Top 10 Neighborhoods to Live And Work in Toronto

Top 10 Neighborhoods to live and work in Toronto

Toronto Life conducted a study to determine the best neighborhoods in the city, based on important universal factors like housing affordability, community, safety rates, shopping proximity, diversity, education, health, employment, entertainment, and transit.

While choosing where to live is a personal decision, there are universal factors we can all agree on, and most of these stated above are in that category. With these in mind, they teamed up with an analytics firm and rated each neighborhood on a scale from 0 to 100.

Just so you’re familiar with the districts of Totonto before we get into the neighborhoods, here is a map of them:

Now that you’ll know some of the areas we’ll reference, here are the results for the top 10:

Danforth is Rated Toronto’s Best Neighbourhood

According to the study, Danforth has been awarded as 2023’s top-ranking neighborhood. Keep in mind, it might not be the best to everyone, but based on the factors stated previously, this is how they were scored

The study has some to say about Danforth: “These days, the bustling area—and this year’s top-ranking neighborhood—spoils residents with quality restaurants, bars, shopping, and schools, all packed within its boundaries, which stretch from Pape to Woodbine.”

The article explains that Danforth has ranked exceptionally high in education, employment, and entertainment (all being factors of this survey).

Plus, living in the Danforth comes with the bonus of living near grocery stores, pharmacies, and Michael Garron Hospital.

Even if relocating to Toronto isn’t on your radar, it’s good to know what markers mattered most in the Toronto Life study if you’re planning a move soon, or investing in properties in Toronto as well.

Housing was the most important consideration and was evaluated based on affordability, average primary real estate value, and the rate of home ownership. All these factors combined can give you a good idea of what to look for when investing in a real estate property as well as whether or not you’re overpaying.

The community factor of a neighborhood was also a major marker in the study. It was assessed using voter turnout, access to community spaces like libraries and parks, outward migration, and the sense of community belonging. Safety was another major pillar of the study and was evaluated based on the prevalence of various types of criminal activity in each neighborhood.

Wrapping up the Study

Shopping was scored by how close neighborhoods were to necessities like groceries, markets, and pharmacies. Diversity accounted for factors such as those with mother tongues other than English or French and the first-second-generation household population. 

Education was evaluated based on the number of schools per 1,000 children, how close neighborhoods were to care, and how many people in the neighborhood had post-secondary degrees.

The study also factored in health, assessed based on the proximity to healthcare services and the physical activity levels among residents. Employment was determined by unemployment rates, the share of residents below the poverty line, and the share of high-income residents. 

Entertainment is measured by the number of bars and restaurants per capita and the number of residents attending cultural, sports, and entertainment events.

Finally, transit was measured by the proximity to subways, streetcars, and bus stops, including the average commuting distance and the number of commuters utilizing different modes of transportation.