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Living in Oak Bay

Oak Bay is a city in Canada, and the figures below are its published values. Residents of Oak Bay numbered 19,211 at the end of 2022. The unemployment rate was 6.98% at the end of 2021. At the end of 2021, the foreign population in Oak Bay numbered 3,855.

Which Canada-wide rules apply when you move to Oak Bay?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in CanadaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Oak Bay.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

At the end of 2021, 23.3% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing.

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Oak Bay yet. We do not infer one from another place.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households spending over 30% of income on rent23.3 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada7Official
Dwellings8,168 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada5Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings7,807 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Oak Bay?

The unemployment rate is about 7 % (2021).

  • Unemployment rate: 6.98 % · Statistics Canada9
Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Oak Bay is 7.0%. Of 485 cities with data, 119 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Canada per band1 city: 0% to under 2%10–210 cities: 2% to under 4%102–497 cities: 4% to under 6%974–6119 cities: 6% to under 8%1196–8Oak Bay 7.0%103 cities: 8% to under 10%1038–1075 cities: 10% to under 12%7510–1251 cities: 12% to under 14%5112–1418 cities: 14% to under 16%1814–168 cities: 16% to under 18%816–181 city: 18% to under 20%118–202 cities: 20% to under 22%220–22

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Employment rate49.5 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,666 EUR/month31 Dec 2020www150.statcan.gc.ca15Official
Unemployment rate6.98 %country median 8.3%31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada9Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Oak Bay. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Job Bank and public employment services — Public employment service

Government of Canada

Job SearchMigrant Support
Open official service
Open the Canada service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Oak Bay. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

Oak Bay's nearest airport was YWH, 6 km away and offered 2 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count2 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights2Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km6 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports3Official
Nearest Major Airport IataYWH3 Aug 2026OurAirports3Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Oak Bay. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

IRCC newcomer language-learning services finder — State Language Course

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

For newcomers to Canada.

English, Frenchfree
Open official information
Open the full Canada section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Oak Bay.

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Oak Bay?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.2 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

  • PM2.5 — annual mean: 5.19 µg/m³ · data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca1
Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Oak Bay average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND24°3°Daytime highNight-time low
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Oak Bay annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5255.2PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in CanadaAnnual PM2.5 in Oak Bay is 5.2 µg/m³. Of 92 cities with data, 33 have annual PM2.5 of 3 to under 4 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Canada per band2 cities: 1 µg/m³ to under 2 µg/m³21–216 cities: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³162–333 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³333–413 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³134–512 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³125–6Oak Bay 5.21 city: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³16–71 city: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³17–81 city: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³18–92 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³29–102 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³210–111 city: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³113–142 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³215–163 cities: 16 µg/m³ to under 17 µg/m³316–171 city: 17 µg/m³ to under 18 µg/m³117–181 city: 20 µg/m³ to under 21 µg/m³120–211 city: 40 µg/m³ to under 41 µg/m³140–41

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean5.19 µg/m³31 Dec 2024data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca1Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context
Average daytime high by monthJan 8.2 · Feb 8.8 · Mar 11 · Apr 14 · May 17.8 · Jun 20.6 · Jul 23.7 · Aug 23.5 · Sep 20 · Oct 14.3 · Nov 10.3 · Dec 8 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI12Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 3.4 · Feb 2.9 · Mar 3.9 · Apr 5.5 · May 7.9 · Jun 10.2 · Jul 11.7 · Aug 11.8 · Sep 10.1 · Oct 7.1 · Nov 4.7 · Dec 3.1 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI13Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 5.8 · Feb 5.9 · Mar 7.5 · Apr 9.8 · May 12.9 · Jun 15.4 · Jul 17.7 · Aug 17.7 · Sep 15 · Oct 10.7 · Nov 7.6 · Dec 5.5 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI14Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Canada

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Canada cities
Esquimalt19,155 residentsCorner Brook19,333 residentsPort Colborne19,035 residentsMont-Saint-Hilaire19,436 residentsNiagara-on-the-Lake18,981 residentsQuispamsis19,454 residents

Population and city profile

Oak Bay covered an area of 10.5 km² at the end of 2021. At the end of 2021, Oak Bay had 7,805 households. Oak Bay had a median age of 54.4 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Oak Bay?

The published population was 19,211 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada6

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Oak Bay residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport79.9%Foreign residents20.1%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Area10.52 km²31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official
City area10.52 km²31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada10Official
Foreign-resident share21.85 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada4Official
Foreign residents3,855 people31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada4Official
Population density1,710 people/km²31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada10Official
Population19,211 people31 Dec 2022Statistics Canada6Official
Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2022
Population in Oak Bay by year, residents17,89218,36418,83719,3092001200520092015202219,211residents

Population rose 4.4% between 2001 and 2022, from 18,399 to 19,211.

International community in Oak Bay

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Total - Place of birth for the immigrant population in private households - 25% sample data · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Total - Place of birth for the immigrant population in private households - 25% sample data3,855100.0%
Europe2,03552.8%
United Kingdom1,26532.8%
Asia86522.4%
Americas67517.5%
United States of America51513.4%
China2707.0%
Other places of birth in Europe2456.4%
Africa1754.5%
Other places of birth in Asia1754.5%
Germany1554.0%
Show 31 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Oceania and other places of birth952.5%
South Africa, Republic of852.2%
Netherlands802.1%
Philippines751.9%
Taiwan701.8%
India701.8%
Hong Kong651.7%
France601.6%
Other places of birth in Africa601.6%
Other places of birth in Americas551.4%
Russian Federation551.4%
Poland501.3%
Hungary401.0%
Iran350.9%
Korea, South300.8%
Viet Nam300.8%
Mexico250.6%
Guyana200.5%
Italy200.5%
Ukraine200.5%
Ethiopia200.5%
Jamaica150.4%
Peru150.4%
Trinidad and Tobago150.4%
Greece150.4%
Pakistan150.4%
Brazil100.3%
Croatia100.3%
Portugal100.3%
Turkey100.3%
Sri Lanka100.3%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source7

Citizenship

Total - Citizenship for the population in private households - 25% sample data · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Total - Citizenship for the population in private households - 25% sample data17,640100.0%
Canadian citizens16,55093.8%
Canadian citizens aged 18 and over13,77578.1%
Canadian citizens aged under 182,77015.7%
Not Canadian citizens1,0906.2%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source7

Language spoken at home

Total - Language spoken most often at home for the total population excluding institutional residents - 100% data · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Total - Language spoken most often at home for the total population excluding institutional residents - 100% data17,990100.0%
Single responses17,76598.7%
Official languages17,04594.7%
English16,96094.3%
Non-Indigenous languages7304.1%
Non-official languages7254.0%
Sino-Tibetan languages3201.8%
Chinese languages3151.8%
Indo-European languages2601.4%
Mandarin2551.4%
Multiple responses2251.3%
Show 56 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
English and non-official language(s)1851.0%
French850.5%
Balto-Slavic languages650.4%
Slavic languages650.4%
Germanic languages650.4%
Yue (Cantonese)550.3%
Indo-Iranian languages550.3%
High German languages500.3%
Italic (Romance) languages500.3%
German450.3%
Afro-Asiatic languages400.2%
Semitic languages400.2%
Austronesian languages400.2%
Spanish350.2%
Arabic300.2%
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino)300.2%
Indo-Aryan languages300.2%
Iranian languages300.2%
Persian languages300.2%
Iranian Persian300.2%
English and French250.1%
Russian250.1%
Japanese200.1%
Korean200.1%
Greek150.1%
Uralic languages100.1%
English, French and non-official language(s)100.1%
Multiple non-official languages100.1%
Austro-Asiatic languages100.1%
Vietnamese100.1%
Albanian100.1%
Czech100.1%
Serbo-Croatian100.1%
Croatian100.1%
Low Saxon-Low Franconian languages100.1%
Dutch100.1%
Scandinavian languages100.1%
Punjabi (Panjabi)100.1%
Sign languages50.0%
American Sign Language50.0%
Min Nan (Chaochow, Teochow, Fukien, Taiwanese)50.0%
Tibeto-Burman languages50.0%
Burmese50.0%
Finnish50.0%
Hebrew50.0%
Ilocano50.0%
Dravidian languages50.0%
Bulgarian50.0%
Polish50.0%
Slovak50.0%
Ukrainian50.0%
Afrikaans50.0%
Icelandic50.0%
Urdu50.0%
Italian50.0%
Portuguese50.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source7

Is Oak Bay a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker43%strong on work, weak on safety · range 33–53%
Skilled employee51%strong on work, weak on safety · range 42–60%
Student49%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 38–60%
Family45%strong on housing, weak on safety · range 34–56%
Retirement50%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 37–63%
Foreign residents3,855 people31 Dec 2021Official source · Statistics Canada
Population19,211 people31 Dec 2022Official source · Statistics Canada
Households spending over 30% of income on rent23.3 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Statistics Canada
Dwellings8,168 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Statistics Canada
Employment rate49.5 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Statistics Canada
Median gross salary (regional)2,666 EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · www150.statcan.gc.ca
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents born abroad21.9 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada7Official
Households7,805 households31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official
Labour force participation rate53.2 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official
Median age54.4 years31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada11Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Oak Bay when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Oak Bay?

The published population was 19,211 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is the air quality good in Oak Bay?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.2 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca.

What is the unemployment rate in Oak Bay?

The unemployment rate is about 7 % (2021). Source: Statistics Canada.

What is the typical salary around Oak Bay?

The median gross salary is 2,666 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.

How many foreign residents live in Oak Bay?

3,855 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is Oak Bay a good place to live?

Oak Bay may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Total - Place of birth for the immigrant population in private households - 25% sample data live in Oak Bay?

The official country of birth distribution records 3,855 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Oak Bay, Canada: rent, salary, jobs, climate [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/oak-bay/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_oak-bay-canada-rent-salary-jobs-climate_d0c6164f4573,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Oak Bay, Canada: rent, salary, jobs, climate},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/oak-bay/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Oak Bay, Canada: rent, salary, jobs, climate](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/oak-bay/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-26
  2. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  3. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  5. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  6. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  7. Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  8. Statistics Canada api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  9. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  10. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Show 5 more sources
  1. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  2. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  3. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  4. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  5. www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.