Saskatchewan is famous for its prairie landscapes, but it’s much more than that. With a population of 1.2 million people, this province is home to many amazing cities and towns. Of these places, some are considered to be the best cities to live in Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan is a great place as there are several amazing cities to live in this province. Some of them are Weyburn, Saskatoon, Estevan, Regina, Swift Current, Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Yorkton, North Battleford, and Lloydminster. These cities offer the best quality of life all over the province.
All these cities have several qualities in common. These include the high standard of living, low unemployment, good average income, etc. This article looks at the best cities to live in Saskatchewan and what makes them livable.
Best Cities to Live in Saskatchewan
Here are some of the best cities to live in Saskatchewan:
1. Weyburn
This Is considered the best city to live in Saskatchewan and the second-best for all the prairie provinces. The city, with a population of 11,795, has a livability score of 68%.
Its crime rate is 35% below the provincial average, and real estate prices are 9% lower.
The cost of living here’s also 7% lower than the provincial average, making it one of the cheapest cities to live in the province and even the whole country.
Living here’s quite affordable, and the city offers all the amenities you need for a comfortable living.
The average household income of CAD85,357 is 12% above the national average. In addition, its unemployment rate of 5.2% is 19% below the national average.
2. Saskatoon
Saskatoon is the largest city in the province and its cultural and economic hub.
This makes it one of the best places to live in Saskatchewan. It has a livability score of 70%, and its crime rate is 25% below the provincial average.
The cost of living here’s also 3% below Saskatchewan’s average, and so is the price of rent which is 7% lower.
What makes this city a great place is the standard of infrastructure and amenities it offers. Residents have access to better healthcare, transport, and education services.
The average household income here’s also great at CAD83,053, which is 9% above the national average.
3. Estevan
With a population of 12,418, this city has an excellent livability score of 74%. The crime rate here is 33% below the provincial average, and the cost of living is 5% lower.
Rental prices are also 26% lower, but real estate prices are 5% higher than the provincial average if you plan to buy a house.
In addition, what makes this city a great place to live is its infrastructure level and access to all kinds of amenities for residents.
Its transport system is quite efficient, and healthcare services are also excellent. Another positive quality is its average household income of CAD104,427, which is 32% higher than the Saskatchewan average.
4. Regina
The capital city and second-largest in the province has a livability rating of 75%. It is a great place to live, with the cost of living 4% lower than the provincial average and crime rates also 15% lower.
Like all capital cities, the standard of living here is great, with access to the best infrastructure and amenities for residents.
Regina has one of the best healthcare and educational services in the country. Its average household income is also great at CAD85,408.
Moreover, despite having over 200,000 residents, the unemployment rate here is 40% below the national average at 3.8%.
5. Moose Jaw
This is one of the largest cities in the province. It has a livability rating of 68%, with its cost of living 7% below the provincial average.
Where Moose Jaw excels is in terms of infrastructure and amenities. The cost of housing here is also incredible at 64.2% below the national average.
Moose Jaw is an industrial and agricultural hub for the province which means the unemployment rate is very low at 2.8%.
While its average household income is also below the national average, the low cost of living makes it possible to maintain a high standard of living while earning less.
6. Lloydminster
Lloydminster is on the border of Saskatchewan and Alberta, with its population split between the two provinces.
About 20,000 live in the Alberta part, while over 13,000 live in the Saskatchewan part. It has a livability rating of 64%, and the crime rate here’s 30% below the provincial average.
The city’s a cheap place to live in, with the cost of living 9% below the Saskatchewan average. Both the rental and real estate prices are also below the provincial average.
This makes Lloydminster an excellent place to settle down.
7. Swift Current
Swift Current is one of the largest cities in the province, and its population of over 18000 makes it the most populous in the southwestern part of Saskatchewan.
It has a livability rating of 66%, and the crime rate is 26% below the provincial average.
The cost of living here’s 7% below Saskatchewan’s average, and real estate prices are 9% lower. Even if you decide to rent, you’re still in luck because rental prices are 24% below the provincial average.
The unemployment rate is also 2.2%, far below the national average of 6.4%.
8. Prince Albert
Prince Albert is called the Gateway to the North due to it being the last major city to the northern part of the province. It’s also the third-largest city in the province and relatively cheap to live in too.
The cost of living here is 8% below the provincial average.
Housing’s also very affordable here. Real estate prices are 20% lower than the provincial average, and rent is 24% lower.
However, the livability rating of this city’s only 61% due to the crime rate, which is 56% above the Saskatchewan average.
9. North Battleford
This city also has a livability rating of 61%. It’s also one of the cheapest places to live in the province. Its cost of living is 12% below the provincial average, and almost everything is affordable.
Real estate costs 32% less than the provincial average, and you will pay 30% lower for rents.
North Battleford is growing economically, but the crime levels are on the increase. Its crime rate is 236% higher than the Saskatchewan average.
10. Yorkton
What makes Yorkton a great place to live in is the low cost of living. It’s a cheap place for residents.
Compared to the Saskatchewan average, the cost of living is 8% lower, real estate is 20% lower, and rent is 17% lower.
The standard of living here’s okay, with a livability rating of 66%. But the crime rate is a cause of concern as it’s 29% above the provincial average.
In Conclusion
The low cost of living in Saskatchewan makes it one of the best provinces to live in Canada.
In a country where real estate prices are skyrocketing, homes and rents continue to remain affordable in Saskatchewan.
Coupled with this is the high standard of infrastructure and access to amenities. However, the major negative for the province is its high crime rate.