Farm-Class Assessment on Denman

Aggregate analysis of public data. "DenmanValue" and estimated tax are our calculations from a stated methodology — not appraisals or tax bills. Property classification is not published by BC Assessment; the parcels counted here are inferred from public data and the count is an estimate.

Under the BC Assessment Act, land used for farming can be classified as Class 9 (Farm) and assessed at agricultural-productivity value rather than market value. It is a provincial program with a public purpose — keeping farmland in production — that also shifts a share of the local tax base. Across the 53 Denman parcels whose records show an assessment pattern consistent with Class 9, the total assessed value is $44,312,488 versus our market estimate of $183,387,291.

If these parcels were assessed at our DenmanValue market estimates and taxed at the standard 2025 residential rate, the additional tax would total approximately $645,435/yr. This amount is foregone under the current farm-class framework. The framework exists in provincial law to support agriculture; whether its current implementation serves that goal well is a matter of ongoing policy debate.

This page presents aggregate analysis, not statements about individual properties; many of these parcels are genuine working farms. Actual farm income is confidential and held by BC Assessment. More island data. Spotted an error in the underlying data? Report a correction.