Canada's best cities for quality of life were revealed and one province totally dominated

Toronto, ON

Life satisfaction: 15th/15
Sense of purpose: 15th/15
Hopeful outlook: 14th/15
Avoiding loneliness: 15th/15
Community belonging: 12th/15
Personal support: 14th/15

Toronto may be Canada's largest city, but when it comes to quality of life, it ranks dead last. Just 40.1% of residents report high life satisfaction, the lowest among all major cities. It also had the worst scores for loneliness (46.2%) and sense of meaning and purpose (49.1%), while community belonging (42.4%), hopeful outlook (55.1%) and having someone to count on (66.8%) are also among the lowest.

While the city's cultural scene and job market are undeniable draws, the numbers suggest that big-city hustle might come at a cost to personal well-being.

Vancouver, BC

Life satisfaction: 14th/15
Sense of purpose: 14th/15
Hopeful outlook: 15th/15
Avoiding loneliness: 14th/15
Community belonging: 14th/15
Personal support: 7th/15

Vancouver may be stunning, but all that mild weather and access to nature doesn't seem to be enough to tip the scales on happiness. Its life satisfaction rating (41.7%) is barely above Toronto's, and its community belonging (41.7%) and sense of hope (54.5%) scores are even lower. However, Vancouverites report a much stronger feeling of having someone they can count on (71.5%), ranking around average in that category.

Vancouver's exceptionally high cost of living and housing shortage could be factors behind these relatively low well-being scores.

Edmonton, AB

Life satisfaction: 10th/15
Sense of purpose: 12th/15
Hopeful outlook: 9th/15
Avoiding loneliness: 13th/15
Community belonging: 15th/15
Personal support: 11th/15

Edmonton, Canada's fourth-largest city, lands near the bottom of the barrel when it comes to quality of life, with its community belonging score (41.2%) ranking as the lowest among all 15 cities. While its life satisfaction (43.3%) and sense of purpose (52.0%) are slightly better than Toronto and Vancouver, the numbers still indicate room for improvement. On the bright side, 58.5% of Edmontonians report having a hopeful outlook — higher than in several other large cities.

London, ON

Life satisfaction: 12th/15
Sense of purpose: 10th/15
Hopeful outlook: 12th/15
Avoiding loneliness: 11th/15
Community belonging: 9th/15
Personal support: 12th/15

London finds itself in the lower half of the ranking, with a life satisfaction score (42.6%) that places it just ahead of Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto. While its sense of purpose (52.9%) isn't terrible, it lags behind other mid-sized cities like Halifax and Quebec City. It does, however, perform slightly better in community belonging (43.3%) than some of Ontario's other large cities.

Mississauga, ON

Life satisfaction: 11th/15
Sense of purpose: 9th/15
Hopeful outlook: 8th/15
Avoiding loneliness: 7th/15
Community belonging: 10th/15
Personal support: 13th/15

Mississauga scores slightly higher overall than neighbouring Toronto, but it still falls into the bottom half of the ranking. Like most large Ontario cities, it especially struggles with social factors like having someone to count on (67.8%) and sense of community belonging (43.2%).

Hamilton, ON

Life satisfaction: 9th/15
Sense of purpose: 4th/15
Hopeful outlook: 13th/15
Avoiding loneliness: 8th/15
Community belonging: 11th/15
Personal support: 9th/15

Hamilton ranks mid-pack, with life satisfaction (44.7%) and sense of belonging (43.0%) scores that reflect its placement on the list. However, its sense of meaning and purpose score (56.0%) is among the highest — perhaps a testament to the city's thriving manufacturing industry. On the other hand, its hopeful outlook score (55.7%) is among the lowest.

With its close proximity to Toronto but a more affordable cost of living, Hamilton offers a balance that evidently makes for a better quality of life — however marginal it may be.

Surrey, BC

Life satisfaction: 13th/15
Sense of purpose: 13th/15
Hopeful outlook: 10th/15
Avoiding loneliness: 10th/15
Community belonging: 1st/15
Personal support: 10th/15

Surrey stands out as Canada's best-ranked major city for community belonging (52.0%), bucking the trend of weaker social ties in larger urban areas. While most of its other scores rank in the bottom third among big cities, its strong sense of community helps boost overall well-being.

Brampton, ON

Life satisfaction: 8th/15
Sense of purpose: 11th/15
Hopeful outlook: 4th/15
Avoiding loneliness: 4th/15
Community belonging: 2nd/15
Personal support: 15th/15

Brampton lands right in the middle of the list, ranking slightly better than most other large Ontario cities with a life satisfaction score (45.0%) that edges out Mississauga, Hamilton, London and Toronto. While its community belonging score (48.7%) is the second-highest on the list, and it also scores well in hopeful outlook (62.9%) and loneliness (50.8%), its abysmal score in having someone to count on (66.6%) — the lowest of any city on the list — drags it down overall.

Halifax, NS

Life satisfaction: 7th/15
Sense of purpose: 8th/15
Hopeful outlook: 11th/15
Avoiding loneliness: 3rd/15
Community belonging: 5th/15
Personal support: 3rd/15

Halifax is the only Atlantic Canadian city among the country’s 15 biggest urban centres, and true to the Maritimes' reputation for happiness and laid-back vibes, it holds a respectable mid-pack ranking for quality of life. Halifax scores decently in most categories and has one of the highest rates of having someone to count on (74.9%) and rarely feeling lonely (51.5%). While its hopeful outlook (57.5%) isn't as strong, it remains a standout in Eastern Canada for overall happiness.

Calgary, AB

Life satisfaction: 5th/15
Sense of purpose: 6th/15
Hopeful outlook: 6th/15
Avoiding loneliness: 6th/15
Community belonging: 4th/15
Personal support: 8th/15

As Canada's third-largest city, Calgary earns a spot in the top half, driven by a relatively strong sense of community belonging (45.8%) — a sharp contrast from nearby Edmonton. Its life satisfaction (46.6%), hopeful outlook (60.8%) and sense of meaning and purpose (55.2%) scores are also quite high, suggesting Calgarians have an optimistic mindset.

Winnipeg, MB

Life satisfaction: 4th/15
Sense of purpose: 7th/15
Hopeful outlook: 7th/15
Avoiding loneliness: 12th/15
Community belonging: 3rd/15
Personal support: 6th/15

Winnipeg performs decently well in personal support (73.2%), with a strong sense of community (46.7%) compared to bigger urban centres. Its life satisfaction score (47.8%) is also one of the higher ones outside of Quebec. However, its loneliness score (46.7%) brings it down in the rankings.

Ottawa, ON

Life satisfaction: 6th/15
Sense of purpose: 5th/15
Hopeful outlook: 5th/15
Avoiding loneliness: 9th/15
Community belonging: 7th/15
Personal support: 5th/15

Ottawa fares the best of all large Ontario cities, ranking decently high in sense of meaning and purpose (55.6%), hopeful outlook (61.2%) and personal support (73.8%). But Ottawa's hidden power might not be in its strengths but rather its weaknesses — or lack thereof. While it doesn't rank exceptionally highly in any one category, it also doesn't rank particularly low in any either. As Canada's capital, its stability and high employment in government jobs appear to make Ottawa a generally good — if somewhat unremarkable — place to live.

Montreal, QC

Life satisfaction: 3rd/15
Sense of purpose: 3rd/15
Hopeful outlook: 3rd/15
Avoiding loneliness: 5th/15
Community belonging: 6th/15
Personal support: 4th/15

Canada's second-largest city, Montreal, is the highest ranked spot among Canada's top 10 biggest urban centres. It scores well across the board, with especially high scores in overall life satisfaction (50.1%), sense of purpose (57.0%) and a hopeful outlook (63.0%). Despite being a major metropolitan area, it avoids many of the big-city problems that Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton seem to have.

Laval, QC

Life satisfaction: 2nd/15
Sense of purpose: 2nd/15
Hopeful outlook: 2nd/15
Avoiding loneliness: 1st/15
Community belonging: 8th/15
Personal support: 2nd/15

The smallest city on this list, Laval ranks second overall, with strong numbers in nearly every category. Its life satisfaction (57.8%), sense of purpose (66.0%) and personal support (76.7%) scores are nearly the highest, while its loneliness score (60.3%) is the best of all major cities. However, its community belonging score (44.3%) is on the lower side, showing that even highly satisfied residents may not always feel deeply connected to their local area — especially when they live next door to a much bigger city like Montreal.

Quebec City, QC

Life satisfaction: 1st/15
Sense of purpose: 1st/15
Hopeful outlook: 1st/15
Avoiding loneliness: 2nd/15
Community belonging: 13th/15
Personal support: 1st/15

Quebec City takes the top spot with an impressive 62.3% of residents reporting high life satisfaction — the highest among all major cities. It also leads in sense of purpose (66.9%) and hopeful outlook (72.1%). However, despite being the clear frontrunner overall, it ranks surprisingly low in community belonging (41.7%), showing that even the happiest city in Canada has areas for improvement.