In the big city and miserable

Big city life is not all it’s cracked up to be, according to the latest Statistics Canada data.

People living in Toronto and Vancouver in 2021 through 2023 reported being generally less happy than people living in other parts of Ontario and British Columbia.

They also had a lower sense of “belonging to their community,” according to the data.

During that same time residents in Toronto and Vancouver were much less likely than people living elsewhere in their provinces to report having good mental health, with the financial strain of shelter costs possibly affecting their feelings about their quality of life.

“One factor that may be associated with quality of life is financial strain,” says the report, released Friday. “Vancouver residents face particularly intense financial pressure, especially with rising shelter costs.”

On average, Vancouverites spend almost 30 per cent of their take-home income on housing.

YOUNGER CANADIANS TEND TO FACE GREATER CHALLENGES THAN OLDER AGE GROUPS WHEN IT COMES TO SHELTER COSTS.

The report shows that across Canada people aged 15 to 54 reported lower results on several quality of life indicators than those aged 55 and over. In particular, between 2016 and 2022 youth aged 15 to 29 were less satisfied and less hopeful about the future.

“Younger Canadians tend to face greater challenges than older age groups when it comes to shelter costs,” the report notes.

“According to the 2021 census of population, nearly two-thirds of Canadians aged 15 to 29 rented their home, and they spent more of their income on shelter costs than did Canadians in the older age groups.

“In 2021, Canadians aged 55 and over were more likely to own their home than those aged 15 to 54. When younger Canadians do own their home, they’re much less likely to have paid off their mortgage than Canadians aged 55 and over, leaving them more vulnerable to interest rate hikes that increase their mortgage payments.”

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation figures show average rent for a two-bedroom suite in Vancouver is $2,200 a month, an 8.5 per cent increase over the past year. In Toronto, a two-bedroom apartment rents for an average of $2,550 a month.