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 — 4 out of the 6 Tier-1 cities 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.
North Vancouver
North Vancouver: 35.2% foreign-born. Top non-official mother tongue: Persian.
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 six cities compared
Full data for all six Tier-1 Greater Vancouver cities, in ranked order for this category.
| Metric | Richmond | Burnaby | Coquitlam | Surrey | Vancouver | North Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population Stats Canada 2021 Census | 209,937 | 249,125 | 148,625 | 568,322 | 662,248 | 146,288 |
Land area | 128.96 km² | 90.61 km² | 122.3 km² | 316.41 km² | 115.18 km² | 172.9 km² |
Median age | 43.4 | 41.4 | 42.2 | 38.4 | 40 | 42.8 |
Foreign-born | 60% | 52.6% | 45.9% | 45.6% | 41.8% | 35.2% |
Top non-English language | Cantonese | Mandarin | Korean | Punjabi | Cantonese | Persian |
Median household income Stats Canada 2020 income year | $78,500 | $82,500 | $98,500 | $94,500 | $80,500 | $110,500 |
1BR rent (CMHC avg) CMHC purpose-built rental | $1,524 | $1,612 | $1,558 | $1,412 | $1,663 | $1,755 |
2BR rent (CMHC avg) | $1,902 | $2,062 | $1,938 | $1,748 | $2,181 | $2,238 |
1BR rent (market) Secondary market — new listings | $2,200 | $2,350 | $2,150 | $1,950 | $2,750 | $2,550 |
Transit pass (monthly) | $157 | $157 | $157 | $157 | $110 | $110 |
Annual rainfall | 1108 mm | 1323 mm | 1833 mm | 1255 mm | 1189 mm | 2477 mm |
Walk Score | 63 | 68 | 51 | 45 | 80 | 60 |
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 | None (SeaBus only) |