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District Municipality Pop Band: 50,000-150,000

Saanich

Population

126,011

Land Area

10,371

ha

Annual Operating Budget

$278.4M

expenses

Saanich Population Trend

Annual population estimates sourced from BC Stats / Alberta Municipal Affairs. Used as the denominator for all per-capita metrics on this page. Learn more ↗

Annual estimates, 2011–2025

126,011+12.5% since 2011

Fiscal Trends (2021–2024)

Total revenue and total operating expenses per resident over 4 fiscal years. Shows whether the municipality's fiscal position has been improving or declining. Learn more ↗

Revenue and expense per person over 4 years

Fiscal Report Card

These metrics reflect reported financial data and do not capture local context such as major infrastructure investments, one-time grants, natural disasters, or policy decisions. Learn more

Fiscal Trajectory

Composite score (0–10) measuring the 4-year trajectory of fiscal health across revenue growth, expense control, debt reduction, and operating surplus. Higher is better. Score is relative to all municipalities in your population band. Learn more ↗
Bottom of Band

26.4

score
25.0% Band Min
84.3% Band Max
Band Avg: 50.0%
BC Avg: 50.0%

Fiscal trajectory score of 26.4 is below the band average of 50.0, indicating fiscal trends that warrant attention.

Rank 21/22 2021–2024 data
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Fiscal Balance

Operating surplus (revenues minus expenses) divided by population. Positive means the municipality took in more than it spent. Higher is better. Learn more ↗
Bottom of Band

$279

/ person
-35.2% Band Min
$2,115 Band Max
Band Avg: $566
BC Avg: $930

Operating surplus of $279/person is 0.5× the band average of $566. Ranks 18th of 22 in the band.

Rank 18/22 2024 data
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Tax Burden

Own-source taxation per resident — property taxes and other local levies set by the municipality. Lower is better (lighter burden on residents). Does not include provincial school taxes. Learn more ↗
Mid-Band

$1,438

/ person
$902 Band Min
$5,800 Band Max
Band Avg: $1,666
BC Avg: $2,010

Per-person taxation of $1,438 is 14% below the band average of $1,666, ranking 13th of 22 in the band.

Rank 13/22 2024 data
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Debt Load

Annual debt payments as a percentage of the provincial statutory borrowing limit. Lower is better — more room for future infrastructure borrowing. 100% = at the legal ceiling. Learn more ↗
Mid-Band

12.2%

capacity used
0.0% Band Min
28.8% Band Max
Band Avg: 13.3%
BC Avg: 11.9%

Liability capacity used is 12.2%, near the band average of 13.3%. Ranking 10th of 22 in the band.

Rank 10/22 2024 data
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Revenue Resilience

Provincial and federal grants and transfers as a share of total revenue. Lower is better — the municipality is more financially self-sufficient. Note: high grant dependency may reflect dedicated capital programs, not fiscal weakness. Learn more ↗
Top of Band

3.9%

grant dependency
2.2% Band Min
15.7% Band Max
Band Avg: 7.1%
BC Avg: 23.6%

Grant dependency of 3.9% is below the band average of 7.1%, indicating stronger revenue self-sufficiency.

Rank 5/22 2024 data
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Service Efficiency

Total operating expenses per resident across all municipal services. Lower is better — delivering services at lower per-person cost. Smaller municipalities often have higher per-capita costs due to fixed overhead. Learn more ↗
Top of Band

$2,210

/ person
$1,549 Band Min
$8,399 Band Max
Band Avg: $3,007
BC Avg: $3,918

Total spending of $2,210/person is $797 below the band average, ranking 7th of 22 for service efficiency.

Rank 7/22 2024 data
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What's Driving These Numbers

Tax Revenue by Property Class

Tax levy collected from each property class — how the tax burden is distributed across residential, commercial, industrial, and other property owners. Year coverage varies by data availability.

How the annual municipal tax levy is split across property classes. A higher residential share means homeowners carry more of the tax burden.

Share of total municipal tax levy by property class

Bottom of Band

Annual Homeowner Cost

Estimated taxes on a median-value home

A typical homeowner pays $7,866/year — 79% above the band average of $4,401.

Estimated annual property tax bill on a median-value home (all dwelling types — not single-family only). See methodology.

Learn more ↗

$7,866 / yr

$536 Band Min
$8,882 Band Max
Band Avg: $4,401
BC Avg: $4,403
20th of 22 in band
Bottom of Band

Residential Tax Base

Share of assessed property value from residential

93.6% of the tax base is residential — homeowners carry nearly all of the tax burden. Band average: 77.4%.

Learn more ↗

93.6%

16.4% Band Min
93.6% Band Max
Band Avg: 77.4%
BC Avg: 77.1%
22nd of 22 in band
Top of Band

Population Growth

Change over 5 years (2020–2025)

Population grew 2.8% over 5 years, compared to the band average of 10.4%.

Learn more ↗

+2.8%

2.8% Band Min
28.8% Band Max
Band Avg: 10.4%
BC Avg: 12.6%
22nd of 22 in band
Mid-Band

Development Activity

Building permit value per capita (trailing 12 months)

$2,873 in building permits per person, below the band average of $3,697.

Learn more ↗

$2,873 / cap

$1,235 Band Min
$7,788 Band Max
Band Avg: $3,697
BC Avg: $4,650
7th of 10 in band

Revenue Breakdown / person

Per-capita revenue by source — how much each resident contributes through each funding stream. Own-Source Tax = municipal property taxes. Transfers = federal and provincial grants. Service Sales = utility and fee revenues.

Expense Breakdown / person

Per-capita operating expenses by municipal service category. Municipalities with water, sewer, or transit utilities will show higher totals.

Peer Comparison

Comparing against 13 municipalities in the 50,000-150,000 band.

MunicipalityTypePopulationRev/CapExp/CapSurplus/CapDebt/CapTax BillTax Coll. %Liab. Used %5yr Growth
SaanichD126,011$2,489$2,210$279$656$7,86699.3%12.2%+2.8%
DeltaC124,670$2,809$2,515$294$0$7,17698.4%0.0%+10.9%
NanaimoC111,845$2,441$2,022$419$303$6,38898.6%8.9%+8.9%
KamloopsC108,793$2,771$2,525$246$436$5,88978.8%15.7%+6.9%
Maple RidgeC105,925$2,561$1,844$717$325$7,09596.9%10.2%+13.8%
ChilliwackC105,520$2,178$1,886$291$0$5,19797.5%0.0%+10.1%
VictoriaC103,888$3,432$2,977$454$430$6,29299.2%8.3%+7.8%
North VancouverD97,845$1,860$1,662$198$9$8,88299.2%0.0%+7.4%
New WestminsterC92,124$3,471$2,930$542$1,717$8,659100.4%19.3%+12.2%
Prince GeorgeC85,944$2,921$2,426$495$1,169$5,87597.4%23.9%+6.5%
Port CoquitlamC67,724$2,522$1,993$530$1,297$6,10498.5%12.7%+5.5%
North VancouverC66,624$2,732$2,441$291$13$6,09999.2%0.0%+11.8%
LangfordC59,664$2,165$1,549$616$648$4,85696.7%17.7%+28.8%