The happiest and unhappiest cities in Canada have been revealed (PHOTOS)

May 5 2023, 5:48 pm

Is it possible to measure the happiness of a city? Point2Homes thinks so.

The online real estate marketplace has released a report which ranks the happiness of Canada’s 100 largest cities.

The results may surprise you.

The happiness index is based on 30 metrics including rainfall, commute time, sense of belonging, and median after-tax income.

These metrics fall into four broad categories: Economy and Real Estate, Location and Demographics, Health and Well-being, and Community and Environment.

According to the World Happiness Report, Canada is the 13th happiest country in the world.

But where are the happiest cities in Canada?

According to Point2Home’s analysis, they are all in Ontario.

Top five happiest Canadian cities

5. Burlington, Ontario

happiest cities

94Mark/Shutterstock

Burlington, located at the west end of Lake Ontario, scored 62.47 on the happiness index. The city is known for its music scene and hosting the Sound of Music festival.

It ranked 4th in the Location and Demographics category, which measures factors such as crime severity and the percentage of people who moved from outside the city in the last five years.

4. Clarington, Ontario

happiest cities

@discoverclarington/Instagram

The city of Clarington scored 62.50 on the happiness index. The area is known for its exceptional sports fishing on Lake Ontario’s north shore.

Clarington ranked sixth for Economy and Real Estate, a category which includes the percentage of homeowners and the unemployment rate among other metrics.

3. Halton Hills, Ontario

happiest cities

@_haltonhills/Instagram

Halton Hills scored an impressive 63.06 on the happiness index.

A wealthy city in the northwestern Greater Toronto Area, Halton Hills boasts a number of natural beauty spots including the Niagara Escarpment.

2. Milton, Ontario

Harold Stiver/Shutterstock

The city of Milton in Ontario scored 63.79 on the index. Pictured above is an aerial view of the city’s downtown area.

Despite being the second happiest city overall, Milton placed 71st for Community and Demographics. This category measures metrics including the volunteer rate and Performing Arts businesses per 10,000 residents.

1. Caledon, Ontario

happiest cities

@townofcaledon/Instagram

The report found that Caledon was the happiest city in Canada, scoring 67.41 on the index.

“Expansive, green landscapes, perfumed orchards, wellness retreats, and a pinch of conserved 19th-century architecture make Caledon a postcard come to life,” Point2Homes said.

Top five unhappiest cities in Canada

5. Saint John, New Brunswick

happiest cities

Albert Pego/Shutterstock

Scoring just 39.19 on the index, Saint John was rated as one of the unhappiest cities in Canada.

Saint John is located on the shore of the Bay of Fundy and has the highest tides in the world.

4. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Franklin McKay/Shutterstock

Sault Ste. Marie scored only 39.01 on the happiness index.

It was ranked as the worst city for Health and Well-being in Canada, a category which included metrics such as life expectancy, perceived health, and hours of work.

3. Windsor, Ontario

happiest cities

Simply Photos/Shutterstock

Windsor was identified as one of the cities with the lowest happiness ratings, scoring just 38.49.

The city has a five-kilometre waterfront park, pictured above, that sits across the river from Detroit in the United States. Unfortunately, Windsor scored poorly in all four categories of the happiness index.

2. North Bay, Ontario

happiest cities

Lester Balajadia/Shutterstock

North Bay in Ontario scored just 36.39 on the index, making it the second unhappiest city in Canada.

Located on the shore of Lake Nipissing, the city did rank as the 15th best city in Canada for Community and Environment.

1. London, Ontario

happiest cities

Harold Stiver/Shutterstock

The unhappiest city in Canada according to the report was London in Ontario.

London scored just 35.77 in the index and was ranked in the top 20 worst cities for Economy and Real Estate, Location and Demographics, and Health and Well-being.

In case you are wondering where Canada’s biggest cities placed on the ranking, Vancouver came in at 67th, Toronto at 72nd, and Montreal at 86th.

Do you agree with the rankings? Let us know in the comments.

Harry LinleyHarry Linley

+ News
+ Canada
+ Photos
+ Urbanized
+ Canada
ADVERTISEMENT