A strong economy, healthy population growth, accessible infrastructure, and vibrant culture make Ottawa the second best place to live in the country, according to MoneySense magazine.
Ottawa climbed from fourth to second place in the magazine’s 2015 report, an annual ranking of living standards in 209 Canadian cities.
The report lists ten major quality of life indicators, and gives cities a checkmark in a category if they’re among the top 25 percent on the given measurement. MoneySense awarded Ottawa seven checkmarks.
“Ottawa has always done well in our report,” said managing editor Mark Brown. “For students, it suggests it is a good city to plant down roots once they finish school.”
Economically, Ottawa residents benefit from high incomes, healthy population growth and low taxes, according to the report. The report also found the city’s median household income to be $86,443.
Edward Jackson, senior researcher at Carleton University’s Centre for Community Innovation, explained that a large portion of this high income is produced by strong public sector wages and benefits as well as retired government employees with good pensions.
He also listed Ottawa’s burgeoning tourist sector and booming construction activity in private real estate and public infrastructure projects as sources of economic energy for the city.
“Another factor [of the city’s economic strength] appears to be a stabilizing of the regional population at just under a million people. This critical mass anchors the economy,” Jackson added.
Ottawa was categorized as a large city by the MoneySense report but is much smaller than other large cities like Toronto and Vancouver, which didn’t fare as well. After Ottawa, the highest-ranking large cities are Quebec, Calgary, and Winnipeg.
Jackson added that aside from being stable, Ottawa’s population is diverse, and links between Canada’s capital and other areas in the world are probably stronger than ever. “In a dynamic and globalized world economy, that is an asset,” said Jackson.
Access to health care and transportation, good weather and strong arts and sports communities are the other areas Ottawa scores highly in the MoneySense report.
Ottawa lacks checkmarks in the low unemployment, low crime, and affordable housing categories.
Mandy Chouinard, a third-year communications student at Carleton University and native of Ottawa, said the second-place ranking makes her feel even more proud of the city she’s always loved to live in.
“To me this acknowledgement means my view is not entirely biased, and to anyone, Ottawa is an outstanding city,” said Chouinard.
As a Carleton campus tour guide, she said there’s no better feeling than seeing new students from elsewhere fall in love with her hometown.
Brown said his magazine’s report suggests that students living in Ottawa can be optimistic about finding a solid, well-paying job after graduation.
“It’s also an affordable city,” said Brown, “which suggests that a student who finds work in Ottawa after graduating should have more free cash to pay down student debts or save for a big purchase like a home.”
