BC Municipal Debt Trend Rankings

Average annual change in debt per capita from 2021 to 2024.

153 municipalities ranked Lower is better

Lowest — Best Performing

1. Slocan (Under 1,500) -$314 2. Masset (Under 1,500) -$306 3. Belcarra (Under 1,500) -$247 4. Peachland (5,000-15,000) -$229 5. Elkford (1,500-5,000) -$228

Highest — Needs Attention

149. New Westminster (50,000-150,000) $331 150. Bowen Island (1,500-5,000) $431 151. Prince Rupert (5,000-15,000) $509 152. Princeton (1,500-5,000) $772 153. Tofino (1,500-5,000) $2,001

Distribution

Top of Band

Mid-Band

Bottom of Band

About this Metric

Low value means

Debt per person is stable or declining — the municipality is deleveraging.

High value means

Debt per person is increasing — the municipality is taking on more borrowing.

For Councillors

Rising debt constrains future borrowing capacity for capital projects.

For Residents

Less debt per person means less of your taxes go to interest payments.

Full Rankings

Click column headers to sort. Filter by population band.

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Prov. # ▲	Municipality	Type	Population	Value	Band Rank	vs Band Avg
1	Slocan	V	488	-$314	7 of 191	+412%
2	Masset	V	914	-$306	9 of 191	+399%
3	Belcarra	V	702	-$247	13 of 191	+304%
4	Peachland	D	6,302	-$229	7 of 90	+898%
5	Elkford	D	3,030	-$228	3 of 105	-1548%
6	Sicamous	D	2,854	-$212	5 of 105	-1448%
7	Port Edward	D	442	-$174	23 of 191	+185%
8	Revelstoke	C	9,464	-$147	12 of 90	+540%
9	Trail	C	8,539	-$144	13 of 90	+527%
10	Taylor	D	1,415	-$142	30 of 191	+132%
11	Alert Bay	V	465	-$134	33 of 191	+119%
12	Tahsis	V	418	-$133	34 of 191	+117%
13	Lions Bay	V	1,375	-$130	36 of 191	+113%
14	Logan Lake	D	2,337	-$122	16 of 105	-874%
15	Fernie	C	7,086	-$119	18 of 90	+418%
16	Creston	T	5,976	-$118	19 of 90	+412%
17	Esquimalt	D	19,512	-$117	5 of 48	-534%
18	Kamloops	C	108,793	-$110	5 of 22	+418%
19	Burns Lake	V	2,007	-$89	23 of 105	-663%
20	Chetwynd	D	2,484	-$88	24 of 105	-660%
21	Ucluelet	D	2,452	-$88	25 of 105	-657%
22	Granisle	V	357	-$86	47 of 191	+41%
23	Rossland	C	4,355	-$86	26 of 105	-647%
24	Ladysmith	T	9,926	-$85	32 of 90	+268%
25	Nelson	C	12,126	-$84	33 of 90	+266%
26	Kimberley	C	9,037	-$81	34 of 90	+253%
27	Clinton	V	707	-$80	51 of 191	+31%
28	Gibsons	T	5,090	-$77	35 of 90	+234%
29	Tumbler Ridge	D	2,663	-$76	30 of 105	-581%
30	Nakusp	V	1,740	-$75	31 of 105	-574%
31	Williams Lake	C	11,462	-$74	38 of 90	+222%
32	New Denver	V	527	-$69	54 of 191	+13%
33	Lytton	V	228	-$69	55 of 191	+13%
34	Sayward	V	329	-$67	56 of 191	+10%
35	White Rock	C	25,057	-$66	11 of 48	-345%
36	Salmo	V	1,310	-$63	58 of 191	+3%
37	Kelowna	C	167,654	-$62	2 of 10	-811%
38	Victoria	C	103,888	-$61	9 of 22	+191%
39	Smithers	T	5,627	-$60	42 of 90	+161%
40	Salmon Arm	C	20,891	-$60	13 of 48	-321%
41	Canal Flats	V	889	-$59	59 of 191	-4%
42	Warfield	V	1,729	-$57	40 of 105	-463%
43	Valemount	V	1,082	-$57	60 of 191	-8%
44	Surrey	C	703,531	-$56	3 of 10	-744%
45	Vanderhoof	D	4,545	-$56	41 of 105	-458%
46	Maple Ridge	C	105,925	-$56	10 of 22	+165%
47	Midway	V	671	-$56	61 of 191	-8%
48	Invermere	D	4,305	-$56	42 of 105	-455%
49	Lantzville	D	4,276	-$52	45 of 105	-433%
50	Quesnel	C	10,253	-$48	46 of 90	+109%
51	Enderby	C	3,292	-$48	48 of 105	-402%
52	Dawson Creek	C	13,635	-$47	48 of 90	+103%
53	Nanaimo	C	111,845	-$45	11 of 22	+114%
54	West Vancouver	D	47,929	-$45	15 of 48	-266%
55	Squamish	D	28,578	-$43	16 of 48	-260%
56	Pemberton	V	3,620	-$42	50 of 105	-367%
57	View Royal	T	12,795	-$42	49 of 90	+81%
58	North Saanich	D	12,986	-$41	50 of 90	+79%
59	Grand Forks	C	4,308	-$39	51 of 105	-346%
60	Fruitvale	V	2,068	-$38	52 of 105	-341%
61	Terrace	C	13,648	-$37	52 of 90	+62%
62	Sooke	D	17,248	-$36	18 of 48	-235%
63	Highlands	D	2,753	-$35	53 of 105	-324%
64	Clearwater	D	2,500	-$35	54 of 105	-322%
65	Port Alice	V	789	-$35	69 of 191	-43%
66	Houston	D	3,114	-$33	56 of 105	-311%
67	Lake Cowichan	T	3,757	-$33	57 of 105	-308%
68	Radium Hot Springs	V	1,489	-$32	73 of 191	-48%
69	Vancouver	C	740,454	-$31	4 of 10	-457%
70	Abbotsford	C	175,358	-$30	5 of 10	-444%
71	Central Saanich	D	18,184	-$28	19 of 48	-205%
72	Campbell River	C	38,300	-$27	20 of 48	-201%
73	Penticton	C	39,068	-$27	21 of 48	-200%
74	Harrison Hot Springs	V	2,148	-$27	59 of 105	-271%
75	Parksville	C	15,371	-$24	23 of 48	-189%
76	Osoyoos	T	5,724	-$23	58 of 90	+1%
77	Port Moody	C	38,285	-$22	24 of 48	-182%
78	Kaslo	V	1,141	-$18	79 of 191	-70%
79	Kent	D	7,093	-$17	61 of 90	-24%
80	Fort St. James	D	1,542	-$17	62 of 105	-210%
81	Chase	V	2,591	-$17	63 of 105	-205%
82	Lumby	V	2,257	-$15	65 of 105	-198%
83	Oak Bay	D	18,626	-$13	25 of 48	-147%
84	Cranbrook	C	22,703	-$12	26 of 48	-145%
85	Sidney	T	13,445	-$11	62 of 90	-54%
86	Coquitlam	C	173,599	-$10	6 of 10	-209%
87	Keremeos	V	1,779	-$9	66 of 105	-160%
88	Spallumcheen	D	5,843	-$7	63 of 90	-72%
89	100 Mile House	D	2,030	-$6	68 of 105	-141%
90	Hudson's Hope	D	1,019	-$1	84 of 191	-98%
91	Delta	C	124,670	-$1	12 of 22	-96%
92	Ashcroft	V	1,744	$0	69 of 105	-100%
93	Burnaby	C	299,682	$0	7 of 10	-100%
94	Cache Creek	V	1,053	$0	85 of 191	-100%
95	Chilliwack	C	105,520	$0	13 of 22	-100%
96	Duncan	C	5,745	$0	64 of 90	-100%
97	Fraser Lake	V	942	$0	86 of 191	-100%
98	Gold River	V	1,339	$0	87 of 191	-100%
99	Lillooet	D	2,065	$0	70 of 105	-100%
100	Mackenzie	D	3,442	$0	71 of 105	-100%
101	Metchosin	D	5,207	$0	65 of 90	-100%
102	New Hazelton	D	666	$0	88 of 191	-100%
103	Port Clements	V	352	$0	89 of 191	-100%
104	Pouce Coupe	V	813	$0	90 of 191	-100%
105	Silverton	V	196	$0	91 of 191	-100%
106	Zeballos	V	136	$0	92 of 191	-100%
107	North Vancouver	C	66,624	$3	15 of 22	-114%
108	Port McNeill	T	2,402	$4	83 of 105	-73%
109	Colwood	C	22,794	$11	27 of 48	-59%
110	Telkwa	V	1,544	$17	85 of 105	+8%
111	Cumberland	V	4,974	$21	86 of 105	+34%
112	Montrose	V	1,072	$26	173 of 191	-142%
113	Qualicum Beach	T	9,640	$28	70 of 90	-223%
114	North Cowichan	D	34,525	$29	29 of 48	+8%
115	North Vancouver	D	97,845	$35	16 of 22	-264%
116	Stewart	D	515	$35	175 of 191	-156%
117	Sechelt	D	11,558	$35	72 of 90	-252%
118	Sparwood	D	4,486	$37	89 of 105	+132%
119	Prince George	C	85,944	$38	17 of 22	-281%
120	McBride	V	646	$48	176 of 191	-178%
121	Courtenay	C	32,869	$49	31 of 48	+82%
122	Hope	D	7,183	$52	73 of 90	-325%
123	Fort St. John	C	24,383	$60	33 of 48	+121%
124	Comox	T	15,884	$62	35 of 48	+131%
125	Mission	C	47,280	$69	36 of 48	+155%
126	Port Coquitlam	C	67,724	$70	18 of 22	-431%
127	Whistler	D	15,090	$84	37 of 48	+210%
128	Castlegar	C	9,465	$86	76 of 90	-475%
129	Saanich	D	126,011	$89	20 of 22	-518%
130	Richmond	C	239,584	$96	9 of 10	+995%
131	Langford	C	59,664	$97	21 of 22	-558%
132	Summerland	D	12,343	$105	78 of 90	-557%
133	Oliver	T	5,262	$109	79 of 90	-575%
134	Port Alberni	C	19,671	$110	38 of 48	+307%
135	Golden	T	4,433	$130	93 of 105	+723%
136	Port Hardy	D	4,201	$130	94 of 105	+727%
137	Sun Peaks	V	1,546	$150	95 of 105	+856%
138	Powell River	C	14,947	$165	81 of 90	-818%
139	Vernon	C	49,527	$191	39 of 48	+609%
140	Langley	D	163,885	$199	10 of 10	+2163%
141	Langley	C	35,444	$204	40 of 48	+657%
142	Lake Country	D	17,637	$210	42 of 48	+680%
143	Armstrong	C	5,643	$222	84 of 90	-1068%
144	Coldstream	D	11,380	$245	85 of 90	-1169%
145	West Kelowna	C	40,274	$251	44 of 48	+829%
146	Pitt Meadows	C	20,892	$276	46 of 48	+922%
147	Merritt	C	7,190	$279	86 of 90	-1314%
148	Anmore	V	2,508	$315	97 of 105	+1902%
149	New Westminster	C	92,124	$331	22 of 22	-1666%
150	Bowen Island	D	4,501	$431	99 of 105	+2639%
151	Prince Rupert	C	12,903	$509	89 of 90	-2318%
152	Princeton	T	3,050	$772	102 of 105	+4804%
153	Tofino	D	2,772	$2,001	105 of 105	+12612%

Municipalities with Incomplete Data

The following 8 municipalities are excluded from this ranking due to missing or insufficient data points.

Municipality	Type	Reason for Exclusion
Barriere	D	Stale or missing fiscal reporting
Daajing Giids	V	Insufficient historical data points
Greenwood	C	Stale or missing fiscal reporting
Hazelton	V	Stale or missing fiscal reporting
Kitimat	D	Stale or missing fiscal reporting
Northern Rockies	D	Insufficient historical data points
shíshálh Nation Government District	D	Insufficient historical data points
Wells	D	Stale or missing fiscal reporting