There is no single best city in Canada. As of September 2024, a Zolo report ranked Ottawa, Simcoe, Guelph and Barrie as the most affordable places by benchmark home price, put Ontario first for family living, favoured Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Guelph and Sudbury for younger people, and pointed retirees toward Saint John, Fredericton, Ottawa and the Niagara Region.
I am Moe Asgarian, a principal real estate broker in Toronto and ranked #47 worldwide at RE/MAX. Anywhere you go in Canada, when housing comes up everyone is worried about price, and they are right to be. Prices are high and it is natural that price is the first thing on everyone's mind. But sometimes price is not everything. Other factors matter when the real question is which cities are better to live in, and which areas suit the situation you are actually in.
Price is not the only number that matters
When you are deciding to buy a home, it is very important to check the other things after price. Zolo set out a range of factors in its report for the quality of cities and neighbourhoods across Canada, and the useful part is that the answer changes depending on who is asking. A city that is the right answer for families with children is often the wrong answer for a young person, and the wrong answer again for retirees.
The most affordable cities: Ottawa, Simcoe, Guelph and Barrie
On price, the report put Ottawa, Simcoe, Guelph and Barrie among the most affordable places to live, in that order. Their benchmark home price sat below the rest of Canada as of September 2024. Ottawa scored on more than price: its costs are more reasonable, its crime rate is lower, and household income there is high. The other cities in the list follow in the ranking order shown in the report.
Best for families: Ontario leads, with Ottawa and Simcoe on top
Affordability alone is not the whole story. Another important factor is whether the city suits family life. What does that mean in practice? A place where other families are also living, where the crime rate is low, and where there are affordable, reasonably priced homes. Other factors matter too: high household income, a low unemployment rate, and access to health and medical facilities.
Across Canada as a whole, the report shows Ontario as the best province for family living. Ottawa and Simcoe are in the top positions, followed by Guelph, Hamilton, Burlington, Mississauga and Kitchener Waterloo. Outside Ontario, Calgary and Saint John are worth mentioning as ideal places for families to live.
Where younger buyers do well: Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Guelph and Sudbury
For younger people the picture is different. For young adults and teenagers, cities with good universities matter. The quality of public transit is a significant factor as well, and so is whether the city is easy to walk around, which counts for a lot in this age group. On the report's measures, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Guelph and Sudbury sat at the top of the table. In these cities a combination of affordability, job opportunities and active, lively communities is what makes younger people want to live there.
Where to retire: Saint John, Fredericton, Ottawa and the Niagara Region
At the other end of the range are the cities suited to retirement. Places where you can buy a smaller home and live in it. Places that are affordable at the same time, and where access to medical facilities is easier. On the report's ranking, the cities best suited to seniors, in order, are Saint John, Fredericton, Ottawa and the Niagara Region.
How to use this when you actually buy
The important point in this report is the reminder that a good place to live depends on the circumstances of the person living there. For young people, for families with children, and for seniors, a good city means different things. That matters a great deal both for investment and for buying a house or a condo, and it is the part most buyers skip. Before you shortlist neighbourhoods, decide which of those three lists you are actually shopping from, because the ranking that suits your situation is the only one worth acting on.
If you want help matching a city or neighbourhood to your own situation before you buy, fill out the form at the bottom of this page or book a free consultation. Stay well and take care.
Frequently asked questions
Which Canadian cities were the most affordable to live in?
According to the Zolo report as of September 2024, the most affordable places in order were Ottawa, Simcoe, Guelph and Barrie, measured by benchmark home price against the rest of Canada. Ottawa scored well on more than price alone: lower crime and high household income.
What makes a Canadian city good for families?
More than price. The measures that matter are whether other families live there, a low crime rate, affordable and reasonably priced homes, high household income, low unemployment and access to health and medical facilities. On those measures Ontario ranked as the best province overall as of September 2024.
Where should a retiree in Canada look?
At towns where you can buy a smaller home and live in it, that are affordable, and where getting to medical care is easier. As of September 2024 the cities ranked best for seniors were Saint John, Fredericton, Ottawa and the Niagara Region.
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