Update January 14, 2024

Houses for Sale in East Vancouver, BC | Is East Vancouver Safe?

East Vancouver, aka “East Van” or “East Side,” is a district of Vancouver, British Columbia. 

Historically, it’s been a first home to immigrants and a more affordable place for the working class.

There are many houses for sale in East Vancouver, BC, in the promising areas of Mount Pleasant, Riley Park, and the discreet Victoria-Fraserview.

Unfortunately and undeservedly, it has been branded as a region with high crime. But Is East Vancouver safe?

We’ll look at the crime stats in recent years for various neighbourhoods across East Vancouver and provide information about the houses on sale in the area.

East Vancouver, BC

East Vancouver’s trendy cafes, stylish clothing stores, thriving bars, and diverse mix of cultures contribute to a lively scene overflowing with personality.

It is a popular living choice with professionals, young families, and students. Commuting to work and getting around generally is not a problem, with a reliable public transportation service.

We’ll now look at three neighbourhoods in East Vancouver: Mount Pleasant, Riley Park, and Victoria-Fraserview, to discuss the crime figures and what they have to offer their residents.

Mount Pleasant

Up-and-coming, eclectic, and affordable Mount Pleasant offers a relaxed pace of life. It’s mainly residential with high street shops, restaurants, and gastropubs.

It can be described as a youthful neighbourhood with 60% of residents younger than 40.

Schools

There are many good educational institutions, including:

• Elementary schools
• Secondary schools
• Private schools
• Colleges
  

Recreation

There is plenty to do in Mount Pleasant. Main St. offers trendy cafés, vintage clothing shops, tons of restaurants, and practical stores, all close to each other.

Also, many green spaces and breathtaking views of the city, North Shore mountains, and False Creek encourage a healthy lifestyle and tranquility.

Transportation

A significant advantage of Mount Pleasant is the “99 B-Line” express bus line. Other forms of transportation are the Skytrain and Canada Line.

Housing

Across Mount Pleasant, you’ll find a mixed bag of property pricing. However, if you’re interested in property close to or off the Main Street strip, there are options.

Riley Park – Little Mountain

Riley Park, previously known as Little Mountain, is home to the Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre. Infamous “Main Street” runs through its center with abundant restaurant choices, coffee hangouts, cool bars, and music performances.

Schools

There are a variety of types of schooling dotted around Riley Park:

• Elementary schools
• Secondary schools
• Montessori Schools
• Pre-Schools
• French Immersion for Early (K-7), Late (6-7), and Secondary (8-12)

Recreation

Riley Park is also home to one of Vancouver's largest green public spaces – Queen Elizabeth Park. Other main attractions include a mini-golf course, tennis courts, an arboretum, and a rose garden.

Transportation

Public transport options include bus and light rail.

Housing

Property prices in Riley Park can be on the more expensive end of the scale.

Victoria-Fraserview

Victoria-Fraserview is an established and residential family-oriented neighbourhood, with proportionally more youth, senior citizens, and fewer middle-aged adults in the city overall.

Victoria–Fraserview’s Victoria Drive has diverse ethnic shops with fresh produce, imported goods, and endless delicacy options. There are plenty of scenic views, great parks, and schools.

However, if you’re looking for a place to live with great nightlife, evening dining, and bars, Victoria-Fraserview will not be for you.

Its ethnic grocery stores and international cuisine make it a place for hosting great dinner parties and entertaining at home.

Schools

Victoria-Fraserview has a variety of public and private primary schools and secondary schools across the neighbourhood.

Transportation

You can get to, from, and around Victoria-Fraserview by bus or the Canada and Expo Metro lines.

Housing

Victoria-Fraserview has some really inexpensive well-kept properties.

Is East Vancouver Safe?

Next, we’ll discuss how safe Mount Pleasant, Riley Park, and Victoria-Fraserview are based on recently reported crime stats for neighbourhoods across East Vancouver according to Areavibes.

Mount Pleasant

Though Mount Pleasant is up and coming and has plenty of reasons to be selected as a great neighbourhood to buy a home, its 66% crime rate is more than the national average.

However, it is 29% safer compared to other BC neighbourhoods. This year, there has been a slight increase in monetary theft reports, though; other types of crime have reduced.

Riley Park

The crime rate in Riley Park has consistently been low over 2021, 2020, and 2019 in April compared to other neighbourhoods in BC.

However, the property crime rates there are 5% higher than the national average but 5% lower than the total crime average and is safer than 64% of the cities in British Columbia. Again, monetary theft reports are the most frequent.

Victoria-Fraserview

The crime rate here is relatively low and has been reducing over the years. Their biggest problem is monetary theft seeing a 35% spike in the property crime rate higher than the national average.

However, Victoria-Fraserview is still considered 48% safer than other BC neighbourhoods.

Houses for Sale in East Vancouver, BC

Throughout East Vancouver, you’ll experience the culture, history, and close-knit communities.

Its diverse neighbourhoods range from lively and buzzing to discreet. Each has a unique character; whether you’re looking for a home or an investment, you’re almost guaranteed to find a suitable and affordable property.

Today we’ve gone through the most promising areas for living in East Vancouver, discussed different housing options to give you an idea of what you can expect, and shown you the reported crime stats for neighbourhoods across East Vancouver.

We hope this article has helped in your search for a house for sale in East Vancouver, BC, and answered your question on whether East Vancouver is safe.

All that’s left to do now is find the ideal property.