Peterborough dips to 199th in 2017 MoneySense rankings of Best Place to Live in Canada
ThePeterboroughExaminer.com
July 6, 2017
For a few years we were a real looker, but now the thrill is gone.
Peterborough plummeted badly in MoneySense magazine's Best Places to Live in Canada annual rankings for 2017 released this week.
Peterborough was ranked in the middle of the pack at 199th out of the 417 cities and towns assessed.
That's way down from last year's 40th-place ranking out of 219 communities.
Peterborough was 72nd in 2015, 91st in 2014 and 70th in 2013.
The City of Kawartha Lakes fell to 372nd, down from 173rd in the smaller survey a year ago.
MoneySense's rankings are based on such factors as the economy, mobility, weather and health and safety.
The Top 10 places to live for 2017 are: Ottawa, Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Que., Oak Bay, B.C., North Saanich, B.C., Weyburn, Sask., Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Que., St. Albert, Alta., Mont-Royal, Que., Burlington, Ont., and Levis, Que.
The full survey results are on MoneySense's website here.
This year, Peterborough scored strong marks for being easy to walk, bike and take transit in and for its arts and sports community.
But this year's survey found Peterborough's standing to be unremarkable in other factors such as employment, average income, access to health care, crime rate, low taxes and even good weather -- Toronto and some of its suburbs including Brampton, Burlington, Oakville, Vaughan and Uxbridge were all handed stars for being in the Top 10 in Canada for good weather.
This year's survey was expanded by adding in more smaller communities, including two in the Peterborough area: Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield Township debuted at 336th, with high marks for good weather and low unemployment, while Trent Hills was 374th, with high marks for low taxes and the arts and sports community.
The bright spot in the Peterborough area was again Cobourg, ranking 113th, down from 22nd in last year's smaller survey.
Peterborough can take comfort that it outranks nearby Oshawa at 211st, Georgina at 224th, Prince Edward County at 259th, Scugog at 264th, Belleville at 277th and Port Hope at 291st.
But Peterborough is behind many comparable Ontario cities such as Stratford at 12th, Barrie in 70th, Whitby at 103rd, Hamilton at 145th, Milton at 151st, Sudbury at 169th, Kitchener at 178th and Cambridge at 185th.
Toronto was 129th and Mississauga was 128th.
Here's a look at the data MoneySense listed for Peterborough in making the 199th place ranking.
- Rank (2016): 40
- Average Household Net Worth:
- Average Value of Primary Real Estate:
- Occupied Private Dwellings by Tenure Owned %:
- Population: 83,394
- Population Change (2012 to 2017): 2.5%
- Unemployment Rate (Est.): 8.6%
- Median Household Income: $67,196
- Average Household Discretionary Income: $38,845
- Average Household Net Worth: $408,402
- Average Value Of Primary Real Estate: $321,190
- Home to income ratio: 4.11
- Rent to income ratio: 15.10%
- Income Tax: $8,310.00
- Sales Tax: 13.00%
- Average Property Tax: 3.0%
- Average Property Tax: $2,206.33
- Average Property Tax As A Percentage Of Average Income: 2.80%
- Travel To Work By Walking: 4.3%
- Travel To Work By Bicycle: 1.1%
- Travel To Work By Public Transit: 3.1%
- Total Annual Rainfall (Mm): 713
- Days With Precipitation Greater Than Or Equal To 0.2 Mm: 160
- Days With Rainfall Greater Than Or Equal To 0.2 Mm: 120
- Days With Daily Min Temperature Greater Than 0°C: 195
- Days With Daily Max Temperature Greater Than 20°C: 117
- Crime Rate - 5-Year-Change: -15%
- Crime Rate Per 100,000: 5330
- Crime Severity Index: 63.2
- Violent Crime Severity Index: 69.8
- Owned Homes: 65.9%
- Rented Homes: 34.1%
- Employed In Health Care: 4.5%
- Offices Of Doctors Of Medicine Per '000: 2.24
- Doctors Per '000: 2.2
- Employed In Arts And Rec: 2%
- Community: 116.7
Here is the data MoneySense listed for Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield's 336th ranking:
- Rank (2016): -
- Average Household Net Worth: ✓
- Average Value of Primary Real Estate:
- Occupied Private Dwellings by Tenure Owned %: ✓
- Population: 16,356
- Population Change (2012 to 2017): -4.1%
- Unemployment Rate (Est.): 5.1%
- Median Household Income: $80,733
- Average Household Discretionary Income: $52,364
- Average Household Net Worth: $703,606
- Average Value Of Primary Real Estate: $442,713
- Home to income ratio: 4.3
- Rent to income ratio: 11.40%
- Income Tax: $8,310.00
- Sales Tax: 13.00%
- Average Property Tax: 2.0%
- Average Property Tax: $3,376.91
- Average Property Tax As A Percentage Of Average Income: 3.30%
- Travel To Work By Walking: 1.4%
- Travel To Work By Bicycle: 0.6%
- Travel To Work By Public Transit: 1.2%
- Total Annual Rainfall (Mm): 749
- Days With Precipitation Greater Than Or Equal To 0.2 Mm: 145
- Days With Rainfall Greater Than Or Equal To 0.2 Mm: 114
- Days With Daily Min Temperature Greater Than 0°C: 210
- Days With Daily Max Temperature Greater Than 20°C: 117
- Crime Rate - 5-Year-Change: -15%
- Crime Rate Per 100,000: 5330
- Crime Severity Index: 63.2
- Violent Crime Severity Index: 69.8
- Owned Homes: 90.8%
- Rented Homes: 9.2%
- Employed In Health Care: 4.3%
- Offices Of Doctors Of Medicine Per '000: 0.37
- Doctors Per '000: 2.2
- Employed In Arts And Rec: 1%
- Community: 105
Here is the data MoneySense listed for the City of Kawartha Lakes's 372nd ranking:
- Rank (2016): 173
- Average Household Net Worth:
- Average Value of Primary Real Estate:
- Occupied Private Dwellings by Tenure Owned %:
- Population: 76,609
- Population Change (2012 to 2017): 2.0%
- Unemployment Rate (Est.): 6.2%
- Median Household Income: $71,723
- Average Household Discretionary Income: $43,832
- Average Household Net Worth: $525,500
- Average Value Of Primary Real Estate: $398,367
- Home to income ratio: 4.67
- Rent to income ratio: 15.50%
- Income Tax: $8,310.00
- Sales Tax: 13.00%
- Average Property Tax: 3.0%
- Average Property Tax: $2,601.24
- Average Property Tax As A Percentage Of Average Income: 3.10%
- Travel To Work By Walking: 2.2%
- Travel To Work By Bicycle: 0.2%
- Travel To Work By Public Transit: 0.8%
- Total Annual Rainfall (Mm): 713
- Days With Precipitation Greater Than Or Equal To 0.2 Mm: 160
- Days With Rainfall Greater Than Or Equal To 0.2 Mm: 120
- Days With Daily Min Temperature Greater Than 0°C: 195
- Days With Daily Max Temperature Greater Than 20°C: 117
- Crime Rate - 5-Year-Change: -32%
- Crime Rate Per 100,000: 8077
- Crime Severity Index: 81.1
- Violent Crime Severity Index: 115.8
- Owned Homes: 82.9%
- Rented Homes: 17.1%
- Employed In Health Care: 3.9%
- Offices Of Doctors Of Medicine Per '000: 0.76
- Doctors Per '000: 1.1
- Employed In Arts And Rec: 1%
- Community: 119.6
Here is the data MoneySense listed for Trent Hill's 374th ranking:
- Rank (2016): -
- Average Household Net Worth:
- Average Value of Primary Real Estate:
- Occupied Private Dwellings by Tenure Owned %:
- Population: 13,165
- Population Change (2012 to 2017): 2.1%
- Unemployment Rate (Est.): 5.6%
- Median Household Income: $61,567
- Average Household Discretionary Income: $35,531
- Average Household Net Worth: $460,551
- Average Value Of Primary Real Estate: $356,851
- Home to income ratio: 5.19
- Rent to income ratio: 13.70%
- Income Tax: $8,310.00
- Sales Tax: 13.00%
- Average Property Tax: 2.0%
- Average Property Tax: $1,970.11
- Average Property Tax As A Percentage Of Average Income: 2.90%
- Travel To Work By Walking: 2.4%
- Travel To Work By Bicycle: 0.1%
- Travel To Work By Public Transit: 0.5%
- Total Annual Rainfall (Mm): 795
- Days With Precipitation Greater Than Or Equal To 0.2 mm: 169
- Days With Rainfall Greater Than Or Equal To 0.2 mm: 134
- Days With Daily Min Temperature Greater Than 0°C: 211
- Days With Daily Max Temperature Greater Than 20°C: 118
- Crime Rate - 5-Year-Change: -52%
- Crime Rate Per 100,000: 2655
- Crime Severity Index: 28.6
- Violent Crime Severity Index: 23.2
- Owned Homes: 84.4%
- Rented Homes: 15.6%
- Employed In Health Care: 1.9%
- Offices Of Doctors Of Medicine Per '000: 0.46
- Doctors Per '000: 2.2
- Employed In Arts And Rec: 2%
- Community: 133.7
NOTE: The full survey results are on MoneySense's website here.
