Ontario comprises the top five Canadian cities because they are the happiest cities per the latest report by Point2. This is the name of an official real estate website evaluating national housing trends. These happiest cities include Clarington, Milton, Caledon, Burlington, and Halton Hills.
Ontario comprises the top five Canadian cities
The cities in the top five classifications could only fare well in some categories but compensated with good scores in different areas.
A 100-point scale was utilized to score 30 measures in the study. Four additional categories were created out of the metrics.
- Real estate and the economy
- Well-being and good health
- Environment and Community
- Place and population statistics
Caledon received a happiness rating of 67 out of 100. With more than 89% of households owning their homes and a median after-tax income of more than $107,000, the economy and real estate category received the highest grades from the study. The community offers a more rural atmosphere and is about an hour’s drive from Toronto.
According to Census 2021 data, 29.2% of Caledon’s population is foreign-born. Moreover, India, Italy, and the United Kingdom emerged as the top three birthplaces. 6.9% of the population comprises recent immigrants (those who arrived between 2016 and 2021). The bulk is from Pakistan, the Philippines, and India.
According to the report’s findings, places where people are most likely to be happy depending on their priorities. This information may be useful to immigrants considering where to settle in Canada.
Real Estate and Economy
Despite Caledon’s outstanding overall ranking, Point2’s analysis of the economy and housing markets in three Quebec cities revealed they had the happiest residents.
The 100 rated cities were determined to have the lowest poverty rates in Terrebonne, Blainville, and Repentigny. North of Montreal consists of all three towns.
Additionally, one of the lowest unemployment rates was reported in Blainville.
Health and Well Being
T evaluate health and well-being, the following key factors came into use:
- Life expectancy;
- Perceived health and perceived mental health;
- Life stress and mood disorders (depression, bipolar disorder, mania, or dysthymia);
- Frequent participation in sports and hours worked.
In terms of happiness, health, and well-being, Granby, Saint-Hyacinthe, Lévis, Québec City, Drummondville, and Trois-Rivières in Quebec ranked first in Canada.
According to the survey, this is partly because Quebec has fewer residents who suffer from mood disorders and shorter working hours than other provinces.
In 2021, only 6% of Quebecers reported having a mental condition, according to Statistics Canada data from 2022. In Ontario, this number increased to 10.5%, and in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, it exceeded 12%.
Environment and Community
The survey claims that those who value close-knit neighborhoods and friendly neighbors are most inclined to find them in some of Canada’s smaller cities, primarily on the east coast.
Newfoundland and Labrador’s St. John’s emerged as one of the greenest cities and have the top ranking for charitable giving. In the fourth quarter of 2022, over 55% of Newfoundlanders reported a high life satisfaction rating. This became evident from the Statistics Canada data published earlier this year. The Point2 survey, which claims that only 12% of St. John’s residents feel that most days are either quite a bit or extremely stressful, lends some support to this.
In terms of an overwhelming sense of belonging, Cape Breton, which is an entire island covering over 10,000 square kilometers, performed better than St. John’s.
The two cities with the most volunteers in their communities are Regina and Saskatoon. Additionally, Saskatoon was rated as the second-least stressful major city in the nation.
Demographics and Location
Milton, Halton Hills, Burlington, and Oakville ON appeared to be among the top four cities where people felt safest (Oakville ON came in sixth overall in the rankings). These cities consist of the lowest crime severity index.
This category also included walkability and commute time. According to location and demographic data, most residents in the top 10 happiest cities commute for 15 to 30 minutes each way. The city with the highest walkability rating was Mississauga.
