Living in Guisachan, Kelowna
Guisachan grades B overall (76/100), #7 of 27 residential areas in and around Kelowna. Its strongest categories are childcare, health care and commute time; its weakest are quiet streets and road safety.
Guisachan has about 1,019 home addresses across 1.5 km². Out of 27 residential areas, Guisachan ranks #13 for families, #10 for seniors and #10 for commuters. It grades A for schools, parks, childcare, shops & food, health care, commute time, highway access.
Explore Guisachan 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 | E (16) | Share of households that are families with children at home (2021 Census). Used in the Families score only |
| Road safety | D (25) | 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 | B (78) | 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 | E (11) | 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 (81) | Homes within 1 km of a grocery store or pharmacy, and 800 m of a café or restaurant |
| Transit | B (66) | Homes within 400 m of a bus stop, and of a stop with 40+ weekday departures |
| Health care | A (100) | Homes within 1.5 km of a walk-in clinic or hospital, and 1 km of a pharmacy |
| Commute time | A (100) | Workers with a commute under 15 minutes, less a penalty for commutes of an hour or more (2021 Census) |
| Highway access | A (89) | Average straight-line distance from homes to the nearest Highway 97 or 33 interchange |
Who lives here
About 5,055 people live in Guisachan (2021 Census), with a median age of 49.8 (city: 43.5). 62.4% of households own their home and 38% rent. 19.7% of households are families with children at home, 9.6% of residents are under 15 and 29.6% are 65 or older. 33% of homes are houses and 36% are apartments.
Schools
97.1% of homes are within 1 km of a public elementary school, and 100% are within 2 km of a public middle or secondary school. Across Central Okanagan Public Schools (School District 23), 96% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| A S Matheson Elementary elementary | 31 | FSA reading beats 36% of BC schools; FSA math beats 26% |
| Central Secondary secondary | – | Too few students to publish |
| St Joseph Elementary School independent elementary | 72 | FSA reading beats 79% of BC schools; FSA math beats 64% |
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
87% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Okanagan Lake, Abbott Street Conservation Area, Marshall Street Conservation Area, Abbott Street Recreation Corridor and Casorso ATC. A bike ride away: Mission Creek, Okanagan Rail Trail, Knox Mountain Park, Rose Valley Regional Park and Tugboat Bay Beach. A short drive away: Telemark Cross-Country Ski Trails Recreation Site, Bear Creek Recreation Site, Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park, Kettle Valley Rail Trail and Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park.
Parks
3 city parks covering 2.4 hectares. 93.3% of homes are within a five-minute walk (400 m) of a park.
Transit
16 bus stops with 643 weekday departures on routes 5, 8, 11. 85.4% of homes are within 400 m of a stop.
Road safety
ICBC recorded 693 crashes inside Guisachan from 2021 to 2025, 273 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 Guisachan
Is Guisachan a good place to live?
Guisachan grades B overall (76/100), #7 of 27 residential areas in and around Kelowna. Its strongest categories are childcare, health care and commute time; its weakest are quiet streets and road safety. For families it ranks #13, for seniors #10 and for commuters #10. Grades come from public data only, never from reviews or opinion.
What outdoor spots are near Guisachan?
87% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Okanagan Lake, Abbott Street Conservation Area, Marshall Street Conservation Area, Abbott Street Recreation Corridor and Casorso ATC. A bike ride away: Mission Creek, Okanagan Rail Trail, Knox Mountain Park, Rose Valley Regional Park and Tugboat Bay Beach. A short drive away: Telemark Cross-Country Ski Trails Recreation Site, Bear Creek Recreation Site, Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park, Kettle Valley Rail Trail and Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park. Nature & outdoors grades B.
What schools are in Guisachan?
Public schools inside the boundary: A S Matheson Elementary, Central Secondary, St Joseph Elementary School. 97.1% of homes are within 1 km of an elementary school. Check catchments with Central Okanagan Public Schools (School District 23).
Are the schools in Guisachan good?
On provincial tests, St Joseph Elementary School beats 72% of BC schools and A S Matheson Elementary beats 31% of BC schools (FSA 2023/2024–2025/2026, graduation assessments 2022/2023–2024/2025). SD23 graduates 96% 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 Guisachan?
About 5,055 people (2021 Census), with a median age of 49.8. 62.4% of households own their home.
Is there good transit in Guisachan?
85.4% of homes are within 400 m of a bus stop; 16 stops get 643 BC Transit departures on a weekday. Transit grades B.
Compare Kelowna neighbourhoods
Best overall · Best for families with young kids · Best for seniors and retirees · Best for commuters
- South Pandosy A · 85
- Martin Park A · 80
- Bankhead B · 79
- Stillingfleet & Pacific Court B · 79
- Capri & Parkinson B · 78
- Rutland B · 77
- KLO & Cameron Park B · 75
- Glenmore B · 74
- Abbott Street B · 73
- South Glenmore B · 73
- Belgo B · 72
- Mission Shores & Casorso B · 72
- North Rutland B · 70
- Downtown Kelowna B · 69
- Hollywood & Quigley B · 67
- North End B · 65
- Fitzpatrick & Findlay B · 65
- Lower Mission C · 58
- Midtown & Orchard Park C · 57
- Dilworth & Quail Ridge C · 54
- Upper Mission & Kettle Valley C · 51
- Black Mountain C · 47
- Wilden & McKinley Landing C · 46
- Crawford & East Kelowna C · 46
- Postill & Tower Ranch D · 42
- Southeast Kelowna D · 41
Data last built 2026-11-06. How these grades are calculated