Nanaimo
University District (Harewood)
Nanaimo's value play — lakes, trails and VIU on your doorstep.
On the map
Boundary is approximate — refined per neighborhood over time.
Pacific Relocation's take
Best dollars-to-lifestyle ratio in Nanaimo — if you time the VIU cycle.
We're candid with clients about Harewood: it's the cheapest sizeable neighbourhood in the city, and the gap between its reputation and its reality is where the value lives. Faculty, grad students, trades crews and first-time renters all land here, a short walk from VIU and an even shorter one from Colliery Dam's swimming holes. The rental market runs on the university calendar — sign in May or June, because by August you're bidding against the entire incoming class. Public elementary ratings are the district's weak point, so we steer school-driven families north or toward independent options. Stock is mostly post-war houses split into suites; quality swings widely, and we walk every placement in person. Micro-location: the blocks west of Wakesiah Avenue toward Colliery Dam are the quietest and leafiest, while Fifth Street near University Village gives you errands without a car.
Lifestyle figures
Best of University District (Harewood) for you
Outdoors / hiking / parks
- Colliery Dam Park0.9 km
Two forest-ringed lakes with swimming holes and trails, built on the bones of the coal era.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - Westwood Lake Park2.6 km
A warm swimming lake with a 6 km loop trail that doubles as the neighbourhood's gym.
Directions ↗Pinned on map
Family-friendly
- Nanaimo Aquatic Centre0.8 km
The city's main pool complex — wave pool, slides and lane swimming on Third Street.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - Harewood Centennial Park0.5 km
Skatepark, bike park, playground and sports fields packed into Harewood's backyard.
Directions ↗Pinned on map
Walkable / key streets
- University Village Shopping Centre0.4 km
Quality Foods, pharmacy and café cluster on Fifth Street that handles the weekly errands on foot.
- Parkway Trail1.0 km
Paved multi-use trail along the Nanaimo Parkway connecting Harewood to lakes and the rest of the trail network.
Directions ↗Pinned on map
To buy (CAD)
| Type | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 440,000 | 535,000 | 685,000 |
| 2 BR | 570,000 | 695,000 | 890,000 |
| 3 BR | 740,000 | 905,000 | 1,160,000 |
Estimated from local rents — placeholder, pending verified sale data.
Rent ranges (CAD)
| Type | Low | Median | High | Δ 12mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 1,500 | 1,650 | 1,850 | ↑ 2.9% |
| 2 BR | 1,900 | 2,150 | 2,450 | ↑ 3.1% |
| 3 BR | 2,450 | 2,800 | 3,200 | ↑ 2.4% |
Source: Rentals.ca + Zumper Q1 2026, refreshed weekly via our rent worker.
Metro market snapshot
CMHC · October 2025Nanaimo metro average across the whole rental stock — typically below current asking, a useful market floor.
Source: CMHC Rental Market Survey, October 2025 (CAD) — purpose-built primary market.
Our advice
Before you sign a lease
- Unauthorized suites are common in Harewood — confirm the suite is registered with the City before signing
- In shared student houses, get utilities, internet and laundry terms itemized in the lease, not promised verbally
- September turnover is brutal: landlords may show occupied units; insist on viewing the actual suite, not a 'similar' one
Pacific Relocation
Want our help finding a place here?
Book a free 30-min Discovery Call with Pacific Relocation.
Last reviewed 2026-06-09.