It appears Torontonians aren’t among the happiest people in Canada, according to a new report.
Real estate company Point2Homes released a list of the happiest cities and municipalities in Canada and Toronto ranked at number 72 with a happiness index score of 45.97. The report analyzed 30 metrics, each graded on a 100-point scale, with an index of 100 representing “maximum happiness.” The metrics include median after-tax income, poverty rate, perceived health to practical elements such as commute time, rainfall and air quality.
The metrics were then divided into four happiness dimensions: Economy & Real Estate, Location & Demographics, Health & Wellbeing, and Community & Environment.
According to Point2Home’s analysis, the top five happiest cities and municipalities in Canada are all in Ontario.
Here are the top 5 happiest cities:
- Caledon
Caledon ranked first as the happiest city in Canada, scoring 67.41 on the happiness index. The report alludes to the city’s green landscapes, wellness retreats and 19th century architecture as the reasons why Caledon residents are happiest.
- Milton
Coming in at second is Milton with a happiness index score of 63.79. The report says only 7.5 per cent of Milton’s population stated they are either divorced or separated, in comparison to statistics in Granby, Quebec or Victoria, British Columbia, where the share is double.
- Halton Hills
Halton Hills came in with a score close to Milton at 63.06 on the happiness index. The municipality was added due to its low crime severity rank. In addition to Halton residents, Milton, Oakville, and Burlington also have the lowest crime severity index on the list.
- Clarington
Clarington scored 62.50 on the happiness index. In this municipality, over 85 per cent of homes are owned households, the same goes in Vaughan and Halton Hills. Clarington is known for its waterfront trails along Lake Ontario and its beautiful farmlands.
- Burlington
The City of Burlington scored 62.47 on the happiness index. The city prides itself on its Lake Ontario views, Niagara Escarpment, provincial parks and Royal Botanical Gardens. The city has one of the highest percentages of people who moved into the city in the last five years.
The unhappiest city within the country is London, Ontario scoring 35.77 on the index. Other Canadian cities near the end of the list are North Bay, Windsor, Sault Ste. Marie and Saint John.
On the World Happiness Report, Canada is the 13th happiest country in the world based on data between 2020 to 2022.
