Welcome To Highbush (Pickering)
Highbush is Pickering’s westernmost neighbourhood, pressed up against the Toronto border and surrounded by more protected green space than any community in the city: the Altona Forest to the east, Petticoat Creek to the south, and the Rouge-Duffins Wildlife Corridor running through. The houses match the setting… mostly large detached homes on generous lots, the bulk of them built in the 90s, with nearly six in ten having four or more bedrooms.
This is the top of the Pickering price list and it acts like it: quiet streets, big trees, almost zero commercial anything. People here made a deliberate trade… nature and square footage over walkability, and they’d make it again.
Properties For Sale
Highbush (Pickering) FAQs
The far west edge of Pickering, along Altona Road between the Rouge valley lands and the Altona Forest, minutes from the Toronto (Rouge Park) border.
This is one of Pickering’s most expensive communities: in Q1 2026 it averaged $1,303,444 with a median of $1,127,500 across 16 TRREB sales. The gap between those two numbers tells you the top end runs well past the typical sale… large detached homes drive this market.
You’re driving. Pickering GO is about a ten-to-fifteen-minute drive, with trains around 45 minutes to Union, or some commuters run west to Rouge Hill GO. The 401 is close via Whites Road, and being on Toronto’s doorstep helps when you’re headed into the east end.
Emphatically. Seventy per cent of households here are families with kids… one of the highest concentrations in Pickering. Big houses, top-tier greenspace and solid schools are the whole formula.
If your ideal weekend involves trails rather than patios, this is as good as the GTA gets at this price. If you want shops, restaurants or transit within walking distance, Highbush has essentially none.
Around the Neighbourhood
Cultural landmarks: nature is the culture here… the Altona Forest, a protected ecological study area with managed trails, and Rouge National Urban Park, Canada’s first national urban park, immediately west.
Hot local spots: within Highbush itself, effectively none… the Amberlea Shopping Centre at Whites and Strouds is the closest errand run.
Parks & green space: the headliner list is long: Altona Forest trails, Petticoat Creek Conservation Park on the bluffs (note: its famous pool is permanently closed… the grounds, trails and picnic areas remain), the Rouge-Duffins Wildlife Corridor, and neighbourhood parks with playgrounds and courts in between.
Your Typical Neighbour
Highbush skews established, professional and family-heavy… dual incomes, multiple kids, multiple cars. Across Pickering as a whole, the 2021 Census counted 99,186 residents with a median household income around $118,000; Highbush sits comfortably at the upper end of that distribution.
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile, Pickering (City)
What We Love
Backing onto protected forest that can never be developed is the rarest amenity in the GTA, and Highbush has it on three sides. The housing stock is genuinely large… this is where you get the four-bedroom with the real backyard. And Rouge National Urban Park next door means hiking, not hypothetical hiking.
What We Don't Love
Total car dependence, and no local spots means every coffee is a drive. The Petticoat Creek pool closing stung for families who grew up with it, and its replacement is still a funding exercise. And the price of entry is real: this is a seven-figure neighbourhood with limited turnover, so choice is thin in any given season.
Real Estate
Highbush is two-thirds detached homes, most from the 1990s, with some semis and townhomes rounding it out. Lots are large, four-plus bedrooms are the norm, and homes backing onto the forest or corridor carry a premium and rarely trade. New to the market? Start with our First-Time Buyer guide.
(Current prices and days on market appear in the live statistics block below, updated quarterly.)
Transit
Durham Region Transit runs along Altona Road, but this is car country. Pickering GO (about 45 minutes to Union on the Lakeshore East line) is a ten-to-fifteen-minute drive, Rouge Hill GO is an alternative to the west, and the 401 is reached via Whites Road.
Schools
Highbush is served by the Durham District School Board and the Durham Catholic District School Board, with nearby options including Westcreek PS, Altona Forest PS and Elizabeth B. Phin PS for elementary, Dunbarton HS for secondary, and St. Monica Catholic School and St. Mary Catholic Secondary School on the Catholic side. For school rankings and Fraser Institute scores, see our interactive Durham Region School Map.
Property Statistics in Highbush (Pickering)
Detached Houses - Statistics
Q1 2026
$1,712,000
Average Price
20
New Listings
9
Properties Sold
38
Average Days on Market
96%
% of Asking Price
semi-detached - Statistics
Q1 2026
N/A
Average Price
4
New Listings
1
Properties Sold
N/A
Average Days on Market
N/A
% of Asking Price
townhome - Statistics
Q1 2026
N/A
Average Price
2
New Listings
2
Properties Sold
N/A
Average Days on Market
N/A
% of Asking Price
Condos - Statistics
Q1 2026
N/A
Average Price
0
New Listings
0
Properties Sold
N/A
Average Days on Market
N/A
% of Asking Price
All Properties - Statistics
Q1 2026
$1,303,444
Average Price
33
New Listings
16
Properties Sold
27
Average Days on Market
97%
% of Asking Price
Source: TRREB Statistics
Want To Learn More About Highbush (Pickering)?
Reach out below and we'll be in touch right away.