North Vancouver vs West Vancouver in 2026: Prices, Property Tax and Commute, Compared
The benchmark detached house in West Vancouver is $2,822,900. Across the Capilano River in North Vancouver it's $2,042,000. That's a $780,900 difference for the typical house, and West Van's benchmark apartment ($1,097,300) is only $133,100 short of North Van's benchmark townhouse.
So the first answer to "North Van or West Van?" is usually the budget. The second is less obvious: West Vancouver's prices have fallen further and for longer, its houses have sat on the market nearly twice as long, and its property tax rate is the lowest of the three North Shore municipalities. North Vancouver has more homes for sale, more townhouses, a SeaBus to downtown and prices that have held up better.
Below I compare the two on GVR benchmark prices, how fast homes are selling, what sellers are asking today, property tax and the commute. Benchmarks come from GVR's September 2026 package, released October 2. Asking prices come from EstateBlock's listing data for October 24, and they're asking prices of active listings, not sale prices.
Source: Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, September 2026 stats package (MLS® HPI); EstateBlock.com live listings, snapshot Oct 24, 2026. Asking prices of active listings, not sale prices.
First: there are two North Vancouvers
North Vancouver is two separate municipalities. The City of North Vancouver is the compact one built around Lonsdale Avenue and Lonsdale Quay. The District of North Vancouver wraps around it on three sides and takes in places like Lynn Valley and Deep Cove. Different councils, different budgets, different tax rates.
GVR doesn't split them. Its "North Vancouver" benchmark covers both, and so does EstateBlock's North Vancouver page. I do split them for property tax, because that's where the difference shows up on a bill.
West Vancouver is one municipality (the District of West Vancouver), from Park Royal and Ambleside out to Horseshoe Bay. Two quirks in GVR's data: it publishes no West Vancouver townhouse benchmark, and its sales and listings tables lump West Vancouver together with Howe Sound. I flag that wherever it matters.
Benchmark prices: West Van costs 38% to 43% more
- North Vancouver
- West Vancouver
Source: Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, September 2026 stats package, MLS® Home Price Index table.
Show the numbers
| North Vancouver | West Vancouver | |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | $2.04M | $2.82M |
| Townhouse | $1.23M | — |
| Apartment | $769K | $1.10M |
| Type, area | Benchmark | 3-mo | 1-yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached, NV | $2,042,000 | −2.9% | −6.2% |
| Detached, WV | $2,822,900 | −3.6% | −9.9% |
| Townhouse, NV | $1,230,400 | −2.3% | −4.9% |
| Apartment, NV | $769,000 | −2.3% | −3.2% |
| Apartment, WV | $1,097,300 | −4.3% | −5.7% |
Source: Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, September 2026 stats package, MLS® Home Price Index table. NV = North Vancouver (City + District); WV = West Vancouver.
For houses the gap is $780,900, or 38.2%. For apartments it's $328,300, or 42.7%, which surprises people: a typical West Van condo is in a different price band from a typical North Van condo, not just a slightly nicer version of it.
Both markets are falling. Over three months, one year and three years, West Vancouver is falling faster for both houses and apartments. Over the past three months the West Van detached benchmark slipped 3.6% and its apartment benchmark 4.3%, against 2.9% and 2.3% in North Van.
- Down
Source: Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, September 2026 stats package, MLS® Home Price Index table.
Show the numbers
| Area and type | 1-year change |
|---|---|
| North Van apartment | −3.2% |
| North Van townhouse | −4.9% |
| North Van detached | −6.2% |
| West Van apartment | −5.7% |
| Greater Vancouver detached | −7.3% |
| West Van detached | −9.9% |
North Vancouver apartments held up best of anything here, down 3.2% in a year, about half the Greater Vancouver apartment decline (−6.2%). West Van detached is down 9.9%, worse than the 7.3% drop for detached across Greater Vancouver.
Three and ten years: two very different stories
| Type, area | 3-year | 10-year |
|---|---|---|
| All types, NV | −5.6% | +16.9% |
| All types, WV | −15.0% | −26.7% |
| Detached, NV | −8.3% | +18.7% |
| Detached, WV | −13.4% | −21.9% |
| Townhouse, NV | −6.1% | +43.2% |
| Apartment, NV | −4.6% | +47.6% |
| Apartment, WV | −17.0% | +9.6% |
Source: Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, September 2026 stats package, MLS® Home Price Index table (3-year and 10-year change columns).
This is the table that separates the two. North Vancouver's detached benchmark is +18.7% on ten years ago, and its apartments +47.6%. West Vancouver's detached benchmark is −21.9% over the same ten years, and its composite (all types) −26.7%. In other words, a typical West Van house is worth less today than it was in 2016.
Over three years, West Van apartments fell 17.0%, compared with 4.6% for North Van apartments. That's the widest three-year gap between the two.
Past changes don't predict future ones, and I'm not going to pretend they do. What they tell you is who's sitting on a loss. A West Van owner who bought a house three years ago is likely down more on paper than a North Van owner who bought at the same time. That can make a seller more flexible, or more stubborn. You find out which when you write the offer.
How fast homes are selling
GVR doesn't publish active listings by area, so I can't give you a clean sales-to-active ratio for each. What it does publish by area is sales against new listings in the month. For the region as a whole, the September sales-to-active ratio was 10.9% (9.7% for detached), and GVR says prices tend to come under downward pressure when that ratio stays below 12%.
| Type, area | Sales | New listings | Sales/new |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached, NV | 59 | 188 | 31% |
| Detached, WV+HS | 41 | 124 | 33% |
| Attached, NV | 25 | 100 | 25% |
| Attached, WV+HS | 4 | 15 | 27% |
| Apartment, NV | 42 | 266 | 16% |
| Apartment, WV+HS | 15 | 37 | 41% |
Source: Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, September 2026 stats package, MLS® Sales Facts and Listings Facts. WV+HS = GVR's "West Vancouver/Howe Sound" area. Sales/new = sales divided by new listings in the month.
September was a decent month for houses on both sides. West Van and Howe Sound sold 41 detached homes against 124 new listings (33%), up from 16% a year earlier. North Van sold 59 against 188 (31%, up from 22%).
The apartment numbers point the other way. North Van apartments slowed hard: 42 sales against 266 new listings, a 16% ratio, down from 29% last September. West Van's 41% looks strong, but it's 15 sales. Small numbers jump around.
Size matters too. From January to September, North Van recorded 508 detached, 310 attached and 623 apartment sales. West Van and Howe Sound recorded 282, 34 and 115. If you want a townhouse, North Van is simply where the supply is.
On actual selling prices: North Van's median detached sale in September was $2,075,000. West Van and Howe Sound's was $2,330,000, down from $3,180,000 in September 2025. A one-month median on 41 sales says more about which houses sold than about values, so I lean on the benchmark for the trend.
What sellers are asking today
Benchmarks are a month old by the time they're out. EstateBlock's listing data is live, so here's what's on the market as of October 24. These are asking prices of active listings, not sale prices. They show what sellers want, which right now is often more than they get.
| Type, city | Median ask | $/sq ft | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houses, NV | $2,285,667 | $800 | 41 |
| Houses, WV | $3,797,375 | $975 | 73 |
| Townhouses, NV | $1,298,000 | $843 | 37 |
| Townhouses, WV | $1,998,000 | $950 | 65 |
| Condos, NV | $789,000 | $940 | 35 |
| Condos, WV | $1,349,750 | $1,135 | 49 |
Source: EstateBlock.com live listings, snapshot Oct 24, 2026. Asking prices of active listings, not sale prices. Days = median days on market of active listings. NV = City + District of North Vancouver.
Three things stand out.
West Van houses are asked far above the benchmark. The median asking price for a West Van house is $3,797,375, 35% above the detached benchmark. In North Van the median ask is $2,285,667, 12% above. Part of that is mix: West Van's house listings include neighbourhoods where the median house ask is well above $4 million, such as the British Properties ($5,200,000) and Chartwell ($4,400,000) (Oct 19 neighbourhood snapshot). Part of it is sellers anchored to older prices. Either way, a West Van asking price tells you less about what the house will sell for.
Per square foot, the gap shrinks. West Van houses ask 22% more than North Van houses on the median price per square foot ($975 vs $800), while the median asking price is 66% higher. My read: that points to bigger houses on the West Van side, so part of the price difference is more house, not just a pricier postal code. For condos the per-square-foot premium is 21% ($1,135 vs $940).
West Van moves slower. Active West Van houses have been listed a median 73 days, against 41 in North Van. Condos: 49 vs 35. Townhouses: 65 vs 37.
Source: EstateBlock.com live listings, snapshot Oct 24, 2026. Asking prices of active listings, not sale prices; city pages for North Vancouver and West Vancouver.
A smaller share of West Van listings have cut their price (15% vs 19%), but the cuts are deeper: 7.8% on average against 5.5%. Over the past week the number of reduced listings rose from 181 to 191 in North Van and from 85 to 91 in West Van, and North Van's median condo ask dipped from $799,000 to $789,000.
Fresh supply is thin in West Van: 26 new listings in seven days against 597 for sale, about 4.4% of inventory. North Van added 89, about 8.8%. In West Van that means most of what you'll see has been on the market a while. My read: a listing that has sat for months and already been cut once is one where you can ask for more.
Where the listings are
Source: EstateBlock.com live listings, snapshot Oct 24, 2026. Asking prices of active listings, not sale prices.
Show the numbers
| Neighbourhood | Active listings |
|---|---|
| Lower Lonsdale (NV) | 182 |
| Central Lonsdale (NV) | 151 |
| Lynn Valley (NV) | 96 |
| Ambleside (WV) | 75 |
| Lynnmour (NV) | 69 |
| Pemberton NV (NV) | 60 |
| Upper Lonsdale (NV) | 54 |
| Dundarave (WV) | 47 |
| Cypress Park Estates (WV) | 46 |
| British Properties (WV) | 45 |
| Chartwell (WV) | 34 |
| Park Royal (WV) | 24 |
| Neighbourhood | Median ask | $/sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Lonsdale (NV) | $929,900 | $959 |
| Central Lonsdale (NV) | $1,145,000 | $912 |
| Pemberton NV (NV) | $649,000 | $911 |
| Lynn Valley (NV) | $1,498,000 | $880 |
| Upper Lonsdale (NV) | $1,898,000 | $783 |
| Park Royal (WV) | $1,331,500 | $1,297 |
| Ambleside (WV) | $2,395,000 | $961 |
| Cypress Park Estates (WV) | $2,889,000 | $1,241 |
| Dundarave (WV) | $3,646,500 | $1,121 |
| British Properties (WV) | $4,925,000 | $935 |
Source: EstateBlock.com neighbourhood pages, snapshots Oct 18 (North Vancouver) and Oct 19, 2026 (West Vancouver). All property types combined, asking prices of active listings, not sale prices.
North Van's inventory is concentrated along the Lonsdale corridor: Lower Lonsdale (182 listings) and Central Lonsdale (151) together hold about 33% of everything for sale. It's the part of North Van closest to the SeaBus and the Lonsdale shops; Lower Lonsdale's median ask across all types is $929,900. Pemberton NV, near Marine Drive, has the lowest median ask in either city at $649,000.
On the West Van side, the lowest median asks in the table are Park Royal ($1,331,500) and Ambleside ($2,395,000). Up the hill it's a different market: the British Properties median ask is $4,925,000.
The useful way to read this: a North Van buyer has many interchangeable options in each price band, while a West Van buyer is often choosing among a handful of very different homes. For a closer look, EstateBlock has a full North Vancouver market breakdown and a West Vancouver one.
Property tax: three bills, and West Van's rate is lowest
The rate is set per $1,000 of assessed value, and each municipality sets its own. Here are the 2026 residential (Class 1) rates from the province's Schedule 702, all taxing authorities included.
| Per $1,000 | CNV | DNV | WV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal | 2.02864 | 1.83419 | 1.87277 |
| School | 0.99580 | 0.99580 | 0.82250 |
| Metro Vancouver | 0.05556 | 0.05506 | 0.14652 |
| TransLink and other | 0.39690 | 0.39690 | 0.39690 |
| Total rate | 3.47690 | 3.28195 | 3.23869 |
Source: Government of B.C., Schedule 702: 2026 tax rates. CNV = City of North Vancouver, DNV = District of North Vancouver, WV = District of West Vancouver. "TransLink and other" also includes BC Assessment and the Municipal Finance Authority.
Per $1,000,000 of assessed value, that's $3,239 in West Vancouver, $3,282 in the District of North Vancouver and $3,477 in the City of North Vancouver. West Van's school tax rate (0.8225) is lower than North Van's (0.9958). Without that, West Van's total rate would be higher than the District of North Vancouver's.
A lower rate doesn't mean a lower bill, because West Van homes are assessed much higher. Here's what the 2026 rates would produce on homes assessed at today's benchmark prices. This is a hypothetical: the benchmark is not an assessed value, and your notice will be based on BC Assessment's July 1 valuation.
| Municipality | House | Apartment |
|---|---|---|
| City of North Vancouver | $7,100 | $2,674 |
| District of North Vancouver | $6,702 | $2,524 |
| West Vancouver | $9,142 | $3,554 |
Source: my calculation, 2026 total residential rate from Schedule 702 × September 2026 GVR benchmark (GVR). Assessed values used: house $2,042,000 in both North Vancouvers and $2,822,900 in West Vancouver; apartment $769,000 and $1,097,300. Before the home owner grant; excludes utility fees.
On a benchmark house, West Van's bill is about $2,043 a year more than the City of North Vancouver's and $2,441 more than the District's. On apartments the gap is under $1,100.
Then there's the home owner grant. For 2026 the full grant applies to homes assessed at up to $2,075,000; it shrinks by $5 for every $1,000 above that, and the regular grant is gone entirely above $2,189,000. A North Van house assessed at the benchmark sits just under the threshold. A West Van house at the benchmark is well over the cut-off, so an owner there gets no regular grant at all. BC Assessment's typical 2026 single-family value was $2,910,000 in West Vancouver, $2,056,000 in the District of North Vancouver and $1,937,000 in the City.
At the top end, the province adds an additional school tax on the residential value above $3 million: 0.2% between $3 million and $4 million and 0.4% above $4 million in 2026, rising to 0.3% and 0.6% from January 1, 2027. Say a West Van house is assessed at $3,500,000: that's $1,000 extra this year and $1,500 in 2027. With the median West Van house listed at $3,797,375, that's not an edge case there.
Source: Government of B.C., Schedule 704: taxes and charges on a representative house, 2026.
Show the numbers
| Municipality | Total |
|---|---|
| West Vancouver | $14,403 |
| District of North Vancouver | $9,793 |
| City of North Vancouver | $9,081 |
The province's own comparison puts the representative West Van house at $3,514,285 and $14,403 in total taxes and charges, including $3,022 in user fees. The District of North Vancouver's representative house is $2,200,711 and pays $9,793; the City's is $2,056,556 and pays $9,081. For more on how the bill is built and how other cities compare, see my Vancouver property tax guide.
This is general information. Confirm your own situation, including grant eligibility, with an accountant or lawyer, and check the numbers against your municipality's notice.
Transfer tax and the speculation and vacancy tax
| Purchase | Price | PTT |
|---|---|---|
| North Van house | $2,042,000 | $39,260 |
| West Van house | $2,822,900 | $62,687 |
| North Van apartment | $769,000 | $13,380 |
| West Van apartment | $1,097,300 | $19,946 |
Source: my calculation using the general PTT rates (1% to $200,000, 2% to $2,000,000, 3% above, plus 2% on residential value over $3,000,000), Government of B.C.. Before any first-time buyer or newly built home exemption.
Because PTT steps up to 3% above $2 million, a West Van house costs $23,427 more in transfer tax than a North Van one at the benchmarks, on top of the price gap. Above $3 million, the extra 2% band kicks in, so many West Van house purchases pay 5% on part of the price. Run your own number with the PTT calculator, or read my PTT guide for the exemptions.
On the speculation and vacancy tax, there's no difference: the City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver and the District of West Vancouver are all on the province's list of taxable areas. For 2026 the rate is 1% for Canadian citizens and permanent residents (who aren't untaxed worldwide earners) and 3% for foreign owners and untaxed worldwide earners, rising to 4% for that second group from 2027. Owners of residential property in a taxable area have to complete a declaration. Exemptions include living in the home as your principal residence, or renting it to a tenant for at least six months of the calendar year (tenancy rules apply). Reserve lands, treaty lands and lands of self-governing Indigenous Nations aren't part of the taxable areas. If you're buying a second home or leaving one empty, check it with the SVT calculator.
The commute
North Van has something West Van doesn't: the SeaBus. It runs from Lonsdale Quay to Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver, takes 12 minutes to cross, and leaves every 15 minutes during the day, every 10 minutes in the weekday rush (7:00-9:30 a.m. and 3:00-6:30 p.m. from Lonsdale Quay). At Waterfront you're on the Expo and Canada Lines. If you work downtown and live within walking distance of Lonsdale Quay, that's about as good a commute as Metro Vancouver offers.
West Van has no SeaBus terminal or SkyTrain station. Downtown commuters drive or take the bus over the Lions Gate Bridge, which funnels into Stanley Park. North Van's other link is the Ironworkers Memorial (Second Narrows) Bridge to the east, which is the route toward Burnaby and the rest of the region.
| Residents of | Avg trip | Transit | Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of NV | 22.5 min | 15.1% | 67.1% |
| District of NV | 22.7 min | 9.2% | 80.2% |
| West Van | 23.3 min | 7.0% | 79.6% |
| City of Vancouver | 25.3 min | 22.9% | 56.2% |
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census: table 98-10-0458-01 (average one-way duration and main mode), table 98-10-0457-01 (main mode) and table 98-10-0459-01 (place of work). Employed residents with a usual place of work (or no fixed address, for duration and mode). Collected May 2021, during the pandemic.
The census figures are from May 2021, when plenty of people were working from home, so treat them as a rough picture. Still, the pattern fits: the City of North Vancouver has the highest transit share on the North Shore (15.1%), and West Van the lowest (7.0%), with about 80% of West Van commuters going by car. Average one-way times are nearly identical, around 22 to 23 minutes, a bit shorter than the City of Vancouver's 25.3. About a quarter of West Van's working residents (26.5%) had a job in the City of Vancouver.
Who each one suits
First-time buyers and condo buyers: North Vancouver, usually. At a $769,000 apartment benchmark against $1,097,300, there isn't much of a contest on price. You also get far more choice (470 condos listed vs 110) and the SeaBus if you live near Lonsdale. North Van apartments have held their value best of anything in this comparison. The flip side: their sales slowed sharply in September, so don't let anyone rush you. Read the strata minutes and the depreciation report before you remove subjects.
Townhouse buyers: North Vancouver. 148 townhouses listed against 27 in West Van, and North Van's median townhouse ask ($1,298,000) is $700,000 below West Van's. West Van townhouses exist, but you'll be waiting for the right one.
Detached buyers with a $2 million to $2.5 million budget: look hard at both. That's around North Van's benchmark, and well under West Van's. In West Van that's below the benchmark, the lower part of the market. In North Van it's close to the median house ask in Lynn Valley ($2,275,000) or Upper Lonsdale ($2,399,000), as of October 18. Check BC Assessment values on anything you're considering, because the home owner grant cut-off falls in this range.
Detached buyers who can stretch past $3 million: West Vancouver has the leverage right now. Houses there have been listed a median 73 days, the benchmark is down 9.9% in a year, and the average cut on reduced listings is 7.8%. I'd price my offer off recent sales, not the asking price, and I wouldn't be shy about it. Budget for the higher PTT band and the additional school tax.
Downsizers selling a North Van or Vancouver house: West Van condos are worth a look if you want to stay on that side of the bridge without a house: the median condo ask is $1,349,750, and condos there have sat on the market less time than houses (49 vs 73 days). Check the building's age and depreciation report first.
Before you decide, see what your income supports with the mortgage affordability calculator and add up the closing costs. If you already own and are moving across the Capilano, the home value estimator is a starting point, and my North Vancouver page has more on that market. I've done the same comparison for Burnaby vs Coquitlam and Surrey vs Langley, and if you're still weighing the City of Vancouver too, start with the best Vancouver neighbourhoods. Listings: North Vancouver homes for sale and West Vancouver homes for sale on EstateBlock.
FAQ
Is West Vancouver more expensive than North Vancouver?
Yes. In September 2026 GVR's detached benchmark was $2,822,900 in West Vancouver and $2,042,000 in North Vancouver, a $780,900 gap. Apartments were $1,097,300 vs $769,000. GVR publishes no West Vancouver townhouse benchmark.
Is property tax higher in West Vancouver or North Vancouver?
The rate is lowest in West Vancouver: the 2026 residential rate per $1,000 of assessed value is 3.23869 in West Vancouver, 3.28195 in the District of North Vancouver and 3.4769 in the City of North Vancouver (Schedule 702). Bills are usually higher in West Vancouver because homes are assessed higher. At benchmark values, a house would pay about $9,142 in West Vancouver and $7,100 in the City of North Vancouver before the home owner grant.
Is North Vancouver part of Vancouver?
No. North Vancouver is two separate municipalities, the City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver, each with its own council and tax rates. Both are in Metro Vancouver, across Burrard Inlet from the City of Vancouver. West Vancouver is a third separate municipality.
Which has the better commute to downtown Vancouver?
North Vancouver, if you live near Lonsdale Quay: the SeaBus crosses to Waterfront Station in 12 minutes and runs every 10 minutes at weekday peaks. West Vancouver has no SeaBus or SkyTrain; commuters drive or take the bus over the Lions Gate Bridge.
Sources
- Greater Vancouver REALTORS®: September 2026 stats package (released Oct 2, 2026)
- Government of B.C.: Schedule 702, 2026 property tax rates (XLSX)
- Government of B.C.: Schedule 704, 2026 taxes and charges on a representative house (XLSX)
- City of North Vancouver: 2026 property tax info sheet (PDF)
- BC Assessment: Lower Mainland 2026 property assessments
- Government of B.C.: Home owner grant
- Government of B.C.: Additional school tax rate
- Government of B.C.: Property transfer tax
- Government of B.C.: Speculation and vacancy tax taxable areas
- Government of B.C.: Speculation and vacancy tax rates
- TransLink: SeaBus schedules
- Statistics Canada: 2021 Census, commuting duration and main mode (98-10-0458-01)
- Statistics Canada: 2021 Census, main mode of commuting (98-10-0457-01)
- Statistics Canada: 2021 Census, place of work (98-10-0459-01)
- EstateBlock.com: North Vancouver live listings (snapshots Oct 17 and Oct 24, 2026; asking prices)
- EstateBlock.com: West Vancouver live listings (snapshots Oct 17 and Oct 24, 2026; asking prices)
- EstateBlock.com: North Vancouver neighbourhood pages (snapshot Oct 18, 2026; asking prices)
- EstateBlock.com: West Vancouver neighbourhood pages (snapshot Oct 19, 2026; asking prices)
- EstateBlock blog: North Vancouver real estate
- EstateBlock blog: West Vancouver real estate
Dan Marusin PREC, REALTOR® · Renanza Realty Inc., 777 Hornby St, Suite 600, Vancouver, BC. This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.