10 Best Cities for New Immigrants in Canada 2013

I find it interesting to see how Canada measures up in global rankings and I’ve covered this topic in blog posts such as best countries to live, the smartest countries, the happiest countries, the  most peaceful countries, the most sustainable countries, the friendliest countries, the most charitable countries, the most prosperous countries, the best countries for quality of life, the Best Countries for Business in 2013, the top 20 countries for life expectancy at birth, the best countries for working women, the best country for World Travel & Tourism, the most sustainable countries, the top countries in Clean Capitalism and the best country for child well-being in rich countries index. It is also worth taking note of how various cities or provinces within Canada rank against one another. Recently I’ve delved into this topic with the 10 best cities in Canada released by MoneySense and today I’ll be sharing another one of their lists with the 10 best cities for new immigrants in Canada 2013.

MoneySense is “Canada’s leading personal finance magazine and leading personal finance website.” In compiling this series of lists, 200 Canadian cities were rated and MoneySense added “11 new categories to [their] process, bringing the total number of categories [they] track to 33 to get an even better picture of what life is like in each community.” The main criteria used were: walk/bike to work, transit, weather, population growth, unemployment, housing, household income, discretionary income, new cars, income taxes, sales taxes, property tax rate, property tax paid as percentage of income, crime, doctors, health professionals, number of doctor’s offices per thousand people, amenities, and culture. The calculations were adjusted to emphasize services and conditions for immigrants. According to this data, the 10 best places for new immigrants in Canada 2013 are:

1. Burlington, Ontario
2. Vaughan, Ontario
3. Calgary, Alberta
4. Richmond Hill, Ontario
5. Toronto, Ontario
6. Oakville, Ontario
7. West Vancouver, British Columbia
8. Saanich, British Columbia
9. Markham, Ontario
10. Vancouver, British Columbia

Information that was used to compile this list was the affordability of rental property and jobless rates. These are two factors that would greatly impact where new immigrants choose to live, as they would be seeking out employment opportunities and affordable housing.

Also according to MoneySense, Vancouver, Markham, and Toronto have a population that is made up of at least forty-five percent immigrants. Although they point out that Calgary’s population is only made up of twenty-four percent immigrants that is expected to increase in coming years.

The two provinces best for new immigrants appear to be British Columbia and Ontario. One reason for this is that they are arguably the most diverse provinces in Canada and where new immigrants might feel the most welcome. Also some of these cities have an infrastructure in place to help new immigrants transition and become acclimated. This list would have an impact on the economy of these cities as their perceived attractiveness can make a difference for those immigrating.

____________________________________________________________________________________

For nonprofit, CSR business, Canada and other news, please connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin or subscribe to our RSS feed. Miratel Solutions is a Canada call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional fundraising services including telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery services, donation caging, donation processing and other donor management services. We are committed to our CSR business values and advancing the missions of the non-profits we proudly serve.