YaletownVancouver
A neighbourhood of 40,297 in Vancouver. Vancouver is split into 29 neighbourhoods, and this is one.
Is Yaletown a good place to live?
Yaletown grades B− overall and ranks #75 of 250 in British Columbia. Set against the rest, it does better than 54% of Canadian towns. On health it is strong (A+). Getting around on foot or by bus is easy (A+). Where it falls short is cost of living (D−). Crime is the sore point (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.
What makes Yaletown stand out
The 3 things Yaletown does most differently from other towns.
How Yaletown grades
Each subject compares Yaletown 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 →
Science World and 95 more in and around Yaletown
From museums to parks and historic sites: Yaletown’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
Big drawMuseumScience Worldin town · 650K visitors a year
GardenDr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Gardenin town
MuseumArmouryin town
MuseumChinatown Storytelling Centrein town
MuseumChinese Canadian Military Museum Societyin townMuseumMuseumBritish Columbia Sports Hall of Famein townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Science World: Differense, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden: Bobanny, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Armoury: Bobanny, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Chinatown Storytelling Centre: Yuet Man Lee, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society: William Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Yaletown.
Fewer households own their home in Yaletown than in British Columbia’s towns or across Canadian towns: 41%
The rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom numbers here cover the Vancouver metro area
Rent took just over a third of household income, above British Columbia’s towns (24%) and Canadian towns (20%) alike. Shelter took 30% or more of income for nearly two in five households, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Yaletown | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 39% | 21% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 41% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 34% | 24% | 20% |
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.
Few places match Yaletown for health: it beats 98% of Canadian towns
The region’s 2022/2024 life expectancy is 83.3, with women at 86.5 and men at 80.2. 7.3% of adults smoke, daily or now and then, below both British Columbia’s towns (9%) and Canadian towns (12%). About as many adults call their health very good or excellent here as across British Columbia, 50% against 50%. What sets Yaletown apart within its region is a short trip to hospital, 1.1 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical). Yaletown doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the Vancouver Health Service Delivery Area.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Yaletown | 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% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Winters are mild in Yaletown: January nights hold at 3.3°C, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns
For the wettest month, look to November: 245 mm on average. Frost comes on 17 days a year, below both British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159). Also worth knowing: the warmest afternoons come in July, at around 23.0°C in Yaletown. Most of the snow comes in December, about 14 cm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Yaletown | 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 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Vancouver (Harbour))
The police who cover Yaletown record more serious crime than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 93
Property crime in the area its police cover: 43.6 per 1,000 people a year. The violent index for its police area came to 99, above British Columbia’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86) alike. Figures for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 are published for the Vancouver service area as a whole, not for Yaletown alone.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Yaletown | 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 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Yaletown has 27 independent schools among its 60
Its 3 km reach takes in 45 elementary schools, 12 secondary schools, 2 schools for every grade and 1 alternative or adult school, all of Yaletown’s schooling. Results are mixed: 24 of 45 schools above the middle in British Columbia, 8 below it.
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claren Academy IndependentIn YaletownElementary | Elementary | – | Independent |
| Lowell High School IndependentIn YaletownSecondary | Secondary | – | Independent |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Households in Yaletown earn more than those in 64% of Canadian towns
The average trip to work took 26 min, about level with both British Columbia’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Yaletown | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 26 min | 26 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
More of Yaletown belongs to a visible minority than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 46%
13% of residents are 65 or over, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (19%). Children under 15 make up 7.6% of residents.
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 47.0% of Yaletown
In 2021 there were 18,945 women to 21,360 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.
| Yaletown | British Columbia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 7.6% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 79% | 64% | 64% |
| 65+ | 13% | 21% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 5% | 13% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 77% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
What November brings in Yaletown: 5°C at night, 10°C by day
November normally sees 245 mm of precipitation. Next comes December, with normal highs of 7°C and lows of 3°C. 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 | 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 |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Vancouver (Harbour)); the forecast is on the Weather page
Vancouver Centre turned out at 57% in 2021, lower than 81% of Canada’s ridings
Yaletown sends one MP to Ottawa from Vancouver Centre, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP): Hedy Fry (Liberal Party of Canada).
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
VPL: Carnegie Branch and VPL: Central Library are Yaletown’s two public libraries
Vancouver Public Library serves the whole of Vancouver, so the library figures on this page are the city’s: 742,394 people, Yaletown among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
The The Trans Canada Trail runs by Yaletown
The nearest provincial park, Mount Seymour Park, is 9.9 km away. Swimmers have 77 beaches within 5 km, Sunset Beach the nearest. Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is the closest national park, 46 km from town. 4.7% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%).
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Yaletown | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 4.7% | 6.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 12 | 14 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Earthquakes are Yaletown’s biggest hazard: $0.43 of damage a year per $1,000 of buildings, 14 times the norm
Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Vancouver health region
Health Canada’s survey found radon above the guideline in 1.2% of homes, below both British Columbia’s towns (1.8%) and Canadian towns (6.6%). Flood mapping exists: a study by City of Vancouver. Burn scars are few around Yaletown, with 0.2% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.004% a year).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Yaletown | 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% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Area behind the earthquake risk figures: the city of Vancouver
10 historic places on the heritage registers in Yaletown
The earliest construction date, 1886, belongs to Victory Square, Vancouver. On the list: 9 provincial or municipal listings and a Recognized Federal Heritage Building. Before 1961 is when 7.9% of the homes went up, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
- Armoury 1899
- Victory Square, Vancouver 1886
- Flack Block 1898
- Pantages Theatre 1907
| Heritage | Yaletown | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 7.9% | 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 Yaletown
Yaletown’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yaletown | 40,297 | — | B− | D− | C− | A+ |
| Granville Entertainment District | 19,125 | 0.7 | B− | D− | C− | A+ |
| Davie Village | 16,833 | 1.4 | C+ | D− | C− | A+ |
| Coal Harbour | 10,407 | 1.5 | B− | D− | C− | A+ |
| Strathcona | 13,783 | 1.7 | C | D− | C− | A+ |
| West End | 30,785 | 1.8 | B− | D− | C− | A+ |
| Fairview | 33,969 | 2 | B+ | D− | C− | A+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Yaletown
Is Yaletown a young town or an old one?
Its median age is 38.2, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 8% of residents; over-65s, 13%.
About Yaletown
Neighbourhood in Vancouver
TownRatings splits Vancouver into neighbourhoods drawn from census dissemination areas; Yaletown is one of them, named from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 40,297 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- British Columbia
- City
- Vancouver
- Census subdivision
- 5915022
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).