Older than 88% of Canadian towns: half of Victoria is over 51.2
Recent arrivals are 67% of immigrants (2011 to 2021), beside 27% across Canada’s towns. Its population is down 8% on 2016. The census found that 94% of households live in a single-detached house in Victoria. Fewer residents who moved in within the year than in 92% of Canadian towns: 6.7%.
What stands out about the people of Victoria
Fewer people than before
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, Victoria went from 1,800 to 1,658 residents (−8%), slower growth than in 99% of Canadian towns. Population change ↓
Older than most towns
Half of Victoria’s residents are under 51.2 and half over; the typical median across Canadian towns is 42. 25% are 65 or over, against 19% across Canada’s towns. Ages ↓
Written from the data on this page: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census.
Slower than most: −8% since 2016, behind 99% of Canadian towns
Every figure here comes from the 2021 Census unless it carries another date. Residents at the 2016 and 2021 censuses and the latest estimate, with the 2016–2021 change beside other towns.
Change, 2016 to 2021
Across Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns the median is −2%, and across Canada’s towns +4%. Statistics Canada’s estimate for July 2025 is 11% higher again.
In Victoria, 12% of residents are under 15, fewer than in 85% of Canadian towns
Share of residents in each five-year band; the tick is the typical town.
Against a figure of 11% across Canada’s towns, the share of residents aged 15 to 24 in Victoria comes in at 10%. Locally, a quarter of residents are 65 or over.
Broad ages · share of residents
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
Victoria sits above 82% of Canadian towns for one-parent families (11%)
Household types, then household sizes.
Against Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns and Canada’s towns
People per household
Canada’s towns.
The typical household size is 2.3 people, against 2.4 across Canada’s towns. Across Canada’s towns, the share of one-parent families is 8.2%. Locally, just over a fifth of households are one person living alone.
In Victoria, 56% of residents 15 and over are married, more than in 83% of Canadian towns
Marital status of residents 15 and over, with common-law couples counted apart.
Marital status · residents 15 and over
Just over a fifth of adults are single and have never married; the typical town has 27%. Elsewhere, 46% of residents 15 and over are married across Canada’s towns. Census figures put common-law partners at 7.9% in Victoria.
18% of households rent their home, fewer than in 66% of Canadian towns
Houses and apartments, owners and renters, older and newer homes. Prices, rents and shelter costs are on Cost of living.
Type of home
Owners and renters · share of households
When homes were built · share of homes
Households in buildings of five or more storeys are rarer here than in nearly three quarters of Canadian towns. For comparison, a quarter of households rent their home across Canada’s towns.
A median household income of $61,200 a year
Incomes here are for 2020, the year before the census, CERB and other pandemic benefits included. Total household income: the median household, and the spread from low to high.
Households by income · share of households
Household incomes run lower in Victoria: half had less than $61,200, 29% under the median across Canada’s towns ($86,000). Within Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns, the household in the middle had $63,600. Emergency and recovery benefits reached 25% of those with an income, beside a typical 28%.
0.9% of residents are immigrants
Immigrants by continent of birth and when they arrived, citizenship, and who moved in recently.
Immigrants, by continent of birth · share of all residents; the bar runs to 20%
When immigrants arrived · share of immigrants
Citizenship and moving · share of residents
Across Canada’s towns, the share of immigrants is 17%; Victoria has 0.9%. Residents without Canadian citizenship are rarer here than in 99% of Canadian towns.
Victoria sits below 97% of Canadian towns for residents with no religion (12%)
Visible minority and Indigenous identity, then religion.
Visible minority and Indigenous identity · all residents
Religion · all residents
Across Canada’s towns, the share of Indigenous residents is 2.8%; Victoria has 1.5%. Lower than in 98% of Canadian towns: 0.6% of residents belong to a visible minority. The benchmark for residents with no religion across Canada’s towns: 35%.
99% have English as their mother tongue; 1.8% also speak French
English, French and the other languages people grew up with or speak at home.
Can hold a conversation in · share of all residents
Mother tongue · share of all residents
Across Canada’s towns, 7.5% of residents speak English and French; in Victoria, 1.8%. In Victoria, 0.3% of residents have French as their mother tongue.
Victoria sits below 93% of Canadian towns for degree holders aged 25 to 64 (11%)
Highest certificate, diploma or degree of residents aged 25 to 64.
Highest qualification · residents 25 to 64
16% have no certificate, diploma or degree (typical: 9.5%). To put it in context, 27% of residents 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher across Canada’s towns.
A job for 39% of residents aged 15 and over
May 2021 was still a pandemic month: the census’s work figures reflect that. The census’s work rates at a glance. Jobs, industries and the commute are on Work & commute.
The employment rate of 39% is below the typical 58% across Canada’s towns; 25% of residents are 65 or over.
A younger town than 3 of the 4 around it: Victoria
The closest towns, coloured by how old their residents are.
| Town | People | Away | Median age | 65+ | Immigrants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 1,837 | — | 51.2 | 25% | 0.9% |
| Carbonear | 5,041 | 3.6 km | 51.6 | 29% | 2.6% |
| Harbour Grace | 2,872 | 9.1 km | 54 | 30% | 0.7% |
| Upper Island Cove | 1,553 | 13.1 km | 53.2 | 29% | 1.1% |
| Spaniard's Bay | 2,664 | 17.1 km | 48 | 23% | 1.1% |
Health, work, housing and schools
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Against Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns and Canada’s towns. Two medians frame each figure: one for Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500 or more, one for all Canadian towns of that size, with whole cities and First Nations reserves left out. Percentiles rank the town within Canada.
- What these tables don’t give. Unpaid care, car ownership and internet access aren’t in the Census Profile, nor is the change by age since 2016. Ethnic origins other than visible minority and Indigenous identity are left out of the charts.
- The census’s own words. Indigenous identity, immigrant status and religion are as residents answered them. “Visible minority” follows the Employment Equity Act, meaning people other than Indigenous peoples who are non-white in colour or race. We compare these figures across towns; none is a label for a town.
Questions about Victoria’s residents
How diverse is Victoria?
Immigrants make up 0.9% of residents, against 17% across Canada’s towns. 0.6% are members of a visible minority, and 1.5% are First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What religion are people in Victoria?
Christian: 88%. No religion: 12%. Another religion: 0%.
Is Victoria good for families?
Across Canada’s towns, a typical 16% of residents are under 15; here, 12%. 59% of households are couple families and 11% one-parent families. Schools near Victoria are on its Schools page.
What is the median income in Victoria?
$61,200 before tax, in 2020: the middle household’s income in Victoria (Canada’s towns: $86,000).
What is the population of Victoria?
Statistics Canada estimates 1,837 residents for July 2025; the 2021 Census counted 1,658 in Victoria, 8% fewer than 2016.
What is the average age in Victoria?
51.2 is the median age. Under 15: 12%. 65 and over: 25%.
Is Victoria bilingual?
English and French: 1.8% speak both (Canada’s towns: 7.5%). English only: 98%. French only: 0%. French mother tongue: 0.3%.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population · Statistics Canada, population estimates for 1 July 2025 (table 17-10-0155). 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).