How we pick and check numbers

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, a licence or terms of use, how often it is updated and the date we retrieved it. The build script refuses anything missing one of these.
• Open licence, or public with attribution. Most numbers are under an open licence. Some are published by an agency for anyone to read but not under an open licence; those carry a “Public, not open-licensed” label. More about this.
• 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, housing, homelessness, drug deaths, safety, downtown, City finances, getting around, the environment and taking part in City decisions. 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.

Open data, and public data that is not openly licensed

Each number carries one of two licence types:

• Open licence. The agency publishes the data under an open licence, such as the Open Government Licence – Canada, the Open Government Licence – British Columbia or the City of Victoria’s open data licence. Anyone may reuse it with credit.
• Public, not open-licensed Public data, not under an open licence. Used with attribution. The agency publishes the figure for anyone to read, in a report, web page or spreadsheet, but not under an open licence. Examples here are City of Victoria annual and budget reports, provincial reports on housing targets and police resources, BC Housing unit counts, Capital Regional District reports and BC Transit reports. The figure is shown with the agency’s name, a link to the document, the period, how often it is updated, and a link to the agency’s terms.

Public figures are checked the same way as open ones: a script downloads the agency’s own document each time and reads the number from it. It refuses to show the number unless the exact text it expects is found; that text is shown on each page under “Text checked in the agency’s document”. If a figure cannot be checked this way, it stays a grey “Not shown” tile instead.

• Below-market and family-size homes (Calculated here from City of Victoria reports to the Province)
• Buses running on time (BC Transit)
• Business licences issued (City of Victoria)
• Bylaw calls for service (City of Victoria)
• City net debt per resident (City of Victoria)
• City property tax on a typical home vs prices (Calculated here from Province of B.C. and Statistics Canada data)
• City reserve funds (City of Victoria)
• City residential tax rate (City of Victoria)
• City spending per resident (Calculated here from City of Victoria and Statistics Canada data)
• Community greenhouse gas emissions vs 2007 (City of Victoria)
• Fire department incidents (City of Victoria)
• Garbage to the landfill per person (Capital Regional District)
• Net new homes vs the provincial target (Calculated here from City of Victoria reports to the Province)
• People counted as homeless on one night (Capital Regional District)
• People walking past downtown counters (City of Victoria)
• Police cost per resident (B.C. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General)
• Property tax increase adopted for the year (City of Victoria)
• Value of building permit applications (City of Victoria)
• Victoria’s share of the region’s shelter and homeless housing (Calculated here from BC Housing and BC Stats data)
• Voter turnout in the City election (City of Victoria)

Targets

A target is shown only when a government body adopted it: the Province’s Housing Target Order for Victoria, the City’s greenhouse gas target, and the Capital Regional District’s solid waste target. Targets set by an operator for itself, or proposed by others, are not shown.

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.

• Below-market and family-size homes: Family-size = net new three-bedroom + net new four-or-more-bedroom homes. Shares = category ÷ all net new homes since October 2023.
• City property tax on a typical home vs prices: Tax change = tax in 2025 ÷ tax in 2020 − 1. Price change = price index 2025 ÷ price index 2020 − 1. 2020 tax grown with prices = tax 2020 × price index in the year ÷ price index 2020.
• City spending per resident: Spending per resident = total expenses ÷ population. In today's dollars = spending per resident × price index (latest year) ÷ price index (that year).
• 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.
• Days to issue a permit for larger buildings: For each complex building permit: days = issue date − file creation date. Yearly figure = median of those days for permits issued that year.
• 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.
• 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.
• Net new homes vs the provincial target: Net new homes = completions − demolitions, added up since October 1, 2023 (as reported). Share of target = net new homes ÷ cumulative target for the same date.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Toxic drug death rate, B.C. vs Canada: Ratio = B.C. deaths per 100,000 ÷ Canada deaths per 100,000.
• Victoria’s share of the region’s shelter and homeless housing: Share of units = City units ÷ all Capital Region units. Share of population = City population ÷ Capital Region population (BC Stats, July 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.

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.
• Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 35-10-0063-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
• Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 35-10-0077-01. 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.
• Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – British Columbia.
• Source: B.C. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Police Resources in British Columbia, 2024. Public document, used with attribution; not endorsed by the publisher.
• Source: BC Transit, Victoria Regional Transit System operations update. Public document, used with attribution; not endorsed by the publisher.
• Source: Capital Regional District, Greater Victoria Point-in-Time Count and Survey Report. Public document, used with attribution; not endorsed by the publisher.
• Source: Capital Regional District, Solid Waste Management Plan progress report. Public document, used with attribution; not endorsed by the publisher.
• Source: City of Victoria, Annual Report (Statistics section). Public document, used with attribution; not endorsed by the publisher.
• Source: City of Victoria, Annual Report. Public document, used with attribution; not endorsed by the publisher.
• Source: City of Victoria, City Budget. Public document, used with attribution; not endorsed by the publisher.
• Source: City of Victoria, Declaration of Official Election Results, 2026. Public document, used with attribution; not endorsed by the publisher.
• Source: City of Victoria, Greenhouse Gases (Climate Action). Public document, used with attribution; not endorsed by the publisher.
• Source: City of Victoria, Tax Bylaw No. 26-030, Schedule 1. Public document, used with attribution; not endorsed by the publisher.
• Source: City of Victoria, Victoria's Economic Dashboard, Q2 2026. Public document, used with attribution; not endorsed by the publisher.

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 + Esquimalt (police area) The area served by the Victoria Police Department: the City of Victoria and the Township of Esquimalt together.
• 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: Victoria Regional Transit BC Transit’s Victoria Regional Transit System, which runs buses across most of the Capital Region.
• 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 data that could be checked against the agency’s own figures was found when this page was built, so no numbers from them are shown. Each entry says what would be needed.

• How full shelters are

  Why it is not shown: BC Housing publishes how many shelter and supportive housing units exist in each community, but not how full they are or how many people are turned away.

  What would be needed: A regularly updated table of shelter occupancy by community.

• Toxic drug deaths for Victoria or Island Health

  Why it is not shown: The BC Coroners Service shows regional figures in a dashboard, but no downloadable table that a script can read and check was found. The provincial figure is used instead.

  What would be needed: The regional table as a downloadable file, with an update schedule.

• Emergency department waits at Victoria hospitals

  Why it is not shown: No 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.

• 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.

• Waits for detox and addiction treatment

  Why it is not shown: Not published.

  What would be needed: Median wait from referral to admission for detox and treatment beds in Greater Victoria, by quarter.

• Empty storefronts and offices downtown

  Why it is not shown: No public agency publishes downtown storefront or office vacancy.

  What would be needed: A regular count of vacant ground-floor commercial units and office space downtown, published by the City or another public body.

• Downtown pedestrian counts as a data file

  Why it is not shown: The City prints quarterly totals in its economic dashboard, and these are shown. The counts by location and day are not published.

  What would be needed: Counter totals by location and month as an open data file, with the counter list and outages.

• Police, fire and bylaw response times

  Why it is not shown: Not published as data for Victoria.

  What would be needed: Median and 90th percentile time to arrive, by priority and year, for police, fire and bylaw.

• Police calls for service

  Why it is not shown: Yearly totals could not be found in a public document that can be checked.

  What would be needed: Calls for service by year and type, published by the Victoria Police Department.

• City service requests: litter, graffiti and needles

  Why it is not shown: Not published as data.

  What would be needed: Service requests by type, month and neighbourhood, with time to close, as an open data file.

• Renovictions and tenant displacement

  Why it is not shown: Not published for Victoria.

  What would be needed: Counts of notices to end tenancy for renovation or demolition, by municipality and year, from the Residential Tenancy Branch.

• Share of Council business held in closed meetings

  Why it is not shown: Closed sessions are listed in agendas and minutes, but no count is published.

  What would be needed: A yearly count of closed and open agenda items, published by the City.

• Residents’ trust in local government

  Why it is not shown: No regular public survey exists.

  What would be needed: A regular, published resident survey with the same questions each time and the full results.

• 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.

• Wait to see a specialist before surgery

  Why it is not shown: 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.

  What would be needed: A yearly or quarterly table of referral-to-consultation waits by specialty and health authority.

• Rent in basement suites, rented condos and houses

  Why it is not shown: The rent and vacancy figures cover purpose-built apartment buildings only.

  What would be needed: Yearly figures for other rented homes in Greater Victoria.

• Drug harms short of death in Greater Victoria

  Why it is not shown: Overdose hospital visits are published only as B.C. totals, and paramedic overdose call figures could not be checked by script.

  What would be needed: Regional (Island Health or Greater Victoria) counts by year as a downloadable table.

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.