If you’re a young professional, pay attention, because Canada’s best cities for youth to work in were just revealed. The results not only show the best cities but also detail some of the pros and cons of each.
Vancouver took second place in the ranking, right behind Toronto which landed the top spot. The list was created by the 2024 Urban Work Index and it looked at affordability, the city’s economy, climate action, digital access, education and skills, entrepreneurial spirit, equality, diversity and inclusion, good youth jobs, health, and transportation.
30 Canadian cities were scored on the different factors, and unsurprisingly Vancouver and Toronto both scored poorly on affordability.
Although Toronto took the #1 spot overall, Vancouver did score higher than it in some factors.
For both Climate Action and Entrepreneurial Spirit the West Coast city was ranked first. The ranking also said that “Vancouver is ranked first nationally in number of Indigenous-serving community organizations per capita with 59 registered organizations.”
It also ranked first nationally for the number of “high schools per capita with 213 high schools.” As for the cons, Vancouver “has one of the highest percentages of people who spend more than 30% of their income on shelter at 28.2%.”
Toronto gained the lead by taking the #1 stop for City Economy, Digital Access, Education and Skills, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Health.
Overall Vancouver seems like a good spot for young professionals, but know that it will cost you.