The Best Burnaby Neighbourhoods for Families
For newcomer families with kids, choosing the right neighbourhood matters more than choosing the right city. A good family neighbourhood has four things working together: strong public schools with good feeder catchments, real green space within walking distance, a community that skews toward other young families, and rent or housing costs the family can actually afford long-term. In Greater Vancouver, those four rarely line up perfectly — every neighbourhood is a trade-off. This ranking is based on how each neighbourhood scores across all four factors, weighted most heavily on schools because that's the factor that most often drives where families actually end up moving.
School rankings reflect Fraser Institute provincial placements and local reputation. Green space is measured by walking distance to major parks and playgrounds. Community skew toward families is based on Stats Canada 2021 Census household composition data. Affordability uses CMHC rental data for the broader city, adjusted by VanCityGuide's per-neighbourhood observations on secondary-market rent.
The ranking
Burnaby Heights (North Burnaby)
Strong schools (Burnaby North Secondary), character houses, and view streets climbing toward Capitol Hill. The Hastings Street main street has excellent Iranian bakeries and groceries.
Brentwood
New construction with family-sized condos, direct Millennium Line access, and a master-planned neighbourhood designed with families in mind. Schools are adequate but not exceptional.
Metrotown
High-density but Central Park is an 80-hectare urban forest right next door. Good library, good recreation facilities, and walk-to-everything convenience. Works for families who choose density deliberately.
Lougheed
Transit interchange and student-heavy area near SFU — not the primary family neighbourhood, but newer townhouse developments in the City of Lougheed have attracted young families looking for affordability near transit.
Why the top three are ranked this way
Burnaby Heights takes the top family spot because it combines character homes, strong schools (Burnaby North Secondary is one of the best public high schools in BC), and mature tree-lined streets with spectacular views north toward the mountains. It's also home to a substantial Iranian-Canadian community, which brings with it excellent bakeries, grocery stores, and family-oriented restaurants along Hastings Street. Brentwood comes second for families prioritising new construction and transit access — the Amazing Brentwood development has deliberately included family-sized units, and the Millennium Line puts downtown Vancouver 20 minutes away. Metrotown lands third: the density is high and it's not traditionally family-oriented, but Central Park (an 80-hectare urban forest directly adjacent) and proximity to groceries, library, and recreation make it surprisingly workable for families who want to live in a high-rise without a car.