BC Municipal Tax Burden Rankings

Own-source taxation per person reflects how much each resident pays in municipal property taxes.

156 municipalities ranked Lower is better

Lowest — Best Performing

1. Langley (150,000+) $261 2. Salmo (Under 1,500) $385 3. Slocan (Under 1,500) $500 4. Montrose (Under 1,500) $541 5. Lumby (1,500-5,000) $579

Highest — Needs Attention

152. Whistler (15,000-50,000) $5,089 153. Port Edward (Under 1,500) $5,690 154. Northern Rockies (1,500-5,000) $5,948 155. Hudson's Hope (Under 1,500) $6,326 156. Stewart (Under 1,500) $7,504

Distribution

Top of Band

Mid-Band

Bottom of Band

About this Metric

Low value means

Tax burden is low compared to peers — the municipality may have a strong commercial base sharing the load, efficient operations, or leaner service offerings.

High value means

Residents pay more in taxes relative to peers — this may reflect higher service levels, an under-developed commercial tax base, or less efficient operations.

For Councillors

Tax burden is one of the most politically sensitive metrics. A high per-capita figure relative to similar-sized communities may reflect a weak commercial assessment base (meaning residential taxpayers carry a disproportionate share), generous service levels, or operational costs that warrant scrutiny. Councils in high-burden communities often face pressure to diversify revenues or attract commercial development.

For Residents

This is the closest proxy to what shows up on your property tax bill per person. If your municipality is significantly higher than similar-sized towns, it is worth asking why — are services proportionally better, or is the cost structure out of line?

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	Langley	D	163,885	$261	1 of 10	-79%
2	Salmo	V	1,310	$385	2 of 193	-78%
3	Slocan	V	488	$500	4 of 193	-72%
4	Montrose	V	1,072	$541	5 of 193	-69%
5	Lumby	V	2,257	$579	2 of 106	-78%
6	Keremeos	V	1,779	$636	3 of 106	-76%
7	Port Clements	V	352	$688	9 of 193	-61%
8	Port McNeill	T	2,402	$699	4 of 106	-74%
9	Daajing Giids	V	999	$702	11 of 193	-60%
10	Armstrong	C	5,643	$724	1 of 91	-66%
11	Sooke	D	17,248	$749	2 of 48	-54%
12	Fruitvale	V	2,068	$758	6 of 106	-71%
13	Telkwa	V	1,544	$781	8 of 106	-70%
14	Oliver	T	5,262	$807	2 of 91	-62%
15	Kaslo	V	1,141	$810	13 of 193	-54%
16	Coldstream	D	11,380	$822	3 of 91	-62%
17	Pemberton	V	3,620	$823	11 of 106	-69%
18	New Denver	V	527	$838	17 of 193	-53%
19	Pouce Coupe	V	813	$840	18 of 193	-53%
20	Enderby	C	3,292	$851	13 of 106	-68%
21	North Vancouver	D	97,845	$902	1 of 22	-46%
22	Lantzville	D	4,276	$910	15 of 106	-66%
23	Nakusp	V	1,740	$924	17 of 106	-65%
24	Surrey	C	703,531	$937	2 of 10	-24%
25	Comox	T	15,884	$962	4 of 48	-41%
26	View Royal	T	12,795	$963	4 of 91	-55%
27	Highlands	D	2,753	$967	19 of 106	-63%
28	Langford	C	59,664	$968	3 of 22	-42%
29	Lake Cowichan	T	3,757	$1,016	22 of 106	-62%
30	Chase	V	2,591	$1,031	24 of 106	-61%
31	Gold River	V	1,339	$1,048	52 of 193	-41%
32	Port Hardy	D	4,201	$1,057	25 of 106	-60%
33	Grand Forks	C	4,308	$1,058	26 of 106	-60%
34	New Hazelton	D	666	$1,061	56 of 193	-40%
35	Silverton	V	196	$1,069	59 of 193	-40%
36	Cumberland	V	4,974	$1,073	28 of 106	-59%
37	McBride	V	646	$1,083	60 of 193	-39%
38	Nelson	C	12,126	$1,091	13 of 91	-49%
39	Duncan	C	5,745	$1,091	14 of 91	-49%
40	Chilliwack	C	105,520	$1,102	4 of 22	-34%
41	Metchosin	D	5,207	$1,109	16 of 91	-48%
42	Creston	T	5,976	$1,117	18 of 91	-48%
43	Warfield	V	1,729	$1,120	31 of 106	-58%
44	Mission	C	47,280	$1,136	11 of 48	-31%
45	Abbotsford	C	175,358	$1,141	3 of 10	-8%
46	Maple Ridge	C	105,925	$1,143	5 of 22	-31%
47	Summerland	D	12,343	$1,148	22 of 91	-46%
48	West Kelowna	C	40,274	$1,149	12 of 48	-30%
49	Alert Bay	V	465	$1,156	72 of 193	-35%
50	Midway	V	671	$1,170	76 of 193	-34%
51	Ashcroft	V	1,744	$1,185	34 of 106	-55%
52	Vernon	C	49,527	$1,188	13 of 48	-28%
53	Osoyoos	T	5,724	$1,189	23 of 91	-45%
54	Colwood	C	22,794	$1,196	14 of 48	-27%
55	Langley	C	35,444	$1,205	15 of 48	-26%
56	Coquitlam	C	173,599	$1,213	4 of 10	-2%
57	Campbell River	C	38,300	$1,224	17 of 48	-25%
58	Burns Lake	V	2,007	$1,225	38 of 106	-54%
59	Courtenay	C	32,869	$1,231	19 of 48	-25%
60	Kelowna	C	167,654	$1,233	5 of 10	-0%
61	Penticton	C	39,068	$1,236	20 of 48	-25%
62	Central Saanich	D	18,184	$1,243	21 of 48	-24%
63	North Saanich	D	12,986	$1,249	27 of 91	-42%
64	New Westminster	C	92,124	$1,255	7 of 22	-25%
65	Anmore	V	2,508	$1,258	40 of 106	-52%
66	Port Coquitlam	C	67,724	$1,266	8 of 22	-24%
67	Gibsons	T	5,090	$1,273	29 of 91	-41%
68	Burnaby	C	299,682	$1,275	6 of 10	+3%
69	Sidney	T	13,445	$1,288	31 of 91	-40%
70	Salmon Arm	C	20,891	$1,303	22 of 48	-21%
71	shíshálh Nation Government District	D	792	$1,304	96 of 193	-26%
72	Parksville	C	15,371	$1,319	24 of 48	-20%
73	White Rock	C	25,057	$1,320	25 of 48	-19%
74	North Vancouver	C	66,624	$1,324	9 of 22	-20%
75	North Cowichan	D	34,525	$1,336	26 of 48	-18%
76	Sechelt	D	11,558	$1,344	32 of 91	-37%
77	Clinton	V	707	$1,348	100 of 193	-24%
78	Peachland	D	6,302	$1,359	34 of 91	-37%
79	Spallumcheen	D	5,843	$1,362	35 of 91	-37%
80	Cache Creek	V	1,053	$1,362	105 of 193	-23%
81	Port Alice	V	789	$1,367	106 of 193	-23%
82	Castlegar	C	9,465	$1,377	38 of 91	-36%
83	Harrison Hot Springs	V	2,148	$1,391	45 of 106	-47%
84	Ladysmith	T	9,926	$1,392	40 of 91	-35%
85	Masset	V	914	$1,395	108 of 193	-21%
86	Richmond	C	239,584	$1,411	7 of 10	+14%
87	Kent	D	7,093	$1,414	41 of 91	-34%
88	Kamloops	C	108,793	$1,434	11 of 22	-14%
89	Nanaimo	C	111,845	$1,436	12 of 22	-14%
90	Saanich	D	126,011	$1,438	13 of 22	-14%
91	Invermere	D	4,305	$1,439	51 of 106	-46%
92	Lake Country	D	17,637	$1,441	28 of 48	-12%
93	Clearwater	D	2,500	$1,444	52 of 106	-45%
94	Qualicum Beach	T	9,640	$1,455	42 of 91	-32%
95	Chetwynd	D	2,484	$1,484	55 of 106	-44%
96	Sayward	V	329	$1,494	117 of 193	-16%
97	Lillooet	D	2,065	$1,534	57 of 106	-42%
98	Vanderhoof	D	4,545	$1,537	58 of 106	-42%
99	Lytton	V	228	$1,547	124 of 193	-13%
100	Squamish	D	28,578	$1,549	30 of 48	-6%
101	Port Alberni	C	19,671	$1,573	31 of 48	-4%
102	Kimberley	C	9,037	$1,574	47 of 91	-27%
103	Pitt Meadows	C	20,892	$1,574	32 of 48	-4%
104	100 Mile House	D	2,030	$1,574	61 of 106	-40%
105	Granisle	V	357	$1,593	130 of 193	-10%
106	Hope	D	7,183	$1,593	49 of 91	-26%
107	Port Moody	C	38,285	$1,601	33 of 48	-2%
108	Delta	C	124,670	$1,605	15 of 22	-4%
109	Valemount	V	1,082	$1,607	132 of 193	-9%
110	Canal Flats	V	889	$1,614	133 of 193	-9%
111	Fort St. John	C	24,383	$1,624	34 of 48	-1%
112	Princeton	T	3,050	$1,638	63 of 106	-38%
113	Terrace	C	13,648	$1,645	51 of 91	-23%
114	Rossland	C	4,355	$1,658	64 of 106	-37%
115	Lions Bay	V	1,375	$1,688	139 of 193	-5%
116	Williams Lake	C	11,462	$1,696	54 of 91	-21%
117	Vancouver	C	740,454	$1,717	9 of 10	+39%
118	Prince George	C	85,944	$1,740	16 of 22	+4%
119	Zeballos	V	136	$1,745	140 of 193	-1%
120	Dawson Creek	C	13,635	$1,783	57 of 91	-17%
121	Cranbrook	C	22,703	$1,801	36 of 48	+10%
122	Golden	T	4,433	$1,816	65 of 106	-31%
123	Smithers	T	5,627	$1,826	58 of 91	-15%
124	Houston	D	3,114	$1,844	66 of 106	-30%
125	Victoria	C	103,888	$1,855	19 of 22	+11%
126	Powell River	C	14,947	$1,877	60 of 91	-12%
127	Merritt	C	7,190	$1,881	61 of 91	-12%
128	Esquimalt	D	19,512	$1,897	38 of 48	+16%
129	Sun Peaks	V	1,546	$1,939	68 of 106	-27%
130	Radium Hot Springs	V	1,489	$1,944	151 of 193	+10%
131	Logan Lake	D	2,337	$1,962	69 of 106	-26%
132	Belcarra	V	702	$1,980	153 of 193	+12%
133	West Vancouver	D	47,929	$2,053	40 of 48	+25%
134	Oak Bay	D	18,626	$2,080	41 of 48	+27%
135	Sicamous	D	2,854	$2,103	70 of 106	-20%
136	Trail	C	8,539	$2,115	65 of 91	-1%
137	Fernie	C	7,086	$2,127	67 of 91	-1%
138	Sparwood	D	4,486	$2,155	71 of 106	-18%
139	Quesnel	C	10,253	$2,192	69 of 91	+2%
140	Bowen Island	D	4,501	$2,355	75 of 106	-11%
141	Ucluelet	D	2,452	$2,397	76 of 106	-9%
142	Revelstoke	C	9,464	$2,467	73 of 91	+15%
143	Prince Rupert	C	12,903	$2,482	74 of 91	+16%
144	Tahsis	V	418	$2,554	166 of 193	+44%
145	Fort St. James	D	1,542	$2,568	78 of 106	-3%
146	Mackenzie	D	3,442	$2,572	79 of 106	-3%
147	Fraser Lake	V	942	$2,604	168 of 193	+47%
148	Elkford	D	3,030	$2,762	81 of 106	+4%
149	Taylor	D	1,415	$3,280	179 of 193	+85%
150	Tofino	D	2,772	$3,588	83 of 106	+36%
151	Tumbler Ridge	D	2,663	$4,093	88 of 106	+55%
152	Whistler	D	15,090	$5,089	48 of 48	+210%
153	Port Edward	D	442	$5,690	187 of 193	+221%
154	Northern Rockies	D	4,400	$5,948	97 of 106	+125%
155	Hudson's Hope	D	1,019	$6,326	190 of 193	+257%
156	Stewart	D	515	$7,504	192 of 193	+324%

Municipalities with Incomplete Data

The following 5 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
Greenwood	C	Stale or missing fiscal reporting
Hazelton	V	Stale or missing fiscal reporting
Kitimat	D	Stale or missing fiscal reporting
Wells	D	Stale or missing fiscal reporting