Report Reveals Ontario as Home to Canada’s Happiest and Unhappiest Cities
These cities were noted to have a higher median after-tax income of around $107,000, which is significantly above the national median of $68,400.
According to the report by Point2Homes, Canada’s largest 100 cities were evaluated on four dimensions that were considered relevant to happiness: economy and real estate, location and demographics, health and well-being, and community and environment. While none of the cities reached a perfect happiness score of 100, Ontario emerged as having the happiest cities in Canada, with seven out of the top 10 located in the province.
The top five cities with the highest happiness index were Caledon, Milton, Halton Hills, Clarington, and Burlington. These cities were noted to have a higher median after-tax income of around $107,000, which is significantly above the national median of $68,400. Moreover, the report highlighted that a large percentage of residents in Clarington, Halton Hills, and Caledon own their homes, which the report called a “homeowners’ haven.”
However, the report also revealed that Ontario had eight of the 10 least happy cities, with London being ranked as the unhappiest city in the country. Toronto also ranked low among major Canadian cities, coming in at 72nd place due to its poor economy and real estate ranking, which included factors such as unemployment and poverty rates and the percentage of the population spending less than 30% of their income on housing.
The report also highlighted the happiest cities in each province, with the top 10 in Ontario being Caledon, Milton, Halton Hills, Clarington, Burlington, Oakville, Aurora, Newmarket, Vaughan, and Ajax. Overall, the report offers insights into the factors that contribute to the happiness of Canadian cities and underscores the importance of considering a range of dimensions beyond just economic indicators.