BEST Affordable PLACES TO LIVE

THE BAD NEWS: OWNING A HOME in one of Canada's marquee cities is now largely the purview of millionaires.

- Alex Cyr, Michael Hingston, Jason McBride, Mark Pupo, Caitlin Stall-Paquet and Katie Underwood

In Toronto, a typical home goes for nearly $1.1 million, while the price of admission in Greater Vancouver is even higher at $1.2 million (and a house in West Vancouver has the vertigo-inducing sticker shock of $2.6 million). The good news is that for many people, homeownership is still possible-if they're willing to explore new terrain. In the following pages, we present 10 Canadian cities where the benchmark home price still falls under the national average of $700,000. And these aren't boring backwaters: each city we're featuring is buzzing with economic activity, innovative new businesses, delicious dining options and cultural touchstones. Among them are Windsor, Ontario, which has transformed from a rust-belt relic to an EV production hub. Charlottetown, once homogenous and sleepy, is now a tapestry of multiculturalism, complete with destinations for pho and Lebanese cuisine. And Sherbrooke, smack in the centre of Quebec's idyllic Eastern Townships, is leading the way in quantum computing. In each of these cities, buyers can find good-sized, high-value, often adorable family homes without breaking the bank. Happy hunting.

The Seaside Charmer

Charlottetown, P.E.I.