Living in Thompson, Richmond
Thompson grades B overall (72/100), #5 of 13 residential areas in and around Richmond. Its strongest categories are schools, health care and parks; its weakest are road safety.
Thompson has about 2,848 home addresses across 4.4 km². Out of 13 residential areas, Thompson ranks #4 for families, #5 for seniors and #10 for commuters. It grades A for schools, kids at home, parks, nature & outdoors, health care.
Explore Thompson 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 (82) | Share of households that are families with children at home (2021 Census). Used in the Families score only |
| Road safety | D (37) | ICBC-reported crashes per km² per year, 2021–2025 |
| Parks | A (91) | Homes within 400 m of a park, plus 500 m of a playground |
| Nature & outdoors | A (86) | 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 (70) | 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 (47) | 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 (73) | Homes within 1 km of a grocery store or pharmacy, and 800 m of a café or restaurant |
| Transit | B (76) | Homes within 400 m of a bus stop, and of a stop with 40+ weekday departures |
| Health care | A (94) | Homes within 1.5 km of a walk-in clinic or hospital, and 1 km of a pharmacy |
| Commute time | C (63) | Workers with a commute under 15 minutes, less a penalty for commutes of an hour or more (2021 Census) |
| Highway access | C (52) | Average straight-line distance from homes to the nearest Highway 99 or 91 interchange |
Who lives here
About 17,200 people live in Thompson (2021 Census), with a median age of 43.3 (city: 44.2). 74.2% of households own their home and 25.8% rent. 39.5% of households are families with children at home, 14.1% of residents are under 15 and 18.4% are 65 or older. 36% of homes are houses and 39% are apartments.
Schools
100% of homes are within 1 km of a public elementary school, and 99.7% are within 2 km of a public middle or secondary school. Across Richmond School District (School District 38), 98.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| James Thompson Elementary elementary | 85 | FSA reading beats 77% of BC schools; FSA math beats 92% |
| Samuel Brighouse Elementary elementary | 80 | FSA reading beats 76% of BC schools; FSA math beats 83% |
| J.N. Burnett Secondary secondary | 73 | 78% proficient in graduation literacy (BC 75%); 61% in graduation numeracy (BC 47%) |
| Archibald Blair Elementary elementary | 93 | FSA reading beats 91% of BC schools; FSA math beats 94% |
| Spul'u'kwuks Elementary elementary | 93 | FSA reading beats 92% of BC schools; FSA math beats 94% |
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: Sturgeon Bank Wildlife Management Area, Middle Arm Trail, West Dyke Trail, Morey Channel, Railway Greenway and Terra Nova Rural Park. A bike ride away: Ocean or tidal shoreline, Fraser River (North Arm), South Arm Fraser River, Garden City Lands and Arbutus Greenway. A short drive away: Roberts Bank Wildlife Management Area, Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Seaside Greenway, George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary and The Trans Canada Trail.
Parks
12 city parks covering 65.3 hectares. 94.3% of homes are within a five-minute walk (400 m) of a park.
Transit
27 bus stops with 1,985 weekday departures on routes 401, 406, 407, 414. 76.4% of homes are within 400 m of a stop.
Road safety
ICBC recorded 972 crashes inside Thompson from 2021 to 2025, 328 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 Thompson
Is Thompson a good place to live?
Thompson grades B overall (72/100), #5 of 13 residential areas in and around Richmond. Its strongest categories are schools, health care and parks; its weakest are road safety. For families it ranks #4, for seniors #5 and for commuters #10. Grades come from public data only, never from reviews or opinion.
What outdoor spots are near Thompson?
100% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Sturgeon Bank Wildlife Management Area, Middle Arm Trail, West Dyke Trail, Morey Channel, Railway Greenway and Terra Nova Rural Park. A bike ride away: Ocean or tidal shoreline, Fraser River (North Arm), South Arm Fraser River, Garden City Lands and Arbutus Greenway. A short drive away: Roberts Bank Wildlife Management Area, Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Seaside Greenway, George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary and The Trans Canada Trail. Nature & outdoors grades A.
What schools are in Thompson?
Public schools inside the boundary: James Thompson Elementary, Samuel Brighouse Elementary, J.N. Burnett Secondary, Archibald Blair Elementary, Spul'u'kwuks Elementary. 100% of homes are within 1 km of an elementary school. Check catchments with Richmond School District (School District 38).
Are the schools in Thompson good?
On provincial tests, Archibald Blair Elementary beats 93% of BC schools, Spul'u'kwuks Elementary beats 93% of BC schools, James Thompson Elementary beats 85% of BC schools, Samuel Brighouse Elementary beats 80% of BC schools and J.N. Burnett Secondary beats 73% of BC schools (FSA 2023/2024–2025/2026, graduation assessments 2022/2023–2024/2025). SD38 graduates 98.7% 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 Thompson?
About 17,200 people (2021 Census), with a median age of 43.3. 74.2% of households own their home.
Is there good transit in Thompson?
76.4% of homes are within 400 m of a bus stop; 27 stops get 1,985 TransLink departures on a weekday. Transit grades B.
Compare Richmond neighbourhoods
Best overall · Best for families with young kids · Best for seniors and retirees · Best for commuters
- Broadmoor B · 74
- West Cambie B · 74
- Steveston B · 73
- East Cambie B · 73
- Blundell B · 71
- Shellmont B · 69
- City Centre B · 68
- Seafair B · 67
- Bridgeport C · 64
- Sea Island C · 61
- Gilmore C · 51
- East Richmond D · 43
Data last built 2026-11-06. How these grades are calculated