Victoria : Canada

What Victoria is like for active adults

Victoria is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Canada, and for good reason. It has a stunning downtown on the harbor with resplendent government buildings like the one shown above. Cruise ships arrive in town and when they do the streets and shops hum with activity. The city has 78,000 residents but the metro is over 300,000. The surrounding coast has many lovely communities.

Retirees love the mild climate of Vancouver Island and so do plants of every kind. it is said to be one of the best gardening areas in the world. There is a tremendous amount to do. People in retirement can either live in the city or in many of the surrounding charming towns that dot the coast. There are single family homes, condos, and town homes. Real estate is expensive with the median sales price in 2008 at about $500,000 (Canadian). Condos are less expensive at a median price of about $275,000. Prices are soft in 2008 and inventories very high.

Edit | History

What is special about this retirement community

Fascinating, world class shopping. Butchart Gardens - one of the most visited gardens in the world. Fantastic mild climate.

Edit | History

What is not special about this retirement community

Living in a tourist town. It is also expensive

Edit | History

What kinds of people like retiring here

People who like the outdoors and especially gardeners. It has a disproportionate share of retirees, who come for the mild climate, year round golf, and interesting lifestyle.

Edit | History

Local economy is driven by

Tourism, real estate, government

Edit | History

Climate and Physical Environment

Victoria BC is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Port Angeles in Washington State is just across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Victoria is in a rain shadow - it receives far less rain than other parts of Vancouver Island. It has the driest summers of any major city in Canada.

Edit | History

Cultural environment

Victoria Symphony. A number of important theatres including the Bastion and the Belfry, along with those at the University of Victoria stage productions throughout the year.

Edit | History

Medical facilities

Click Edit to add your suggestions

Edit | History

Transportation

In addition to being a popular cruise ship destination, Victoria also has many ferries to the San Juan Islands and the State of Washington. The Victoria International Airport. Railroad service to the rest of Canada. And the regional mass transit system now has double-decker buses.

Edit | History

Valuable Links

Wikipedia entry for Victoria

Edit | History

Was this review helpful?

Yes

Please share your opinions on this community in the Forum
Register to become a Site Guide to Edit these sections or Add a Community If you have suggestions on how Topretirements.com could improve these reviews, contact us.
Suggest a community we want to know about your top retirement spots

Please note that all contributions to Topretirements may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you don't want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then don't submit it here. By submitting content and/or photographs here you agree to give Topretirements.com the rights to use them in any manner without cost or attribution.You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Project:Copyrights for details). DO NOT SUBMIT COPYRIGHTED WORK WITHOUT PERMISSION!

Forward to a Friend | print

Facts about VICTORIA

State: CANADA
Environment: Urban,College Town,Coastal,
City Population: 100,001+
Median age of Population: 25-44
Avg Jan Temperature: 21-40
Median HH Income: 0-20,000
Average Home Price (MLS): $500,001+
Annual Property Tax on a $200,000 house: 2000-4000
Total Crime Index: 91-100 (slightly below average)
Cost of Living Index: 121+ (very high)
Culture Index: 121+ (very high)
State Sales Tax: Yes
State Income Tax: Yes
Name of the Guide: boomer1

Can you add to or correct these Facts? Or do you have a photo of this community we could use? If so, please click on Edit these facts

Vote on the Ratings for Victoria

Total Ratings

1. Overall Retirement Ratings Discuss

Currently 0.00>/5
1
2
3
4
5