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.
![](https://firstlocalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gen-Z-Most-Ready-Canadian-Cities.jpeg)
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