Bramptonians can brag a little, because a recent report from MoneySense ranked Brampton higher than Mississauga on its list of best places to live in Canada.
The list, which was released on July 31, ranked Brampton at at 61 out of 415 towns and cities in Canada, and Mississauga was ranked a full 11 spots lower at 72.
MoneySense uses a bunch of different metrics to rank each city including wealth, economy, affordability, population growth, taxes, commute and other factors.
“We give each category a weight out of a total of 100 possible points, making categories we think are most important to average people worth the most points,” says MoneySense, describing its methodology.
When you take a look at the nitty-gritty, Brampton and Mississauga had some similarities and some differences.
Brampton has an average household income of $101,848, while Mississauga’s is higher at $107,385. Both cities have an unemployment rate of 5.7 per cent.
Property taxes are a particular sore spot for Bramptonians, but as it turns out, our Mississauga counterparts are paying a whole 1 per cent higher in taxes. Brampton currently has a property tax rate of 2 per cent with an average annual tax bill of $3,197. Meanwhile in Mississauga residents pay a 3 per cent tax rate, or $3,333 annual tax bill.
When it comes to housing affordability, Brampton’s rental market wins out. The average cost of a two-bedroom rental in Brampton comes in at $1,285 per month, compared to $1,333 in Mississauga.
Even though Mississauga ranks lower, they win out in the area of mobility against Brampton. While only 1 per cent of residents in both cities currently walk to work, only 0.23 per cent cycle in Brampton, compared to 0.28 per cent in Mississauga. Despite the fact that Brampton has one of the fastest growing transit networks in the country, only 6.9 per cent of residents take public transit to work, compared to 8.92 per cent in Mississauga.
Currently, Mississauga has more doctors’ offices sitting at 580 for their 781,000 residents, while Brampton has 343 offices for its 590,000 residents.
Mississauga is also a bit artsier than Brampton, with 1.1 per cent of Brampton’s population employed in arts and culture, compared to 1.6 per cent of Mississauga residents.
Since both cities share a regional police force, the crime rate for both cities is 2.997 per 100,000 residents.
Caledon, Peel Region’s other area, outdid both cities, coming in at number 46 on the list.
