National Capital Region Named ‘Canada’s best place to live’

Ottawa-Gatineau has been named “Canada’s best place to live” in the annual ranking by Moneysense magazine.
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National Capital Region Named ‘Canada’s best place to live’
Spring tulips on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, with the Peace Tower in the background. This year, for the second time in a row and the fourth time in six years, the nation's capital was rated the 'Best Place to Live' in Canada by MoneySense magazine. Ottawa- (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
3/30/2011
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/TulipfestParliamentHill01Tower.jpg" alt="Spring tulips on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, with the Peace Tower in the background. This year, for the second time in a row and the fourth time in six years, the nation's capital was rated the 'Best Place to Live' in Canada by MoneySense magazine. Ottawa- (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)" title="Spring tulips on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, with the Peace Tower in the background. This year, for the second time in a row and the fourth time in six years, the nation's capital was rated the 'Best Place to Live' in Canada by MoneySense magazine. Ottawa- (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1806196"/></a>
Spring tulips on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, with the Peace Tower in the background. This year, for the second time in a row and the fourth time in six years, the nation's capital was rated the 'Best Place to Live' in Canada by MoneySense magazine. Ottawa- (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

For the second year in a row, Ottawa-Gatineau has been named “Canada’s best place to live” in the annual ranking by Moneysense magazine that measures factors such as affordable housing, crime rates, job prospects, and healthcare.

The personal finance magazine compiled data from 180 Canadian cities and towns with populations of over 10,000 and gave points to each community based on a number of categories and subcategories.

Ottawa-Gatineau scored 71.77 points out of a maximum 105 points to receive the top honour. Three provincial capitals also made the top 10, including Victoria, Fredericton, and Winnipeg. Vancouver ranked 29, Toronto 88, and Montreal 123.

The categories include the percentage of people who walk or bike to work, weather and air quality, population growth, unemployment, housing, household and discretionary income, new cars, income taxes and sales taxes, crime, doctors and health professionals, transit, amenities, and culture.

“While Ottawa-Gatineau isn’t tops in any one particular category, it consistently rates high in most categories, beating out picturesque Victoria, B.C., by just one point,” according to Moneysense.

Canada’s Top 25 Best Places to Live

1. Ottawa-Gatineau
2. Victoria. B.C.
3. Burlington, Ont.
4. Kingston, Ont.
5. St. Albert, Alta.
6. Fredericton, N.B.
7. Brandon, Man.
8. Edmonton, Alta.
9. Repentigny, Que.
10. Winnipeg, Man.
11. Moncton, N.B.
12. Whitehorse, Yukon
13. Levis, Que.
14. London, Ont.
15. Saskatoon, Sask.
16. Calgary, Alta.
17. Laval, Que.
18. Guelph, Ont.
19. Lethbridge, Alta.
20. Thunder Bay, Ont.
21. Halifax, N.S.
22. North Bay, Ont.
23. Regina, Sask.
24. Newmarket, Ont.
25. Quebec City, Que.

Canada’s Best Cities to Live by Category

Best weather: Oakville, Ont.
Best job prospects: Estevan, Sask.
Best population growth: Wellington, Ont.
Highest household income: Wood Buffalo, Alta.
Highest discretionary income: St. Albert, Alta.
Highest number of new cars on the road: Whitehorse, Yukon
Most affordable housing: Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Top number of commuters who walk or bike to work: Yellowknife, N.W.T
Low crime: Caledon, Ont.
Best access to healthcare: Grand Falls-Windsor, N.L.