Calgary Named No.1 City in Canada on MoneySense's Best Places to Live Rankings
- Knocking off three-time champ Ottawa, Calgary's rise largely attributed to its strong economy -
- MoneySense magazine expands list for 2013 to rate 200 Canadian cities, plus the top large, medium and small cities in the country -
- Top mid-sized city: Burlington, Ont.; Top small city: St. Albert, Alta. -
- For full rankings, visit moneysense.ca/bestplaces -
TORONTO, March 20, 2013 /CNW/ - For the first time, Calgary has earned the top spot on MoneySense magazine's annual Best Places to Live in Canada, a ranking based on hard data such as employment, housing prices, crime, weather and household income.
Calgary has been quietly climbing the ranks of MoneySense's Best Places to Live for several years. Now, it's not only the No.1 large city, it takes the top spot overall among all 200 small, mid-sized and large cities on the list, knocking off three-time champ, Ottawa, which dropped to No. 6. High incomes and an abundance of jobs fuelled by the boom in the energy sector are among the reasons it jumped from No. 14 last year to No. 1 this year.
Best Places to Live in Canada also includes a list of the Best Places to Retire, Best Places to Raise Kids and Best Places for Immigrants. This annual scorecard not only shows the top cities in the country but paints a picture of the changing fortunes of various regions in Canada.
"Calgary's climb to the top of Best Places to Live highlights how well the West did overall in the rankings," said Jonathan Chevreau, MoneySense Editor. "This year, with the addition of the separate rankings in categories for small, medium and large cities, MoneySense is able to provide Canadians with even more comparative information they can use to make a smart decision about where to live, raise children and retire."
Among other Canadian cities: Toronto jumped from No.47 last year overall to No.28 this year, largely due to the city's healthy population growth of 5.27%. Fredericton, N.B., dropped to No.78 from No.7 because of slipping incomes and higher home prices. Kelowna, B.C., moved up to No.76 from No.144. That improvement was related in large part to the improved unemployment rate to 5.1%, down from 8%.
Canada's Best Places to Live 2013—Top 10 out of 200 (2012 ranking)
- Calgary (14)
- St. Albert, Alta. (12)
- Burlington, Ont. (2)
- Strathcona County, Alta. (11)
- Oakville, Ont. (17)
- Ottawa (1)
- Saanich, B.C. (15)
- Lacombe, Alta. (26)
- Lethbridge, Alta. (25)
- Newmarket, Ont. (13)
Top small cities in Canada—Top 5 out of 139
- St. Albert, Alta.
- Strathcona County, Alta.
- Lacombe, Alta.
- Newmarket, Ont.
- Halton Hills, Ont.
Top mid-sized cities in Canada—Top 5 out of 46
- Burlington, Ont.
- Oakville, Ont.
- Saanich, B.C.
- Lethbridge, Alta.
- Saskatoon
Top large cities in Canada—Top 5 out of 15
- Calgary
- Ottawa
- Edmonton
- London, Ont.
- Winnipeg
For the full ranking, visit moneysense.ca/bestplaces, or pick up the latest issue of MoneySense, on newsstands across the country starting this week.
MoneySense's Best Places to Live in Canada is a comprehensive data-driven snapshot of Canadian cities. The magazine looks at dozens of factors that contribute to the quality of life in 200 communities across the country, including unemployment rates, taxes, income and home prices. Beyond financial measures, the magazine also considers other key factors that contribute to community's livability, such as the weather, access to health care and crime. In total, MoneySense's Best Places to Live ranks every Canadian community with a population of 10,000 or more in 33 different categories. For full methodology visit: moneysense.ca/bestplaces.
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About MoneySense
MoneySense, Canada's personal finance and lifestyle magazine, was named Magazine of the Year by the National Magazine Awards in 2011. Packed with smart features, practical advice and easy-to-follow financial tips on everything from home improvement to mutual funds, MoneySense attracts Canadians nationwide on the lookout for new ways to save, invest and spend. MoneySense.ca is Canada's best all-around personal finance website.
SOURCE: MoneySense
Media contact
Saphyre Haliburton, MoneySense, [email protected], 416-764-1719
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