Hamilton-Burlington make list for sunniest towns in Canada with 2,087 hours per year
Published March 7, 2024 at 11:30 am
Sunshine is synonymous with the wide open western skies and in Canada, cities enjoying the prairie sunshine also happen to be boast the cheapest rents and mortgages in the country.
Which could explain how Hamilton – always among the least expensive cities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area for housing costs – sits eight of ten of a list of Canada’s sunniest cities for rent costs and ninth for both housing prices and mortgage payments.
At least it’s sunny in Hamilton and Burlington, which placed eighth on the ‘sunshine’ list, with 2,087 hours of sun per year.
There’s no denying the extra sunlight feels good for the soul. After all, sunlight boosts serotonin production, strengthens the immune system, increases Vitamin D production and improves sleep. It’s no surprise many people feel a surge of energy come springtime.
Calgary topped the list with 2,405 hours of sunshine, followed by Winnipeg (2,372), Regina (2,338), Saskatoon (2,328), Edmonton (2,299), Thunder Bay (2,168), Fort McMurray (2,096), Hamilton (2,087), Victoria (2,086) and Ottawa (2,061).
Saskatchewan cities Saskatoon ($1,302) and Regina ($1,318) top the list for the cheapest rent, with Fort McMurray in third at $1,336 average rent per month. Hamilton was eighth at $1,989 per month.
For housing prices, Thunder Bay was #1 at an average of just $264,538, and the northern Ontario city also topped the mortgage payment list with an average monthly mortgage of $1,212. Hamilton-Burlington was ahead of only Victoria ($919,777) for house prices on the sunshine list with an average selling price of $820,553. Hamilton was also ninth of the ten cities on the list for mortgage payments at $3,758 per month, with just Ottawa ($2,834) boasting more affordable mortgages.
Real estate company Zoocasa analyzed the average rental rates, home prices and monthly mortgage payments in Canada’s sunniest major real estate markets to determine how much it costs to live in each of the ten locations.
