Cedar Hills

The 2026 Surrey Neighbourhood Guide

What Cedar Hills Actually Is

Cedar Hills sits in west-central Surrey, tucked between Whalley & Surrey City Centre to the east & the Scott Road / Bridgeview corridor to the west. The boundaries run roughly from 128 Street east to 132 Street, & from 96 Avenue north to 104 Avenue, anchored by the Cedar Hills Shopping Centre at 128 Street & 96 Avenue.

If Clayton is the 'finished master plan' on Surrey's east side, Cedar Hills is its older, more established cousin on the west side. The bulk of the housing stock was built between the 1960s & the 1980s, on detached lots that are noticeably bigger than what you'll find in newer Surrey pockets. The typical Cedar Hills home is a 2,200 to 3,200 sqft detached on a 5,500 to 7,500 sqft lot, often with a basement suite & a flat backyard, & frequently held by the same family for 20-plus years.

For Surrey buyers, Cedar Hills plays the role of the 'mature inner-ring detached neighbourhood'. You're getting larger lots & treed streets at a price point that detached buyers in Clayton or Cloverdale would have to leave their own neighbourhoods to find. The trade-off is that almost everything is older, the inventory of townhouses is just starting to arrive in brand-new complexes, & condo stock is limited to 2 or 3 older mid-rise buildings.

Who Cedar Hills Is Best For

Cedar Hills attracts a specific kind of Surrey buyer: someone who values a bigger lot & a mature streetscape over a 2018 build with a quartz waterfall. The 4 buyer profiles that consistently win in this pocket:

• •Detached-First Families: Buyers who want a 1970s or 1980s 4-bed detached with a basement suite & a flat 6,000 sqft lot for under $1.5 Million. Cedar Hills has more of this exact unit at this price than any other west-Surrey pocket.
• •Multi-Generational Households: Families who need a main-floor bedroom for grandparents, a separate suite for adult kids, & a backyard big enough for a garden. The lot sizes & basement-suite layouts here suit this very well.
• •Land-Value Bettors: Buyers willing to hold an older detached for 10-plus years near Surrey City Centre's densification path. Lots inside the OCP rezoning radius could revalue meaningfully as City Centre keeps growing west.
• •New-Build Townhouse Buyers: Families who want a brand-new 3-bed townhouse but need to stay west-central for work in Burnaby, New West, or Surrey City Centre. The handful of new complexes in Cedar Hills give you that without a long commute.

Real Estate & Housing in Cedar Hills

Detached homes are the headline product in Cedar Hills. The benchmark home is a 1970s or 1980s 2-storey or split-level on a 5,500 to 7,500 sqft lot, with 3 to 5 bedrooms upstairs & a basement that's often suited (legally or unofficially). Pricing currently sits in the $1.20 Million to $1.55 Million band for typical condition, & renovated homes with newer kitchens, bathrooms, & a legal suite push $1.65 Million to $1.85 Million. Tear-down or land-value plays on larger lots near the City Centre side trade in a different lane entirely & should be priced street-by-street.

Townhouses in Cedar Hills used to be essentially nonexistent. That's changing. A small handful of brand-new complexes have completed or are completing along the edges of the neighbourhood, mostly 3-bed, 2.5-bath, double-garage units in the $750,000 to $950,000 range. Inventory is shallow, so when one of these listings hits the market it tends to move quickly. If you're a buyer who wants new construction in a mature neighbourhood, this is a narrow but real window.

Condos are the smallest segment by a wide margin: 2 or 3 older low-rise & mid-rise buildings, mostly 1980s & 1990s wood-frame, with the occasional updated unit. Expect $400,000 to $525,000 for a 1-bed or 2-bed with in-suite laundry & 1 parking stall. Strata fees & depreciation reports matter a lot in this age bracket. Investor & first-condo buyers chasing newer stock typically end up in Whalley or Surrey City Centre instead, but Cedar Hills can work for an owner-occupier who wants the older, quieter side of West Surrey.

Schools & Families

The catchment elementary school for most of the neighbourhood is Cedar Hills Elementary, an established Surrey School District school named after the neighbourhood itself. It's a mid-sized school with a long-tenured staff, a well-used playground, & strong involvement from the multi-generational families that have lived in the area for decades. Catchments shift periodically, so confirm by exact address with the Surrey School District before writing.

For secondary, most of Cedar Hills feeds Queen Elizabeth Secondary, a comprehensive Surrey high school just east of the neighbourhood near 100 Avenue & 132 Street. Queen Elizabeth offers a full slate of academic, AP, athletics, & arts programs, with a population that reflects the diverse multi-generational character of this part of Surrey. Some pockets near the western edge feed elsewhere, so always verify by address.

Family infrastructure beyond the schools is solid for an established neighbourhood: Cedar Hills Park sits central with a playground, sports field, & shaded picnic areas. Robson Park on the south edge gives you a forested ravine & creek system that feels much more rural than the neighbourhood around it. Daycare & after-school programs are well-supplied through Cedar Hills Elementary's facilities & private operators along 128 Street & 96 Avenue.

Commute & Getting Around

Cedar Hills' commute story is built around its position between Surrey City Centre & New Westminster. King George Boulevard & 132 Street are your direct routes south into Newton & White Rock or north toward City Centre. Scott Road (120 Street) & the Pattullo Bridge handle the New West / Burnaby commute. 96 Avenue connects you east to Whalley & the SkyTrain at Gateway or Surrey Central.

Real-world drive times from Cedar Hills, with weekday morning traffic, look like this: Surrey Memorial & City Centre 8 to 12 minutes, Gateway SkyTrain 6 to 9 minutes, downtown New Westminster 15 to 22 minutes, downtown Vancouver 45 to 60 minutes via the Pattullo, Burnaby (Brentwood / Metrotown) 30 to 45 minutes, Abbotsford 45 to 55 minutes, & YVR 50 to 65 minutes. Closer trips: Cedar Hills Shopping Centre is in-neighbourhood, Walmart & T&T at Strawberry Hill is 6 minutes, & Guildford Town Centre is 10 minutes.

Transit today is bus-driven, with frequent service down 128 Street & 96 Avenue feeding into Surrey Central & Gateway SkyTrain stations. The new Pattullo Bridge replacement is under construction & scheduled to open later this decade, which will smooth the New West / Burnaby commute considerably. For deeper context on the SkyTrain expansion further east, see Surrey-Langley SkyTrain Extension: 2026 Guide.

Lifestyle, Shopping, & Amenities

Cedar Hills has a daily-life shopping anchor that most established Surrey neighbourhoods don't: the Cedar Hills Shopping Centre at 128 Street & 96 Avenue. It's a no-frills neighbourhood plaza with a grocer, pharmacy, banks, restaurants, dental & medical clinics, & a long-tenured set of South Asian & Pan-Asian businesses that reflect the surrounding community. For a 5-minute errand on a weekday, you don't need to leave the neighbourhood.

For bigger shops, the Strawberry Hill commercial cluster at Scott Road is 6 minutes west (Walmart, T&T, Real Canadian Superstore), & Guildford Town Centre is 10 minutes east (full mall, Costco nearby, big-box plazas along 152 Street). The Surrey City Centre King George corridor with the SkyTrain stations, City Hall, & SFU Surrey is a 5 to 8-minute drive, giving you full urban-grade amenities without paying City Centre condo prices.

For weekend lifestyle, downtown New Westminster's River Market & Quay are 15 minutes north across the Pattullo, the Fraser River regional trails are 10 minutes west via Bridgeview, & you can be in Cloverdale's downtown core in 18 minutes for the museum & restaurants on 176 Street.

Outdoors & Recreation

The standout outdoor asset in Cedar Hills is the Robson Park ravine, a treed creek-side green space on the south edge of the neighbourhood that feels far more rural than its location would suggest. Walking trails follow the creek, & the dense second-growth canopy makes it a popular daily-walk anchor for nearby households. Beyond Robson, Cedar Hills Park handles playground & sports-field needs, & Bear Creek Park is 8 minutes south for larger trail loops, the off-leash dog area, & the summer outdoor pool.

What Works & What Doesn't

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is Cedar Hills in Surrey?

Cedar Hills sits in west-central Surrey, roughly between 128 Street & 132 Street east-west, & between 96 Avenue & 104 Avenue north-south. It's anchored by the Cedar Hills Shopping Centre at 128 Street & 96 Avenue, & it borders Whalley / Surrey City Centre to the east & the Scott Road / Bridgeview corridor to the west.

How much does a detached home cost in Cedar Hills in 2026?

Typical 1970s & 1980s detached homes on 5,500 to 7,500 sqft lots currently trade in the $1.20 Million to $1.55 Million band. Renovated homes with a legal suite & updated kitchens push $1.65 Million to $1.85 Million. Tear-down land-value plays near the City Centre side are priced street-by-street. Always pull current actives & solds for the specific street & lot type before writing.

Are there townhouses or condos in Cedar Hills?

Cedar Hills is detached-dominant, but the picture is changing. A small handful of brand-new townhouse complexes have completed or are completing along the edges, with 3-bed double-garage units in the $750,000 to $950,000 range. Condo inventory is limited to 2 or 3 older low-rise & mid-rise buildings, mostly 1980s & 1990s, in the $400,000 to $525,000 range. Inventory in both segments is shallow.

What schools serve Cedar Hills?

Most of the neighbourhood is in the Cedar Hills Elementary catchment (named after the neighbourhood) feeding into Queen Elizabeth Secondary just east at 100 Avenue & 132 Street. Some pockets near the western & southern edges feed elsewhere, so always confirm by exact address with the Surrey School District before writing an offer.

How long is the commute from Cedar Hills to downtown Vancouver?

By car via the Pattullo Bridge, downtown Vancouver is 45 to 60 minutes in weekday morning traffic. By transit, you can drive 6 to 9 minutes to Gateway SkyTrain & ride the Expo Line for a roughly 50-minute total commute. The new Pattullo Bridge replacement, under construction, will smooth the drive when it opens.

How does Cedar Hills compare to Whalley or Bolivar Heights?

Whalley / Surrey City Centre is the high-density urban core with the SkyTrain stations & most new condo construction. Bolivar Heights, just west, is a smaller detached pocket with hilltop views toward the Fraser. Cedar Hills sits between them in character: detached-dominant like Bolivar with bigger lots & a daily-life shopping centre, but a 5-minute drive from City Centre amenities.

Is Cedar Hills a good investment for the next 10 years?

Cedar Hills sits adjacent to Surrey City Centre's densification path. As City Centre keeps adding population & jobs, established detached lots on the City Centre side could revalue meaningfully under the Official Community Plan. The thesis is land-value & long-hold rather than quick flip. Each lot's potential should be reviewed individually with current zoning & OCP context.

Is Cedar Hills Right for You?

Use these 4 questions as a quick gut check before you book a tour weekend in Cedar Hills:

• •Do You Want Bigger Lots Over Newer Builds: If yes, Cedar Hills fits. If you want a 2018 build with a quartz waterfall on a smaller lot, look at Clayton or Fleetwood instead.
• •Is Surrey City Centre or New West Your Daily Destination: Cedar Hills' commute story works best for buyers commuting west or to City Centre, not for South Surrey or Cloverdale-side jobs.
• •Are You Comfortable With An Older Home: Most Cedar Hills detached are 40-plus years old. Inspections, contingency budgets, & a willingness to upgrade systems over time are essential.
• •Do You Value A Multi-Generational, Diverse Neighbourhood: Cedar Hills has deep multi-generational roots & a strong South Asian & Pan-Asian community presence. If that appeals to you, you'll feel at home quickly.