Living in Emerald Estates, Whistler
Emerald Estates grades C overall (51/100), #16 of 18 residential areas in and around Whistler. Its strongest categories are commute time, highway access and nature & outdoors; its weakest are childcare and shops & food.
Emerald Estates has about 355 home addresses across 0.7 km². Out of 18 residential areas, Emerald Estates ranks #12 for families, #17 for seniors and #16 for commuters. It grades A for parks, nature & outdoors, commute time, highway access.
Explore Emerald Estates on the mapGrades by category
| Category | Grade | What we measured |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | E (1) | Homes within 1 km of a public elementary school and 2 km of a public middle/secondary school |
| Kids at home | C (50) | Share of households that are families with children at home (2021 Census). Used in the Families score only |
| Road safety | C (56) | ICBC-reported crashes per km² per year, 2021–2025 |
| Parks | A (90) | Homes within 400 m of a park, plus 500 m of a playground |
| Nature & outdoors | A (94) | 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 | E (0) | 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 (48) | 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 (0) | Homes within 1 km of a grocery store or pharmacy, and 800 m of a café or restaurant |
| Transit | B (79) | Homes within 400 m of a bus stop, and of a stop with 40+ weekday departures |
| Health care | E (0) | 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 (96) | Average straight-line distance from homes to the nearest Highway 99 interchange |
Who lives here
About 830 people live in Emerald Estates (2021 Census), with a median age of 37.5 (city: 36). 64.7% of households own their home and 35.8% rent. 30% of households are families with children at home, 14.2% of residents are under 15 and 10.6% are 65 or older. 56% of homes are houses and 7% are apartments.
Schools
0% of homes are within 1 km of a public elementary school, and 3.9% 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.
Nature & outdoors
100% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Green Lake, Sea to Sky Trail, Green River, Parkhurst, Section 102 and Shit Happens. A bike ride away: Showh Lakes-ancient Cedars Trail Recreation Site, Lost Lake Park, Garibaldi Provincial Park, Alta Lake and River of Golden Dreams. A short drive away: Callaghan Conservancy, Callaghan Lake Provincial Park, Callaghan Lake, Upper Soo Conservancy and Soo River.
Parks
4 city parks covering 1.6 hectares. 96.3% of homes are within a five-minute walk (400 m) of a park.
Transit
4 bus stops with 339 weekday departures on routes 10, 30, 32. 79.2% of homes are within 400 m of a stop.
Road safety
ICBC recorded 46 crashes inside Emerald Estates from 2021 to 2025, 11 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 Emerald Estates
Is Emerald Estates a good place to live?
Emerald Estates grades C overall (51/100), #16 of 18 residential areas in and around Whistler. Its strongest categories are commute time, highway access and nature & outdoors; its weakest are childcare and shops & food. For families it ranks #12, for seniors #17 and for commuters #16. Grades come from public data only, never from reviews or opinion.
What outdoor spots are near Emerald Estates?
100% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Green Lake, Sea to Sky Trail, Green River, Parkhurst, Section 102 and Shit Happens. A bike ride away: Showh Lakes-ancient Cedars Trail Recreation Site, Lost Lake Park, Garibaldi Provincial Park, Alta Lake and River of Golden Dreams. A short drive away: Callaghan Conservancy, Callaghan Lake Provincial Park, Callaghan Lake, Upper Soo Conservancy and Soo River. Nature & outdoors grades A.
What schools are in Emerald Estates?
There are no public schools inside the boundary. 0% of homes are within 1 km of an elementary school. Check catchments with Sea to Sky School District (School District 48).
How many people live in Emerald Estates?
About 830 people (2021 Census), with a median age of 37.5. 64.7% of households own their home.
Is there good transit in Emerald Estates?
79.2% of homes are within 400 m of a bus stop; 4 stops get 339 BC Transit departures on a weekday. Transit grades B.
Compare Whistler neighbourhoods
Best overall · Best for families with young kids · Best for seniors and retirees · Best for commuters
- Whistler Cay Estates & Tapley's Farm A · 82
- Nesters, White Gold, & Spruce Grove A · 81
- Whistler Cay Heights A · 81
- Village North B · 76
- Rainbow & Baxter Creek B · 67
- Blueberry Hill B · 66
- Spring Creek C · 64
- Cheakamus Crossing C · 62
- Alpine Meadows North C · 61
- Alpine Meadows South C · 58
- Whistler Creek & Wayside C · 57
- Whistler Creek South C · 56
- Nicklaus North C · 55
- Whistler Creek North C · 53
- Brio & Sunridge Plateau C · 52
- Alta Vista C · 51
- Bayshores & Millar's Pond C · 50
Data last built 2026-11-06. How these grades are calculated