Dunbar-SouthlandsVancouver

TownGrade

#1,016 of 2,556

It is one of the 29 neighbourhoods that make up Vancouver. 21,117 people call this neighbourhood in Vancouver home.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Canmenwalker · CC BY 4.0

Population

21,117

people, Census 2021

Median age

44.3

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

70%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

23%

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

Is Dunbar-Southlands a good place to live?

Dunbar-Southlands’s overall grade is B, better than three fifths of Canadian towns. That places it #48 of 250 in British Columbia. Its standout strength is health (A+). Add schools to its strengths (A). What counts against it is cost of living (D). Crime runs high (C−). Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for jobs & income and B− for hazard risk.

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety less sure: this is the whole city's figure, because the city doesn't publish open neighbourhood crime rates. 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⁺Walkability A⁺Health ASchoolsWeakestDCost of living C⁻Safety

How Dunbar-Southlands grades

Each subject compares Dunbar-Southlands 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

WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carA⁺Open →HealthAmong the healthiest places comparedA⁺Open →Cost of livingAmong the weakest of the towns comparedDOpen →SchoolsBased on how pupils do in exams and testsAOpen →SafetyMore crime than in most townsC⁻Open →Hazard riskNear typical for the towns comparedB⁻Open →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Dunbar-Southlands stand out

The 3 things Dunbar-Southlands does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

22.9 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $3,000,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Walkability

Better than 99%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: A+.

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

23% walk, cycle or take transit

Compare 8% for the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Dunbar-Southlands.

HealthHealth A⁺

For health, Dunbar-Southlands is ahead of 96% of Canadian towns

50%very good or excellent healthA⁺Health Grade

Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the Vancouver Health Service Delivery Area

Statistics Canada puts life expectancy at 83.3, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (81.0) and Canadian towns (81.5). Self-rated health is ordinary for British Columbia: half of the region’s adults say very good or excellent, the province 50%. At 7.3%, the share of adults who smoke sits under the 8.9% for British Columbia. The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Dunbar-Southlands live 4.0 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Dunbar-Southlands50%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Dunbar-Southlands	British Columbia	Canada
Chronic conditions (average share)	13%	15%	17%
Life expectancy at birth	83.3	81.0	81.5
Smokers	7.3%	9%	12%
Very good or excellent health	50%	50%	52%

83.3

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

7.3%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

0.6 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageDunbar-Southlands’ health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey50% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care4.0 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 0.6 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 86.5, men 80.2 Conditions and habits13% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

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

HousingCost of living D

Measured against local pay, Dunbar-Southlands costs more to live in than 94% of Canadian towns

$3,000,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

35% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). Households that own their home make up 73%.

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

Dunbar-Southlands$3,000,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Dunbar-Southlands	British Columbia	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	35%	21%	18%
Rent as a share of income	22%	24%	20%

$2,364

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Full pageDunbar-Southlands’ cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Cost of living22.9 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $3,000,000, against the median household income Renting$2,364 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Owners and renters73% own their home

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. · Area behind the rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom figures: the Vancouver metro area

SchoolsSchools A

Around Dunbar-Southlands, 19 of 44 schools with results rank among the top fifth in British Columbia

50schools within 3 kmASchools Grade

Outside the public system: 22 of 50 schools, where in British Columbia it is 18%. The 3 km around Dunbar-Southlands counts 41 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools, 3 schools for every grade and 2 alternative or adult schools.

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public28

Independent22

School	Level	Students	System
Crofton House IndependentIn Dunbar-SouthlandsElementary	Elementary	–	Independent
Lord Byng Secondary Second fifth in British ColumbiaNearest secondary school, 0 kmSecondary	Secondary	–	English public

See all 50 schools →

1.7 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageDunbar-Southlands’ schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results33 of 44 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Every school50 schools within 3 km · 41 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools, 3 schools for every grade and 2 alternative or adult schools Language0 of 50 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia Questions“What schools are there in Dunbar-Southlands?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Climate

Dunbar-Southlands has milder winters than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of 1.4°C

22.4°CJuly afternoons

Snow totals 37 cm over the year, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (51 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Between the last spring frost, 19 March, and the first in autumn, 10 November, lie 235 days. Dunbar-Southlands sees July afternoons of 22.4°C on average. Most of the snow comes in December, about 14 cm.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter7.1°C

Spring13.4°C

Summer21.5°C

Autumn14.0°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Dunbar-Southlands	British Columbia	Canada
Days with frost a year	40	60	159
January night low	1.4°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	22.4°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
Snowfall a year	37 cm	51 cm	141 cm

37 cm

of snow a year

days with frost a year

235

frost-free days, 19 Mar to 10 Nov

137

days with precipitation a year

Full pageDunbar-Southlands’ climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 22.4°C, January lows 1.4°C Rain and snow1,160 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow37 cm of snow a year Weather station6.1 km to the station · Vancouver International (Airport)

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

SafetySafety C⁻

For the force that serves Dunbar-Southlands, the Crime Severity Index is 93, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

93Crime Severity Index

The Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 numbers here cover the Vancouver service area

Property crime in its police area ran at 43.6 per 1,000 residents a year, above both British Columbia’s towns (31) and Canadian towns (31.2). The violent index for its police area came to 99, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86).

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202397

202494

202589

2023–2025	Dunbar-Southlands	British Columbia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	43.6	31	31.2
Crime Severity Index	93	83	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	99	76	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

26%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageDunbar-Southlands’ safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety93 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Dunbar-Southlands’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Dunbar-Southlands safe?”

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

Who lives here

Visible minorities make up more of Dunbar-Southlands than of British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 47%

44.3median age

The under-15s are 14% of the population here. 19% of residents are 65 or over, lower than British Columbia’s towns (21%) and near Canadian towns (19%).

Dunbar-SouthlandsBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

14%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree9%

Postsecondary qualification70%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 51.8% of Dunbar-Southlands

10,175 men and 10,930 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.

Who lives in Dunbar-Southlands
	Dunbar-Southlands	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	14%	14%	16%
15 to 64	67%	64%	64%
65+	19%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	8.9%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	70%	56%	56%

Full pageDunbar-Southlands’ Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages44.3 median age · 19% are 65 or over Households7,655 households English and French12% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Weather

In Dunbar-Southlands, November normally means 9°C afternoons and 4°C nights

9°Ca normal November afternoon

Across the year, normals run from 1°C nights in December to 22°C afternoons in July. Then December: 7°C by day, 1°C at night. November normally sees 175 mm of precipitation. Snow is normal by November, about 3 cm over the month.

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

November9°C

December7°C

January7°C

February8°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	7°C	1°C	437 mm
Spring	13°C	6°C	251 mm
Summer	21°C	13°C	121 mm
Autumn	14°C	7°C	350 mm

4°C

a normal November night

175 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageDunbar-Southlands’ 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 International (Airport)); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Wade Grant (Liberal Party of Canada) holds Vancouver Quadra, the riding that includes Dunbar-Southlands

Across British Columbia, 20 of the 43 MPs sit with the Liberal Party of Canada.

Full pageDunbar-Southlands’ town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itCity Provincial legislatureVancouver-Quilchena

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A⁻

Dunbar-Southlands has one public library, VPL: Dunbar Branch

Vancouver Public Library serves the whole of Vancouver, so the library figures on this page are the city’s: 742,394 people, Dunbar-Southlands among them.

Full pageDunbar-Southlands’ library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

A year at the library6.5 visits per person served The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong2.4 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Protected land around Dunbar-Southlands beats 9 in 10 Canadian towns

17%of the land within 10 km protected

The largest is Sturgeon Bank Wildlife Management Area: 7,775 ha, 1.0 km from the edge of town. The closest provincial park is Cypress Park, 11 km from the edge of town. Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is the closest national park, 39 km from town. CPCAD lists 12 protected areas within 10 km.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Dunbar-Southlands17%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Dunbar-Southlands	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	17%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	10	14	4

39 km

to Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

11 km

to Cypress Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageDunbar-Southlands’ outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas12 protected areas within 10 km · Sturgeon Bank Wildlife Management Area National & provincial parks39 km to a national park · Gulf Islands National Park Reserve Footpaths & routes1 named route · Iva Mann Loop Walk

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁻

Earthquakes are Dunbar-Southlands’ biggest hazard: $0.43 of damage a year per $1,000 of buildings, 14 times the norm

Lowwildfire bandB⁻Hazard risk Grade

Measured across the Vancouver health region: radon tests

Flood mapping exists: a study by City of Vancouver. Fewer homes than usual carry radon here, 1.2% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Little of the land around Dunbar-Southlands has burned: 0.2% within 25 km since 1986, or 0.005% a year. Dunbar-Southlands doesn’t get its own earthquake risk figures; the ones here come from the city of Vancouver.

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

Dunbar-Southlands1.2%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Dunbar-Southlands	British Columbia	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.43	$0.36	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	1.2%	1.8%	6.6%

$0.43

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

Low

wildfire band

7.7 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageDunbar-Southlands’ flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Earthquakes$0.43 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.2% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodOne flood study on record Radon1.2% 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

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁻

Household incomes in Dunbar-Southlands top those of 98% of Canadian towns

23%walk, cycle or take transit

Commutes averaged 26 min, near both British Columbia’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van70%

Public transit13%

Walk5%

Bicycle5%

Census 2021	Dunbar-Southlands	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	26 min	26 min	26 min

$131,100

median household income, 2020

43%

worked from home, May 2021

72%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageDunbar-Southlands’ work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment8.8% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work23% walk, cycle or take transit

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.

History

Dunbar-Southlands keeps its older homes: 43% from before 1961

43%built before 1961

43%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Dunbar-Southlands	British Columbia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	43%	11%	18%

Full pageDunbar-Southlands’ history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes43% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Dunbar-Southlands 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 Dunbar-Southlands

15pages on Dunbar-Southlands

The big questions

SafetyC⁻Crime Severity Index 93 Housing & costDHomes 22.9 × income Property pricesSchoolsA50 schools within 3 km HealthA⁺Life expectancy 83.3 in its region Work & commuteB⁻52% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors17% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 22°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 44.3 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Museum of Anthropology at UBC and 53 more in and around Dunbar-Southlands

From museums to parks and historic sites: Dunbar-Southlands’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.

All attractions →

MuseumMuseum of Anthropology at UBC4.3 km outside town, to the northwest · 200K visitors a year (2024)

MuseumMuseum of Vancouver3.2 km outside town, to the east · 78K visitors a year

GardenQueen Elizabeth Park3.9 km outside town, to the southeast

GardenNitobe Memorial Garden4.2 km outside town, to the northwest

GardenVanDusen Botanical Garden2.6 km outside town, to the southeast

ZooBloedel Conservatory3.9 km outside town, to the southeast

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

Photo credits (6)

Museum of Anthropology at UBC: Rr parker, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Museum of Vancouver: Bobanny, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Queen Elizabeth Park: Craig Nagy from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Nitobe Memorial Garden: Damien Guard, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
VanDusen Botanical Garden: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Bloedel Conservatory: Sporkist/Taz ( http://taz.sporkism.org ), CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Dunbar-Southlands

Neighbourhood in Vancouver

Dunbar-Southlands is a neighbourhood of Vancouver, built by TownRatings from Statistics Canada’s smallest census areas and named from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.

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

Population: 21,117 (people, 2021 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
City: Vancouver
Census subdivision: 5915022

Dunbar-Southlands’ neighbours

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

Arbutus RidgeMusqueam 2GreektownWest Point GreyKerrisdaleKitsilanoDunbar-Southlands

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Dunbar-Southlands	21,117	—	B	D	C⁻	A⁺
Arbutus Ridge	15,083	1.6	B⁻	D⁻	C⁻	A⁺
Musqueam 2	1,879	2.3	—	—	—	A
Greektown	16,618	2.4	B⁺	D⁻	C⁻	A⁺
West Point Grey	13,429	2.4	B	D⁻	C⁻	A⁺
Kerrisdale	14,105	2.6	B	D⁻	C⁻	A⁺
Kitsilano	27,320	3.4	B⁺	D⁻	C⁻	A⁺

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

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).