The Best Greater Vancouver Cities for Newcomers
The best city for a newcomer depends heavily on which community you're joining. Metro Vancouver is one of the most diverse regions in Canada — several of the cities we cover are majority foreign-born — and specific communities cluster in specific cities. Richmond has the highest foreign-born percentage (60%) and the strongest Chinese-speaking community. Surrey has the largest Punjabi-speaking community in North America outside Punjab. Coquitlam has the largest Korean-Canadian community in Metro Vancouver. North Vancouver has the largest Iranian-Canadian community in Canada. This ranking is based on foreign-born percentage — but the right city for you probably depends more on which specific community you're joining than on the overall number.
The ranking
Richmond
Richmond: 60% foreign-born. Top non-official mother tongue: Cantonese.
Burnaby
Burnaby: 52.6% foreign-born. Top non-official mother tongue: Mandarin.
Coquitlam
Coquitlam: 45.9% foreign-born. Top non-official mother tongue: Korean.
Surrey
Surrey: 45.6% foreign-born. Top non-official mother tongue: Punjabi.
Vancouver
Vancouver: 41.8% foreign-born. Top non-official mother tongue: Cantonese.
New Westminster
New Westminster: 37% foreign-born. Top non-official mother tongue: Mandarin.
North Vancouver
North Vancouver: 35.2% foreign-born. Top non-official mother tongue: Persian.
Port Coquitlam
Port Coquitlam: 34.4% foreign-born. Top non-official mother tongue: Cantonese.
Delta
Delta: 33% foreign-born. Top non-official mother tongue: Punjabi.
Langley
Langley: 22.8% foreign-born. Top non-official mother tongue: Punjabi.
The top three in detail
Richmond leads by a significant margin — its 60% foreign-born population is one of the highest in Canada, and the Chinese-speaking community is genuinely the dominant demographic, not just a large minority. Burnaby's 52.6% reflects a more diverse mix — no single community dominates, with significant Chinese, Korean, Persian, Filipino, and South Asian populations. Surrey's 45.6% is heavily weighted toward the Punjabi-speaking community, which makes Surrey the most natural landing point in North America for newcomers from Punjab.
All 10 cities compared
Full data for all 10 Greater Vancouver cities, in ranked order for this category.
| Metric | Richmond | Burnaby | Coquitlam | Surrey | Vancouver | New Westminster | North Vancouver | Port Coquitlam | Delta | Langley |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population Stats Canada 2021 Census | 209,937 | 249,125 | 148,625 | 568,322 | 662,248 | 78,916 | 146,288 | 61,498 | 108,455 | 161,653 |
Land area | 128.96 km² | 90.61 km² | 122.3 km² | 316.41 km² | 115.18 km² | 15.6 km² | 172.9 km² | 29.16 km² | 179.66 km² | 317.2 km² |
Median age | 43.4 | 41.4 | 42.2 | 38.4 | 40 | 41 | 42.8 | 41.5 | 44 | 40.5 |
Foreign-born | 60% | 52.6% | 45.9% | 45.6% | 41.8% | 37% | 35.2% | 34.4% | 33% | 22.8% |
Top non-English language | Cantonese | Mandarin | Korean | Punjabi | Cantonese | Mandarin | Persian | Cantonese | Punjabi | Punjabi |
Median household income Stats Canada 2020 income year | $78,500 | $82,500 | $98,500 | $94,500 | $80,500 | $76,000 | $110,500 | $102,000 | $104,000 | $108,000 |
1BR rent (CMHC avg) CMHC purpose-built rental | $1,524 | $1,612 | $1,558 | $1,412 | $1,663 | $1,521 | $1,755 | $1,421 | $1,621 | $1,551 |
2BR rent (CMHC avg) | $1,902 | $2,062 | $1,938 | $1,748 | $2,314 | $1,827 | $2,238 | $1,742 | $1,954 | $2,015 |
1BR rent (market) Secondary market — new listings | $2,200 | $2,350 | $2,150 | $1,950 | $2,750 | $1,875 | $2,550 | $1,750 | $1,950 | $1,850 |
Transit pass (monthly) | $149 | $149 | $202 | $202 | $112 | $149 | $149 | $202 | $202 | $202 |
Annual rainfall | 1108 mm | 1323 mm | 1833 mm | 1255 mm | 1189 mm | 1250 mm | 2477 mm | 1650 mm | 900 mm | 1450 mm |
Walk Score | 63 | 68 | 51 | 45 | 80 | 77 | 60 | 48 | 40 | 45 |
SkyTrain lines | Canada Line | Expo Line · Millennium Line | Millennium Line (Evergreen Extension) | Expo Line · Surrey–Langley extension (under construction) | Expo Line · Millennium Line · Canada Line | Expo Line · Millennium Line | None (SeaBus only) | None (West Coast Express commuter rail only) | None | None (Surrey–Langley extension opens 2028–2029) |
Safety (CSI, 2024) Statistics Canada Crime Severity Index · lower is safer | 81.2 ≈ +3.3 vs national | 81.2 ≈ +3.3 vs national | 81.2 ≈ +3.3 vs national | 81.2 ≈ +3.3 vs national | 81.2 ≈ +3.3 vs national | 79.5 ≈ +1.5 vs national | 81.2 ≈ +3.3 vs national | 57.4 ▾ -20.6 vs national | 55.3 ▾ -22.7 vs national | 125.0 ▴ +47.0 vs national |