5 Best Cities in Canada for Young Professionals

Best Cities in Canada for Young Professionals: When choosing a city to settle in, not all of us have the freedom to really pinpoint the factors as life satisfaction, education and income, and quality of living for our choices. Today though, more of the young ones have that chance, whether they would decide to later on have a family, or just work it before settling later on.  Aside from the more general qualifications, young professionals also look into housing affordability, unemployment rate, low crime rate, healthcare, climate, level of education  when deciding on where to live their life.

In Canada, for example, the largest cities, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, or Calgary, didn’t make it to the top three, only Ottawa did and this was not the case in 2018 too. You’d think with reasonably-priced Calgary homes for sale, it would have made it at least to the top 5, but it ended up at number 20.

A while back, we mentioned the 3 best areas in Canada to buy a house, but none of what we deem best is not included in this list of best Canadian cities for young professionals. With the help of financial tools and online resources, it’s not hard to see which would be the best area for young people. So if you are planning to settle in a Canada, here are (unofficially) the 5 best cities to consider.

Quebec City

Quebec city is the eleventh of the largest cities and the seventh of the largest metropolitan areas in Canada. It is also the second-largest city in the province after Montreal. Quebec City has all four distinct seasons that is perfect for those who enjoy different activities that can be undertaken in those diverse seasons.

Quebec city has a lot of parks and gardens for those who enjoy nature. For those who have an athletic leaning, there are frequent sporting events held in the city, and for the artistic souls, Québec City has a number of historic sites, art galleries and museums.

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital city of Canada, and is often referenced as the most-educated populace of Canada. It is home to a number of top colleges and universities, research and cultural institutions, including the University of Ottawa, Carleton University, the National Arts Centre, and the National Gallery of Canada. Thus, a perfect city for students and knowledge-seeking individuals.

Ottawa holds a handful of festivals all-year round, some of which we may be familiar about: the Canadian Tulip Festival, Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival, Ottawa International Jazz Festival, Fringe Festival and Folk Music Festival.

Kingston

If you want a life that is not so much in the big city but is near to it, Kingston is the best choice. It is midway between Toronto, Ontario, and Montreal, Quebec, so going between these bigger cities would be convenient. Like Ottawa, Kingston has a list of festivals for locals and guests to enjoy, some would be the Kingston WritersFest, Limestone City Blues Festival, the Kingston Canadian Film Festival, Artfest, the Kingston Buskers Rendezvous, and the Kingston Jazz Festival.

There’s also a boom in housing development in the region for demands on housing and rent, which would also mean a boost in employment as would be arranged by its government. As it has always had a university-town atmosphere, with a good restaurant scene, art, sports, and other activities to boost, young people would enjoy the city overall. Not a big city, but not so small, Kingston is right for those who enjoy life as it is.

 

Halifax

Laid back but beautiful, Nova Scotia’s capital is not a city for those who enjoys a fast-paced lifestyle. Many websites cite Halifax to be affordable for renting houses and apartment units, average cost of homes in Halifax is as low  as $320,000.

Like most other Canadian cities, education in Halifax is at par with the best in the world. Some on its list include Dalhousie University, Mount St. Vincent University, and the University of King’s College. For more affordable higher education options, Halifax also offers college-level education at its local campus of the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC).

Being relatively small compared to other cities, Halifax is an easy walk but biking will also be a lovely experience. Transportation may not be as super as it is in Toronto, but the city provides well for its citizens in this department with extensive bus routes.  For those with an adventurous blood, there are hiking trails for you to explore, you can go canoeing, kayaking, or skate around the oval with a good friend.

Spending time at the Waterfront could well be enough for the day – restaurants abound, and there are many spots to take photos of. The WHalifax. While you’re at it, see Gus the Tortoise, who turns 98 years old in 2021 at the Museum of Natural History. And of course, a must for every tourist, take a photo by Peggy’s Cove lighthouse. Nova Scotia is home to over 160 historic lighthouses and the most photographed happened to be at Halifax.

 

St. John’s

St. John’s is the capital city of Newfoundland, a lively town, steeped in history and has a lot of things for you to do. Even a week would be full of activities, you’d wish you stayed longer. Home to a big airport at the end of the Atlantic, many flights get checked there before flying off to their destinations.

 St. John’s is a great choice when investing in a home. Pandemic-caused or not, the prices are lower now that it did some years ago. The average house sold for $340,000 in 2015; but by 2020, the average home sold for $300,000.

St.John’s can be enjoyed both in land and water, go boating and whale and puffin- watching when your time permits. For the artist in you, visit The Rooms, it houses the Provincial Art Gallery, the Provincial Museum and the Provincial Archives for you to explore. Explore downtown St. John’s just north of the harbour, it is the tourist centre of the city; home to numerous entertainment establishments, restaurants, hotels and office buildings. George Street at night is particularly known for where to enjoy the city’s nightlife and Water Street is where you can enjoy shopping and dining.

Another lighthouse worth taking the time to visit and having a photo at is Cape Spear’s, North America’s easterly most point. The lighthouse is the oldest among all Canada’s.

Top 10 Cities in Canada for Young Professionals

The top 5 cities in Canada for your professionals are Quebec City, Ottawa, Kingston, Halifax, St. John’s,  here are the other cities which comprises the top 10.

6. New Westminster

7. Levis

8. Victoria

9. Waterloo

10. Trios-Riviéres

Canadian cities offer the best when it comes to both housing and employment opportunities, but they also boast a high level of life satisfaction, and not to mention its great climate too. Whether a young professional chooses one from the lower list of these 10 cities, or one that is perhaps at number 20, they’re sure to live a happy, and awesome life.