{
  "id": "rent-vs-single-income",
  "parent": "asking-rent-2-bedroom",
  "category": "Cost of living",
  "title": "A year of asking rent for a one-bedroom, as a share of a single person’s income, Greater Victoria",
  "geography": "Victoria census metropolitan area (Greater Victoria)",
  "scope": "region",
  "levels": [
    "Market (private landlords)",
    "Provincial rules on rent increases"
  ],
  "plain_question": "If a person living alone with a typical income rented a one-bedroom apartment at today’s asking rent, how much of their income would go to rent?",
  "value": 53.4,
  "display_value": "53.4%",
  "unit": "of the median single income, 2023",
  "period": "Calendar year 2023",
  "period_start": "2023-01-01",
  "period_end": "2023-12-31",
  "comparison": {
    "previous_period": "Calendar year 2022",
    "previous_value": 55.3,
    "change_percent": -1.9,
    "change_unit": "percentage points"
  },
  "trend": "roughly_flat",
  "direction_good": "down",
  "right_direction": "A lower share means a one-bedroom at asking rent takes less of a typical single person’s income.",
  "trend_basis": "In 2023: asking rent averaged $2,070 a month (four quarters), or $24,840 a year, against a median income of $46,490 = 53.4%. In 2022: $1,990 a month and $43,150 = 55.3%.",
  "since_text": "Latest asking rent, Q2 2026: $2,040 a month. Incomes for later years are not published yet.",
  "caveats": [
    "Calculated here, for the same calendar year: the four quarterly average asking rents for a one-bedroom apartment are averaged and multiplied by 12, then divided by the median total income, before tax, of people not living in a census family (mostly people living alone or with roommates) who had income.",
    "Asking rents are what new tenants are asked to pay for places listed for rent (Statistics Canada experimental estimates). Sitting tenants usually pay less, because rent increases during a tenancy are capped by the Province.",
    "Income is before tax and includes government transfers. Half of single people had less income than this, half more.",
    "Statistics Canada’s housing affordability standard is shelter costs under 30% of before-tax income; that line is drawn for reference. Rent alone, without utilities, is used here.",
    "Asking rents start in 2019, so the series starts in 2019. The latest rent quarter (Q2 2026) is newer than the latest income year (2023); they are not combined."
  ],
  "charts": [
    {
      "title": "A year of one-bedroom asking rent as a share of the median single income (%)",
      "fmt": "dec1",
      "unit": "%",
      "lines": [
        {
          "name": "Greater Victoria",
          "area": "cma",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2019",
              "value": 49.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2020",
              "value": 46.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2021",
              "value": 48.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2022",
              "value": 55.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2023",
              "value": 53.4
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "refs": [
        {
          "key": "cmhc30",
          "style": "standard",
          "label": "Affordability standard, not a government commitment: housing costs under 30% of before-tax income (CMHC)",
          "short": "Standard: 30% of income",
          "area": "Any household",
          "source": "Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Identifying core housing need (current page)",
          "url": "https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-research/core-housing-need/identifying-core-housing-need",
          "steps": [
            {
              "start": "2019-01-01",
              "end": null,
              "value": 30
            }
          ],
          "end": "Standard: 30%"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Average asking rent, one-bedroom apartment (each quarter)",
      "fmt": "money",
      "unit": "a month",
      "lines": [
        {
          "name": "Greater Victoria",
          "area": "cma",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "Q1 2019",
              "value": 1440.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q2 2019",
              "value": 1500.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q3 2019",
              "value": 1560.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q4 2019",
              "value": 1580.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q1 2020",
              "value": 1580.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q2 2020",
              "value": 1560.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q3 2020",
              "value": 1570.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q4 2020",
              "value": 1600.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q1 2021",
              "value": 1610.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q2 2021",
              "value": 1640.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q3 2021",
              "value": 1710.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q4 2021",
              "value": 1760.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q1 2022",
              "value": 1830.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q2 2022",
              "value": 2010.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q3 2022",
              "value": 2030.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q4 2022",
              "value": 2090.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q1 2023",
              "value": 2010.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q2 2023",
              "value": 2060.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q3 2023",
              "value": 2090.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q4 2023",
              "value": 2120.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q1 2024",
              "value": 2090.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q2 2024",
              "value": 2090.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q3 2024",
              "value": 2130.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q4 2024",
              "value": 2090.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q1 2025",
              "value": 2090.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q2 2025",
              "value": 2090.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q3 2025",
              "value": 2120.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q4 2025",
              "value": 2060.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q1 2026",
              "value": 2040.0
            },
            {
              "period": "Q2 2026",
              "value": 2040.0
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "calc": {
    "formula": "Share = (average of the four quarterly asking rents × 12) ÷ median total income of persons not in census families with income × 100, same calendar year.",
    "steps": [
      "2022: asking rent Q1 2022 $1,830, Q2 2022 $2,010, Q3 2022 $2,030, Q4 2022 $2,090; average $1,990.00 × 12 = $23,880; ÷ $43,150 = 55.3%.",
      "2023: asking rent Q1 2023 $2,010, Q2 2023 $2,060, Q3 2023 $2,090, Q4 2023 $2,120; average $2,070.00 × 12 = $24,840; ÷ $46,490 = 53.4%."
    ],
    "inputs": [
      {
        "name": "Average asking rent, apartment, 1 bedroom, Victoria CMA",
        "agency": "Statistics Canada",
        "url": "https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=4610009201",
        "dataset_url": "https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/064d9f22-74a2-4d1c-99da-8c5d7bca789c",
        "table": "46-10-0092-01",
        "period": "2019-01 to 2026-04",
        "data_published": "2026-09-09",
        "licence": {
          "name": "Open Government Licence - Canada",
          "url": "https://open.canada.ca/en/open-government-licence-canada"
        },
        "attribution": "Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 46-10-0092-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product."
      },
      {
        "name": "Median total income of persons not in census families with income, Victoria",
        "agency": "Statistics Canada",
        "url": "https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1110000901",
        "dataset_url": "https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/279a7e66-5cfb-410d-8727-ca1c3a00453b",
        "table": "11-10-0009-01",
        "period": "2019 to 2023",
        "data_published": "2025-07-18",
        "licence": {
          "name": "Open Government Licence - Canada",
          "url": "https://open.canada.ca/en/open-government-licence-canada"
        },
        "attribution": "Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 11-10-0009-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product."
      }
    ]
  },
  "series": [
    {
      "period": "2019",
      "value": 49.3
    },
    {
      "period": "2020",
      "value": 46.5
    },
    {
      "period": "2021",
      "value": 48.5
    },
    {
      "period": "2022",
      "value": 55.3
    },
    {
      "period": "2023",
      "value": 53.4
    }
  ],
  "refresh_frequency": "Annually, when Statistics Canada publishes the next income year (about 18 months after the year)",
  "source": {
    "name": "Calculated here from Statistics Canada data",
    "url": "https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=4610009201",
    "dataset_url": "https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/064d9f22-74a2-4d1c-99da-8c5d7bca789c"
  },
  "licence": {
    "name": "Open Government Licence - Canada",
    "url": "https://open.canada.ca/en/open-government-licence-canada"
  },
  "derived": true,
  "retrieved_at": "2026-11-13T05:22:16Z",
  "data_published": "2026-09-09",
  "attribution": "Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 46-10-0092-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product. Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 11-10-0009-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.",
  "licence_type": "open",
  "source_tier": 1,
  "measure_kind": "outcome",
  "better_measure": null,
  "status_rule": {
    "rule": "One rule for every measure: a change smaller than 5% of the earlier value, or smaller than the agency's own margin of error, is “About the same”; no change is calculated across a marked break in a series; homelessness estimates, prices, staffing and comparison pages are shown for context without a label.",
    "reason": "The change is 3.4% of the earlier value, below the 5% threshold.",
    "threshold_percent": 5.0
  },
  "changes": {
    "year": {
      "period": "Calendar year 2022",
      "value": 55.3,
      "text": "vs 2022: -1.9 points"
    },
    "five_year": {
      "period": "2019",
      "years": 4,
      "value": 49.3,
      "comparable": true,
      "text": "vs 2019: +4.1 pt"
    }
  },
  "direction": {
    "type": "outcome",
    "rule": "Outcome measures read Better, Worse or About the same; published government targets read Ahead of, On or Behind target; value-judgement measures read Rising, Falling or Steady in a neutral colour. A change smaller than the agency's own margin of error, or otherwise smaller than 5% of the earlier value, is About the same (or Steady). No change is calculated across a marked break in a series.",
    "key": "same",
    "label": "About the same this year. Worse over 4 years.",
    "arrow": "▼",
    "rel": -3.4358047016274837,
    "delta": -1.8999999999999986,
    "vs": "Calendar year 2022",
    "cur": "Calendar year 2023",
    "why": "The change is 3.4% of the earlier value, below the 5% threshold. Over 4 years (since 2019) the change is 8.3% of the earlier value, at or above the 5% threshold, so the label also says Worse over 4 years.",
    "change": "1.9 pt",
    "one_year": "−1.9 pt",
    "five": {
      "period": "2019",
      "comparable": true,
      "delta": 4.100000000000001,
      "rel": 8.31643002028398,
      "years": 4,
      "longest": true,
      "text": "+4.1 pt"
    },
    "label_one_year": "About the same",
    "long_key": "worse",
    "long_label": "Worse over 4 years"
  },
  "benchmark": {
    "rung": 3,
    "rung_name": "Professional standard or official estimate, not a government commitment",
    "as_of": "2026-11-12",
    "items": [
      {
        "kind": "standard",
        "label": "Professional standard, not a government commitment",
        "text": "Standard, not a government commitment: CMHC considers housing affordable when it costs less than 30% of before-tax household income. This page uses rent alone and the median single person’s income, so it is a rough reading against that standard.",
        "area": "Any household",
        "source": {
          "title": "Identifying core housing need",
          "publisher": "Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation",
          "date": "current page",
          "url": "https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-research/core-housing-need/identifying-core-housing-need",
          "terms": "https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/about-us/terms-conditions",
          "refresh": "When CMHC changes the definition",
          "licence": "Public document, not under an open licence. Quoted with attribution.",
          "checked": "2026-11-12",
          "key": "cmhc_chn"
        },
        "documents_checked": null
      }
    ],
    "drawn": [
      "Affordability standard, not a government commitment: housing costs under 30% of before-tax income (CMHC)"
    ],
    "rule": "Highest rung found is shown; the site never sets a target. Methods, Targets."
  },
  "benchmarks": [
    {
      "rung": 3,
      "kind": "standard",
      "label": "Affordability standard, not a government commitment: housing costs under 30% of before-tax income (CMHC)",
      "short": "Standard: 30%",
      "unit": "%",
      "set_by": null,
      "instrument": "standard",
      "document": "cmhc_chn",
      "page": null,
      "area": "Any household",
      "fit": "full",
      "same_area": false,
      "polarity": "lower_is_better",
      "chart": 0,
      "value": 30,
      "applies_from": "2019-01-01",
      "applies_to": null,
      "path": false,
      "document_url": "https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-research/core-housing-need/identifying-core-housing-need",
      "applies_here": true,
      "same_measure": true
    }
  ],
  "highest_rung": 3,
  "decided_by": [
    {
      "body": "NONE",
      "name": "No government decides this directly",
      "note": "Landlords set the rent for a new tenancy, and employers and workers decide pay."
    },
    {
      "body": "MUN",
      "name": "Municipal councils of Greater Victoria (13)",
      "decides": "Each council decides zoning and approves new housing in its own area.",
      "laws": [
        {
          "key": "lga479",
          "label": "Local Government Act, s. 479",
          "url": "https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/r15001_14#section479"
        }
      ],
      "last": null,
      "next": null
    },
    {
      "body": "BC",
      "name": "Province of B.C.",
      "decides": "Limits rent increases during a tenancy. The yearly limit is set by regulation.",
      "laws": [
        {
          "key": "rta43",
          "label": "Residential Tenancy Act, s. 43",
          "url": "https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/02078_01#section43"
        }
      ],
      "last": {
        "text": "2027 limit set at 2.2%, announced August 27, 2026",
        "label": "2027 limit set at 2.2%, announced August 27, 2026",
        "url": "https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026HMA0085-000982"
      },
      "next": null
    },
    {
      "body": "CAN",
      "name": "Government of Canada and Parliament",
      "decides": "Finances and insures housing loans through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.",
      "laws": [
        {
          "key": "nha3",
          "label": "National Housing Act, s. 3",
          "url": "https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/N-11/FullText.html"
        }
      ],
      "last": null,
      "next": null
    }
  ],
  "main_decision_maker": "No government decides this directly",
  "label_1y": {
    "key": "same",
    "label": "About the same"
  },
  "label_long": {
    "key": "worse",
    "label": "Worse",
    "years": 4,
    "change": "+4.1 pt"
  },
  "target_line": {
    "form": 2,
    "text": "Standard 30.0% · 23.4 pts over",
    "target": 30.0,
    "gap": "23.4 pts over",
    "comparison": null,
    "applies_here": true,
    "note": null
  }
}