Point2, a website that studies national housing patterns, has recently revealed Ontario’s five happiest cities.
Caledon, Milton, Halton Hills, Clarington, and Burlington are all southern Ontario cities that are considered to be happy. Although some of the top five cities failed to perform well in each category, they were strong in other categories.
Study participants scored 30 measures on a scale of 100 points. Metrics were used to create four additional categories.
- Location and demographics
- Economy and real estate
- Community and environment
- Health and well-being
67 out of 100 people rate Caledon as happy. The economy and real estate category received the highest grades from the study due to the high ownership rate of homes and the median after-tax income of more than $107,000. Toronto is about an hour’s drive away from the community, which offers a more rural atmosphere.
The South of England, India, and Italy account for the majority of foreign-born people in Caledon, according to Census 2021 data. 6.9% of the population is made up of recent immigrants (those who arrived between 2016 and 2021), the bulk of whom are from Pakistan, the Philippines, and India.
A report conducted by the Urban Institute found that the location where people are most likely to be happy depends on the priorities they have. Canadian immigrants who are thinking about settling here may find this information useful.
Ontario’s happiest cities – Economy and real estate
Point2’s analysis of the housing market and economy in three Quebec cities revealed that Caledon’s residents were the happiest.
Terrebonne, Blainville, and Repentigny were determined to have the lowest poverty rates of the 100 rated cities. As well as Montreal is north of the three towns. Additionally, Blainville was reported to have one of the lowest rates of unemployment.
Health and well-being
To measure health and well-being, we assessed life expectancy, mental health, perceived health, perceived life stress, mood disorders (bipolar, depression, disorder, dysthymia, and mania), frequently participating in sports, and hours worked.
Moreover, Quebec’s Granby, Saint-Hyacinthe, Lévis, Québec City, Drummondville, and Trois-Rivières rank first among Canadian cities for happiness, health, and well-being.
Among Quebec residents, fewer mood disorders are reported, and working hours are shorter than in other provinces, according to the survey.
A survey by Statistics Canada from 2022 found that only 6% of Quebecers reported having a mental disorder in 2021. In Ontario, this figure increased to 10.5%, while in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, it exceeded 12%.
Community and environment
Some of Canada’s smaller cities, primarily along the east coast, are most likely to attract residents who value close-knit neighborhoods and friendly neighbors.
Among the greenest cities in the country, St. John’s, in Newfoundland, and Labrador, ranked number one for charitable giving. Statistics Canada data from earlier this year showed that over 55% of Newfoundlanders reported a high level of life satisfaction in the fourth quarter of 2022. A study by Point2 indicates that only 12% of St. John’s residents feel stressed on any given day or very stressed on any given day.
St. John’s, which covers more than 10,000 square kilometers, performed worse on the sense of belonging test than Cape Breton, which covers more than 10,000 square kilometers.
Both Regina and Saskatoon have the highest levels of volunteerism. Furthermore, Saskatoon scored second in terms of stress-free major cities.
Location and demographics
In the top four cities where people felt safest, Milton, Halton Hills, Burlington, and Oakville, ON, were all ranked highly. Oakville, ON, ranked sixth overall. In these cities, there were the lowest crime severity indexes.
Commute time and walkability were also included in this category. In the top 10 happiest cities, most residents commute 15 to 30 minutes each way, according to location and demographic data. As far as walkability goes, Mississauga was the best.
In the demographics section, marital status was also considered, and it showed Milton to have one of the lowest divorce rates in Canada, at 7.5%. Nearly 43,000 divorces will occur in Canada by 2020, according to Statistics Canada. 31% of divorces were filed jointly, with the average divorced marriage lasting 15 years.
