North Vancouver neighbourhood scores
Living in Highlands, North Vancouver
Highlands grades A overall (81/100), #4 of 40 residential areas in and around North Vancouver. Its strongest categories are schools, health care and parks; its weakest are road safety and quiet streets.
Highlands has about 982 home addresses across 1.3 km². Out of 40 residential areas, Highlands ranks #21 for families, #6 for seniors and #2 for commuters. It grades A for schools, kids at home, parks, nature & outdoors, shops & food, transit, health care, commute time, highway access.
Explore Highlands on the mapGrades by category
| Category | Grade | What we measured |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | A (100) | Homes within 1 km of a public elementary school and 2 km of a public middle/secondary school |
| Kids at home | A (100) | Share of households that are families with children at home (2021 Census). Used in the Families score only |
| Road safety | D (39) | 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 (92) | 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 | B (73) | 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 | D (40) | 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 (92) | Homes within 1 km of a grocery store or pharmacy, and 800 m of a café or restaurant |
| Transit | A (93) | Homes within 400 m of a bus stop, and of a stop with 40+ weekday departures |
| Health care | A (98) | Homes within 1.5 km of a walk-in clinic or hospital, and 1 km of a pharmacy |
| Commute time | A (85) | 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 1 interchange |
Who lives here
About 3,400 people live in Highlands (2021 Census), with a median age of 45.1 (city: 44.1). 72.8% of households own their home and 26.4% rent. 47.5% of households are families with children at home, 18.6% of residents are under 15 and 19.9% are 65 or older. 67% of homes are houses and 15% are apartments.
Schools
100% 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 North Vancouver School District (School District 44), 98.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Highlands Elementary elementary | 90 | FSA reading beats 90% of BC schools; FSA math beats 90% |
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, Capilano River, Capilano River Regional Park, Mosquito Creek Park, Mosquito Creek Trail and Mackay Creek Trail. A bike ride away: Ocean or tidal shoreline, Trans Canada Trail, Baden Powell Trail, Gvwd Capilano Watershed and Capilano Lake. A short drive away: Crippen Regional Park, Halkett Bay Marine Provincial Park, Sturgeon Bank Wildlife Management Area, Pacific Spirit Regional Park and Cypress Provincial Park.
Parks
2 city parks covering 0.7 hectares. 94.8% of homes are within a five-minute walk (400 m) of a park.
Transit
18 bus stops with 933 weekday departures on routes 232, 246. 97.7% of homes are within 400 m of a stop.
Road safety
ICBC recorded 262 crashes inside Highlands from 2021 to 2025, 47 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 Highlands
Is Highlands a good place to live?
Highlands grades A overall (81/100), #4 of 40 residential areas in and around North Vancouver. Its strongest categories are schools, health care and parks; its weakest are road safety and quiet streets. For families it ranks #21, for seniors #6 and for commuters #2. Grades come from public data only, never from reviews or opinion.
What outdoor spots are near Highlands?
100% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: The Trans Canada Trail, Capilano River, Capilano River Regional Park, Mosquito Creek Park, Mosquito Creek Trail and Mackay Creek Trail. A bike ride away: Ocean or tidal shoreline, Trans Canada Trail, Baden Powell Trail, Gvwd Capilano Watershed and Capilano Lake. A short drive away: Crippen Regional Park, Halkett Bay Marine Provincial Park, Sturgeon Bank Wildlife Management Area, Pacific Spirit Regional Park and Cypress Provincial Park. Nature & outdoors grades A.
What schools are in Highlands?
Public schools inside the boundary: Highlands Elementary. 100% of homes are within 1 km of an elementary school. Check catchments with North Vancouver School District (School District 44).
Are the schools in Highlands good?
On provincial tests, Highlands Elementary beats 90% of BC schools (FSA 2023/2024–2025/2026, graduation assessments 2022/2023–2024/2025). SD44 graduates 98.5% 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 Highlands?
About 3,400 people (2021 Census), with a median age of 45.1. 72.8% of households own their home.
Is there good transit in Highlands?
97.7% of homes are within 400 m of a bus stop; 18 stops get 933 TransLink departures on a weekday. Transit grades A.
Compare North Vancouver neighbourhoods
Best overall · Best for families with young kids · Best for seniors and retirees · Best for commuters
- Upper West Lynn A · 86
- Pemberton Heights A · 84
- Boundary A · 81
- Lynn Canyon A · 81
- Valley Centre A · 81
- Norgate A · 80
- West Lynn Terrace A · 80
- Indian River B · 79
- Lower Capilano Marine B · 77
- Capilano B · 76
- Central Lynn B · 76
- Delbrook B · 76
- Handsworth B · 76
- Keith Lynn B · 76
- Riverside West B · 76
- Kirkstone B · 76
- Norwood Queens B · 75
- City of North Vancouver B · 75
- Carisbrooke B · 74
- Canyon Heights B · 73
- Lions Gate B · 73
- Cleveland B · 70
- Lynnmour South B · 70
- Upper Lynn B · 70
- Deep Cove B · 69
- Grousewoods B · 69
- Lower West Lynn B · 67
- Blueridge B · 66
- Cove Cliff B · 66
- Dollarton B · 66
- Parkway B · 66
- McCartney Woods C · 64
- Seymour Heights C · 64
- Riverside East C · 63
- Maplewood C · 62
- Upper Delbrook C · 62
- Windsor Park C · 58
- Braemar C · 56
- Indian Arm Communities D · 32
Data last built 2026-11-06. How these grades are calculated