Falling short on the affordability factor, but making up for it with climate action and entrepreneurial spirit — Vancouver has been ranked the best Canadian city on the West Coast for young people to live and work in 2023.
That’s according to the recently released RBC Future Launch’s Urban Work Index, which ranks 30 Canadian cities based on 10 areas.
“Vancouver ranked in the top 10 for 7 of 10 topics including education and training, equity, diversity, and inclusion, entrepreneurial spirit, digital access, transportation, and health,” reads the report.
“However, Vancouver does not fare well in affordability, ranking 28th due to cost of living and 18th in Good Youth Jobs,” the report adds.
The RBC report places the high number of walking trails and start-ups as Vancouver’s strengths.
Nevertheless, the report notes that the city should address the low employment rates for young people and affordability to maintain its top spot.
Only 49% of young people in Vancouver have a full-time job compared to the national average of 69.8%, according to the index report.
- You might also like:
- These are the best cities for young Canadians to live and work in 2023
- These are the cheapest Canadian cities to live in right now (PHOTOS)
- Several attractive BC cities named best in Canada for students
On the whole, cities in BC are clouded by a similar problem.
If you prioritize living costs and wish to remain in the province, there are not many options. All the BC cities studied — Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna — finished in the bottom eight of the list in terms of affordability.
However, all three cities placed in the top 10 for public health and the top 15 for entrepreneurial spirit.
Overall, Vancouver nabbed the third position in the national ranking. Victoria and Kelowna stood at 12th and 19th place, respectively.
RBC Future Launch
The report also looks into the movement of the youth population in the country and observed a shift from the central regions to the east and west coasts.
Vancouver saw the highest absolute gain overall on the West Coast, picking 2.75% of youth per capita. Meanwhile, Victoria gained over 10% of youth relative to its youth population.
You can read the complete study here and dive deeper into its methodology here.
Follow Channels and Categories