Good work and good play — that's the balanced lifestyle of Newmarket and Aurora residents, according to a real estate analysis organization.
A new Point2Homes study highlights the best cities for work-life balance based on Statistics Canada data, using metrics like work hours, average income and entertainment facilities per capita.
Aurora ranked second among Ontario cities and sixth in the country overall. Newmarket was right behind at third in Ontario and 10th in the country.
“Newmarket was recognized for being an ideal place to live for its access to world-class health care and a safe environment,” the Town of Newmarket said on social media. “The diverse, welcoming and inclusive community – where everyone feels an unwavering sense of belonging is what makes Newmarket one of the best places to live in Canada.”
The study gave cities scores based on health and well-being, work intensity and livability, then tallied an overall score.
The study used a weighted average across 30 different metrics, including commute time, people with multiple jobs, life expectancy, high blood pressure, employed psychologists and employed general practitioners per 1,000 residents, cost of living, walkability and crime severity index. Other metrics included the number of performing arts businesses, spectator sports businesses, museums, amusement parks and arcades, food services and drinking places per 10,000 residents.
Cities were each ranked among the 100 most populous cities in Canada to determine the final score. Newmarket and Aurora shared a great deal of overlap in their statistics, both ranking well in life expectancy (second), employed specialists and general practitioners per 1,000 (Aurora first, Newmarket fourth), employed psychologists per 1,000 (Aurora eighth, Newmarket 11th), median and after-tax household income (Aurora 11th and Newmarket 16th) and percentage of people working from home (Aurora sixth, Newmarket 18th).
“Beyond the usual economic metrics and demographic rankings, a city’s heartbeat lies in its ability to make everyday life feel like a win-win,” Point2Homes said, adding that financial stats were included because having financial peace matters.
Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas also recognized the study on social media.
“Now the entire country knows what we Aurorans already knew! One of the best places to live, work and play,” Mrakas said.
Not every statistic was a winner for Newmarket and Aurora though. Among the most populous 100 cities, both notably ranked low in the number of people spending less than 30 per cent of their income on housing costs (Aurora 90th, Newmarket 83rd) and benchmark real estate prices (Aurora 99th, Newmarket 91st).
There were also some points of differentiation between the two cities. While Newmarket ranked 18th for utility costs, Aurora ranked 73rd. But Aurora ranked much more highly in a number of amusement parks and arcades (fourth versus Newmarket’s 30th), food and drink services (22nd versus 49th) and museums (31st versus 74th).
Among Ontario cities, only Burlington ranked above Newmarket and Aurora. The remainder of the top 10 in the country was dominated by six Quebec cities, along with the District of North Vancouver.
You can find the study and more information on the Point2Homes website.
