BC's July 2026 housing numbers are in — a province-wide look at where sales and prices stand, and how the South Island compares to the rest of the province.
Every month, BCREA pulls together a snapshot of the whole province — from the Lower Mainland to the Kootenays to right here on the Island — and this July's numbers tell an interesting story about a market that's uneven, region by region, but broadly finding its balance.
The Headline Numbers
Across British Columbia, 6,561 homes sold in July 2026, down 6.7% from the same month last year. The average price provincewide came in at $929,619, down just 1.3% year-over-year. Total dollar volume for the month was $6.1 billion, and BC's sales activity is currently running about 19% below the ten-year average for July — a reminder that this is still a market working its way back to a longer-term rhythm rather than one in crisis.
Where the Softness Really Is
BCREA's chief economist, Brendon Ogmundson, made an important point in this release: seasonally adjusted activity actually rose from the previous month across most of the province, with the real weakness concentrated in the Lower Mainland specifically. Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley both saw double-digit dollar-volume declines and sales down 7 to 9% year-over-year — a very different picture than what's playing out elsewhere.
The Interior and North Are Holding Steadier
Boards like the Okanagan, Kootenay, and South Peace River actually posted price gains this July, some in the high single digits. Unit sales in those regions were mixed, but nowhere near the pullback seen in Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. It's a good illustration of just how much "the BC housing market" varies depending on which corner of the province you're standing in.
And Here on Vancouver Island
Locally, both the Victoria and Vancouver Island boards told a steadier story than the Lower Mainland. Victoria's average price actually rose 3.1% year-over-year to $996,510, even as sales dipped slightly. The broader Vancouver Island board (covering the Cowichan Valley and beyond) saw prices hold almost flat, down just 0.2%, with more inventory available to buyers than a year ago. If you want the full local breakdown, we covered that in detail in our recent South Island market update.
The Year-to-Date Picture
Provincewide, BC's residential sales dollar volume is down 6.7% year-to-date at $38.04 billion, with unit sales down 5.6% at 40,432 homes and the average price down 1.2% at $940,948. It's a market that's cooled from last year's pace but hasn't fallen off a cliff — and per BCREA, a strengthening economy and labour market could help regional markets converge back toward their long-term averages over the next year.
Whether you're watching these numbers out of curiosity or because you're weighing a move, I'm always happy to put them in context for whatever part of the Island — or the province — you're thinking about.
Source: BC Real Estate Association (BCREA), "Housing Market Activity Uneven Across BC Regions," August 13, 2026.