Village · Victoria, Victoria

James Bay

Waterfront walks and heritage houses beside the Legislature and Beacon Hill Park

Renters
Seniors
Car-free living

James Bay in context. Neighbouring areas link to their guides. Boundaries: Statistics Canada (approximate areas).

At a glance

James Bay is a walkable, older residential neighbourhood south of the Inner Harbour, with heritage houses, apartments, Beacon Hill Park and Dallas Road waterfront trails. About 7% of homes are detached and 78% are apartments, 67% of households rent, and owners valued the median home at about $746K in the 2021 census.

Median home value (est.): $827K^*
Residents: 13,860
Households renting: 67%
Homes that are apartments: 78%

What the numbers mean

Owners valued the median home at $746K in the 2021 census. Indexed to September 2026 prices with the Victoria MLS® Home Price Index (+11% since then), that is about $827K, 16% below the Victoria median of $987K. It is an estimate: the index tracks the whole region, not this neighbourhood.
67% of households rent, well above the 39% city-wide, so expect a younger, more mobile mix of neighbours.
Only 7% of residents are under 15, versus 13% city-wide.
36% are 65 or older, versus 23% city-wide, a sign of long-time residents and a settled pace.
78% of homes are apartments (36% city-wide), so a condo is the usual way in.

Who lives here

Share of residents by age, scaled estimate for mid-2025, up from 12,771 at the 2021 census.

0-147%

15-192%

20-245%

25-3415%

35-4411%

45-5410%

55-6414%

65+36%

Homes

Share of homes by type, scaled estimate for mid-2025, up from 12,771 at the 2021 census.

Single-detached7%

Semi-detached3%

Row house8%

Duplex flat3%

Apartment under 5 storeys45%

Apartment 5+ storeys33%

Upfront closing costs¹

BC charges a tiered property transfer tax: 1% on the first $200,000, 2% to $2 million, then 3%, and 5% above $3 million. Government fees at the median home price: This uses the census home value indexed to September 2026 prices, so treat it as an estimate.

BC property transfer tax: $14,540

How it's changing

These municipalities don't publish building permits by neighbourhood, so we can't chart construction here yet.

Safety

Neighbourhood-level crime figures aren't available for Victoria. Policing there is by the RCMP or a municipal police department, and neither publishes open crime counts by neighbourhood. Check Statistics Canada's crime tables for municipality-wide trends, and the local police website for crime maps. Why this is missing.