ICBC's auto insurance policy data shows vehicle ownership on Vancouver Island continues to outpace population growth, with 9% more active policies by the end of 2023 compared to 2019. Over the same period, the Island's population grew by less than 7%. Citified.ca
| Municipality | Vehicle policies, 2019 and 2023 and % change, sorted by % change* | Population est. % change, 2019-2023, and relative growth position** | Vehicle policies, 2022-2023 and % change* |
| #1. Langford | 31,283 to 37,289, or 19.2% | 26.56% (#1) | 36,306 to 37,289, or 2.71% |
| #2. Highlands | 2,692 to 3,097, or 15.04% | 15.38% (#2) | 2,992 to 3,097, or 3.51% |
| #3. Sooke | 11,689 to 13,374, or 14.42% | 13.49% (#3) | 13,241 to 13,374, or 1% |
| #4. Colwood | 14,102 to 15,979, or 13.3% | 13.4% (#4) | 15,604 to 15,979, or 2.4% |
| #5. North Saan. | 11,069 to 12,045, or 8.82% | 9.87% (#5) | 11,866 to 12,045, or 1.51% |
| #6. Sidney | 9,364 to 10,109, or 7.96% | 6.21% (#7) | 10,045 to 10,109, or 0.64% |
| #7. Central Saan. | 18,460 to 19,774, or 7.12% | 2.82% (#11) | 19,599 to 19,774, or 0.89% |
| #8. View Royal | 9,113 to 9,725, or 6.27% | 8.37% (#6) | 9,620 to 9,725, or 1.09% |
| #9. Metchosin | 4,831 to 5,066, or 4.86% | 1.3% (#13) | 5,011 to 5,066, or 1.1% |
| #10. Victoria (city) | 54,135 to 56,385, or 4.16% | 4.9% (#8) | 56,030 to 56,385, or 0.63% |
| #11. Esquimalt | 11,710 to 12,082, or 3.18% | 1.81% (#12) | 12,102 to 12,082, or (0.17%) |
| #12. Saanich | 82,981 to 85,191, or 2.66% | 2.86% (#9) | 84,628 to 85,191, or 0.67% |
| #13. Oak Bay | 12,101 to 12,362, or 2.16% | 2.84% (#10) | 12,288 to 12,362, or 0.6% |
| *ICBC data | **Provincial population estimate |
Below are unincorporated areas of Greater Victoria, all in the Sooke Region and beyond save for Willis Point (situated between Highlands and Saanich):
| Unincorporated area | Vehicle policies, 2019 and 2023 and % change, sorted by % change* | Population est. % change, 2019-2023, and relative growth position** | Vehicle policies, 2022-2023 and % change* |
| #1. Jordan River | 121 to 155, or 28.1% | - | 133 to 155, or 16.54% |
| #2. Shirley | 427 to 517, or 21.1% | - | 516 to 517, or 0.2% |
| #3. Port Renfrew | 234 to 258, or 10.26% | - | 262 to 258, or (1.53%) |
| #4. East Sooke | 1,836 to 2,007, or 9.31% | - | 1,985 to 2,007, or 1.11% |
| #5. Willis Point | 365 to 366, or 0.3% | - | 371 to 366, or (1.35%) |
| *ICBC data | *ICBC data |
As car dependency and the desire to choose traval via car remains the status quo in Victoria in lieu of walking, cycling or public transit, the Capital Regional District has announced it will seek voter support via Alternative Approval Process in the first quarter of 2025, to establish a Regional Transportation Service for Greater Victoria. The RTS, the CRD states, will align with alternative transportation goals set out in the CRD's Regional Growth Strategy. The CRD's data shows that alternative forms of transportation have plateaued in terms of mode share in the Capital.
"Although the region has historically had high transit and active transportation usage compared to other Canadian cities, these rates have stagnated," the CRD's RTS portal cites. The CRD's goal, via the RTS, is to help promote a higher uptake of regional alternative transportation options through lobbying on behalf of south Island municipalities for provincial and federal alternative transportation project funding.
In June of 2018, Citified reported on CRD data compiled in 2017 that showed households were still growing their stock of vehicles relative to household occupants.
Based on a 2017 Household Travel Survey, the CRD's data showed the volume of vehicles compared to residents on the south Island rose from 68.9 vehicles for every 100 residents in 2011 to 70.3 in 2017, an increase of 22,500 units (or 9.7%). Over the same period, population growth was 7.49%.
The survey’s findings revealed just over half (50.1%) of local households had at least one vehicle for every resident, a jump from 47.4% six years prior in 2011.
Of the 50.1% of households with one or more vehicles per occupant in 2017, 6.7% (approximately 11,000 households) had more vehicles than residents, while the remaining households had exactly one vehicle per resident. In 2011, 6% of households had at least one vehicle per resident and 41.4% had exactly one vehicle per resident. Meanwhile, the size of households remained unchanged between the two periods, with an average of 2.2 persons per dwelling. Approximately one-in-ten households had no vehicle in 2011 and in 2017.
The CRD is expected to update its data resources over the medium term. C
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