Housing Data & Statistics from Governments, NGOs and Experts
Key indicators of economic activity: B.C.’s Monthly New Homes Registry Report. B.C. Residential Building Statistics and Trends Report.
The Monthly New Homes Registry Report provides information on registered new homes by building type, building size and location.
BC Stats-Population Highlights
The latest population growth stats confirm BC saw a total increase of about 65,000 people for 2017, mostly attributed to international and interprovincial migration. On November 1, 2017, the Government of Canada announced a historic, multi-year immigration levels plan. The new plan sets out the highest levels of new permanent residents to be welcomed to Canada in recent history. Under the plan, Canada will accept 310,000 new permanent residents in 2018 and that number will grow to 340,000 by 2020. Government news release here.
The City of Vancouver’s Housing Strategy confirms our regional population growth rate is doubling to 65,000 a year, with all of those newcomers needing a safe and affordable place to call home.
BC Assessment, Property Information & Trends
Province-wide property assessment information, as well as regional assessment information. See also for Quarterly Market Trends reports.
BC Building Permits, Housing Starts, and Sales
Year-to-date information on the pace of MLS® home sales for the province as well as in each of the BCREA member board regions and a comparison of current year sales with the previous year. Housing starts and forecasts with year over year comparison.
Canadian Homebuilders Association
General information and statistics on economic impacts, jobs, and home ownership across Canada, organized regionally and by municipality.
- Economic impacts of New Home Construction:
- British Columbia
- Vancouver
Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) home prices
- Housing Now Tables (Vancouver and Abbotsford CMAs), (Feb 2017):
- Provides a summary of housing statistics, including starts, completions, dwellings under construction, absorptions, real estate sales and home prices
- Rental Market Report (Vancouver CMA), 2016
CMHC Housing Market Information Portal
Shows an at-a-glance aggregate housing data. Categories include: Housing project started/ completed, Absorbed single-detached unit prices, SAAR & trend, Primary Rental Market housing units, Seniors Rental Housing, Population and Households, Housing Stock, Core Housing Need.
Construction forecast from 2017 to 2021, for residential, industrial, and commercial sectors.
Municipal Approval Processes in Metro Vancouver 2014: Focus on Townhomes
This original research by SFU students and others explores and benchmarks the delays and processes in municipal building approvals in residential multi-family developments across the Metro Vancouver region and Abbotsford over various years and housing forms. Partners included: The Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association, municipalities, Real Estate Foundation of BC, developers and Metro Vancouver. Additional housing types and their approval processes are in the three links below.
Municipal Approval Processes in Metro Vancouver 2016: Focus on Wood-Frame Apartments
Municipal Approval Processes in Metro Vancouver 2017: Focus on Infill Housing
The third edition in this series, Housing Approvals Study (HAS) specifically examines Infill Housing forms defined as narrow-lot single family, duplex, triplex, quadplex, and the secondary suite, including laneway and coach houses.
The Housing Approvals Study (HAS), undertaken by The Greater Vancouver HomeBuilders Assoc. (GVHBA) and LandCor Data, examines municipal building approval processes in an effort to reduce unnecessary time and costs for the delivery of an efficient supply of affordable housing across Metro Vancouver. HAS Best Practices (BPs) and a Composite Index are listed in an effort to foster transparent factual data-based information to encourage improvements in housing approval processes across the region.
The Future of B.C. Housing, Resonance Consulting Study
A deep survey of B.C. owners, buyers, sellers, and renters, providing expert insight and recommendations on trends and buying habits of British Columbians.
The Housing Choice and Environmental Impacts Calculator
A new tool that communicates the trade-offs of different housing choices in the lower mainland of British Columbia, specifically Metro Vancouver.
The calculator provides a comparative analysis of all the major environmental impacts and benefits associated with housing choice, such as greenhouse gas emissions, water and electricity consumption and acres of land taken, for high density archetypes versus low density (single family or townhouse).
Metro Vancouver
All are available as excel files at the Metro website (http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/regional-planning/data-statistics/Pages/default.aspx).
Metro Vancouver Housing Data Book January 2019 (updated as data becomes available)
- A key source of regional and municipal level data on the housing stock, trends, market conditions, tenure, income and needs
- The Data Book outlines:
- Household income
- Housing market indicators
- Housing needs
- Continuum of housing choices – renters
- Continuum of housing choices – ownership
Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy
Contains numbers of housing unit targets to be reached in future years, broken down by municipality.
Metro Vancouver Performance Monitoring Dashboard
This dashboard tracks progress toward the five goals set out in Metro Vancouver’s regional growth strategy. Performance is evaluated on an ongoing basis as data becomes available.
MLA Advisory Intel Report 2019
Contains major economic and housing market trends, pre-sales data and amounts sold before construction.
A tool to measure home price trends; measures the rate of price change of housing features.
Property transfer tax data relating to market transactions within the province, including foreign buyers. The data is drawn from new forms implemented June 10, asking tax filers for additional information, like citizenship, they weren’t previously required to provide.
Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver
Detailed monthly statistical reports and summaries of transactions and trends throughout the region.
Scotiabank – Economics Publications
StatsCan: Population and Demography
