Downsizing in Chilliwack

What is a house in Chilliwack worth today?

Chilliwack has its own real estate board, the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board (CADREB). The Canadian Real Estate Association publishes its figures, and the latest month posted is August 2026. That month the benchmark price of a single-family home, meaning the price of a typical one, was $859,200.

Two cautions apply. The figures cover the board's whole area: Chilliwack, Agassiz, Hope, Boston Bar and Harrison. And they come from a different board than the prices for Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford and Mission, which the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) published for September 2026. Chilliwack's figures are one month older.

Between August 2025 and August 2026 the single-family benchmark fell 5.8%, the townhouse benchmark 5.4% and the condo benchmark 2.7%.

How many homes are selling

The board counted 159 home sales in August 2026, 17.6% fewer than a year before. When the month ended, 1,353 homes of all types were for sale across its area. At that pace of sales it would take 8.5 months to sell them all. The long-run average for the time of year is 5.3 months.

With that many homes for sale, we suggest you make your own sale firm, meaning the buyer has removed every condition, before you sign a purchase. Sell first or buy first compares the two orders. For a free price range on your own house, use the form at the bottom of this page.

What would you keep after you sell and buy in Chilliwack?

This example is for the long-time Chilliwack owner: a house sold and a townhouse bought, both at the benchmark price, with no mortgage.

The example ends with $228,277. Buy a condo at $401,000 and it ends with $413,815. By benchmark, a Chilliwack house and townhouse are $276,300 apart. In Surrey they are $627,600 apart (FVREB, September 2026). A move inside Chilliwack therefore frees less money than the same move inside Surrey.

Replace four lines with real quotes: the 3% commission, the two legal bills and the moving cost. The BC Financial Services Authority says BC has no standard commission. GST of 5% is added to the commission, and the buyer pays property transfer tax: 1% of the first $200,000 of the price and 2% of the part from $200,000 to $2,000,000.

Income tax, farms and acreages

The Canada Revenue Agency says you pay no tax on the gain if the house was your principal residence, the home you lived in, for every year you owned it. You still report the sale on your tax return.

The City says agriculture takes up 67% of Chilliwack's land. The Canada Revenue Agency says the land that counts as part of a principal residence is usually limited to half a hectare (1.24 acres), unless you can show that you needed more to use and enjoy the home. See an accountant before you list a farm or an acreage, and read tax when you sell your home. Helping your children buy covers money meant for family.

Moving to Chilliwack from Surrey, Langley or Abbotsford: how large is the price gap?

The City's Official Community Plan says more people move to Chilliwack each year from elsewhere in BC, and it names affordability as one reason.

With the example costs, a Langley house sold and a Chilliwack townhouse bought leaves $820,902. A Chilliwack condo leaves $1,006,440. The table mixes two boards and two months (FVREB, September 2026, and CADREB, August 2026), so use each gap as a guide and ask us for recent sales.

What the move gives up

Answer these with real trips and phone calls before you sell.

• How long is the drive to your children and grandchildren, on a weekday afternoon and after dark in winter rain?
• Will your family doctor keep you as a patient? If you need a new one, the Province's Health Connect Registry is the list for people who need a family doctor or nurse practitioner.
• How would you reach your specialists and your friends if you stopped driving?

Moving east to free up money compares Chilliwack and Mission for owners from Surrey and Langley.

Where are the condos, townhouses and one-level homes in Chilliwack?

City Council adopted a new Official Community Plan, its long-term plan for what may be built on each piece of land, on December 16, 2025. The plan puts most new homes inside a line it calls the Urban Growth Boundary, which contains Chilliwack Proper, Sardis and Vedder.

Land the plan labels Low Rise Residential, in and near the core areas, is for apartment buildings of up to 6 storeys. Mixed Residential land is for houses, duplexes and townhouses of up to 3 storeys.

• Chilliwack Proper. Downtown and the streets around it. Chilliwack General Hospital is here, and the Downtown plan groups seniors' care, medical offices and health services near it, along Mary Street and Hodgins Avenue.
• Sardis. South of Highway 1. It has the largest share of residents aged 65 or older in the table: 32%. The Sardis plan places new apartment buildings in the main shopping area and beside main streets, and new townhouses within a ten-minute walk of shops, parks and transit.
• Vedder. South of Sardis. The South Vedder plan lists detached houses, townhouses, a mobile home park and an apartment building at the south end, close to Garrison Crossing.
• Promontory and the other hillsides. The community plan sends hillside building to Promontory, the Eastern Hillsides, Chilliwack Mountain and Little Mountain, and describes some of that land as generally further from services and transit. At a hillside home, check how steep the street and driveway are, how many steps lead to the door, and how the road is after snow.
• Yarrow, Greendale and Rosedale. The plan limits growth in these rural neighbourhoods. Detached houses are 92%, 94% and 98% of their homes.

A rancher is a house on one level. The City's profiles count ranchers with all other detached houses, so no City figure shows where they are. For sale now: Chilliwack condos, Chilliwack townhouses and Chilliwack houses. Condo, townhouse or rancher compares the three. A strata is the owners' group that runs a condo building or townhouse complex, and each owner pays it a monthly fee: see strata fees on a fixed income.

Is the address on a floodplain?

A floodplain is land a river can cover when it rises. The City of Chilliwack says it has floodplain areas for the Fraser River and the Vedder River, and that portions of Greendale and Yarrow are in both. The City inspects and maintains its dikes, the raised banks that hold a river back.

The Province's dike standard for the Fraser is based on the flood of 1894, the largest on record. The City puts the chance of a flood that size at 1 in 500 in any year, or 0.2%. On the Vedder, it says the larger floods come in fall and winter after heavy rain and give limited warning.

Ask three questions about any address.

1. Is it inside the floodplain? The City's flood protection page has the map.
2. How do you reach the main floor? The Downtown plan says bedrooms and kitchens in the downtown area must be above a set flood level, so ask whether the entry has steps, a ramp or an elevator.
3. What would an insurer cover for flood damage here? Get the answer in writing before your offer becomes final. In a strata, ask about the building's own policy too: see strata insurance.

How would you reach a hospital, a bus and seniors' programs?

Chilliwack General Hospital

Chilliwack General Hospital is at 45600 Menholm Road. Fraser Health, the regional health authority, describes it as a community hospital. The services it lists include emergency and acute care at all hours, general and internal medicine, cardiac care, obstetrics and general surgery.

Buses, handyDART and the bus to SkyTrain

BC Transit runs Chilliwack's buses in partnership with the City. Route 66, the Fraser Valley Express, runs between Downtown Chilliwack and Lougheed Town Centre Station, a SkyTrain station. Its stops include Lickman Park & Ride, Highstreet Exchange and Carvolth Exchange, and its schedule has trips on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

handyDART is BC Transit's door-to-door service for people with a permanent or temporary disability who cannot use regular buses without help. Registration is free and comes first. It runs 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Seniors' centres and leisure centres

In the 2021 Census, 17,670 of the City of Chilliwack's 93,203 residents were aged 65 or older, which is 19.0%.

The City's seniors' centres page lists the Chilliwack Seniors Recreation Centre at 9400 College Street and the Sardis Seniors Activity Centre Society at 5725 Tyson Road. Two of the City's leisure centres have a swimming pool: Cheam Leisure Centre at 45501 Market Way and Chilliwack Landing Leisure Centre at 9145 Corbould Street.

Property tax in Chilliwack: when is it due, and what help is there at 55 and 65?

The home owner grant, from age 65

The home owner grant is a provincial program that lowers the property tax on the home you live in. The City sends every application to the Province. Claim the grant by the due date, even if a mortgage company pays your tax.

The grant is $570, or $845 for an owner aged 65 or older, on a home assessed at $2,075,000 or less in 2026. Those are the amounts the Home Owner Grant Act sets inside the Metro Vancouver, Capital and Fraser Valley regional districts, and Chilliwack is one of the six member municipalities of the Fraser Valley Regional District.

Deferring the tax, from age 55

Deferment is a loan. Under the Province's regular program, an owner aged 55 or older who meets the conditions can have the Province pay the year's property tax. The Province registers a lien, a legal claim for the debt, on the title of the home. On tax deferred for 2026 and later, interest compounds monthly at 2% above the prime rate, so interest is charged on earlier interest.

In the year you sell

The Province says the loan must be repaid in full when the home is sold. The City's notes for sellers say the owner on the due date pays the whole notice, and your lawyer or notary divides the year's tax with the buyer and says who claims the grant. Property tax deferment and the seniors grant has every rule.

Staying in Chilliwack: would Abbotsford or Mission cost less?

Of the six cities we cover, Chilliwack has the lowest house and townhouse benchmarks. One city has a lower condo benchmark: Abbotsford, by $30,800.

Abbotsford's townhouse benchmark of $592,600 is $9,700 above Chilliwack's, and its condo benchmark of $370,200 is $30,800 below. Mission's townhouse benchmark of $618,000 is $35,100 above, and its condo benchmark of $411,500 is $10,500 above. The two sets come from different boards and months (FVREB, September 2026, and CADREB, August 2026), so we suggest you read the smaller gaps as no real difference.

Before you choose another city, drive your weekly trips from the address you are considering.

• Downsizing in AbbotsfordHouse $1,087,000, townhouse $592,600, condo $370,200. FVREB, September 2026.
• Downsizing in MissionHouse $889,200, townhouse $618,000, condo $411,500. FVREB, September 2026.

Every city guide belongs to our Fraser Valley downsizing guide.

Before you buy: age limits and newly built homes

A complex with an age bylaw

The Province says strata corporations can only have age-restriction bylaws that restrict residents to age 55 and older. The Strata Property Act lets the bylaw apply to one or more of the people living in a home, so each complex decides whether one resident or every resident must meet the age, and it can set the age higher than 55. A spouse or partner, children and a live-in caregiver are exempt. Read the bylaws before you offer, and see 55 and over buildings in BC.

Transfer tax on a newly built home

BC's newly built home exemption removes the property transfer tax on a new home worth $1,100,000 or less. You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, move in within 92 days and live there for the rest of the first year. An owner who has bought homes before can use it. At the Chilliwack benchmarks it would save $9,658 on a townhouse and $6,020 on a condo. A builder adds GST to a new home's price, and the Canada Revenue Agency says the sale of a home someone has lived in is generally exempt.

Steps for a Chilliwack owner, and for an owner moving here

1. Ask for a price range through the form on this page. If your house is in another city, say which.
2. Enter that price in the calculator, with your mortgage balance and any deferred property tax.
3. Visit Chilliwack Proper, Sardis, Vedder and Promontory. Time the trip to the hospital and to your family, check each address on the City's floodplain map, and count the steps at every hillside home.
4. See an accountant before you list if your land is larger than half a hectare or you rented out a suite.
5. Repair what a buyer's inspector would report: see getting a 30-year-old house ready to sell.
6. List the house, and ask the Province for the payout amount of any deferment loan. Buy once your sale is firm.

The downsizing checklist sets the steps out month by month.

Questions about downsizing in Chilliwack

What is a house worth in Chilliwack in 2026?

The Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board put the benchmark price of a single-family home at $859,200 in August 2026, 5.8% lower than in August 2025. The figure covers the board's whole area: Chilliwack, Agassiz, Hope, Boston Bar and Harrison. Your own house can sell for more or for less than that typical price.

How much would I keep if I sell my Chilliwack house and buy a townhouse or a condo in the city?

Our example sells a house at the August 2026 benchmark of $859,200, with no mortgage. It takes off an example 3% commission, GST, legal bills, property transfer tax and moving costs. A townhouse bought at $582,900 leaves $228,277. A condo bought at $401,000 leaves $413,815.

How much more is a Surrey or Langley house worth than a Chilliwack townhouse?

In September 2026 the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board put the benchmark house at $1,386,200 in Surrey and $1,471,100 in Langley. The Chilliwack townhouse benchmark was $582,900 in August 2026 (Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board). The gaps are $803,300 and $888,200, before any cost.

Which parts of Chilliwack have the most condos and townhouses?

The City of Chilliwack's neighbourhood profiles, built from the 2021 Census, show apartments as 41% of homes in Chilliwack Proper, which includes downtown, and 28% in Sardis. Townhouses, which the City counts together with duplexes and houses that have a suite, are 41% of homes in Promontory and 32% in Vedder.

Is Chilliwack on a floodplain?

Parts of it are. The City of Chilliwack says it has floodplain areas for the Fraser River and the Vedder River, and that portions of Greendale and Yarrow are in both. The City maintains dikes and publishes a floodplain map. Check the map for any address you consider, and ask an insurer what a policy covers there.

Does Chilliwack have a hospital with a 24-hour emergency department?

Yes. Chilliwack General Hospital is at 45600 Menholm Road and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Fraser Health describes it as a community hospital. The services it lists include emergency and acute care at all hours, general and internal medicine, cardiac care, obstetrics and general surgery.

Is there a bus from Chilliwack to SkyTrain?

Yes. BC Transit's route 66, the Fraser Valley Express, runs between Downtown Chilliwack and Lougheed Town Centre Station, which is a SkyTrain station. Its stops include Lickman Park & Ride, Highstreet Exchange and Carvolth Exchange. The schedule on BC Transit's website has trips on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

When is property tax due in Chilliwack?

In 2026 the City of Chilliwack's due date was July 2. The City adds a 5% penalty to tax still unpaid after that date and a further 5% to tax still unpaid after August 4. An unclaimed home owner grant counts as unpaid tax, so claim the grant from the Province by the due date.

How much is the home owner grant for a senior in Chilliwack?

The grant is $845 for an owner aged 65 or older and $570 for a younger owner, on a home assessed at $2,075,000 or less in 2026. These are the amounts for homes inside the Fraser Valley Regional District, and Chilliwack is one of its six member municipalities.

Does a townhouse or a condo cost less in Chilliwack than in Abbotsford or Mission?

The townhouse benchmark was $582,900 in Chilliwack (Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board, August 2026), $592,600 in Abbotsford and $618,000 in Mission (Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, September 2026). The condo benchmarks were $401,000, $370,200 and $411,500 in the same order. Chilliwack was lowest for a townhouse and Abbotsford was lowest for a condo.

Sources