CORNWALL, Ontario – A leading Canadian finance publication has listed Cornwall among the top 10 places to retire in this country.
MoneySense, in an online report released July 31, listed the Seaway City in the number seven spot among other cities like Belleville, Oakville and Newmarket.
Ottawa took the top spot, followed by Toronto. The report cited property tax rates, property costs, weather and availability of doctors among its criteria for consideration.
“Cornwall offers a great combination of modern urban living with small town friendliness and quality of life,” said Bob Peters, economic development manager for the City of Cornwall. “It is very difficult to compare one community against another, however we believe that Cornwall is a great choice when people are considering a new place to live, be it to retire, raise a family or start a career.”
Of the top 10 cities, Cornwall is ranked in a three-way tie for first place among doctors per 100,000 people with 142. The 2.4 per cent tax rate also compares nicely with other cities in the top 10.
“Our ranking of the best places to retire is…adjusted to reflect the needs and interests of retirees,” said Claire Brownell in her online report.
Cornwall has long marketed itself as a destination for retirees from outside municipal borders who could be looking to sell expensive properties in urban centres like Toronto and consider a smaller home or even a waterfront condo that equates to a fraction of the cost of property in larger communities.
The average price of a bungalow in Cornwall sits at around $185,000 , and a condo is closer to $200,000 according to figures provided on the choosecornwall.ca website. A property in Toronto averages at more than $717,000.
MoneySense has taken it on the chin in the past when it comes to Cornwall’s reaction to its ranking mechanisms. Cornwall ranked 289th out of 417 communities in MoneySense’s 2017 tabulations on the best places to live.
