How we pick and check numbers
Short answers first. The details are further down.
In short
- Only public agencies. Every number comes from the agency that collects it, such as Statistics Canada, BC Stats, the B.C. Ministry of Health or the City of Victoria. No news stories or surveys by interest groups. Some measures are calculated here from public data; each shows its formula and sources.
- No source, no number. A number appears only if it has a source link, the period it covers, an open licence, how often it is updated and the date we retrieved it. The build script refuses anything missing one of these.
- Never typed in by hand. Numbers are read by script from the agency’s own files. If a download fails, the previous number stays and the problem is reported.
- Things people feel. We chose measures about daily life: waiting for care, prices, rent, buying a home, homelessness, drug deaths and downtown business. Victoria figures come first; a wider area is used only when no open Victoria figure exists, and the page says so.
- No blame. “Getting better” or “getting worse” describes the number, not why it moved or who is responsible.
Measures calculated here
Some measures are calculated here from public data; each shows its formula and sources. They are marked “Calculated here”, are produced by script from the agencies’ own files (never typed in), and sit next to the agency measure they help explain.
- Surgery waiting list, in weeks of surgeries: Weeks of surgeries on the list = people waiting at the end of the fiscal year ÷ surgeries completed in that year × 52.
- Rent after inflation: Rent in 2025 dollars = rent in year × (price index 2025 ÷ price index in that year). Change after inflation = rent in 2025 dollars, 2025 ÷ same for 2015 − 1.
- Homelessness per 1,000 residents: Rate per 1,000 residents = people experiencing homelessness during the year ÷ population on July 1 of that year × 1,000.
- Toxic drug death rate, B.C. vs Canada: Ratio = B.C. deaths per 100,000 ÷ Canada deaths per 100,000.
- New homes approved per 1,000 residents: Homes approved per 1,000 residents = residential units in building permits issued in the year ÷ population on July 1 × 1,000. Headline: three years of units ÷ three years of population × 1,000.
- Homes completed vs population growth: Homes completed in a year = sum of the 12 monthly completion counts. Residents added = population on July 1 of the year − population on July 1 of the year before.
- Crime compared with B.C. and Canada: Victoria compared with Canada = Victoria's index ÷ Canada's index × 100. Change since a year = index now ÷ index then − 1.
How “getting better” is decided
For each measure we say which direction is better, for example “fewer weeks waiting”. Comparison pages are marked “For context” and get no better-or-worse label. The latest number is compared with the one before it (usually a year earlier). Small changes count as “about the same”. “Mixed signals” means two fair comparisons point different ways.
| Measure | Rule |
|---|---|
| People without a home during the year | A change of less than 2% counts as about the same. |
| Weeks waiting for surgery | Less than 3% counts as about the same. |
| New homes approved by the City | Less than 10% counts as about the same. Judged on the latest full year and on the year to date; if they disagree, the label is “mixed signals”. |
| Toxic drug deaths in B.C., per year | Less than 3% counts as about the same. |
| Prices vs a year ago | Compares the 12-month price change with the same figure a year earlier. Less than 0.3 percentage points counts as about the same. |
| Rent for a 2-bedroom | Less than 2% counts as about the same. |
| Rental apartments available | Less than 0.3 percentage points counts as about the same. |
| Police-reported crime | Less than 3% counts as about the same. |
| Adults with a regular doctor or nurse practitioner | Less than 1 percentage point counts as about the same. |
| People looking for work who can't find it | Compared with a year earlier. Changes smaller than the larger of 0.5 percentage points and the survey’s own margin count as about the same. |
| New homes started, last 12 months | Latest 12 months against the 12 months before. Less than 10% counts as about the same. |
| Mortgage payment, share of income | Same quarter a year earlier. Less than 1 percentage point counts as about the same. |
| Business building permits downtown | Yearly average of the latest three full years against the three years before. Less than 10% counts as about the same. The 2017–2019 average is shown for reference. |
| Rent after inflation | Rent after inflation this year against last year. Less than 2% counts as about the same. |
| Homelessness per 1,000 residents | Less than 2% counts as about the same. |
| New homes approved per 1,000 residents | City three-year average against the three years before. Less than 10% counts as about the same. |
| Surgery waiting list, in weeks of surgeries | Less than 3% counts as about the same. |
| Crime compared with B.C. and Canada | For context only: no “better” or “worse” label. |
| Toxic drug death rate, B.C. vs Canada | For context only: no “better” or “worse” label. |
| Homes completed vs population growth | For context only: no “better” or “worse” label and no target line. |
| Businesses operating in Greater Victoria | Same month a year earlier. Less than 1% counts as about the same. |
Sources, licences and freshness
Rent, vacancy and housing starts come from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) through Statistics Canada. Statistics Canada says CMHC’s own licence applies, and open.canada.ca lists the Open Government Licence – Canada. Both allow free reuse with credit, so both are shown. This site does not use any government logos.
Required credits
- Adapted from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Rental Market Survey (average rent, two-bedroom, apartments of six units and over), October 2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation of this product. Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 34-10-0133-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
- Adapted from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Rental Market Survey (vacancy rate, apartments of six units and over), October 2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation of this product. Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 34-10-0127-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
- Adapted from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Rental Market Survey. This does not constitute an endorsement by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation of this product. Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 34-10-0133-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
- Adapted from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Starts and Completions Survey (housing starts, all unit types), 12 months to September 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation of this product. Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 34-10-0154-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
- Adapted from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Starts and Completions Survey. This does not constitute an endorsement by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation of this product. Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 34-10-0154-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
- Adapted from Statistics Canada, Building Permits. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
- Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 13-10-0905-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
- Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 14-10-0459-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
- Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 17-10-0148-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
- Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 18-10-0004-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
- Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 18-10-0005-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
- Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 33-10-0270-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
- Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 35-10-0026-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
- Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - British Columbia.
- Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - City of Victoria.
Which area each number covers
Agencies publish numbers for different areas. Every tile carries an area label, and every measure’s page has a “Where this covers” section listing exactly which places are included, with a link to the official definition.
- Area: Downtown Victoria The City of Victoria’s Downtown neighbourhood only.
- Area: City of Victoria The City of Victoria municipality only, all neighbourhoods.
- Area: Victoria area (price index) Statistics Canada’s consumer price index for Victoria: prices collected in the Victoria urban area, not the City alone.
- Area: Greater Victoria (CMA) Statistics Canada’s Victoria metropolitan area: 13 municipalities plus nearby electoral-area and reserve lands.
- Area: Capital Region The Capital Regional District: 13 municipalities and 3 electoral areas, including the Southern Gulf Islands and Salt Spring Island.
- Area: Vancouver Island (Island Health) Island Health’s whole service area: Vancouver Island and surrounding communities, not only Greater Victoria.
- Area: All of B.C. The whole province of British Columbia. No open figure is published for Victoria alone.
- Area: All of Canada Canada as a whole, shown only for comparison.
Common cautions
- Agencies sometimes change how they count. When we know, the page says so (for example, B.C. toxic drug deaths from 2025).
- Some figures are one survey month, not a whole year.
- “Greater Victoria (CMA)” and “Capital Region” are larger than the City of Victoria; see “Which area each number covers”.
- Charts start their scale at zero unless that would hide all movement; when they do not, the chart says so.
- Survey numbers have a margin of error, so small changes may mean nothing.
- Small counts and single large projects can swing a year.
Not yet open: proposals
These topics matter, but no open data file with a clear licence was found when this page was built, so no numbers from them are shown. Each entry says what would be needed.
Count of people sleeping outside or in shelters on one night (Greater Victoria)
Why it is not shown: Count results are published as reports, not as an open data file.
What would be needed: A table of count results by year and area under an open licence. Counts happen every few years, so they would be marked as periodic.
Shelter spaces and how full they are
Why it is not shown: No open data file of shelter spaces by community was found.
What would be needed: A regularly updated table of shelter and supportive housing spaces by community, under an open licence.
Toxic drug deaths for Victoria or Island Health
Why it is not shown: The BC Coroners Service shows regional figures in a dashboard and reports, but no open data file for the regional breakdown was found. The provincial figure is used instead.
What would be needed: The regional table in the BC Data Catalogue under an open licence, with an update schedule.
Emergency department waits at Victoria hospitals
Why it is not shown: No open data file of emergency waits by hospital was found. Scheduled surgery waits are a different measure.
What would be needed: A monthly or quarterly table of emergency department times by hospital, under an open licence.
People with a family doctor, by region
Why it is not shown: Only a province-wide survey figure is published as open data.
What would be needed: A yearly figure for Island Health or Greater Victoria, under an open licence.
Empty storefronts downtown
Why it is not shown: No public agency publishes downtown storefront vacancy as open data.
What would be needed: A regular count of vacant ground-floor commercial units downtown, published by the City or another public body under an open licence.
People visiting downtown (foot traffic)
Why it is not shown: No open data source from a public agency was found.
What would be needed: Regular pedestrian counts at fixed downtown locations, under an open licence.
Asking rents for places listed today
Why it is not shown: The rent figure shown covers current tenants. BC Stats publishes an asking-rent series, but the file does not say where the asking rents come from, so it is not shown until that is confirmed.
What would be needed: A stated, documented source for the asking-rent series, or an asking-rent dataset from a public agency under an open licence.
Wait to see a specialist before surgery
Why it is not shown: Open surgery wait data start when the surgeon books the operation. The wait from a family doctor’s referral to the specialist visit is not published as open data.
What would be needed: A yearly or quarterly table of referral-to-consultation waits by specialty and health authority, under an open licence.
Rent in basement suites, rented condos and houses
Why it is not shown: The open rent and vacancy figures cover purpose-built apartment buildings only.
What would be needed: Yearly figures for other rented homes in Greater Victoria, published under an open licence.
Drug harms short of death in Greater Victoria
Why it is not shown: Overdose hospital visits and ambulance calls are open only as B.C. totals.
What would be needed: Regional (Island Health or Greater Victoria) counts by year under an open licence.
Neutrality
This site reports data from public agencies and takes no position on policy. Wording is kept plain and calm. The “connected to” labels on each page list which parts of government or the market relate to a topic. They are labels, not judgements.