Best Places to Live: Kitchener-Waterloo

The south-western Ontario region of Kitchener-Waterloo has become a hot bed for employment and ranked the third-best place in Canada to find full-time work, according to StatsCan data. Job opportunities coupled with affordable housing have attracted many young families to the area.

We know that Canadian’s truly celebrate the liveabililty factors of their neighbourhood – the qualities that give homeowners the true satisfaction of their home within the context of a neighbourhood. In fact a Leger survey conducted by RE/MAX revealed that 89% of Canadians recommend their neighbourhoods to others. Unlike your home, neighbourhoods cannot be changed, so it is important to assess what qualities are important to you before you purchase.

Luckily, when it comes to Kitchener-Waterloo, there is a lot of celebrate in terms of liveability. A survey of RE/MAX Brokers revealed that the best places to live in Kitchener-Waterloo are Doon, Stanley Park and Beechwood, ranking as the top three neighbourhoods in Kitchener-Waterloo for access to green spaces and parks, walkability, retail and restaurants and the ease of getting around/public transit.

In the same Leger survey, six-in-10 Canadians put easy access to shopping, dining and green spaces at the top of their liveability criteria. Proximity to public transit (36 per cent), work (30 per cent) and to preferred schools (18 per cent), as well as cultural and community centres (18 per cent) fall out of the top five neighbourhood wants and expectations. So how does Kitchener-Waterloo stack up?

If you are searching for the best place to live in Kitchener-Waterloo, both regions’ downtown areas rank as the top hidden gem neighbourhoods for affordability and housing supply. Interested in seeing how Kitchener-Waterloo compares to other cities across Canada? Explore the RE/MAX Liveability Report to learn more about the features Canadians value when it comes to the places they live.