Living in Heights, Burnaby
Heights grades B overall (76/100), #3 of 20 residential areas in and around Burnaby. Its strongest categories are schools, health care and nature & outdoors; its weakest are road safety.
Heights has about 5,791 home addresses across 6.3 km². Out of 20 residential areas, Heights ranks #6 for families, #6 for seniors and #4 for commuters. It grades A for schools, parks, nature & outdoors, childcare, shops & food, transit, health care, highway access.
Explore Heights on the mapGrades by category
| Category | Grade | What we measured |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | A (98) | Homes within 1 km of a public elementary school and 2 km of a public middle/secondary school |
| Kids at home | C (64) | Share of households that are families with children at home (2021 Census). Used in the Families score only |
| Road safety | D (32) | ICBC-reported crashes per km² per year, 2021–2025 |
| Parks | A (85) | Homes within 400 m of a park, plus 500 m of a playground |
| Nature & outdoors | A (89) | 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 | A (87) | 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 (49) | 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 | A (88) | Homes within 1 km of a grocery store or pharmacy, and 800 m of a café or restaurant |
| Transit | A (82) | Homes within 400 m of a bus stop, and of a stop with 40+ weekday departures |
| Health care | A (93) | Homes within 1.5 km of a walk-in clinic or hospital, and 1 km of a pharmacy |
| Commute time | C (52) | Workers with a commute under 15 minutes, less a penalty for commutes of an hour or more (2021 Census) |
| Highway access | A (80) | Average straight-line distance from homes to the nearest Highway 1 interchange |
Who lives here
About 23,475 people live in Heights (2021 Census), with a median age of 44.4 (city: 41.5). 65.5% of households own their home and 34.6% rent. 34.3% of households are families with children at home, 13.3% of residents are under 15 and 20.4% are 65 or older. 34% of homes are houses and 31% are apartments.
Schools
98.9% of homes are within 1 km of a public elementary school, and 96.3% are within 2 km of a public middle or secondary school. Across Burnaby Schools (School District 41), 95.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Secondary secondary | 74 | 81% proficient in graduation literacy (BC 75%); 56% in graduation numeracy (BC 47%) |
| Confederation Park Elementary elementary | 34 | FSA reading beats 38% of BC schools; FSA math beats 29% |
| Gilmore Community Elementary elementary | 79 | FSA reading beats 79% of BC schools; FSA math beats 79% |
| Rosser Elementary elementary | 46 | FSA reading beats 48% of BC schools; FSA math beats 43% |
| St. Helen's independent elementary | 94 | FSA reading beats 93% of BC schools; FSA math beats 95% |
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
100% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: The Trans Canada Trail, Ocean or tidal shoreline, City of Vancouver Trail, Confederation Park, Willingdon Urban Trail and Capitol Hill Conservation Area. A bike ride away: Central Valley Greenway, Trans Canada Trail, Seymour River, Burnaby Lake Regional Park and Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. A short drive away: Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Sturgeon Bank Wildlife Management Area, Seaside Greenway, Cypress Provincial Park and Fraser River (North Arm).
Parks
12 city parks covering 98.8 hectares. 84.9% of homes are within a five-minute walk (400 m) of a park.
Transit
82 bus stops with 7,180 weekday departures on routes 129, 130, 131, 160, N35, 132, R2, R5, 027, 028, 134. 95.4% of homes are within 400 m of a stop.
Road safety
ICBC recorded 1,916 crashes inside Heights from 2021 to 2025, 578 of them with injuries or deaths.
Garbage day
Monday (zone 1A) for 79.5% of homes; Monday (zone 1B) for 20.5% of homes
Crime
No public crime data exists at the neighbourhood level, so we don't estimate it.
Common questions about Heights
Is Heights a good place to live?
Heights grades B overall (76/100), #3 of 20 residential areas in and around Burnaby. Its strongest categories are schools, health care and nature & outdoors; its weakest are road safety. For families it ranks #6, for seniors #6 and for commuters #4. Grades come from public data only, never from reviews or opinion.
What outdoor spots are near Heights?
100% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: The Trans Canada Trail, Ocean or tidal shoreline, City of Vancouver Trail, Confederation Park, Willingdon Urban Trail and Capitol Hill Conservation Area. A bike ride away: Central Valley Greenway, Trans Canada Trail, Seymour River, Burnaby Lake Regional Park and Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. A short drive away: Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Sturgeon Bank Wildlife Management Area, Seaside Greenway, Cypress Provincial Park and Fraser River (North Arm). Nature & outdoors grades A.
What schools are in Heights?
Public schools inside the boundary: Alpha Secondary, Confederation Park Elementary, Gilmore Community Elementary, Rosser Elementary, St. Helen's. 98.9% of homes are within 1 km of an elementary school. Check catchments with Burnaby Schools (School District 41).
Are the schools in Heights good?
On provincial tests, St. Helen's beats 94% of BC schools, Gilmore Community Elementary beats 79% of BC schools, Alpha Secondary beats 74% of BC schools, Rosser Elementary beats 46% of BC schools and Confederation Park Elementary beats 34% of BC schools (FSA 2023/2024–2025/2026, graduation assessments 2022/2023–2024/2025). SD41 graduates 95.4% 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 Heights?
About 23,475 people (2021 Census), with a median age of 44.4. 65.5% of households own their home.
Is there good transit in Heights?
95.4% of homes are within 400 m of a bus stop; 82 stops get 7,180 TransLink departures on a weekday. Transit grades A.
What day is garbage pickup in Heights?
Monday (zone 1A) for 79.5% of homes; Monday (zone 1B) for 20.5% of homes, on the City curbside schedule.
Compare Burnaby neighbourhoods
Best overall · Best for families with young kids · Best for seniors and retirees · Best for commuters
- Royal Oak B · 78
- Brentwood B · 77
- Garden Village B · 76
- South Slope B · 75
- East Burnaby B · 75
- Edmonds B · 74
- Montecito B · 74
- Lochdale B · 73
- Metrotown B · 73
- Broadview B · 72
- Holdom B · 71
- Lougheed B · 70
- Buckingham Heights B · 67
- Deer Lake B · 66
- Big Bend C · 60
- Lake City C · 59
- Bainbridge C · 57
- Burnaby Mountain C · 54
- Central Valley C · 54
Data last built 2026-11-06. How these grades are calculated