Gen Z is not your typical generation: They have high expectations, strong values, clear goals, and want to live in cities that come with financial stability, work/life balance, mental health support, and environmental sustainability.
But which of Ontario’s cities are ready to offer what they want and need?
The 2023 City Readiness Index for Gen Z shows that:
- The new generation wants it all, but none of Canada’s largest cities achieved the perfect score.
- Only 5 of Ontario’s larger urban hubs made it in the top 20 ideal cities for Gen Z, with none breaking in the top 10;
- Most of these places, except Ottawa, have populations of 200,000 or fewer, indicating that smaller urban areas might emerge as hopeful contenders;
- Burlington emerges as the top Gen Z-ready city in ON, scoring high in metrics that define the ideal Gen Z lifestyle, including remote work, the share of educated residents, perceived health, mental health care access, median income, home price to income ratio, and even the number of non-profits;
- Greater Sudbury, Oshawa and Kingston offer the lowest cost of living, hovering around $1,600
- In Ontario,Gen Z can expect the highest wages for their age group in Greater Sudbury ($32,540) and Ottawa ($32,691).Other cities where young professionals earn median incomes above $31,000 include Guelph, Cambridge, Milton, Toronto and Kitchener.
The analysis considered 35 metrics attractive to Gen Z, including income, education, cost of living, remote work opportunities, mental health indicators, and more. Each city was scored on a 100-point scale for each metric, resulting in a comprehensive ranking of the 50 largest Canadian cities: https://www.point2homes.com/news/canada-real-estate/most-attractive-cities-gen-z-2023.html
