Winnipeg, MB - Canadian financial magazine MoneySense has released its annual Best Places to Live ranking and Winnipeg ranks fifth in the "Top 10 Largest Cities" category.
“City Council has done its best to deliver budgets that strike a prudent and responsible balance, and Winnipeg still has amongst the lowest property taxes of major Canadian cities,” said Mayor Sam Katz. “Our growing population, reasonably priced homes and diversified economy, which continues to create new jobs, make Winnipeg an attractive place to do business and raise a family.”
The magazine uses extensive criteria to determine the ranking and takes into account everything from unemployment rates to climate. Real estate prices, property taxes, commute times and proximity to a major airport are also considered.
MoneySense used 34 factors to determine the ranking of the Canadian cities, which were divided into small, medium, and large categories. Overall, Winnipeg placed 19th out of the 201 cities included in the list, a slight drop from last year’s ranking due to rapid growth seen in other communities.
An interesting trend noted in the magazine is the high ranking of cities in Western Canada. Nearly half of the top 20 cities in the overall list are west of Winnipeg. According to a magazine spokesperson, Winnipeg’s consistently high ranking can be credited to its slow, steady growth and affordable cost of living. Last year, Winnipeg was also ranked fifth amongst large cities.
The full report can be found on the MoneySense website at: http://www.moneysense.ca/canadas-best-places-to-live-2014-full-ranking