A BC municipality has ranked highly, being named the fifth best place to live in Canada based on several categories.
MovingWaldo recently updated its list of the seven places in Canada with the highest quality of life for 2025, and Oak Bay on Vancouver Island ranked #5.
MovingWaldo’s three main areas of focus in compiling the ranking were quality of life, safety, and affordability.
“Recognizing that the term ‘best’ can be subjective, we have developed a systematic approach to evaluate each location on these parameters,” MovingWaldo states.
Other factors include “job opportunities, the quality of education and healthcare, the sense of safety, public transportation availability, environmental cleanliness, and the presence of recreational facilities and parks.”
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Last year, Oak Bay ranked #2 on MovingWaldo’s list, but it has dropped a few spots since. MovingWaldo says OakBay has a population of 17,990 and a Crime Severity Index (CSI) of 29.64 (lower is better). The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Oak Bay is $2,244, and the average cost of buying property is $872,600.
To put some of those numbers into perspective, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver is $2,512. Meanwhile, the average cost of buying property in Vancouver was $1,275,672 in December 2024.
“Oak Bay is a unique municipality located in British Columbia, filled with local beaches and parks. This region is known for its stunning views overlooking the Oak Bay Islands Ecological Reserve, where residents can enjoy whale watching,” MovingWaldo says.
MovingWaldo adds that Oak Bay is renowned for its Edwardian architecture, “which can be found throughout the municipality.”
“Locals love relaxing at Willow Beach, hiking at Cattle Point or playing golf at the Victoria Golf Club. It offers a serene natural beauty setting with a bike score of 67. Home to many schools, a few being Oak Bay High School and St. Patrick’s Elementary School.”
Calgary topped the list as the city MovingWaldo deemed having the best quality of life.