Magazine ranks Stratford as good place to live

Tori Sutton
STAFF REPORTER

Most residents of Stratford would agree the city is a great place to live.

And MoneySense magazine has agreed, ranking Stratford as the 27th best place to live in the country in their May 2008 issue, after evaluating prosperity, housing, lifestyle and weather in 154 cities across the nation.

Stratford scored higher than all other municipalities its size, narrowly beating out Woodstock which finished in 30th place. Stratford also improved from its 2007 ranking, where the city came in 34th – a nice advancement considering 31 additional municipalities were included in this year’s survey.

“Where a city ends up on our list is not based upon judges’ opinions or popularity polls,” wrote Phil Froats and Ian McGugan, in the MoneySense article. “It’s based on hard numbers.”

Many of the figures are compiled from Statistics Canada, others come from Environment Canada or the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Some, such as research into amenities, comes from simple web searches.

Ottawa-Gatineau was named the best place to live, while Port Alberni, B.C. was at the other end of the list.

Stratford picked up its biggest points in the lifestyle category, buoyed by a sixth place finish in the percentage of people who walk or bike to work – nearly 15 per cent of the population. With just over 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people, Stratford had a high showing, finishing in 27th place. A low crime rate and the city’s transit system also boosted its placement, as did the city’s amenities and the presence of a college.

“We are very pleased that Stratford has been recognized by MoneySense Magazine as a great place to live,” said Mayor Dan Mathieson, earlier this week. “This year’s rise of seven spots from 34th to 27th represents a continuous improvement to our profile and when compared to other communities our size and within our region, we score favorably.”

It’s not a surprise to any local resident the categories Stratford fared worst were weather and home prices. Winters are vicious in Stratford and that was reflected in the 111th finish for the number of rain/snow days. The city was ranked 102nd for low home prices, listing the cost for the average home as $252,157.

But we do have money to spend, with a 64th place ranking for average local salary ($66,894) and plenty of discretionary income, sliding in 36th place with nearly one-fourth of our pay to spend each year.

The mayor expects Stratford to move up the ranks again next year, with the recently announced University of Waterloo satellite campus helping to boost the city’s profile.

“We have put in place strategic infrastructure – water, sewer and recreation facilities that will help serve us well for future growth,” he said. “As well, the recent UW announcement will further enhance our rankings. Our unemployment rate is below the national average and our doctors per 1,000 residents is moving higher.

“When reviewing this study, along with other studies such as the Pembina Institute rankings, we continue to see Stratford recognized as a great place to live, work and invest.”

The MoneySense article and full lists of rankings can be viewed online at www.canadianbusiness.com.