Pacific Heights, Saskatoon: Best for Families and First-Time Buyers Wanting an Established West-Side Setting

Pacific Heights is an established northwest Saskatoon neighbourhood that tends to suit families and first-time buyers looking for in-area schools and a mostly single-family housing stock built between 1961 and 1980.

Pacific Heights at a Glance

Pacific Heights is an established neighbourhood in northwest Saskatoon, within Ward 3, built out mainly during the 1970s. It may be a strong fit for families and first-time buyers who want an established setting, in-area schools, and a high share of single-family housing. It may be less suitable for buyers who want new construction or a neighbourhood with a larger share of condo or rental housing.

According to the City of Saskatoon’s combined Neighbourhood Profiles document, Pacific Heights had a 2025 population of 4,676 and an 80.0 percent homeownership rate. The same profile shows a 2024 dwelling mix of 84 percent single-family dwellings, 11 percent two-unit dwellings, and 5 percent multi-unit housing.

Quick Facts

Category	Pacific Heights Details
Area of Saskatoon	Northwest Saskatoon, within Ward 3
Population	4,676, City of Saskatoon Neighbourhood Profiles, 2025
Homeownership Rate	80.0 percent owned, 20 percent rented (2021 Census)
Average Household Size	2.9
Main Housing Types	Single-family homes, two-unit housing, semi-detached homes, low-rise apartment condos
Dwelling Mix	84 percent single-family, 11 percent two-unit, 5 percent multi-unit housing (2024)
Neighbourhood Area	133.9 hectares, or 330.8 acres, at 10.6 dwelling units per hectare
Main Parks	Pacific Park, Atlantic Park
Park Space	14.0 hectares, or 34.6 acres, according to the City profile
Schools in the Area	Lester B. Pearson School and Father Vachon School
Nearby Amenities	Confederation Urban Centre, 22nd Street West commercial area, and northwest Saskatoon services
Transit and Road Access	Route 60, Confederation / City Centre, and Route 65, Kensington / City Centre; access via Diefenbaker Drive and 22nd Street West
Buyer Fit	Families, first-time buyers, and buyers wanting an established northwest setting with mostly single-family housing

The City profile includes time-sensitive real estate sales data showing average sale prices by property type in Pacific Heights. These figures should be treated as historical context, not a current pricing guarantee.

Where Is Pacific Heights in Saskatoon?

Pacific Heights sits in northwest Saskatoon, within Municipal Ward 3. Wikipedia describes the neighbourhood as bounded by Diefenbaker Drive, which curves around both the eastern and northern limits, Childers Crescent on the west, and 22nd Street West on the south.

For buyers, the location offers direct access to Diefenbaker Drive for cross-city travel and 22nd Street West for local trips toward the Confederation Urban Centre and the 22nd Street arterial commercial district. The neighbourhood’s street pattern is largely crescents named for Canadian Confederation figures and political leaders, including Diefenbaker, Vanier, Langevin, Mowat, and Pope.

Most of Pacific Heights was annexed by the City of Saskatoon as part of the area’s growth, with the main construction boom occurring during the 1970s, according to Wikipedia. The neighbourhood’s community association was established in November 1978.

What Is Pacific Heights Known For?

Pacific Heights is known for being an established, mostly single-family northwest neighbourhood with a housing stock concentrated in the 1961 to 1980 period, a curving crescent street pattern, and a homeownership rate above many Saskatoon neighbourhoods. The City profile’s age-of-dwelling data shows 85 percent of housing built between 1961 and 1980, giving the neighbourhood a fairly uniform construction profile overall.

The City’s 2024 dwelling count shows 84 percent single-family housing, the largest share among several comparison neighbourhoods in this series. Pacific Heights is also known for its proximity to the Confederation Urban Centre and 22nd Street West commercial corridor, which sit just south and west of the neighbourhood.

Pacific Heights is also known for its access to Diefenbaker Drive, which curves around two sides of the neighbourhood, giving residents a direct route toward other parts of northwest and central Saskatoon.

Who Is Pacific Heights a Good Fit For?

Pacific Heights fits buyers who want an established, mostly single-family setting. With a homeownership rate of 80.0 percent and just 5 percent multi-unit housing, the neighbourhood leans more toward owner-occupied detached homes than many other established Saskatoon neighbourhoods in this series.

Pacific Heights can work well for families who value schools, parks, and an established residential setting. The City’s neighbourhood enrolment data lists Lester B. Pearson School, a Saskatoon Public Schools facility, and Father Vachon School, a Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools facility, both serving the area.

The City’s 2024 median multiple of 3.35 sits below the Saskatoon average of 3.96, which the City rates against a 3.0 affordability threshold. That places Pacific Heights closer to the affordability threshold than many other established Saskatoon neighbourhoods, though still above it.

Pacific Heights may be a better fit for buyers comfortable with an older, mostly 1961-to-1980 housing stock. It may be less suitable for buyers who want new construction or a neighbourhood with a larger share of condo or rental housing.

Schools And Childcare

Lester B. Pearson School, a Saskatoon Public Schools facility at 3620 Centennial Drive, serves the neighbourhood. The school’s own page states it is located in Pacific Heights and also serves families and students from the neighbouring Kensington neighbourhood. The City’s neighbourhood profile lists 2024 enrolment at 366 students, up from 344 in 2023 and 319 in 2022.

Father Vachon School, a Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools facility at 3722 Centennial Drive, also serves the neighbourhood. The school offers Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8 programming and reports a community of about 380 students. The City’s profile lists 2024 enrolment at 411 students, up from 357 in both 2022 and 2023.

This independently confirms that, unlike the adjacent Kensington neighbourhood, Pacific Heights has two schools of its own. Families should confirm current attendance boundaries, busing, and program availability directly with Saskatoon Public Schools or Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, since boundaries and programs can change and were not independently confirmed beyond what the City’s enrolment data and school division pages show.

Parks And Outdoor Space

Pacific Heights has 14.0 hectares, or 34.6 acres, of total park space according to the City’s 2025 profile. The named parks include Atlantic Park, classified as a district park, and Pacific Park, classified as a neighbourhood park.

The City profile also reports a population-per-park-area figure of 333.5 people per hectare, a useful reference point for comparing park space relative to population against other established Saskatoon neighbourhoods.

Daily errands and larger-format shopping are supported by proximity to the Confederation Urban Centre and the 22nd Street West arterial commercial district just south and west of the neighbourhood, with Diefenbaker Drive providing access to other parts of the city for shopping not available locally.

Housing Types And Price Reality

Pacific Heights has a dwelling mix dominated by single-family housing, totalling 1,421 dwellings in 2024, for 84 percent single-family, 11 percent two-unit, and 5 percent multi-unit housing.

The age of housing skews toward a fairly narrow construction window. The City’s 2021 Census age-of-dwelling data shows 85 percent of dwellings built from 1961 to 1980, with smaller shares before 1960 and after 1980. For buyers, that means mechanical systems, roofing, windows, and sewer lines on most properties are likely in a similar age range, so inspections matter for confirming the condition of original-era systems versus updated ones.

The City’s 2024 real estate sales data shows 62 single-family dwelling sales at an average price of $311,305, 4 semi-detached sales at an average price of $252,375, and 4 semi-detached-two-titles sales at an average price of $252,375. No condo townhouse, high-rise apartment condo, or low-rise apartment condo sales were recorded that year. These figures are historical context from the City profile, not a current pricing guarantee, and buyers should review current comparable sales before making decisions.

Housing affordability data in the same City profile shows a median multiple of 3.35 in 2024 for Pacific Heights, compared with 3.96 for Saskatoon overall. The City profile notes that a median multiple of 3.0 or under is rated as affordable, which places Pacific Heights closer to that threshold than the city average, though still slightly above it. Average owner’s major payments were reported at $1,218 and average gross rent at $1,240 in the 2021 Census data cited in the profile.

Knowing the price is one thing, knowing the cash you need is another. See what buying in Saskatoon actually costs upfront before you set a budget.

Buying in Pacific Heights

Pacific Heights is worth considering if you want an established, mostly single-family neighbourhood with in-area schools and a homeownership rate above many Saskatoon neighbourhoods. The City’s housing data shows a tenure profile with 80.0 percent owned and 20 percent rented in 2021.

Buyers should pay attention to the exact street and proximity to Diefenbaker Drive, 22nd Street West, or the Centennial Drive school zone. A home on an interior crescent may carry a different feel than a property closer to the arterial roads bordering the neighbourhood.

Best Fit for Buyers Who Want:

• An established northwest neighbourhood with a mostly single-family housing mix
• Two in-area schools, including a public option and a Catholic option
• A homeownership rate above many established Saskatoon neighbourhoods
• Reasonable access to Diefenbaker Drive and the Confederation Urban Centre

May Not Be the Best Fit for Buyers Who Need:

• New construction or a modern building envelope
• A larger share of condo, townhouse, or rental housing
• A larger total park space than the neighbourhood’s 14.0 hectares
• A wider age range of housing stock for comparison shopping

Selling in Pacific Heights

Sellers in Pacific Heights need to understand what buyers are comparing against. A buyer may also be looking at Kensington, Confederation Park, or Blairmore, depending on budget and whether they prioritize a similar established feel or a different price point. That means the listing should make the home’s exact fit clear, including proximity to Pacific Park, Atlantic Park, or the schools on Centennial Drive.

For single-family homes, which the City profile shows as the leading 2024 sales category by both volume and price, buyers will likely focus on mechanical updates, roof and window age, sewer line condition, and any renovation history given the housing stock’s concentration in the 1961-to-1980 period. Sellers should be careful not to overstate the property. In Pacific Heights, honest positioning works better, particularly around the home’s exact age and any original-condition systems that may be approaching the end of their service life.

Location within the neighbourhood matters. Homes near the parks or schools may need to be positioned differently than homes near Diefenbaker Drive or 22nd Street West.

Investor Notes for Pacific Heights

Pacific Heights has a smaller rental and multi-unit presence than many Saskatoon neighbourhoods, with an 80.0 percent homeownership rate and a 5 percent multi-unit dwelling share. That gives investors a narrower pool of semi-detached properties to evaluate compared with neighbourhoods that have a larger two-unit or apartment-condo share, and the 2024 sales data recorded only 4 semi-detached sales and 4 semi-detached-two-titles sales that year, with no condo or apartment sales at all.

Potential investor options may include semi-detached homes and single-family homes with suite potential. Investors should not assume every basement can legally or safely become a suite. Zoning, permits, ceiling height, egress, parking, fire separation, electrical capacity, and building-code requirements must all be confirmed with the City of Saskatoon before relying on any rental income assumptions.

The City profile’s average gross rent figure of $1,240 is 2021 Census data and should be treated as historical context rather than a current market rate.

Commute And Daily Convenience

Pacific Heights has access to Diefenbaker Drive and 22nd Street West, giving residents routes across the city. The City’s mode-of-travel data shows that driving a car, truck, or van is by far the most common way residents get to work, followed by smaller shares riding as a passenger, taking transit, walking, and cycling.

Saskatoon Transit’s official routes and schedules page lists Route 60, Confederation / City Centre, and Route 65, Kensington / City Centre, as routes serving the area. Transit details should be confirmed by address using Saskatoon Transit’s official routes and schedules page, since route information and timing can change.

For buyers who commute toward downtown or the City Centre, Route 60 or Route 65’s connection may be convenient, but drive and transit patterns should be tested during actual commute times.

Winter driving, snow clearing, and parking may vary by property. Buyers should confirm parking details when viewing homes, particularly on the neighbourhood’s crescent streets.

Safety And Neighbourhood Perception

No independently verified, current crime statistics for Pacific Heights are cited here, none were available from an official source as part of this draft. What can be said directly from City sources is that Pacific Heights is an established neighbourhood with a homeownership rate above many Saskatoon neighbourhoods and a housing stock concentrated between 1961 and 1980. Buyers who weigh safety perception heavily should walk the specific blocks they are considering at different times of day rather than judging the neighbourhood as a whole, and can request current crime statistics from the Saskatoon Police Service directly.

Pros and Cons of Living in Pacific Heights

Pros	Cons
Homeownership rate of 80.0 percent, above many established Saskatoon neighbourhoods	Most of the housing stock dates from 1961 to 1980, which raises maintenance considerations
Mostly single-family housing mix at 84 percent of 2024 dwellings	Smaller total park space than some other established neighbourhoods, at 14.0 hectares
Two in-area schools, a public option and a Catholic option	Median multiple of 3.35 still sits above the Saskatoon affordability threshold of 3.0
Direct access to Diefenbaker Drive and the Confederation Urban Centre	Limited multi-unit and rental housing share may limit investor entry points
Established residential setting with named parks	Limited new construction or modern building envelopes
Direct transit access via Route 60 and Route 65	Secondary considerations like suite legality and rental competition require direct verification

Compared To Nearby Areas

• Kensington borders Pacific Heights and offers a newer, growing neighbourhood for buyers comparing northwest Saskatoon options, though Kensington has no schools of its own and relies on Pacific Heights for in-area enrolment.
• Confederation Park sits nearby and provides another established northwest neighbourhood close to the Confederation Urban Centre.
• Blairmore, further west, offers newer housing and high school options including Tommy Douglas Collegiate and Bethlehem Catholic High School for families whose children move on from the Pacific Heights elementary schools.
• Westmount, to the east, offers a comparable established feel with its own dwelling mix and pricing profile.
• Aspen Ridge and Hampton Village, both newer west-end neighbourhoods, offer buyers a modern building envelope rather than an established 1970s-era housing stock.

Best Fit By Buyer Type

Pacific Heights is worth considering if you want an established, mostly single-family northwest neighbourhood with in-area schools and a homeownership rate above many Saskatoon neighbourhoods. It may not be the right fit if you want new construction or a larger share of condo and rental housing.

For many buyers, the decision comes down to property condition, exact street within the neighbourhood, comfort with a 1961-to-1980 housing stock, and whether the established setting outweighs the trade-offs of fewer newer-construction options.