Bowen Island neighbourhood scores
Living in Bowen Bay & The Valley, Bowen Island
Bowen Bay & The Valley grades D overall (38/100), #3 of 4 residential areas in and around Bowen Island. Its strongest categories are nature & outdoors, road safety and parks; its weakest are childcare and schools.
Bowen Bay & The Valley has about 572 home addresses across 20.9 km². Out of 4 residential areas, Bowen Bay & The Valley ranks #3 for families, #3 for seniors and #3 for commuters. It grades A for road safety, nature & outdoors.
Explore Bowen Bay & The Valley on the mapGrades by category
| Category | Grade | What we measured |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | E (5) | Homes within 1 km of a public elementary school and 2 km of a public middle/secondary school |
| Kids at home | D (39) | Share of households that are families with children at home (2021 Census). Used in the Families score only |
| Road safety | A (93) | ICBC-reported crashes per km² per year, 2021–2025 |
| Parks | B (67) | Homes within 400 m of a park, plus 500 m of a playground |
| Nature & outdoors | A (96) | How close homes are to a trail, natural area or shoreline the public can reach, to a bigger one for a bike ride (a river, lake or long trail), and to a major destination for a drive (a big lake, large park or the ocean) |
| Childcare | E (4) | Homes within 800 m of a licensed group centre or preschool, and 1 km of care for under-3s (home daycares alone don’t count) |
| Quiet streets | C (58) | How close homes are to traffic: right beside a highway counts most, fading out by 300 m; arterial roads fade out by 150 m and collector roads by 100 m (OpenStreetMap road types) |
| Shops & food | E (9) | Homes within 1 km of a grocery store or pharmacy, and 800 m of a café or restaurant |
| Transit | D (26) | Homes within 400 m of a bus stop, and of a stop with 40+ weekday departures |
| Health care | E (8) | Homes within 1.5 km of a walk-in clinic or hospital, and 1 km of a pharmacy |
| Commute time | C (47) | Workers with a commute under 15 minutes, less a penalty for commutes of an hour or more (2021 Census) |
| Highway access | E (10) | Average straight-line distance from homes to the nearest Highway 1, by ferry from Snug Cove interchange |
Who lives here
About 1,055 people live in Bowen Bay & The Valley (2021 Census), with a median age of 51.6 (city: 49.9). 80.2% of households own their home and 19.8% rent. 26.7% of households are families with children at home, 13.2% of residents are under 15 and 28.8% are 65 or older. 83% of homes are houses and 10% are apartments.
Schools
7.2% of homes are within 1 km of a public elementary school, and 0% are within 2 km of a public middle or secondary school. Across West Vancouver Schools (School District 45), 100% of students graduate within six years of starting Grade 8 (BC: 92.5%, 2024/2025); the Province doesn't publish this for single schools.
| School | Beats % of BC schools | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Bowen Island Community School elementary | 85 | FSA reading beats 90% of BC schools; FSA math beats 80% |
| Island Pacific School independent middle | 89 | FSA reading beats 95% of BC schools; FSA math beats 82% |
Provincial test results (FSA 2023/2024–2025/2026, graduation assessments 2022/2023–2024/2025) compared with every BC school. They don't count toward any grade, because scores follow family income closely. How we work these out.
Nature & outdoors
99.7% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Mount Gardner Recreation Site, Ocean or tidal shoreline, Crippen Regional Park, King Edward Bay Neighbourhood Beach, Clipper Place Neighbourhood Beach and X̱éĺa7an (Crayola/Bluewater Beach). A bike ride away: Art Rennison Nature Park, Bowen Bay Community Beach, Tunstall Bay Community Beach, Tunstall Bay Community Beach and Conservation Lands at Cape Roger Curtis. A short drive away: Halkett Bay Marine Provincial Park, Sturgeon Bank Wildlife Management Area, The Trans Canada Trail, Pacific Spirit Regional Park and Baden Powell Trail.
Parks
13 city parks covering 962.6 hectares. 83.6% of homes are within a five-minute walk (400 m) of a park.
Transit
10 bus stops with 131 weekday departures on routes 280, 281. 51.6% of homes are within 400 m of a stop.
Road safety
ICBC recorded 54 crashes inside Bowen Bay & The Valley from 2021 to 2025, 10 of them with injuries or deaths.
Crime
No public crime data exists at the neighbourhood level, so we don't estimate it.
Common questions about Bowen Bay & The Valley
Is Bowen Bay & The Valley a good place to live?
Bowen Bay & The Valley grades D overall (38/100), #3 of 4 residential areas in and around Bowen Island. Its strongest categories are nature & outdoors, road safety and parks; its weakest are childcare and schools. For families it ranks #3, for seniors #3 and for commuters #3. Grades come from public data only, never from reviews or opinion.
What outdoor spots are near Bowen Bay & The Valley?
99.7% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Mount Gardner Recreation Site, Ocean or tidal shoreline, Crippen Regional Park, King Edward Bay Neighbourhood Beach, Clipper Place Neighbourhood Beach and X̱éĺa7an (Crayola/Bluewater Beach). A bike ride away: Art Rennison Nature Park, Bowen Bay Community Beach, Tunstall Bay Community Beach, Tunstall Bay Community Beach and Conservation Lands at Cape Roger Curtis. A short drive away: Halkett Bay Marine Provincial Park, Sturgeon Bank Wildlife Management Area, The Trans Canada Trail, Pacific Spirit Regional Park and Baden Powell Trail. Nature & outdoors grades A.
What schools are in Bowen Bay & The Valley?
Public schools inside the boundary: Bowen Island Community School, Island Pacific School. 7.2% of homes are within 1 km of an elementary school. Check catchments with West Vancouver Schools (School District 45).
Are the schools in Bowen Bay & The Valley good?
On provincial tests, Island Pacific School beats 89% of BC schools and Bowen Island Community School beats 85% of BC schools (FSA 2023/2024–2025/2026, graduation assessments 2022/2023–2024/2025). SD45 graduates 100% of students within six years (BC 92.5%). Test scores follow family income closely, so visit and talk to the school too.
How many people live in Bowen Bay & The Valley?
About 1,055 people (2021 Census), with a median age of 51.6. 80.2% of households own their home.
Is there good transit in Bowen Bay & The Valley?
51.6% of homes are within 400 m of a bus stop; 10 stops get 131 TransLink departures on a weekday. Transit grades D.
Compare Bowen Island neighbourhoods
Best overall · Best for families with young kids · Best for seniors and retirees · Best for commuters
- Snug Cove & Cates Hill C · 55
- Hood Point & Eagle Cliff D · 44
- Tunstall Bay & Cape Roger Curtis D · 28
Data last built 2026-11-06. How these grades are calculated