5 Ontario cities rank among top 10 best places to live in Canada

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A new ranking of the best places to live in Canada is dominated by Ontario entries, with the province claiming five of the top ten positions, including the top spot overall.

Real estate platform Zolo revealed its top picks for the best places to live in the country, ranking cities on criteria including home prices, household income, population growth, unemployment, crime, access to health care, sunny days per year, and walkability.

Ontario was well-represented in the ranking, but it was Guelph, Ont., which claimed the title of the country's most liveable.

Zolo notes that, with a cost of living three per cent lower than the national average, Guelph is "an excellent place to live in Canada."

The city boasts an average annual household income of $119,100, compared to a benchmark home price of $745,000 — a far more manageable difference than some cities like Toronto, where mortgage costs can add up to more than 100 per cent of household income.

Zolo specifically mentions Guelph's "higher-than-average household income, low unemployment rates," as well as it being considered "one of the safest cities in Ontario."

Other factors driving Guelph's position in the ranking were its small-town feel despite offering access to amenities typical of a larger city, as well as parks and the city's arts and cultural scenes.

Aside from Guelph, other Ontario cities featured in the ranking include Ottawa in the #4 position, Kingston at #5, London and St. Thomas at #7, and Tillsonburg at #9.

Here are the top 10 best places to live in Canada.