These Are The Happiest Neighbourhoods Around Toronto Based On What You Value Most

If you're fed up with where you currently live and are looking for a completely new change in scenery, why not move to one of the neighbourhoods around Toronto that make people the happiest to be there?

Properly, a local real estate brokerage, recently published its Happiness Index that surveyed those living in the GTA to find out which features they look out for in a neighbourhood when they're trying to find their new home — and ultimately, what is necessary to make them stoked to live there.

The breakdown of what neighourbood characteristics makes locals the happiest.Properly

Of all of the respondents, the brokerage found that 65% of GTA locals are "happy with where they live." But, the most important feature that brings 82% of respondents joy is their access to activities that "promote a healthy lifestyle", which has a major impact on their overall happiness.

So, in light of this, the most sought-after feature that people look for in neighbourhoods around Toronto is how close they are to a park or outdoor spot, with 59% of surveyors choosing this characteristic as their top choice.

Neighbourhoods in Etobicoke dominated this category with Thistletown, The Elms and Humberlea ranking the highest for their park and water access in the GTA.

Just less than half of respondents think being close to bars, cafes and restaurants is the key player in what makes their neighbourhood so great. Milliken Mills West in Markham ranked the highest in this category, with Toronto's Little Italy and Harbord Village rounding out the rest of the top three list.

The third most voted characteristic that brings 21% of GTA locals the most joy is being close to schools or childcare services, and the neighbourhood that ranks the highest in this category is Bickford Park in Toronto. Banbury in North York and Little Italy snagged second and third.

Being close to a recreational facility and being close to your religious or cultural community were the last two characteristics that bring happiness to surveyors. Toronto's Trinity Bellwoods clinched the top spot for its access to a bunch of different facilities and playgrounds while Humber Summit in North York came out on top for its access to cultural and religious community spots.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.