The majority of people that purchase a house in British Columbia do not consider the cost of municipal property taxes when making their home buying decision. People chose to move and locate to a new city for a variety of reasons including economic, social, lifestyle and personal factors, but property taxes usually do not factor into the decision making process.
Most people assume that property taxes across all BC towns, municipalities and cities are tied to the value of a home so if they buy a less expensive home in a smaller town, they will pay lower property taxes. That assumption is incorrect.
The amount of property tax that you will pay on a higher priced home in one BC city can actually be less than a substantially lower priced home in a smaller town in BC.
In British Columbia, each city, jurisdiction or local tax authority is responsible for determining a tax rate that is applied to the assessed value of a home to fund Municipal expense requirements. These normally include local city and town services such as water, sewer, garbage collection, policing and fire protection as well as parks and infrastructure maintenance.
The amount of property taxes paid by homeowners in BC is directly related to the Municipal funding needs where the property is located. As a result in 2010, a homeowner with an average $401,138 home in Gibsons, BC paid approximately the same amount of property tax ($3,245) as a homeowner in Prince Rupert ($3,224) with an average $161,195 home.
So which British Columbia residents paid the highest property taxes in 2010?
A look at the total property taxes including utility costs and charges for the “average residential single-family home” in British Columbia reveals that in 2010 the highest home property tax payments were to be found in West Vancouver.
According to BC municipal stats, the top ten property tax payments for an average residential home in British Columbia were paid by residents in the following communities in 2010; West Vancouver, Whistler, Oak Bay, Lions Bay, North Vancouver, Vancouver, Bowen Island, White Rock, Anmore, and Port Moody.
British Columbia – Average Residential Home Property Tax in 2010:
| 1 | West Vancouver | $1,443,075 | $7,111 |
| 2 | Whistler | $1,335,000 | $6,767 |
| 3 | Oak Bay | $835,545 | $5,598 |
| 4 | Lions Bay | $1,092,778 | $5,597 |
| 5 | North Vancouver (Dist) | $829,762 | $4,975 |
| 6 | Vancouver (City) | $958,444 | $4,890 |
| 7 | Bowen Island | $778,110 | $4,867 |
| 8 | White Rock | $700,939 | $4,775 |
| 9 | Anmore | $996,265 | $4,658 |
| 10 | Port Moody | $647,527 | $4,602 |
| 11 | New Westminster | $555,939 | $4,486 |
| 12 | Burnaby | $700,739 | $4,255 |
| 13 | Coquitlam | $578,133 | $4,255 |
| 14 | Richmond | $684,769 | $4,209 |
| 15 | North Vancouver (City) | $739,726 | $4,144 |
| 16 | Victoria | $546,131 | $4,109 |
| 17 | Delta | $517,535 | $3,921 |
| 18 | Lake Country | $500,235 | $3,824 |
| 19 | Belcarra | $853,693 | $3,806 |
| 20 | North Saanich | $770,680 | $3,766 |
| 21 | Abbotsford | $377,482 | $3,743 |
| 22 | Rossland | $259,723 | $3,735 |
| 23 | Mission | $380,693 | $3,729 |
| 24 | Port Coquitlam | $465,984 | $3,724 |
| 25 | Central Saanich | $553,279 | $3,712 |
| 26 | West Kelowna | $475,756 | $3,682 |
| 27 | Nelson | $331,295 | $3,662 |
| 28 | Maple Ridge | $433,135 | $3,631 |
| 29 | Invermere | $405,556 | $3,606 |
| 30 | Saanich | $589,641 | $3,601 |
| 31 | Langley (Dist) | $466,658 | $3,592 |
| 32 | Sidney | $484,648 | $3,573 |
| 33 | Surrey | $531,813 | $3,572 |
| 34 | Esquimalt | $476,549 | $3,562 |
| 35 | Tofino | $684,134 | $3,534 |
| 36 | Langley (City) | $421,802 | $3,522 |
| 37 | Fernie | $374,982 | $3,512 |
| 38 | Vernon | $380,408 | $3,511 |
| 39 | Pitt Meadows | $417,356 | $3,503 |
| 40 | Kelowna | $454,442 | $3,500 |
| 41 | Kamloops | $327,769 | $3,481 |
| 42 | Summerland | $408,528 | $3,469 |
| 43 | Pemberton | $454,507 | $3,468 |
| 44 | Qualicum Beach | $422,438 | $3,446 |
| 45 | Sechelt | $412,218 | $3,372 |
| 46 | Squamish | $459,280 | $3,361 |
| 47 | Peachland | $436,348 | $3,336 |
| 48 | Highlands | $641,357 | $3,330 |
| 49 | Nanaimo | $319,994 | $3,249 |
| 50 | Gibsons | $401,138 | $3,245 |
| 51 | Prince Rupert | $162,195 | $3,224 |
| 52 | Parksville | $305,073 | $3,184 |
| 53 | Sooke | $370,719 | $3,165 |
| 54 | Lantville | $434,212 | $3,158 |
| 55 | Kimberley | $261,564 | $3,143 |
| 56 | Comox | $336,015 | $3,141 |
| 57 | Sicamous | $308,427 | $3,137 |
| 58 | Salmon Arms | $291,249 | $3,118 |
| 59 | Pentiction | $363,160 | $3,102 |
| 60 | Fort St. John | $259,023 | $3,056 |
| 61 | Cranbrook | $260,866 | $3,049 |
| 62 | Prince George | $200,288 | $3,037 |
| 63 | Harrison Hot Springs | $326,797 | $3,032 |
| 64 | Fruitvale | $210,054 | $3,024 |
| 65 | Dawson Creek | $199,115 | $3,004 |
| 66 | Coldstream | $467,941 | $2,999 |
| 67 | Montrose | $229,115 | $2,978 |
| 68 | Courtenay | $286,685 | $2,956 |
| 69 | View Royal | $532,732 | $2,953 |
| 70 | Chilliwack | $319,726 | $2,951 |
| 71 | Campbell River | $267,675 | $2,941 |
| 72 | Merritt | $209,273 | $2,928 |
| 73 | Colwood | $479,563 | $2,925 |
| 74 | Telkwa | $178,316 | $2,892 |
| 75 | Nakuap | $221,390 | $2,852 |
| 76 | Lake Coqichan | $252,320 | $2,826 |
| 77 | Ucuelet | $298,036 | $2,814 |
| 78 | Cumberland | $252,726 | $2,797 |
| 79 | Warfield | $209,504 | $2,791 |
| 80 | Ladysmith | $293,645 | $2,767 |
| 81 | Duncan | $289,981 | $2,758 |
| 82 | Metchosin | $571,027 | $2,741 |
| 83 | Enderby | $256,596 | $2,728 |
| 84 | Creston | $207,784 | $2,710 |
| 85 | Osoyoos | $376,842 | $2,652 |
| 86 | Smithers | $209,265 | $2,646 |
| 87 | Alert Bay | $162,343 | $2,641 |
| 88 | Hope | $221,068 | $2,637 |
| 89 | Powell River | $236,917 | $2,635 |
| 90 | Revelstoke | $325,974 | $2,629 |
| 91 | Williams Lake | $185,655 | $2,616 |
| 92 | Kaslo | $208,991 | $2,600 |
| 93 | Vanderhoof | $168,062 | $2,575 |
| 94 | Trail | $185,459 | $2,552 |
| 95 | Port Alberni | $192,607 | $2,541 |
| 96 | North Cowichan | $326,149 | $2,538 |
| 97 | Lillooet | $168,861 | $2,535 |
| 98 | Oliver | $289,771 | $2,529 |
| 99 | Golden | $255,566 | $2,504 |
| 100 | Lumby | $251,951 | $2,500 |
| 101 | Ashcroft | $184,532 | $2,498 |
| 102 | Grand Forks | $202,044 | $2,486 |
| 103 | Terrace | $184,140 | $2,452 |
| 104 | Castlegar | $245,436 | $2,424 |
| 105 | Burns LAke | $112,323 | $2,363 |
| 106 | Armstrong | $309,729 | $2,355 |
| 107 | Port Hardy | $151,034 | $2,326 |
| 108 | 100 Mile House | $180,840 | $2,284 |
| 109 | Langford | $437,385 | $2,281 |
| 110 | Chase | $214,165 | $2,275 |
| 111 | Port McNeil | $184,977 | $2,219 |
| 112 | Valemount | $156,894 | $2,218 |
| 113 | Sechelt Indian Governemnt | $254,552 | $2,217 |
| 114 | Chetwynd | $146,325 | $2,212 |
| 115 | Keremeos | $229,585 | $2,196 |
| 116 | Houston | $114,109 | $2,187 |
| 117 | Northern Rockies | $193,773 | $2,174 |
| 118 | Hudson’s Hope | $132,089 | $2,171 |
| 119 | Quesnel | $157,397 | $2,164 |
| 120 | Clearwater | $196,580 | $2,153 |
| 121 | Fraser Lake | $121,286 | $2,150 |
| 122 | Gold River | $140,434 | $2,145 |
| 123 | Hazelton | $99,096 | $2,139 |
| 124 | Canal Flats | $204,007 | $2,105 |
| 125 | Queen Charlotte | $135,818 | $2,105 |
| 126 | Taylor | $208,060 | $2,080 |
| 127 | McBride | $105,929 | $2,045 |
| 128 | Salmo | $166,968 | $2,038 |
| 129 | Sayward | $154,419 | $2,026 |
| 130 | Silverton | $244,447 | $2,015 |
| 131 | Radium Hot Springs | $252,350 | $2,000 |
| 132 | Sparwood | $209,353 | $1,994 |
| 133 | Elkford | $211,632 | $1,992 |
| 134 | Tumbler Ridge | $161,856 | $1,958 |
| 135 | Kitimat | $156,508 | $1,940 |
| 136 | Kent | $290,895 | $1,903 |
| 137 | Tahsis | $95,901 | $1,891 |
| 138 | Pouce Coupe | $141,951 | $1,882 |
| 139 | Logan Lake | $193,496 | $1,882 |
| 140 | Midway | $180,859 | $1,854 |
| 141 | New Hazelton | $75,926 | $1,802 |
| 142 | Greenwood | $127,335 | $1,785 |
| 143 | Masset | $83,684 | $1,778 |
| 144 | Fort St. James | $104,076 | $1,739 |
| 145 | New Denver | $196,252 | $1,704 |
| 146 | Clinton | $107,722 | $1,704 |
| 147 | Spallumcheen | $268,506 | $1,680 |
| 148 | Lytton | $109,750 | $1,612 |
| 149 | Port Alice | $130,000 | $1,596 |
| 150 | Granisle | $52,895 | $1,579 |
| 151 | Cache Creek | $145,679 | $1,575 |
| 152 | Port Clements | $86,912 | $1,555 |
| 153 | Princeton | $162,887 | $1,530 |
| 154 | Zeballos | $80,098 | $1,509 |
| 155 | Barriere | $190,915 | $1,504 |
| 156 | Stewart | $63,781 | $1,433 |
| 157 | Mackenzie | $77,172 | $1,429 |
| 158 | Wells | $59,622 | $1,378 |
| 159 | Port Edward | $100,198 | $1,285 |
| 160 | Slocan | $148,341 | $1,080 |
Within a given BC city, property taxes are relative, one house valued at twice as much as another house will have twice as much property taxes.
However, because property tax rates vary widely across separate British Columbia cities, municipalities, and communities a homeowner in Kent, BC with an average $$290,895 home paid approximately the same amount of total property tax ($1,903) as a homeowner in Tahsis, BC ($1,891) with an average $95,901 home in 2010.
BC municipal stats revealed that homeowners with the lowest property tax payments for an average residential home in British Columbia resided in Cache Creek, Port Clements, Princeton, Zeballos, Barriere, Stewart, Mackenzie, Wells, Port Edward and Slocan which had the distinction of having the lowest average home property tax payments in 2010.
| References: |
| 1. http://www.cscd.gov.bc.ca/lgd/index.htm |
