Oak Bay Profile

Explore population, households, income, employment, education, commute, occupation, industry, languages, and dwellings for Oak Bay. Compare trends since 2016 and dig into the full profile below.

National Rank:248 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Oak Bay Population

Total Population (2021)

17,990

Total Population (2016)

18,094

Population Growth

-0.6% (-104)

Growth Rank

#599 of 688Same geo level

Male

46.2%8,320

Female

53.8%9,670

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.860

Average Age

49.7

Median Age

54.4

Age Rank

#643 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

450(2.5%)

5–9

840(4.7%)

10–14

1,015(5.6%)

15–19

1,055(5.9%)

20–24

930(5.2%)

25–29

580(3.2%)

30–34

570(3.2%)

35–39

660(3.7%)

40–44

830(4.6%)

45–49

1,035(5.8%)

50–54

1,175(6.5%)

55–59

1,295(7.2%)

60–64

1,405(7.8%)

65–69

1,565(8.7%)

70–74

1,700(9.4%)

75–79

1,205(6.7%)

80–84

820(4.6%)

85+

855(4.8%)

Oak Bay Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.3

Total Private Dwellings

8,168

Occupied Private Dwellings

7,807

Size Distribution

1 Person

2,430 (31.1%)

2 Persons

2,990 (38.3%)

3 Persons

935 (12.0%)

4 Persons

1,010 (12.9%)

5+ Persons

445 (5.7%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

1,785(22.9%)

Couples without children

2,525(32.4%)

One-parent families

460(5.9%)

One-person households

2,435(31.2%)

Multigenerational

110(1.4%)

Multiple-family

50(0.6%)

Oak Bay Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$120,800After tax

Median Household Income

$93,000After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$63,100After tax

Median Individual Income

$46,400After tax

Income Rank

#105 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

89.4%

Employment Income

52.9%

Government Transfers

10.6%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

1,215(8.2%)

$10k–$20k

1,435(9.6%)

$20k–$30k

1,875(12.6%)

$30k–$40k

1,340(9.0%)

$40k–$50k

1,250(8.4%)

$50k–$60k

1,160(7.8%)

$60k–$70k

970(6.5%)

$70k–$80k

890(6.0%)

$80k–$90k

720(4.8%)

$90k–$100k

595(4.0%)

$100k+

3,440(23.1%)

Oak Bay Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

49.5%

Unemployment Rate

7.0%

Total Labour Force

8,170

Employed

7,595

Unemployed

575

Not in Labour Force

7,175

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

8.0%

Children (0–17)

8.5%

Adults (18–64)

7.7%

Seniors (65+)

8.0%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.4160 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.354

Oak Bay Education

Highest certificate, diploma or degree for the population aged 15 and over, Census 2021. The highest-credential groups are mutually exclusive. Bachelor's degree, master's degree, and medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine sit inside “bachelor's degree or higher” and are not extra slices of the population. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Highest credential

Population aged 15 and over

15,345

No certificate, diploma or degree

1,115 (7.3%)

High school diploma or equivalency

3,020 (19.7%)

Postsecondary credential

11,210 (73.1%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

4,175 (27.2%)51.3% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

2,225 (14.5%)27.3% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

480 (3.1%)5.9% of bachelor's or higher

Those credentials are published parts of bachelor's degree or higher. They do not add up to that count. Earned doctorates and other university credentials above the bachelor level stay inside the published total and are not separate columns in this extract.

Share of the population aged 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree

1,115(7.3%)

High school diploma or equivalency

3,020(19.7%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

585(3.8%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

1,995(13.0%)

University certificate below bachelor

480(3.1%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

8,145(53.1%)

Oak Bay Commute

Place of work for the employed labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Worked at home is the census count of people who worked at home, shown as a share of that employed labour force. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Worked at home

37.6%

2,855 people

Share of 7,595 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

2,855(37.6%)

Usual place of work

4,030(53.1%)

No fixed workplace address

670(8.8%)

Worked outside Canada

35(0.5%)

Oak Bay Occupation

Broad category for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021, using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Legislative and senior management is broad category 0, not every job with “manager” in the title. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

8,170

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

360(4.4%)

Business, finance and administration

1,620(19.8%)

Natural and applied sciences

765(9.4%)

Health

975(11.9%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

1,405(17.2%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

415(5.1%)

Sales and service

1,640(20.1%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

705(8.6%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

135(1.7%)

Manufacturing and utilities

45(0.6%)

Oak Bay Industry

Industry sector for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

8,170

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

65(0.8%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

20(0.2%)

Utilities

10(0.1%)

Construction

445(5.4%)

Manufacturing

175(2.1%)

Wholesale trade

105(1.3%)

Retail trade

720(8.8%)

Transportation and warehousing

125(1.5%)

Information and cultural industries

185(2.3%)

Finance and insurance

335(4.1%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

335(4.1%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

1,085(13.3%)

Management of companies and enterprises

25(0.3%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

265(3.2%)

Educational services

900(11.0%)

Health care and social assistance

1,350(16.5%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

265(3.2%)

Accommodation and food services

445(5.4%)

Other services (except public administration)

255(3.1%)

Public administration

955(11.7%)

Oak Bay Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

15,115 (84.0%)

English & French

2,780 (15.5%)

Neither

95 (0.5%)

Mother Tongue

English

15,435 (85.8%)

French

255 (1.4%)

Non-official languages

1,935 (10.8%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

15,435(85.8%)

Mandarin

345(1.9%)

French

255(1.4%)

Cantonese

135(0.8%)

Spanish

115(0.6%)

Tagalog

75(0.4%)

Punjabi

65(0.4%)

Persian

60(0.3%)

Italian

55(0.3%)

Russian

55(0.3%)

Oak Bay Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

4,915(63.0%)

Semi-detached

100(1.3%)

Row house

110(1.4%)

Duplex

525(6.7%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

1,735(22.2%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

410(5.3%)

Other attached

5(0.1%)

Community snapshot

About Oak Bay

Oak Bay is a district municipality on the east shore of Greater Victoria, British Columbia, between Victoria and the Haro Strait islands. Leafy residential streets, waterfront parks, and a village commercial centre define an older capital-region municipality—not a downtown core city. About 18,000 people live in Oak Bay.

Known for

District municipality east of Victoria, not the City of Victoria
Waterfront parks on Haro Strait and Oak Bay
Leafy residential streets and village commercial centre
Uplands and Willows Beach neighbourhood character
Capital-region seaside community

See & do

Willows Beach
Popular sandy beach and park on Oak Bay.
Cattle Point / Uplands Park
Shoreline rock outcrops and Garry oak meadows.
Oak Bay Village
Shops, cafés, and the district’s commercial heart.
Gyro Park
Waterfront green space and community gatherings.
Haro Strait lookouts
Views toward the San Juan and Gulf Islands.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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Data sources → Census profiles, housing tables, and consumer prices