The 100 Most Livable Cities in Canada - 2025

 London Is Still Not Among Them
   If you are looking for London, Ontario, it is located "Halfway Between Toronto & Detroit", but again it is not found on the third list of, "The 100 Most Livable Cities in Canada." I was surprised the first two times, but less so this year and am not shocked that London seems to be going down in the rankings, rather then up. In 2023, London was 139; in 2024,168; and in 2025 it is the 208th "Most Livable City in Canada". This fact is not being promoted by the London Chamber of Commerce.
   The marketing folks in the Canadian cities of Mississippi Mills and Quispamsis are likely not only in their offices, but also working overtime.

  If you would prefer to peruse the data presented see:
3. "Canada's Most Livable Cities", in the Globe and Mail, on Jan. 29, 2026;
2. "Canada's Most Livable Cities", Dec. 12, 2024, and 
1. "Canada's Most Livable Cities: Explore Our Data-Driven Ranking of the Most Desirable Places to Live in the Country," Mahima Singh and Chen Wang, Globe and Mail, Nov. 25, 2023.
  If you are curious about what I wrote when I was surprised by London's poor ranking, see: "The 100 Most Livable Cities in Canada (London Isn't One of Them)", Dec. 8, 2023 and "The 100 Most Livable Cities in Canada (London Isn't Of Them (Again)", Dec. 16, 2024. Each piece has data from those years, along with the kind of commentary from me that you have come to expect. 
 

   Those are the top ten most livable cities in 2025. London is not among them. London was finally found among some of the sub-rankings, but they are all worse than they were in the other years. London's Rank:

FOR RETIREMENT - 389

FOR MIDLIFE TRANSITIONS - 301

FOR NEWCOMERS - 237

FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS - 229

FOR RAISING KIDS - 163

FOR NEWCOMERS - 237

FOR ENTREPRENEURS - 144

   On a brighter note, lets look at some places that have leapt in the right direction over the past year:

Rapid Ranking Climbers

British Columbia: Summerland

   "A new system of parks help boost ranking on community and amenities

Miles of vineyards and panoramic views of Okanagan Lake have long made the District of Summerland a hit with tourists. But the town is becoming more livable for residents too, jumping 171 spots in this year’s ranking with gains in community, safety and amenity scores.

A 40-minute drive south of Kelowna, the agricultural municipality has been investing in ways to connect its 12,500 residents across a wide stretch of rural farms, parks and trails bordering the western edge of Okanagan Lake."

New Brunswick: Quispamsis

   "New transit projects allow residents to lead healthier lives, hiking perceptions of their own wellbeing

Tucked along densely wooded river shorelines and lakeside trails on the outskirts of Saint John, this suburb climbed 84 spots in our ranking, making leaps in demographics, health and transportation."

Ontario: Mississippi Mills

   "Small grants for community projects led to strong feeling of togetherness, alongside a jump in employment

Bordering Ottawa and the banks of the Mississippi River, this rural municipality in Eastern Ontario climbed 224 spots in our ranking, reaching second place in economy and posting gains in safety and community. Centred around the historic Ward of Almonte, the region is an amalgamation of smaller communities with a nearly 150-year history rooted in agriculture, textiles and wool milling, which harness the energy of nearby waters."

Saskatchewan: Warman

   "Tax breaks for rental projects helped this fast-growing community climb in housing rankings

Less than a 20-minute drive north of Saskatoon, this bedroom community jumped more than 100 spots in our ranking, with gains in safety, demographics and transportation.

Quebec: Varennes

   "A drop in commuting times boosted the community in its ranking for transportation.

Jutting along the shore of the St Lawrence River, just across from the eastern edge of Montreal, this suburban city pulled up 103 spots in our ranking this year with gains in transportation, housing and safety."

(The source for the above: "Meet the Communities That Climbed the Farthest in our Latest Ranking of Canada’s Most Livable Cities," Mariya Postelnyak, G&M, Jan. 29, 2026.)

The Most Livable Cities By Size
  This third edition of the rankings, considers the size of the city and 454 are included. 

The categories are:

Major - 500,000 +

Large - 100,000 - 499,999 (London with 498,400 is classified as "Large.")

Mid-sized - 30,000 - 99,999

Small - 10,000 - 29,999
  The Most Livable in each category:

Major: Ottawa

Large: North Vancouver

Mid-sized: West Vancouver

Small: Pitt Meadows, B.C.

Some London Data:

  Almost 60 variables are considered "across 10 key categories relevant to people considering relocation: economy, housing, demographics, health care, safety, education, community, amenities, transportation and climate."
  When you locate London at No. 208, you can see those data for London. Some samples:

Top 5 languages spoken most often at home:

1.English

2.Arabic

3.Spanish

4.Mandarin

5.Punjabi

Top 5 visible minorities:

1.South Asian

2.Arab

3,Black

4.Latin American

5.Chinese

Average monthly food cost:

$928

Average minutes driving to work:

23

And, since we are all interested in the WEATHER, here are all the variables for:

Climate (London)

Days with Humidex over 35°C:                                                     16

Projected days with Humidex over 35°C:                                      34

Days with precipitation >= 10 mm:                                                30

Projected days with precipitation >= 10 mm:                                 32

Days with a min. temperature less than -15°C.:                            13

Projected days with a min. temperature less than -15°C.:             5

Days with a max. temperature greater than 30°C:                        13

Projected days with a max. temperature greater than 30°C:         29

Rankled By Rankings?
   My own opinion of London, as I have suggested in my earlier posts about these rankings, is not as low as London's rank. Those who commented on the G&M's "Livable City Rankings" often complained that their city should should be higher than say, Winnipeg. I don't think London is as "nice" a place as it was when I arrived over fifty years ago, but what place is? Still, I don't think London should be 200 rungs lower than Winnipeg (9)! My complaint is more about "Ranking" generally, which is mostly a mug's game. The good news is, that if something close or important to you gets a bad ranking, it is unlikely it will be called to your attention. (See, for example, The Fickleness of Rankings").

  

 Bonus:
   Given that London is not highly ranked and one cannot honestly say, "I am from London and it is  one of the top-ranked ????" , you can simply say, what this T-shirt indicates. It is available at Museum London.