Port Coquitlam neighbourhood scores
Living in Birchland & Riverwood, Port Coquitlam
Birchland & Riverwood grades B overall (71/100), #2 of 10 residential areas in and around Port Coquitlam. Its strongest categories are health care, schools and childcare; its weakest are highway access and road safety.
Birchland & Riverwood has about 1,345 home addresses across 3.2 km². Out of 10 residential areas, Birchland & Riverwood ranks #5 for families, #2 for seniors and #4 for commuters. It grades A for schools, kids at home, parks, nature & outdoors, childcare, shops & food, transit, health care.
Explore Birchland & Riverwood on the mapGrades by category
| Category | Grade | What we measured |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | A (96) | 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 (26) | ICBC-reported crashes per km² per year, 2021–2025 |
| Parks | A (89) | Homes within 400 m of a park, plus 500 m of a playground |
| Nature & outdoors | A (88) | 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 (95) | 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 (28) | 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 (93) | Homes within 1 km of a grocery store or pharmacy, and 800 m of a café or restaurant |
| Transit | A (91) | Homes within 400 m of a bus stop, and of a stop with 40+ weekday departures |
| Health care | A (99) | Homes within 1.5 km of a walk-in clinic or hospital, and 1 km of a pharmacy |
| Commute time | C (62) | Workers with a commute under 15 minutes, less a penalty for commutes of an hour or more (2021 Census) |
| Highway access | E (15) | Average straight-line distance from homes to the nearest Highway 1 interchange |
Who lives here
About 7,045 people live in Birchland & Riverwood (2021 Census), with a median age of 41.4 (city: 42.3). 75.5% of households own their home and 24.5% rent. 51.8% of households are families with children at home, 16.8% of residents are under 15 and 15.2% are 65 or older. 46% of homes are houses and 5% are apartments.
Schools
94.2% 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 School District 43 (Coquitlam), 97.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Birchland Elementary elementary | 33 | FSA reading beats 24% of BC schools; FSA math beats 41% |
| Cedar Drive Elementary elementary | 27 | FSA reading beats 26% of BC schools; FSA math beats 27% |
| Terry Fox Secondary secondary | 46 | 69% proficient in graduation literacy (BC 75%); 46% in graduation numeracy (BC 47%) |
| Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary independent secondary | 89 | 92% proficient in graduation literacy (BC 75%); 68% in graduation numeracy (BC 47%) |
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
99.4% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: The Trans Canada Trail, Hyde Creek Nature Reserve, Traboulay PoCo Trail, Poco Trail/TCT and Greg Moore Trail. A bike ride away: ƛ̓éxətəm Regional Park, Coquitlam River, Trans Canada Trail, Pitt River and Alouette River. A short drive away: BC Parkway, Central Valley Greenway, Ocean or tidal shoreline, Fraser River (North Arm) and Deer Lake Park.
Parks
5 city parks covering 8.6 hectares. 90.7% of homes are within a five-minute walk (400 m) of a park.
Transit
27 bus stops with 2,161 weekday departures on routes 171, 172, 173, 188, 701, R3. 90.6% of homes are within 400 m of a stop.
Road safety
ICBC recorded 1,415 crashes inside Birchland & Riverwood from 2021 to 2025, 496 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 Birchland & Riverwood
Is Birchland & Riverwood a good place to live?
Birchland & Riverwood grades B overall (71/100), #2 of 10 residential areas in and around Port Coquitlam. Its strongest categories are health care, schools and childcare; its weakest are highway access and road safety. For families it ranks #5, for seniors #2 and for commuters #4. Grades come from public data only, never from reviews or opinion.
What outdoor spots are near Birchland & Riverwood?
99.4% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: The Trans Canada Trail, Hyde Creek Nature Reserve, Traboulay PoCo Trail, Poco Trail/TCT and Greg Moore Trail. A bike ride away: ƛ̓éxətəm Regional Park, Coquitlam River, Trans Canada Trail, Pitt River and Alouette River. A short drive away: BC Parkway, Central Valley Greenway, Ocean or tidal shoreline, Fraser River (North Arm) and Deer Lake Park. Nature & outdoors grades A.
What schools are in Birchland & Riverwood?
Public schools inside the boundary: Birchland Elementary, Cedar Drive Elementary, Terry Fox Secondary, Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary. 94.2% of homes are within 1 km of an elementary school. Check catchments with School District 43 (Coquitlam).
Are the schools in Birchland & Riverwood good?
On provincial tests, Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary beats 89% of BC schools, Terry Fox Secondary beats 46% of BC schools, Birchland Elementary beats 33% of BC schools and Cedar Drive Elementary beats 27% of BC schools (FSA 2023/2024–2025/2026, graduation assessments 2022/2023–2024/2025). SD43 graduates 97.3% 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 Birchland & Riverwood?
About 7,045 people (2021 Census), with a median age of 41.4. 75.5% of households own their home.
Is there good transit in Birchland & Riverwood?
90.6% of homes are within 400 m of a bus stop; 27 stops get 2,161 TransLink departures on a weekday. Transit grades A.
Compare Port Coquitlam neighbourhoods
Best overall · Best for families with young kids · Best for seniors and retirees · Best for commuters
- Central Park & Gates Park B · 72
- Westwood & Lions Park B · 67
- James Park & Wellington B · 66
- Lincoln Park & Sun Valley C · 63
- Mary Hill C · 61
- Citadel Heights C · 61
- Blakeburn C · 57
- Cameron Park & Kilmer C · 56
- Downtown Port Coquitlam C · 54
Data last built 2026-11-06. How these grades are calculated