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moneysense.ca, 20/03/12
Canada’s Best Places to Live 2012
Check out how your community stacks up.
Top ten cities
- Ottawa
- Burlington
- Kingston
- Halifax
- Regina
- Brandon
- Fredericton
- Edmonton
- Red Deer
- Winnipeg
Previous Lists
When we speak of Canada’s diversity we refer to the geography of the land and the ethnic background of our people. Yet when you crunch the economic data, as we have for Canada’s Best Places to Live 2012, it becomes clear that how we live defines us as much as where we live. Not only is our urban experience varied depending on whether we live in downtown Montreal or in small-town Saskatchewan, but our ability to access health care or find a job or afford a home is as diverse as our land and our climate.
What is more, the economic factors that determine how we live are always evolving. Thirty years ago, the place to be for jobs would have been southern Ontario. Today, as the manufacturing sector falters, we find good jobs are becoming scarce but social services left behind from good economic times are abundant. Similarly, Alberta and Saskatchewan are being transformed by the boom in oil, gas and other commodities. This puts a strain on urban communities as services try and stay ahead of the feverish growth of resource towns, and housing prices skyrocket—witness the average cost of a home in Fort McMurray (Wood Buffalo) is now a half a million dollars.
This year, for the third year in a row, Ottawa takes top honours with a score of 74 points out of a possible 105. Perhaps most notable however, are the number of Western cities that shot up this year’s list thanks to strong economic growth and low unemployment. Regina and Halifax catapulted up more than 15 spots each to rank 4th and 5th respectively. Similarly, Red Deer, jumped from 96th to 9th on our list.
Take a close look at the data and you’ll find the top-rated cities aren’t perfect or even close to it any category. They are however above average in most categories, resulting in an overall high standard of living.
This year’s list has been expanded from previous years to include 190 cities and towns with populations over 10,000. To compile our list we have taken municipal data and ranked the cities in 22 categories and then given all the cities an overall ranking. For a full explanation on how we crunched the numbers, check out our methodology.
Also new this year are three additional lists, Best Places to Retire, Best Places to Raise Kids and Best Places for Jobs.
We’ve highlighted what we think are the most interesting facts and figures to come out of this year’s data in a series of maps, articles, galleries and interactives for you but the possibilities for the curious mind are endless. Don’t let us stop you from diving right in.
Canada’s Ideal City
Wondering what our ideal city would look like? Then take a gander at this interactive utopia, which lets you mouse over various structures and visual cues to see just what the most livable city in Canada might look like.
Galleries
Canada’s 35 Best Places to Live
We’ve crunched the numbers on 190 Canadian cities to find out which places are the most livable.
Canada’s Worst Places to Live
Our rankings were not kind to every city. See which cities placed last in each of our major categories, as well as Canada’s worst overall city.
Canada’s Best Places for Jobs
These 10 cities have the most prosperous economies and best job prospects in the country.
Best Places to Raise Kids
MoneySense ranks Canada’s biggest cities and towns in 10 categories to find out which are the most family-friendly.
Top 25 Best Places to Live Map
Canada’s 25 top places to live 2012 include communities from coast to coast. Use the screen controls on the left side of the map to move around the country and zoom in on the featured cities. Click on each location to see that city’s rating in different categories and why it’s a great place to settle.
To see the complete list broken down by subcategory, download the full spreadsheet.
moneysense.ca, 20/03/12
I spent a lot of time in Ottawa, got sick of the people there. Moved to BC after 5 years there and have never been happier. There's nothing wrong with the place, only pluses.
Well Canada sounds a lot better than London right now thats for sure and also the currency is looking stronger
I have some family living in Ottawa and to be honest it sounds a much nicer placer to live than the UK is now. I'm sure I will have to visit soon just to check it out
How much are the life's expenses / Tax in Vancouver?
Want o move to Halifax. But so many controversial comments on it……
how is life in prince george
If Winnipeg is on a top ten list of cities, don't trust the list. Enough said.
This list is horribly skewed in favour of cultureless suburbs, I wouldn't trust it. A lot of these cities are in inhospitable climates and characterised by big box stores and suffer from significant brain drain as the young and talented emigrate. Outside of the couple of them, perhaps Ottawa, none of these offer environments where the 21st century knowledge economy can thrive, let alone take root.
I laughed reading your comment because I live in Ottawa and i consider it part of your "culture-less suburbia in inhospitable climates and characterized by big box stores and suffer from significant brain drain as the young and talented emigrate"
In fact, it is a very sad place to live. the only thing that makes it worse than other places is the fact that it has a majority of docile government workers, and if you are not bilingual you are less than dirt. Good luck finding a job if you can't speak eloquent french.
I've heard some amazing things about Cananda. Haven't had a chance to visit but would love to take my wife someday.
Vancouver BC has the 2nd highest housing costs in the >>WORLD<<, after Hong Kong. Also, Vancouver has monsterous property taxes courtesy of our Mayor and his Vision party. How can any body afford to live here? The city has become a city exclusively for 649 and LOTOMAX winners only.
I want to bay a propriety in Florida so I share my opinion to my friend he is a propriety broker than he suggest me to buy a propriety in Canada but there propriety rate is so high. Is that correct or not.
Canada is suffering a massive bubble according to every bank and economist reviewing it right now
I like a peaceful life besides my family.
I would agree with Ottowa
I am not really fond of big and crowded cities. Suburban area is where I want to live in.
I've only been to Toronto and Calgary both of which I thought were great, but I've heard great things about Vancouver. Why is that not in the list?
Because Vancouver is so expensive! Probably the most beautiful city on earth, let alone Canada. However, lots of high skilled workers and not enough jobs to go around means that employers pay little and demand more. Great outdoors and wonderfully laid back, but you have to earn a lot of money to get on here. Forget buying a decent house in Vancouver as well! One recent study showed that it is now the 2nd least affordable city on earth! High immigration from China may have contributed to this. Over 55% of Vancouver's population is non-Canadian.
I saw Vancouver on a CNN documentary and it is indeed a beautiful city but then again indeed on of the most expensive in the world – if not even at par or above living in New York City!!