It’s no secret that owning in Whistler has become increasingly hard for many that choose to live and work in the beautiful town. So when it comes to looking at the options for a place to grow into and enjoy, the options are pretty much Pemberton and Squamish, if you want to continue working your job in Whistler and living your life in the area… and who could blame you for wanting to stay nearby?

My wife and I had this same discussion many times when trying to decide; do we go north or south?! In the end we couldn’t agree and decided to stay in Whistler and we bought our townhome here. BUT, it’s not always possible for some to do that, and so I thought i’d share a few pointers to help with some decision making.

3 BEDROOM TOWNHOMES – lets use this property type as the ‘constant’.

As of the end of July 2023 when I was creating this piece, the following stats regarding Pemberton and Squamish 3 bedroom townhomes were true. This data will obviously change with the market ups and downs, but it should just be used to snapshot a few points that maybe you hadn’t discovered/thought about.

PEMBERTON

  • 10 sales from Jan-July 2023.
  • Average price per square foot for a 3 bedroom townhome was $638/SQ FT.
  • Average size for a 3 bedroom townhome was 1423 square feet.

SQUAMISH 

  • 27 sale from Apr-July 2023.
  • Average price per square foot for a 3 bedroom townhome was $705/SQ FT.
  • Average size for a 3 bedroom townhome was 1394 square feet.

So on paper, Pemberton appears to get, on average, more property for your money for a 3 bedroom townhome.

SEE PEMBERTON LISTINGS HERE
squamish townhomes
SEE SQUAMISH LISTINGS HERE

WHAT ABOUT FUEL COST FOR COMMUTING TO WHISTLER EVERYDAY?

So how does fuel cost factor into the decision making? Assuming you’re still working in Whistler and need to commute!

It’s pretty obvious, but in case you weren’t aware or would like to see the difference as a number, then check out below.

Let’s also be conservative here with our numbers, and use 11L/100km for fuel economy and $2/L for fuel cost. 

PEMBERTON TO WHISTLER (RETURN)

  • 64km/day, 5 days a week.
  • 1280 km/mo.
  • $282/mo in fuel cost.
  • That equates to nearly $50,000 worth of mortgage payments per month, based on current mortgage costs as of August 2023.

SQUAMISH TO WHISTLER (RETURN)

  • 120km/day, 5 days a week.
  • 2400 km/mo.
  • $528/mo in fuel cost.
  • That equates to nearly $100,000 worth of mortgage payments per month, based on current mortgage costs as of August 2023.

So by choosing to go north to Pemberton, you would have a saving each month that equates to nearly $50,000 worth of mortgage capacity. Either keep that as cash in pocket, or bump up your purchasing power to a nicer 3 bedroom! So if you’re simply looking at data to help with your decision, Pemberton townhomes on average cost less per square foot, with more space, and have a much less commute cost if you plan to stay working in Whistler.