PRINCE GEORGE – Owners of almost 250,000 properties throughout Northern BC will receive their 2023 assessment notices, which reflect market value as of July 1, 2022.
“Most northern home owners can generally expect to see a rise of about 5 per cent to 20 per cent in their assessments when they receive their notices in early January, but with some exceptions depending on the community,” says Northern BC Deputy Assessor Teria Penner. “I want to emphasize that assessments are based on July 1, 2022. While the local real estate market has seen some shifts, it is important to compare your assessment with similar properties that sold around July 1st.”
As BC’s trusted provider of property assessment information, BC Assessment collects, monitors and analyzes property data throughout the year.
Overall, Northern BC’s total assessments increased from about $81.5 billion in 2022 to over $90.6 billion this year. A total of about $1.06 billion of the region’s updated assessments is from new construction, subdivisions and the rezoning of properties.
The Northern BC region encompasses approximately 70 per cent of the province: stretching east to the Alberta border, north to the Yukon border, west to Bella Coola including Haida Gwaii and to the south, just north of Clinton.
The summaries below provide estimates of typical 2022 versus 2023 assessed values of properties throughout the region. These examples demonstrate market trends for single-family residential properties by geographic area:*
| Single Family Homes by Community |
2022 Typical Assessed Value as of July 1, 2021 |
2023 Typical Assessed Value as of July 1, 2022 |
% Change |
|||
| 100 Mile House | $321,000 | $405,000 | +26% | |||
| Burns Lake | $217,000 | $235,000 | +8% | |||
| Bella Coola | $190,000 | $231,000 | +21% | |||
| Chetwynd | $246,000 | $267,000 | +9% | |||
| Dawson Creek | $261,000 | $280,000 | +7% | |||
| Fort St James | $178,000 | $199,000 | +12% | |||
| Fort St John | $329,000 | $343,000 | +4% | |||
| Fraser Lake | $157,000 | $204,000 | +31% | |||
| Granisle | $73,000 | $81,000 | +11% | |||
| Hazelton | $203,000 | $251,000 | +24% | |||
| Houston | $226,000 | $257,000 | +14% | |||
| Hudson’s Hope | $173,000 | $188,000 | +8% | |||
| Kitimat | $329,000 | $345,000 | +5% | |||
| Mackenzie | $157,000 | $161,000 | +3% | |||
| Masset | $163,000 | $209,000 | +28% | |||
| McBride | $157,000 | $197,000 | +26% | |||
| New Hazelton | $161,000 | $192,000 | +19% | |||
| Northern Rockies RM | $129,000 | $141,000 | +9% | |||
| Port Clements | $124,000 | $171,000 | +38% | |||
| Port Edward | $268,000 | $297,000 | +11% | |||
| Pouce Coupe | $204,000 | $193,000 | -5% | |||
| Prince George | $401,000 | $450,000 | +12% | |||
| Prince Rupert | $389,000 | $443,000 | +14% | |||
| Queen Charlotte (Haida Gwaii) | $208,000 | $232,000 | +11% | |||
| Quesnel | $294,000 | $329,000 | +12% | |||
| Smithers | $438,000 | $498,000 | +14% | |||
| Stewart | $122,000 | $157,000 | +28% | |||
| Taylor | $205,000 | $226,000 | +11% | |||
| Telkwa | $416,000 | $445,000 | +7% | |||
| Terrace | $439,000 | $461,000 | +5% | |||
| Tumbler Ridge | $145,000 | $151,000 | +4% | |||
| Valemount | $268,000 | $345,000 | +28% | |||
| Vanderhoof | $280,000 | $325,000 | +16% | |||
| Wells | $141,000 | $151,000 | +8% | |||
| Williams Lake | $342,000 | $395,000 | +16% | |||
*All data calculated based on median values.
These examples demonstrate market trends for strata residential properties (e.g. condos/townhouses) by geographic area for select Northern BC urban centres:*
| Strata Homes (Condos/Townhouses) by Community |
2022 Typical Value as of July 1, 2021 |
2023 Typical Value as of July 1, 2022 |
% Change |
|||
| Prince George | $219,000 | $248,000 | +13% | |||
| Fort St John | $196,000 | $201,000 | +3% | |||
| Dawson Creek | $193,000 | $214,000 | +11% | |||
| Kitimat | $197,000 | $231,000 | +17% | |||
| Smithers | $336,000 | $364,000 | +8% | |||
| Terrace | $225,000 | $225,000 | 0% | |||
| Williams Lake | $129,000 | $166,000 | +29% | |||
*All data calculated based on median values.
BC Assessment’s website at bcassessment.ca includes more details about 2023 assessments, property information and trends such as lists of 2023’s top valued residential properties across the province.
The website also provides self-service access to a free, online property assessment search service that allows anyone to search, check and compare 2023 property assessments for anywhere in the province. Property owners can unlock additional property search features by registering for a free BC Assessment custom account to check a property’s 10-year value history, store/access favourites, create comparisons, monitor neighbourhood sales, and use our interactive map.
“Property owners can find a lot of valuable information on our website including answers to many assessment-related questions, and those who feel that their property assessment does not reflect market value as of July 1, 2022 or see incorrect information on their notice, should contact BC Assessment as indicated on their notice as soon as possible in January,” says Deputy Assessor Teria Penner.
“If a property owner is still concerned about their assessment after speaking to one of our appraisers, they may submit a Notice of Complaint (Appeal) by January 31st, for an independent review by a Property Assessment Review Panel,” adds Penner.
The Property Assessment Review Panels, independent of BC Assessment, are appointed annually by the provincial government, and typically meet between February 1 and March 15 to hear formal complaints.
“It is important to understand that changes in property assessments do not automatically translate into a corresponding change in property taxes,” explains Penner. “As noted on your assessment notice, how your assessment changes relative to the average change in your community is what may affect your property taxes.”
