Undoubtedly, Canada is known to be one of the most multicultural places in the world, welcoming immigrants to settle in Canada from across the globe.
Over 20% of the Canadian population is foreign-born, most of whom come from countries such as China, India, Pakistan, the US, the UK, Iran, South Korea, Columbia, and Sri Lanka.
There has also been a large share of African, Caribbean, as well as Central and South American newcomers in the past 10 years who have immigrated to Canada.
The Canadian immigrant population has over 200 different ethnic origins and encourages newcomers to make Canada their home.
With an immigration plan to invite 1 million immigrants to Canada by 2022, the Government wants to welcome 361,000 people to immigrate to Canada in 2020, a total that is set to increase to more than 400,000 in 2021.
So as a new immigrant who wishes to live in Canada, it is important to know the best cities to pick as a place of residence/settlement.
Factors like job availability, average life satisfaction, ease of doing business, level of development of the city are all factors to consider when choosing a city to live in.
In this article, we will look at the Best 10 Cities To Settle In Canada As A New Immigrant that you should definitely consider when relocating to Canada in 2021. Just to be clear, these cities in Canada are also referred to as Provinces.
Before now, we talked about the best provinces to find jobs In Canada. If you haven’t read that before, we highly recommend doing so.
Top 10 Cities To Settle In Canada As A New Immigrant
Again, in recommending these cities as the best provinces to settle In Canada, we put into consideration, necessities like jobs, the average cost of living, quality of life, business, and other basic needs.
Without further ado, these are the best cities to settle in Canada as a new immigrant;
1. Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo, Ontario has an estimated unemployment rate of 5.2% with Immigrants consisting of about 25% of the population. The average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is around $1,081. The city is ranked 10th position in overall best places to live in Canada. Waterloo is a very affordable and secure city to settle in Canada.
The Higher Institution called the University of Waterloo because of its STEM program helped to transform the city of Waterloo into a major technological center in Ontario. This city has a population of over 103,000 people.
2. Burlington, Ontario
- Estimated unemployment rate: 4.9%
- Immigrants as percentage of population: 18%
- Average rent for 2-bedroom apartment: $1,267
- Position in overall best places to live ranking: 2
Burlington has since the 1950s been referred to as the Golden Horse Shoe because it has a horseshoe shape as it stretches from Oshawa to Niagara Falls. Half of the population of the whole of Ontario is located in Burlington.
Burlington is a very tidy, peaceful, and secure city to settle in as an immigrant. Burlington has many major companies like the Hamilton’s Steel Industry, it has a manufacturing base, and more. The population is over 183,000 people.
3. Calgary, Alberta
- Estimated unemployment rate: 5.1%
- Immigrants as percentage of population: 9%
- Average rent for 2-bedroom apartment: $1,383
- Position in overall best places to live ranking: 4
Calgary is one of the cities in Alberta and the biggest and the third largest in Canada. There is an abundance of opportunities in Calgary and it is fairly affordable.
Calgary has a large number of head offices in Canada located in it and it also has a very busy airport. This city is also very diverse with a minority population from around the world located in it.
4. Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver overtook the city of Toronto to become one of the best cities in 2021 mainly due to the high-quality health care system. Vancouver located in British Columbia (BC) will give you zero worries about your health and where to find a doctor. As an immigrant apart from the high life satisfaction in Vancouver, it also has many unique tourist attractions.
5. Toronto, Ontario
Toronto has a world-class media and film industry just like Vancouver has. Many immigrants choose to settle down in Toronto due to its large size and foreign community’s diversity. The technological, industrial, and financial industries in Toronto are top-notch more than other Canadian cities.
Also, housing in Toronto could be very expensive. An average meal at a restaurant costs $20 and a 1 bedroom rent a year costs an average of $2,158.
6. Ottawa, Ontario
- Estimated unemployment rate: 6.6%
- Immigrants as percentage of population: 20%
- Average rent for 2-bedroom apartment: $1,176
- Position in overall best places to live ranking: 1
Ottawa though usually not a top choice for immigrants is a city that we highly recommend. Because politicians live in this city, they have ensured that there are a number of first-rate healthcare facilities in the city.
Ottawa has a number of good universities, rural attractions, good public schools, and affordable housing. Ottawa is a great city to settle in as an immigrant.
7. Mississauga, Ontario
With a population of people close to 800,000 people, Mississauga is a very diverse city with a number of Arabic, Vietnamese, Polish, Russian and more speakers.
Because there is a significant number of immigrants, you as a new immigrant can network and settle down easily in your new home. The Pearson International airport in this city.
8. Surrey, British Columbia
- Estimated unemployment rate: 5.2%
- Immigrants as percentage of population: 17%
- Average rent for 2-bedroom apartment: $1,144
- Position in overall best places to live ranking: 13
Surrey is a suburban city south of metro Vancouver. Surrey has a population of over 500,000 people and about 32% of this population is made of South Asians.
Agriculture played a huge role in shaping Surrey’s economy although the media industry’s (movie) crew can be seen more frequently here.
9. Markham, Ontario
Markham is just North of Toronto city and has over 50% of it’s population as immigrants and the Chinese make up a vast majority.
There are so many tech and life science companies operating out of Markham, up to a thousand of them. This city is a heaven for you if you are a skilled immigrant.
10. Longueuil, Quebec
Longueuil has a population of about 240,000 people. This is Canada’s 20th largest city. Longueuil has been trying to grow its immigrant population from the 10% that it is.
The cost of living and housing is very affordable compared to other big Canadian cities.
There you have it. These are the top 10 cities to settle in as a new immigrant in the year 2020. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
