Regina among top 10 cities ready for Gen Z, study says

The City of Regina is quite desirable for the nation’s youngest worker, according to a recent report that ranks Queen City in the top 10 most desirable places to live across Canada for Generation Z.

The analysis, conducted by real estate marketplace Point2Homes.com, ranks Regina 10th out of 50 cities across Canada based on its readiness for Gen Z-ers.

Generation Z – consisting of those born between 1997 and 2012 – is the second fastest-growing demographic in the country, after millennials.

Both generations total 14.7 million or nearly 40 per cent of Canada’s population (8 million and 6.7 million respectively).

The report analyzed cities based on 35 metrics across four categories, including demographics, economy and real estate, community and environment as well as health and well-being.

Quebec dominated the top ten, taking spots two through eight – with the highest ranked centre in that province being Quebec City at second.

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St. John’s, NL came away with first place – recording a final score of 64.9 out of 100. Regina recorded a final score of 56.59.

“The results indicate that Gen Z’s values might push them away from large, bustling urban hubs and toward more closely knit communities,” the report said.

Eight of the 10 top cities in the report have fewer than 300,000 residents. The report outlined that smaller cities scored higher in affordable housing, cost of living, work/life balance and perceived mental health.

Regina ranked especially well in several categories including median income (third), cost of living (ninth), cost of public transportation (ninth), crime severity and in its home pricing to income ratio (third).

However, Regina was significantly lower ranked in categories such as pollution , perceived health, number of medical practitioners and its greenness index.

According to Point2Homes, workers in Gen Z could expect the highest wages in Vancouver, Edmonton, and Regina.

“Incomes are only relevant in the context of cost of living and homeownership,” the report read.

“Being able to use the money they earn to fulfil their homeownership dreams and also their smaller, day-to-day dreams creates the kind of mental safety and comfort that Gen Z knows are indispensable for a well-lived life.”

Point2Homes considered the 50 largest census subdivisions listed in Statistics Canada's 2021 census.

The full report can be read here.