Burlington is the No. 1 City in Canada

Burlington is this year’s winning city, ranking in the top 25 percent in six out of 10 categories: wealth and economy, amenities, weather, crime, health, and culture and community. It is also this year’s best place to raise a family. It’s attracting young families with kids—47 percent of families in the municipality have children, and 17 percent of the population is under the age of 15. Community safety is essential and, Halton region has the 13th lowest crime severity index in the country.

Burlington which is grouped in with the Hamilton-Niagara region, and is often considered to be part of the Greater Toronto Area, makes it an ideal location. Residents living in the city have the option of commuting to either area or working within Burlington. There are many major manufacturing employers located in the city. Also, Burlington has easy access to the natural environment, which is often harder to get to without driving hours in the car from other parts of the GTA.

Burlington is part of the Halton region and has some of the lowest crime in the country. The weather is excellent — when you compare it to the rest of Canada. The city offers relatively warm and dry winters and summers. Residents have access to excellent health care and the amenities of the big city, including entertainment options.

Affordability is the main drawback that Burlington shares with the rest of the Toronto region. It may cost less to live there than it does in Toronto, but its average housing price is $888,000. The average housing price is higher than 89 percent of the communities that were ranked.

Communities in Ontario and B.C. dominate this year’s top 50. Ontario towns and cities account for 28 out of the top 50, and there are 16 municipalities from B.C. among the top spots. These two provinces have an advantage because of their strong economies and good weather compared to the rest of Canada. Ontario has Canada’s lowest health care wait times, and its small towns have the least crime in the country, while B.C. benefits from low income and sales taxes.

Two cities in Quebec, the Greater Montreal suburbs of Deux-Montagnes and Blainville made the top 50. Three Alberta communities were in the top spots: Calgary, the Rocky Mountains town of Canmore and the Edmonton-region city of St. Albert. Alberta’s economic slowdown recovery hurt the province’s standing in the rankings. In the Prairies, Weyburn, Saskatchewan is the only city in the top 50.

While Atlantic Canada is beautiful, its high unemployment rates and low income tend to harm its rankings. Halifax, the region’s top-ranked community, came in at No. 130.

Many of the top spots went to towns with populations under 40,000. These small towns are all either within driving distance of a more significant population centre or hubs of local economic activity and beat out the big cities in affordability, low crime and community engagement.

Read more …

The 25 best communities in Canada in 2019

Best communities in Canada for new immigrants

Why supercharged small towns are some of the best communities in Canada

Source: Maclean’s

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