Living in Montecito, Burnaby
Montecito grades B overall (74/100), #8 of 20 residential areas in and around Burnaby. Its strongest categories are childcare, parks and schools.
Montecito has about 2,051 home addresses across 3.5 km². Out of 20 residential areas, Montecito ranks #1 for families, #12 for seniors and #6 for commuters. It grades A for schools, kids at home, parks, nature & outdoors, childcare, transit.
Explore Montecito on the mapGrades by category
| Category | Grade | What we measured |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | A (89) | Homes within 1 km of a public elementary school and 2 km of a public middle/secondary school |
| Kids at home | A (82) | Share of households that are families with children at home (2021 Census). Used in the Families score only |
| Road safety | C (49) | ICBC-reported crashes per km² per year, 2021–2025 |
| Parks | A (94) | 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 (100) | 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 | B (72) | Homes within 1 km of a grocery store or pharmacy, and 800 m of a café or restaurant |
| Transit | A (80) | Homes within 400 m of a bus stop, and of a stop with 40+ weekday departures |
| Health care | C (53) | Homes within 1.5 km of a walk-in clinic or hospital, and 1 km of a pharmacy |
| Commute time | C (48) | Workers with a commute under 15 minutes, less a penalty for commutes of an hour or more (2021 Census) |
| Highway access | B (78) | Average straight-line distance from homes to the nearest Highway 1 interchange |
Who lives here
About 10,970 people live in Montecito (2021 Census), with a median age of 44.5 (city: 41.5). 62% of households own their home and 37.8% rent. 39.7% of households are families with children at home, 14.8% of residents are under 15 and 20.5% are 65 or older. 34% of homes are houses and 35% are apartments.
Schools
92.4% of homes are within 1 km of a public elementary school, and 83.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lochdale Community Elementary elementary | 76 | FSA reading beats 69% of BC schools; FSA math beats 82% |
| Sperling Elementary elementary | 80 | FSA reading beats 74% of BC schools; FSA math beats 86% |
| Montecito Elementary elementary | 78 | FSA reading beats 80% of BC schools; FSA math beats 76% |
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: Burnaby Lake Regional Park, Central Valley Greenway, Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area, The Trans Canada Trail, Burnaby Mountain Urban Trail and Brunette-Fraser Regional Greenway. A bike ride away: Trans Canada Trail, Ocean or tidal shoreline, Deer Lake Park, təmtəmíxʷtən/Belcarra Regional Park and Mount Seymour Provincial Park. A short drive away: Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Seaside Greenway, Fraser River (North Arm), Cypress Provincial Park and Baden Powell Trail.
Parks
7 city parks covering 17.4 hectares. 95.8% of homes are within a five-minute walk (400 m) of a park.
Transit
49 bus stops with 2,272 weekday departures on routes 134, 136, 144. 99.4% of homes are within 400 m of a stop.
Road safety
ICBC recorded 356 crashes inside Montecito from 2021 to 2025, 107 of them with injuries or deaths.
Garbage day
Tuesday (zone 2A) for 100% of homes
Crime
No public crime data exists at the neighbourhood level, so we don't estimate it.
Common questions about Montecito
Is Montecito a good place to live?
Montecito grades B overall (74/100), #8 of 20 residential areas in and around Burnaby. Its strongest categories are childcare, parks and schools. For families it ranks #1, for seniors #12 and for commuters #6. Grades come from public data only, never from reviews or opinion.
What outdoor spots are near Montecito?
100% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Burnaby Lake Regional Park, Central Valley Greenway, Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area, The Trans Canada Trail, Burnaby Mountain Urban Trail and Brunette-Fraser Regional Greenway. A bike ride away: Trans Canada Trail, Ocean or tidal shoreline, Deer Lake Park, təmtəmíxʷtən/Belcarra Regional Park and Mount Seymour Provincial Park. A short drive away: Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Seaside Greenway, Fraser River (North Arm), Cypress Provincial Park and Baden Powell Trail. Nature & outdoors grades A.
What schools are in Montecito?
Public schools inside the boundary: Lochdale Community Elementary, Sperling Elementary, Montecito Elementary. 92.4% of homes are within 1 km of an elementary school. Check catchments with Burnaby Schools (School District 41).
Are the schools in Montecito good?
On provincial tests, Sperling Elementary beats 80% of BC schools, Montecito Elementary beats 78% of BC schools and Lochdale Community Elementary beats 76% 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 Montecito?
About 10,970 people (2021 Census), with a median age of 44.5. 62% of households own their home.
Is there good transit in Montecito?
99.4% of homes are within 400 m of a bus stop; 49 stops get 2,272 TransLink departures on a weekday. Transit grades A.
What day is garbage pickup in Montecito?
Tuesday (zone 2A) for 100% 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
- Heights B · 76
- Garden Village B · 76
- South Slope B · 75
- East Burnaby B · 75
- Edmonds 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