Living in Oak Bay
In Oak Bay, tenants pay an average rent of €1,256 a month (2025) and unemployment is 7% (2021).
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.
Lower unemployment than 68% of Canadian cities that publish it and less recorded crime than any other Canadian city that publishes it.
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.
Housing and cost
At the end of 2021, 23.3% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 49.79 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Bell Fibe 500 home internet2Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 24.27 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Public Mobile 50GB plan8Official · national market |
| Households spending over 30% of income on rent | 23.3 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada12Official |
| Dwellings | 8,168 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada10Official |
| Main residence dwellings | 7,807 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada13Official |
| Average monthly rent (two-bedroom) | 1,280 EUR/month | 31 Oct 2023 | CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 20233Official |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 1,256 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision1Official |
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.
Work and income
What is the typical salary in Oak Bay?
The median gross salary is about 4,630 EUR/month (2020). The regional series (home-region basis, 2020) is a separate labelled row in the table.
City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.
What is the unemployment rate in Oak Bay?
The unemployment rate is about 7 % (2021).
- Unemployment rate: 6.98 % · Statistics Canada15
Oak Bay 7.0%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate | 49.5 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada13Official |
| Median gross salary | 4,630 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | Statistics Canada14Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 3,137 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | www150.statcan.gc.ca21Official |
| Unemployment rate | 6.98 %country median 8.4% | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada15Official |
What does a salary buy in Oak Bay?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentInternetMobileLeft over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08. | €3,450 |
| Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision · 2025-12-31 | − €1,256 |
| Internet€50 · official · Bell Fibe 500 home internet · 2026-09-30 | − €50 |
| Mobile plan€24 · official · Public Mobile 50GB plan · 2026-09-30 | − €24 |
| Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities | — |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €2,120 |
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.
Job Bank and public employment services — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Oak Bay. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.
Safety
How safe is Oak Bay?
Police recorded about 2,502 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia5
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 2,502 incidents per 100,000country median 4,873 | 31 Dec 2025 | Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia5Official |
Mobility and administration
Oak Bay's nearest airport was YWH, 6 km away and offered 2 direct destinations.
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.
IRCC newcomer language-learning services finder — State Language Course
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
For newcomers to Canada.
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.ca4
Night-time low to daytime high
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Oak Bay 5.2
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 5.19 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca4Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 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 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI18Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 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 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI19Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 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 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI20Official · nearest-station reading |
Similar climate. In Canada: Markham ±4.3 °C. Elsewhere: Gillingham (United Kingdom) ±0.6 °C, Maidstone (United Kingdom) ±0.6 °C, Harrow (United Kingdom) ±0.7 °C, Watford (United Kingdom) ±0.7 °C, Rouen (France) ±0.7 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month
Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.
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 Canada11
By nationality
National passport79.9%Foreign residents20.1%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 10.52 km² | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada13Official |
| City area | 10.52 km² | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada16Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 21.85 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada9Official |
| Foreign residents | 3,855 people | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada9Official |
| Population density | 1,710 people/km² | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada16Official |
| Population | 19,211 people | 31 Dec 2022 | Statistics Canada11Official |
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 group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total - Place of birth for the immigrant population in private households - 25% sample data | 3,855 | 100.0% |
| Europe | 2,035 | 52.8% |
| United Kingdom | 1,265 | 32.8% |
| Asia | 865 | 22.4% |
| Americas | 675 | 17.5% |
| United States of America | 515 | 13.4% |
| China | 270 | 7.0% |
| Other places of birth in Europe | 245 | 6.4% |
| Africa | 175 | 4.5% |
| Other places of birth in Asia | 175 | 4.5% |
| Germany | 155 | 4.0% |
Show 31 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Oceania and other places of birth | 95 | 2.5% |
| South Africa, Republic of | 85 | 2.2% |
| Netherlands | 80 | 2.1% |
| Philippines | 75 | 1.9% |
| Taiwan | 70 | 1.8% |
| India | 70 | 1.8% |
| Hong Kong | 65 | 1.7% |
| France | 60 | 1.6% |
| Other places of birth in Africa | 60 | 1.6% |
| Other places of birth in Americas | 55 | 1.4% |
| Russian Federation | 55 | 1.4% |
| Poland | 50 | 1.3% |
| Hungary | 40 | 1.0% |
| Iran | 35 | 0.9% |
| Korea, South | 30 | 0.8% |
| Viet Nam | 30 | 0.8% |
| Mexico | 25 | 0.6% |
| Guyana | 20 | 0.5% |
| Italy | 20 | 0.5% |
| Ukraine | 20 | 0.5% |
| Ethiopia | 20 | 0.5% |
| Jamaica | 15 | 0.4% |
| Peru | 15 | 0.4% |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 15 | 0.4% |
| Greece | 15 | 0.4% |
| Pakistan | 15 | 0.4% |
| Brazil | 10 | 0.3% |
| Croatia | 10 | 0.3% |
| Portugal | 10 | 0.3% |
| Turkey | 10 | 0.3% |
| Sri Lanka | 10 | 0.3% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source12
Citizenship
Total - Citizenship for the population in private households - 25% sample data · 2021 Census
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total - Citizenship for the population in private households - 25% sample data | 17,640 | 100.0% |
| Canadian citizens | 16,550 | 93.8% |
| Canadian citizens aged 18 and over | 13,775 | 78.1% |
| Canadian citizens aged under 18 | 2,770 | 15.7% |
| Not Canadian citizens | 1,090 | 6.2% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source12
Language spoken at home
Total - Language spoken most often at home for the total population excluding institutional residents - 100% data · 2021 Census
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total - Language spoken most often at home for the total population excluding institutional residents - 100% data | 17,990 | 100.0% |
| Single responses | 17,765 | 98.7% |
| Official languages | 17,045 | 94.7% |
| English | 16,960 | 94.3% |
| Non-Indigenous languages | 730 | 4.1% |
| Non-official languages | 725 | 4.0% |
| Sino-Tibetan languages | 320 | 1.8% |
| Chinese languages | 315 | 1.8% |
| Indo-European languages | 260 | 1.4% |
| Mandarin | 255 | 1.4% |
| Multiple responses | 225 | 1.3% |
Show 56 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| English and non-official language(s) | 185 | 1.0% |
| French | 85 | 0.5% |
| Balto-Slavic languages | 65 | 0.4% |
| Slavic languages | 65 | 0.4% |
| Germanic languages | 65 | 0.4% |
| Yue (Cantonese) | 55 | 0.3% |
| Indo-Iranian languages | 55 | 0.3% |
| High German languages | 50 | 0.3% |
| Italic (Romance) languages | 50 | 0.3% |
| German | 45 | 0.3% |
| Afro-Asiatic languages | 40 | 0.2% |
| Semitic languages | 40 | 0.2% |
| Austronesian languages | 40 | 0.2% |
| Spanish | 35 | 0.2% |
| Arabic | 30 | 0.2% |
| Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) | 30 | 0.2% |
| Indo-Aryan languages | 30 | 0.2% |
| Iranian languages | 30 | 0.2% |
| Persian languages | 30 | 0.2% |
| Iranian Persian | 30 | 0.2% |
| English and French | 25 | 0.1% |
| Russian | 25 | 0.1% |
| Japanese | 20 | 0.1% |
| Korean | 20 | 0.1% |
| Greek | 15 | 0.1% |
| Uralic languages | 10 | 0.1% |
| English, French and non-official language(s) | 10 | 0.1% |
| Multiple non-official languages | 10 | 0.1% |
| Austro-Asiatic languages | 10 | 0.1% |
| Vietnamese | 10 | 0.1% |
| Albanian | 10 | 0.1% |
| Czech | 10 | 0.1% |
| Serbo-Croatian | 10 | 0.1% |
| Croatian | 10 | 0.1% |
| Low Saxon-Low Franconian languages | 10 | 0.1% |
| Dutch | 10 | 0.1% |
| Scandinavian languages | 10 | 0.1% |
| Punjabi (Panjabi) | 10 | 0.1% |
| Sign languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| American Sign Language | 5 | 0.0% |
| Min Nan (Chaochow, Teochow, Fukien, Taiwanese) | 5 | 0.0% |
| Tibeto-Burman languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Burmese | 5 | 0.0% |
| Finnish | 5 | 0.0% |
| Hebrew | 5 | 0.0% |
| Ilocano | 5 | 0.0% |
| Dravidian languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Bulgarian | 5 | 0.0% |
| Polish | 5 | 0.0% |
| Slovak | 5 | 0.0% |
| Ukrainian | 5 | 0.0% |
| Afrikaans | 5 | 0.0% |
| Icelandic | 5 | 0.0% |
| Urdu | 5 | 0.0% |
| Italian | 5 | 0.0% |
| Portuguese | 5 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source12
Additional context
Alternatives for people set on Oak Bay
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Aurora as an Oak Bay alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 3363 km, better on 1 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Foreign residents: 36.8% Aurora vs 21.9% Oak Bay+68%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 4,296 Aurora vs 2,502 Oak Bayno percentage
- Median gross pay, city: €4,357 Aurora vs €4,630 Oak Bay−6%
- Median gross pay, region: €3,094 Aurora vs €3,137 Oak Baysame level
Cities near Oak Bay
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Salary
- 3,922 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 3,840 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 3,731 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 3,442 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 3,731 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 4,112 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
Alternative cities in Canada
Other cities in Canada to compare with Oak Bay, nearest in population first.
How does Oak Bay compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Oak Bay's.
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 guideCommon 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.
How safe is Oak Bay?
Police recorded about 2,502 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia.
What is the typical salary in Oak Bay?
The median gross salary is about 4,630 EUR/month (2020). The regional series (home-region basis, 2020) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: Statistics Canada.
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 3,137 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.
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.
Which cities are near Oak Bay?
View Royal, Central Saanich, Colwood, Langford, Metchosin are near Oak Bay. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people born in Europe live in Oak Bay?
The official country of birth distribution records 2,035 people (52.8%) 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, October 16). Oak Bay, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version c12f77c8a5f0b62fd69b85404d6aa33e]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/oak-bay/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_oak-bay-canada-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_bdda7f265d7e,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Oak Bay, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {c12f77c8a5f0b62fd69b85404d6aa33e},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/oak-bay/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Oak Bay, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/oak-bay/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version c12f77c8a5f0b62fd69b85404d6aa33e; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.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
- Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca · checked 2026-10-08
- Bell Fibe 500 home internet bell.ca · checked 2026-09-15
- CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 2023 CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey · assets.cmhc-schl.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-18
- data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-26
- Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-24
- OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- Public Mobile 50GB plan publicmobile.ca · checked 2026-09-15
- Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
- Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Show 18 more sources
- Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
- Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Canada api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-13
- Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
- Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
- Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
- www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q115788 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
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.