MACLEAN’S BEST COMMUNITIES
Stats on the Ottawa region from our sister magazine, Maclean’s
The Maclean’s Best Communities in Canada ranking recognizes towns and cities that strike a balance. Our top municipalities are well off, yet affordable. They offer great opportunities for both work and play. And they have the amenities of a big city, plus the engaged communities associated with a small town
With its stable, government-fuelled economy and affordable housing compared with Canada’s bigger cities, Ottawa does a great job of striking that balance. That’s why it should come as no surprise that Maclean’s is naming Ottawa the third-best community in the country, with three other Ottawa-area municipalities also breaking into the top 50.
Many intangible things that determine quality of life can’t be quantified and measured, but a lot of tangible things can be. Using data from Environics Analytics, as well as publicly available sources, Maclean’s ranked 415 communities across Canada measured up in 10 categories weighted to reflect the priorities of an average person.
Ottawa finished in the top 25 per cent of all communities in six out of those 10 categories: wealth and the economy, population growth, commute, access to health care, amenities, and culture. The only two municipalities that managed to beat it were Burlington, Ont., and Grimsby, Ont., which benefited from the Hamilton-Niagara region’s hot job market and comparatively warmer weather.
Three other Ottawa-area communities made the top 50: Russell Township, Clarence-Rockland, and North Grenville Township. All three are well-off commuter towns, with 58 to 68 per cent of workers trekking into Ottawa for their jobs, according to figures from the 2016 census. For people willing to trade a longer drive for a bigger house and a small-town lifestyle, the ranking shows that these communities offer attractive options.
If low crime and a family-friendly vibe are your priorities, Russell Township might be your best bet. This municipality southeast of Ottawa is the 18th-safest in the country and is the sixth-best community for families, with 20 per cent of its population under the age of 15. If you’re looking for somewhere affordable, Clarence-Rockland has an average housing price of just $369,000. And if you want a well-rounded place, North Grenville scored in the top 25 per cent of all communities in four categories, with high incomes, a fast-growing population, low crime, and great access to health care.
These communities made it to the very top of the ranking, but most other areas in the Ottawa region scored highly as well. Out of 20 municipalities we examined in the region on both the Ontario and the Quebec sides of the river, 70 per cent ranked above the Canadian median. Ottawa-area communities stood out for their low crime and access to health care, with plenty of doctors per capita and an easy drive to the city’s excellent hospitals.