Living in Garibaldi Highlands, Squamish
Garibaldi Highlands grades C overall (62/100), #9 of 15 residential areas in and around Squamish. Its strongest categories are parks, highway access and quiet streets; its weakest are shops & food and health care.
Garibaldi Highlands has about 1,059 home addresses across 2.3 km². Out of 15 residential areas, Garibaldi Highlands ranks #4 for families, #12 for seniors and #12 for commuters. It grades A for kids at home, parks, quiet streets, highway access.
Explore Garibaldi Highlands on the mapGrades by category
| Category | Grade | What we measured |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | C (64) | Homes within 1 km of a public elementary school and 2 km of a public middle/secondary school |
| Kids at home | A (90) | Share of households that are families with children at home (2021 Census). Used in the Families score only |
| Road safety | B (66) | ICBC-reported crashes per km² per year, 2021–2025 |
| Parks | A (83) | Homes within 400 m of a park, plus 500 m of a playground |
| Nature & outdoors | B (77) | 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 | C (62) | 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 | A (80) | 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 | E (15) | Homes within 1 km of a grocery store or pharmacy, and 800 m of a café or restaurant |
| Transit | C (59) | Homes within 400 m of a bus stop, and of a stop with 40+ weekday departures |
| Health care | E (24) | Homes within 1.5 km of a walk-in clinic or hospital, and 1 km of a pharmacy |
| Commute time | B (65) | Workers with a commute under 15 minutes, less a penalty for commutes of an hour or more (2021 Census) |
| Highway access | A (83) | Average straight-line distance from homes to the nearest Highway 99 interchange |
Who lives here
About 3,700 people live in Garibaldi Highlands (2021 Census), with a median age of 40.4 (city: 38). 83.3% of households own their home and 16.6% rent. 42.1% of households are families with children at home, 21.2% of residents are under 15 and 13.5% are 65 or older. 73% of homes are houses and 4% are apartments.
Schools
98.8% of homes are within 1 km of a public elementary school, and 0% are within 2 km of a public middle or secondary school. Across Sea to Sky School District (School District 48), 95.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Garibaldi Highlands Elementary elementary | 59 | FSA reading beats 64% of BC schools; FSA math beats 53% |
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
77.8% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Mamquam River and Word of Mouth. A bike ride away: Skwelwil'em Squamish Estuary Wildlife Management Area, Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park, Squamish River, Sea to Sky Trail and Alice Lake Provincial Park. A short drive away: Tantalus Provincial Park, Ocean or tidal shoreline, Cheakamus River, Stawamus Chief Provincial Park and Brohm Lake Interpretive Forest Trails.
Parks
8 city parks covering 13.2 hectares. 95.4% of homes are within a five-minute walk (400 m) of a park.
Transit
17 bus stops with 376 weekday departures on routes 2, 9. 94.3% of homes are within 400 m of a stop.
Road safety
ICBC recorded 78 crashes inside Garibaldi Highlands from 2021 to 2025, 9 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 Garibaldi Highlands
Is Garibaldi Highlands a good place to live?
Garibaldi Highlands grades C overall (62/100), #9 of 15 residential areas in and around Squamish. Its strongest categories are parks, highway access and quiet streets; its weakest are shops & food and health care. For families it ranks #4, for seniors #12 and for commuters #12. Grades come from public data only, never from reviews or opinion.
What outdoor spots are near Garibaldi Highlands?
77.8% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Mamquam River and Word of Mouth. A bike ride away: Skwelwil'em Squamish Estuary Wildlife Management Area, Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park, Squamish River, Sea to Sky Trail and Alice Lake Provincial Park. A short drive away: Tantalus Provincial Park, Ocean or tidal shoreline, Cheakamus River, Stawamus Chief Provincial Park and Brohm Lake Interpretive Forest Trails. Nature & outdoors grades B.
What schools are in Garibaldi Highlands?
Public schools inside the boundary: Garibaldi Highlands Elementary. 98.8% of homes are within 1 km of an elementary school. Check catchments with Sea to Sky School District (School District 48).
Are the schools in Garibaldi Highlands good?
On provincial tests, Garibaldi Highlands Elementary beats 59% of BC schools (FSA 2023/2024–2025/2026, graduation assessments 2022/2023–2024/2025). SD48 graduates 95.3% 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 Garibaldi Highlands?
About 3,700 people (2021 Census), with a median age of 40.4. 83.3% of households own their home.
Is there good transit in Garibaldi Highlands?
94.3% of homes are within 400 m of a bus stop; 17 stops get 376 BC Transit departures on a weekday. Transit grades C.
Compare Squamish neighbourhoods
Best overall · Best for families with young kids · Best for seniors and retirees · Best for commuters
- Downtown A · 85
- Waterfront A · 84
- Hospital Hill A · 83
- Dentville B · 79
- Garibaldi Estates B · 78
- Valleycliffe B · 73
- Mamquam B · 71
- Crumpit Woods B · 65
- Business Park C · 60
- Brackendale C · 60
- Tantalus C · 58
- North Yards C · 58
- Loggers East C · 58
- University Highlands C · 53
Data last built 2026-11-06. How these grades are calculated