Best Places to Live: Ottawa

Best known as the capital city of Canada, Ottawa sits on the south bank of the Ottawa River and borders Gatineau, Quebec. Ottawa serves as the political centre for Canada, and is home to a breadth of post-secondary, research and cultural institutions. A high standard of living and low unemployment have made Ottawa, and it’s surrounding suburban and rural communities, a popular place for many Canadian families to call home.

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 Ottawa, there is a lot of celebrate in terms of liveability.

A survey of RE/MAX Brokers revealed that the best places to live in Ottawa are Mooney’s Bay, Downtown Ottawa and The Glebe, ranking as the top three neighbourhoods in Ottawa 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 Ottawa stack up?

If you are searching for the best place to live in Ottawa, Crystal Beach ranks as the top hidden gem neighbourhood, while Orleans, Barrhaven and Blackburn Hamlet rank as the top three neighbourhoods for affordability and good supply of housing inventory.

Interested in seeing how Ottawa 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.