Vernon ranked 62 for Canada’s best communities

Aug 9, 2019 | 5:00 PM

A recent report conducted by Maclean’s Magazine ranked the city of Vernon as the 62nd best community in Canada.

The city placed behind Salmon Arm, which took sixth place nationally, West Kelowna which took home 12th place, and Kelowna which claimed 39th place.

The report considers the state of the local economy, unemployment, household income, affordability, taxes, demographics, commute, crime rates, accessibility to medical services, local amenities, and the arts and culture scene.

According to the report, Vernon scored high in taxes thanks to a low property tax rate consisting of 1.6 per cent of a person’s income and an average property tax bill of $1592

Good weather was the city’s next strong suit, with 108 days per year with temperatures above 20 degrees, 249 days a year above zero degrees and only 136 days a year with rain or snow.

The economy was also highlighted positively because of a low unemployment rate of 5.3 per cent, which is slightly below the national average of 5.7 per cent.

The city also has a median household income of $68,668.

Best community in B.C

In comparison, the city of Salmon Arm which claimed the top spot in B.C, scored well in demographics, thanks to a boost in population growth over the past five years, a low property tax rate of 1.7 percent of a person’s income and the strength of the economy.

The city had a similar unemployment rate of 5.3 per cent as of March 2019 and residents in the area are reported to have an median household income of $76,048.

Salmon arm also carries a crime severity index of 53 while Vernon’s crime severity index stands at 138.

A full glimpse into the rankings across the country can be found here.

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