filed a flood map for Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast on the national inventory.

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

Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast2.5%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast	British Columbia	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.45	$0.36	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	2.5%	1.8%	6.6%

$0.45

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

Low

wildfire band

9.1 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageElectoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Earthquakes$0.45 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 Radon2.5% 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 · Area behind the radon tests figures: the North Shore/Coast Garibaldi health region

Who lives here

Older than 87% of Canadian towns: half of Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast is over 50.8

50.8median age

People 65 and over make up just over a quarter of the town, above British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (19%) alike. 15% of residents are children under 15.

Electoral Area E, Sunshine CoastBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

26%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree13%

Postsecondary qualification58%

Women and men · all residents

51.4% of Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’s residents are women

Of the 2021 count, 1,995 were women and 1,890 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).

Who lives in Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast
	Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	15%	14%	16%
15 to 64	60%	64%	64%
65+	26%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	13%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	58%	56%	56%

Full pageElectoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages50.8 median age · 26% are 65 or over Households1,605 households · 2.4 people per household Immigrants15% are immigrants · 8% 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+

Weather

In Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast, November normally means 10°C afternoons and 5°C nights

10°Ca normal November afternoon

The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Gibsons. Snowfall in a normal November: 3 cm. A normal November brings 245 mm of rain and snow. By December, a normal day reaches 7°C and a night falls to 3°C.

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

November10°C

December7°C

January7°C

February8°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	8°C	3°C	554 mm
Spring	14°C	7°C	353 mm
Summer	22°C	14°C	158 mm
Autumn	14°C	9°C	473 mm

5°C

a normal November night

245 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageElectoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’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 (Harbour)); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Patrick Weiler (Liberal Party of Canada) holds West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, the riding that includes Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast

Locally, Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast is run as a regional district electoral area.

Full pageElectoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Provincial legislaturePowell River-Sunshine Coast

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A⁻

Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast has no public library of its own; the nearest is Gibsons & District Public Library, 2.2 km away

The next is Roberts Creek Community Library (Roberts Creek), 7.8 km away.

Full pageElectoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast has 31 public protected areas within 10 km

3.4%of the land within 10 km protected

2.4 km from town is Mount Elphinstone Park, the nearest provincial park. For a national park, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is 59 km away. Within 10 km, 3.4% of the land is protected, below British Columbia’s towns (6.7%) but above Canadian towns (2.3%). Swimmers have 48 beaches within 5 km, Bonniebrook Beach the nearest.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast3.4%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast	British Columbia	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	31	14	4
Protected land within 10 km	3.4%	6.7%	2.3%

59 km

to Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

2.4 km

to Mount Elphinstone Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageElectoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas34 protected areas within 10 km · Halibut Bank Glass Sponge Reef Marine Refuge National & provincial parks59 km to a national park · Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

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

SchoolsSchools B⁻

Of Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’s 4 tested schools, 2 sit above the middle in British Columbia and 1 below

6schools within 3 kmB⁻Schools Grade

The 3 km around Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast counts 2 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 3 alternative or adult schools.

School	Level	Students	System
Cedar Grove Elementary Second fifth in British ColumbiaIn Electoral Area E, Sunshine CoastElementary	Elementary	–	English public
Elphinstone Secondary Middle fifth in British ColumbiaNearest secondary school, 0.6 kmSecondary	Secondary	–	English public

See all 6 schools →

2 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageElectoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’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 · 2 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 3 alternative or adult schools Language0 of 6 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia Questions“What schools are there in Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast

15pages on Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast

The big questions

SafetyC⁺Crime Severity Index 77 Housing & costD⁻Homes 9.3 × income Property pricesSchoolsB⁻6 schools within 3 km HealthA⁺Life expectancy 84.3 in its region Work & commuteA⁻54% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors3.4% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 23°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 50.8 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives and 3 more in and around Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast

The best-known places to visit in and around Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.

All attractions →

MuseumMuseumSunshine Coast Museum & Archives800 m outside town, to the southeast AquariumAquariumTidePools Aquarium1 km outside town, to the southeast Art galleryArt gallerySilver Moon Gallery1.1 km outside town, to the east Art galleryArt galleryGibsons Public Art Gallery1.2 km outside town, to the east

Famous people from around Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast

No notable person born in Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

Carol MontgomeryTriathlete · born in Sechelt

Ryan DempsterCanadian baseball player · born in Gibsons · born 1977

Julia BuddCanadian kickboxer and mixed martial ar… · born in Roberts Creek · born 1983

Aaron PearlCanadian actor · born in Sechelt · born 1972

David OliverCanadian ice hockey player · born in Sechelt · born 1971

Matt WarhurstCanadian musician · born in Sechelt · born 1975

Photo credits

Ryan Dempster: User Mshake3 on en.wikipedia, Public domain · David Oliver: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0

About Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast

Town in British Columbia

TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast is one municipality in British Columbia, figures and all.

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

Population: 4,279 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: Sunshine Coast
Census subdivision: 5929026

Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast’s neighbours

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

GibsonsElectoral Area F, Sunshine CoastRoberts CreekBowen IslandSecheltElectoral Area E, Sunshine Coast

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast	4,279	—	B⁻	D⁻	C⁺	A⁺
Gibsons	5,090	2.3	B⁻	D⁻	C⁺	A⁺
Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast	2,691	6	C⁺	D⁻	C⁺	A⁺
Roberts Creek	3,779	6.7	B	D⁻	C⁺	A⁺
Bowen Island	4,501	14	A	D⁻	A⁺	A⁺
Sechelt	11,558	18	B⁻	D⁻	D	A⁺

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

Questions about Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast

What kind of homes are in Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast?

90% 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 2.4 people; 27% are one person living alone.

Has Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast grown?

It added people: 3,664 in 2016, 3,883 in 2021, 6% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 4,279.

How old are the people of Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast?

At 50.8, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 15% of the population and seniors 26%.

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).