Canada's best cities for families and babies - page 2 |
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Housing affordability
We looked at average house prices and average household incomes in each community, then calculated the number of years it would take a family to buy a home if all their money went toward the house. The affordability results reflect a blend of house prices and years it takes to buy.
Cape Breton, NS, took the top spot. With an average household income of $57,417, and an average house price of just under $109,000, a Cape Breton family can afford to buy a home in under two years.
"That's less than half the average in Halifax, and quite a bit below the average of other major centres across the country," says Matthew Giltnore, a senior market analyst with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, pointing out that Cape Breton's myriad recreational and outdoor activities add value to the low cost of housing.
Though the area is also known for some of the highest unemployment rates in the country, Gilmore points to recent positive signs for its economy, including new stores opening, jobs in call centres and retail, and the fact that many Cape Bretoners who work in western Canada are sending money back home.
And, let's face it, settling in a coveted city isn't all roses. In Vancouver, house prices are still soaring — the average is nearly $800,000. With an average household income of about $85,000, a family would need to save for nearly a decade before being able to buy a home. That's partly what made Vancouver the least affordable city on our list, falling just behind its neighbours, Richmond and Burnaby.
TOP PLACES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Overall ranking - Years to buy a home
1. Cape Breton, NS - 1.90
2. Timmins, ON - 1.76
3. Bathurst, NB - 1.91
4. Portage la Prairie, MB - 1.93
5. Chatham-Kent, ON - 1.93
6. Fredericton, NB - 1.86
7. Thunder Bay, ON - 1.95
8. La Tuque, QC - 2.08
9. Windsor, ON - 1.92
10. Baie-Comeau, QC - 1.99
Air quality
We measured two major components of smog: ozone and particulate matter (which can settle deep in people's lungs).
Small communities in ВС stood out for their fresh air: The coastal town of Squamish ranked first, and several other ВС communities appear in the top 10, including Powell River, Terrace and Prince Rupert. These towns are relatively small and isolated, explains Michael Brauer, a professor of environmental health at the University of British Columbia. Meanwhile, communities near Montreal, such as Drummondville, Granby and Cowansville, landed at the bottom of the list. Cities in eastern Canada are affected by pollution from the American Midwest (and elsewhere in eastern Canada), which generally drifts in a northeasterly direction. That means even if the cities themselves do not produce much bad stuff, it blows in from afar. Communities in ВС generally don't deal with the same pattern.
RANKINGS FOR AIR QUALITY
BEST WORST
1. Squamish. ВС 1. Thetford Mines, QC
2. Powell River, ВС 2. Saint-Georges, QC
3. Terrace, ВС 3. Victoriaville, QC
3. Prince Rupert, ВС 4. Cowansville, QC
4. Halifax, NS 4. Saint-Hyacinthe, QC
4. Courtenay, ВС 4. Granby, QC
4. Campbell River, ВС 5. Drummondville, QC
5. Duncan, ВС 6. Norfolk, ON
5. Nanaimo, ВС 6. Tillsonburg, ON
5. Parksville, ВС 7. Lachute, QC
5. Port Alberni, ВС
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