Langley City Still Has One of the Lowest Property Tax Bills in Metro Vancouver

Some misinformation has been spread online and in print that Langley City has high property taxes for homeowners, especially people who own detached houses (traditionally called single-family homes.) The fact is Langley City has some of the lowest property taxes in Metro Vancouver.

The provincial government compiles data for all municipalities in BC and produces a document called "Taxes & Charges on a Representative House - Schedule 704." This document looks at the bottom-line payment for people who own a representatively priced detached home. I say bottom line because it includes City-control property tax and fees (such as garbage, water, and sewer) and property tax from other governments, such as the regional district, provincial schools, and TransLink.

So, how does Langley City compare for this year's taxes to other Metro Vancouver municipalities this year?

Municipalities	Total 'Representative House' Property Taxes & Charges - 2024
Port Coquitlam	6,023
Pitt Meadows	6,244
Langley Township	6,363
Langley City	6,395
Delta	6,582
Maple Ridge	6,630
Surrey	7,080
Burnaby	7,327
Coquitlam	7,481
City of North Vancouver	7,914
Richmond	7,956
District of North Vancouver	8,634
Port Moody	8,681
White Rock	8,953
Belcarra	9,789
Vancouver	9,892
Lions Bay	10,021
Bowen Island	10,323
New Westminster	10,718
Anmore	11,292
West Vancouver	12,994

There are a few things to call out. New Westminster has higher taxes because it also operates an electric utility, whereas other municipalities in Metro Vancouver are on BC Hydro's network.

Another call-out is that only 20% of the homes in Langley City are detached. Only Burnaby has a lower average property tax than Langley City for all other housing types. Unfortunately, the provincial government does not compile "representative house" data for apartments and townhouses.

Finally, we must balance our budget because municipalities cannot run a deficit, unlike the provincial and federal governments. Some municipalities in Metro Vancouver have higher taxes because they provide additional services that their residents request.

So, if you live in Langley City and own a detached home, you aren't paying the lowest property taxes in Metro Vancouver but among the lowest. I believe Langley City is providing good value for money as we continue to work on the basics, investing in infrastructure and community safety.