Livability Score

60
/100
i The AreaVibes Livability Score evaluates 9 different categories and creates an overall score out of 100. The higher the score, the better the area.

amenities F

There are not many amenities close to this location.
Coffee (45) F
Entertainment (30) F
Food and Drink (160) F
Fitness (25) F
Groceries (36) F
Parks (310) F
Shops (357) F
See more Greater Sudbury amenity data

commute F

Of all people who commute, 2.9% take public transportation in Greater Sudbury.
Public Transit Stops (640)
Stops & Stations
F
Workers Taking Public Transit
2.9%
F
See more Greater Sudbury commute data

cost of living A-

The cost of living in Greater Sudbury is 89/100 - which is 20% lower than Ontario.
Cost of Living
Goods & Services, Housing, etc.
C
Tax Rates
Income & Sales Tax
A-
See more Greater Sudbury cost of living data

crime D+

Greater Sudbury crime rates are 4,516 per 100k, which is 46% higher than Ontario
Property Crime
3,357 crimes per 100k
D+
Violent Crime
1,160 crimes per 100k
D
See more Greater Sudbury crime data

employment B

The median income in Greater Sudbury is $81,604 - which is 7% lower than Ontario.
Med. Household Income
$81,604
D+
Unemployment Rate
3.5%
A
See more Greater Sudbury employment data

health D-

There are not many hospitals, police and fire stations,
Health & Safety (86)
Dentist, Doctor, Hospital, etc.
F
Air Quality
Median Air Quality
A+
See more Greater Sudbury health & safety data

housing B+

Greater Sudbury home prices are $428,400 - which is 48% lower than Ontario
Home Price
$428,400
F
Home Appreciation Rate
33%
F
Home Affordability
5.2x (home price to income ratio)
A+
See more Greater Sudbury housing data

schools C+

The Greater Sudbury graduation rate is 82% - which is 3% lower than Ontario
School Test Scores
68%
C+
High School Grad. Rates
82%
D+
Elementary Schools (79) F
High Schools (39) F
See more Greater Sudbury education data

ratings D+

Greater Sudbury has an overall rating of 59% from 18 reviews.
User Reviews (3)
From AreaVibes
C-
User Surveys (15)
From AreaVibes
D+
See more Greater Sudbury user rating data
Amenities Commute Cost of Living Crime Employment Health & Safety Housing Schools User Ratings
Photo of Greater Sudbury, ON
( 18 Ratings )

Living in Greater Sudbury, ON

Greater Sudbury Area Facts

  • Greater Sudbury has a Livability Score of 60/100, which is considered average
  • Greater Sudbury crime rates are 46% higher than the Ontario average
  • Cost of living in Greater Sudbury is 20% lower than the Ontario average

Greater Sudbury Reviews

Write a review about Greater Sudbury Tell people what you like or don't like about Greater Sudbury…
A Correction for Areavibes 3 rating By Anonymous ( Jun 06, 2021) I just want to inform you that the location on the map for Greater Sudbury is incorrect.
(Green icon)

You have it located in the suburbs of Greater Sudbury near the town of Val Caron. Actually it's located in the bush.

This highly effects the amenities rating of a "D" in the li
...Read More vability catagory.

It should be located in the downtown area of Sudbury.

The city of Greater Sudbury is located 400 km (248 miles) North of Toronto Ontario. It has a population of 165000.

It has a history of a logging, railroad and a mining town.
It is known as the Nickel Capital of the World.
Within the city limits, there are over 300 lakes. The outdoor living is very popular in the Summer and Winter.

The weather can be very unpredictable all year round. Spring can be cool or warm with lots of rain or snow or none at all. Summer's can be warm to hot with little or a lot of rain. Summer's here in Greater Sudbury are short. Usually from the beginning of June to the middle of September. Fall is short as well. The leaves on the trees start to turn all different colours near the end of August. Winter's are very long and cold. The average temperature in January is a high of -7'C (19'F) and a low of -18'C. ( 0'F) Temperatures are below freezing for over 100 days in the Winter. The hottest month is July with a normal temperature of 25'C (77'F) There are times in the Summer months where the temperatures can be over 30'C (86'F) during a heatwave. Temperatures rarely reach 40'C. (104'F) In the Winter, the snow begins to fall around the middle of November. It stays on the ground until the middle to the end of April in a normal Winter. The ice on the lakes freeze anytime the temperature goes below freezing. In the middle of October to as late as the first week of December. The ice begins to melt anywhere from the first week of April. It's completely melted by the first week of May.
The cold snaps in Winter, December to February, can reach temperatures in the -30's (-22'Fs) with windchills in the -40's.

So, You cannot rely on a calendar for the start and ending of seasons here.

Greater Sudbury also known as just Sudbury has many things for the avid outdoors person. For the indoors person like me, there are lots of shopping malls, strip malls, small retailers and movie theaters. For the avid sports person, there are lots of Base Ball diamonds, Tennis courts, Basket Ball courts. The are many outdoor ice Hockey rinks scattered throughout the city. There are 10 indoor hockey arena's. One of them is a double ice pad. There are many indoor swimming pools all run by the city.

Housing prices are based on what area in the city you live. Prices are anywhere from $250,000 to $1000000+.
Renting is expensive. Again depending on where you live. Anywhere from $900 to $1200 for a bachelor apartment. For a 1 bedroom, $1200 to $1300+ 2+bedrooms are even more.

Utilities are some of the highest in the Province. Regular gas prices change weekly. Presently $1.37/Litre.( $5.17 a Gallon.

If you want to relocate here, It's up to you. Read Less
The Real Story 3 rating By Anonymous ( Oct 08, 2020) First of all, Greater Sudbury consists of a city that was called the Regional Municipality of Sudbury before January 1st 2001.
It had a population of about 92000 est.
There were towns and cities with their own mayor and council. On January 1st 2001 these individual towns and cit
...Read More ies became a
one tier city with one Mayor and council. This was renamed Greater Sudbury. There was a lot of static from the people of the former towns and cities. Taxes, water, electricity and city services would change. The complaining went on for a few years before it settled down.
Today, almost 20 years later, The residences of these communities still want to be individualized from the greater city of Sudbury.
They want to keep their own identity.

West of Sudbury, there is Whitefish, Naughton and Lively. South, Estaire, Wanup and Burwash. East, Coniston and Wahnapitae.
Northwest, Azilda, Chelmsford, Dowling, Onaping and Levack. North, McCrey Heights, Guilletteville, Val Caron, Bleazard Valley, Bonin, Val Therese, Hanmer, Capreol and Skead. These places make up the rest of the population of Greater Sudbury of 165,000.

The city area is the largest in Canada. There is lots of undeveloped land within the city limits.
From West to East there is an est. 100 km (60 miles) from one end to the other. From North to South and est. of 60 km (40 miles).

To give you a better idea, there is a map at city hall that shows all of the cities in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) All of the cities would fit inside the city limits of Greater Sudbury.

The weather can be harsh in the Winter with normal temperatures in January of highs of -8'C and normal lows of -18'C. In July normal temperatures are a high of 25 and lows of 15'C.
Winters are long and cold with snow on the ground for 5.5 to 6 months of the year. It rarely reaches temperatures over 35'C.

Traffic is a problem here from 6 am to about 9, there is heavy traffic on your commute from the suburbs.
In the afternoon from 3 pm to 7 it's even worse.
Everybody speeds here!
Actually driving the speed limit here is dangerous! When there is a snow storm, not many adjust to the slippery road conditions.
The first snow storm is always the worst nightmare!

Downtown is a place to stay away from. Crime is high. There are panhandlers, homeless, and simply people hanging around doing nothing.
Most shopping is done outside of downtown in the malls, department stores and strip malls.
Sudbury also has the most coffee shops that I know of in Northern Ontario. There are about 20 Tim Horton's in the city not including the other ones.

All the roads are in bad shape here. Only the roads that have been repaired in the last 5 years are the better ones. About 1% There is about 3500 km of roads within the city limits.

You won't find any professional sports here. There isn't any CFL, NFL, NHL, MLB, MLS Soccer, No WWF either.

For those interested in concerts like Lady Ga Ga, Pink, Back Street Boys, Taylor Swift etc. You have to go to the closest place, Toronto for that. 400 km from here.

City services like electricity, water, cable, cell phone, natural gas are expensive. Property tax is high. I pay over $2000/year and I live in an older part of town.

Police, Fire and EMS are excellent when you need them.

Transportation in the city is.....well it could be better. The airport is very small for the population. There are only connections to other airports like Toronto with Air Canada and Porter. Sunwing has flights from November to March to hot destinations only once a week. Bear Skin a small airline covers places in Northern Ontario and Winnipeg. Ontario Northland Bus Service goes to Toronto and Ottawa 3 times a day. Passenger train services is very limited. There are lots of fright trains that go through the city which cause major traffic tie ups.
The city bus system called GOVA English for Go french for VA. Within the city the service is based upon ridership. It is expensive for a small city like this. More than the TTC in Toronto. (Cash fares)
There is also GOVA Plus. A division of the city transit service that offers bus service to people with physical and mental challenges.
Road construction never ends! it's everywhere! It stops when the ground freezes, then starts before the snow is melted.

On the map, it shows the different neibourhoods in the city. Greater Sudbury is actually all of the cities and towns surrounding the former City of Sudbury. One neibourhood that is missing is Minnow Lake a large neibourhood starting from Bancroft drive South of the Kingsway East to as far as Levesque Road.

I live here because I have Family and a good job here. Otherwise I would be long gone!

It's up to you if you want to live here. Read Less
A Place for Outdoor Lovers 3 rating By Anonymous ( Sep 20, 2020) I have lived in Sudbury for 34 years. On January 1st 2001 the 7 surrounding communities were amalgumated into one city called Greater Sudbury.
Greater Sudbury has a population of about 165,000 (as of the 2016 census) and is located in the Cambrian Shield Landmass. 388 km North of
...Read More Toronto, Ontario.

The best thing about Greater Sudbury is the outdoors. The are 330 lakes including the largest fresh water lake in the World within the city limits. Lake Whanapitae.

Snowmobiling is very popular in the Winter with thousands of kilometres of trails in the area. Ice fishing, Cross Country and downhill skiing is also popular.
In the Fall, hunting is a big draw too.

In the Summer months, those snowmobile trails become ATV trails. The lakes become places to get away from the city and drown a worm or two. The lakes become filled with power boats, sail boats, canoes, kayaks, Windsurfers etc.

The weather in Sudbury can vary from very cold Winters to average Winters in other years. In 2018-19 we had very cold temperatures ranging from -30 to -40'C at night without wind chills from late December to the beginning of February.
This didn't happen every night, just occationally during a cold snap from the North.
In the 34 years that I have lived here, I have seen two green (brown) Christmas's. One in 1994 and 2015. Sudbury is known for the amount of snow it gets over the Winters. Snow amounts average from 250 cm to 325 cm total over the Winter. There is some melting in January, but it's short lived. The first snowfall is around the middle of November. The snow stays on the ground until the last week of April in a normal Winter. The lakes freeze over by the first week of December and are ice free by the last week of April to the first week of May.

Greater Sudbury was once a logging town. Nickle was found in the surrounding areas as many other metals. Thus Sudbury became a mining town. INCO (now Vale) started mining in the late 1880's. Falconbridge (now Glencore) along the Nickle rim near Garson.
Today mining, health, education, Medical research and government are the largest employers are in the city.

Attractions in Greater Sudbury include Science North and Dynamic Earth. There are art galleries, movie theatres, big box stores like Lowes, Costco, Home Depot, Canadian Tire Dept. Store and Malls throughout the city. The biggest and most popular is the New Sudbury Centre.

Greater Sudbury is a Hockey town. The Sudbury Wolves, an OHL Hockey team plays at the Sudbury Arena downtown. There are many minor Hockey teams in the city that play each other or the surrounding cities near Sudbury. High school sports is popular thoughout the year with different sports from Summer to Winter. There are two indoor bubbles for indoor Soccer or Tennis and many outdoor courts in the warmer months. There are many Base Ball diamonds spread throughout the city which are usually busy anytime in the warmer months. Football is also a common sight at The James Jerome Field near Science North where High school Football is played and where the Sudbury Spartans Football team plays.

There are many Restaurants in the city from your Mom and Pop Diner to the popular chain restaurants. There are mostly Canadian restaurants like A and W, Swiss Chalet and the familiar Mc. Donalds, Eastside Marios, Dairy Queen. Ethnic places like Indian, Chinese, Italian and other fine dining establishments.

If you plan on living here, I would recommend living in the Southend or the New Sudbury area. These are good safe areas to raise a family. The suburb communities are good too, if you don't mind the commute to the city core. I don't recommend locating in the Downtown area, Donovan or Flower Mill area. These are higher crime areas.

As for the Federal, Municipal and Provincial governments, they're well represented in the area.

If you're a cold Weather lover, love the outdoors, This place is for you.

In the Winter I would recommend good snow tires, 4 wheel drive, at the very least you must have traction control with your vehicle.

Transportation in the area is served by Ontario Northland Bus Service and Via Rail. At the Greater Sudbury Airport there is Air Canada (Express) with connections to Toronto Pearson Airport. Porter Airlines with connections to Toronto Billy Bishop City Airport. Bearskin Airlines serves the cities in the rest of Northern Ontario.
Because Greater Sudbury is within a 4 hours drive to Toronto, 5 hours to Ottawa, 3 hours to Timmins and 3 hours to Sault Ste. Marie, most people drive to their destinations via highway 17 East and West, 69/400 to Toronto and 144 to Timmins.

The reason I only gave 3 stars is, I am not a cold lover. There are only 2 seasons in Greater Sudbury. 1 is Construction Season and 2 Winter. The other reasons are the Municipal Government and roads for reasons I won't get into.
This city doesn't have what I am interested in.
Why do I live here? I have family and a good employment here. Read Less
Show All Reviews
A Place for Outdoor Lovers 3 rating By Anonymous ( Sep 20, 2020) I have lived in Sudbury for 34 years. On January 1st 2001 the 7 surrounding communities were amalgumated into one city called Greater Sudbury.
Greater Sudbury has a population of about 165,000 (as of the 2016 census) and is located in the Cambrian Shield Landmass. 388 km North of
...Read More Toronto, Ontario.

The best thing about Greater Sudbury is the outdoors. The are 330 lakes including the largest fresh water lake in the World within the city limits. Lake Whanapitae.

Snowmobiling is very popular in the Winter with thousands of kilometres of trails in the area. Ice fishing, Cross Country and downhill skiing is also popular.
In the Fall, hunting is a big draw too.

In the Summer months, those snowmobile trails become ATV trails. The lakes become places to get away from the city and drown a worm or two. The lakes become filled with power boats, sail boats, canoes, kayaks, Windsurfers etc.

The weather in Sudbury can vary from very cold Winters to average Winters in other years. In 2018-19 we had very cold temperatures ranging from -30 to -40'C at night without wind chills from late December to the beginning of February.
This didn't happen every night, just occationally during a cold snap from the North.
In the 34 years that I have lived here, I have seen two green (brown) Christmas's. One in 1994 and 2015. Sudbury is known for the amount of snow it gets over the Winters. Snow amounts average from 250 cm to 325 cm total over the Winter. There is some melting in January, but it's short lived. The first snowfall is around the middle of November. The snow stays on the ground until the last week of April in a normal Winter. The lakes freeze over by the first week of December and are ice free by the last week of April to the first week of May.

Greater Sudbury was once a logging town. Nickle was found in the surrounding areas as many other metals. Thus Sudbury became a mining town. INCO (now Vale) started mining in the late 1880's. Falconbridge (now Glencore) along the Nickle rim near Garson.
Today mining, health, education, Medical research and government are the largest employers are in the city.

Attractions in Greater Sudbury include Science North and Dynamic Earth. There are art galleries, movie theatres, big box stores like Lowes, Costco, Home Depot, Canadian Tire Dept. Store and Malls throughout the city. The biggest and most popular is the New Sudbury Centre.

Greater Sudbury is a Hockey town. The Sudbury Wolves, an OHL Hockey team plays at the Sudbury Arena downtown. There are many minor Hockey teams in the city that play each other or the surrounding cities near Sudbury. High school sports is popular thoughout the year with different sports from Summer to Winter. There are two indoor bubbles for indoor Soccer or Tennis and many outdoor courts in the warmer months. There are many Base Ball diamonds spread throughout the city which are usually busy anytime in the warmer months. Football is also a common sight at The James Jerome Field near Science North where High school Football is played and where the Sudbury Spartans Football team plays.

There are many Restaurants in the city from your Mom and Pop Diner to the popular chain restaurants. There are mostly Canadian restaurants like A and W, Swiss Chalet and the familiar Mc. Donalds, Eastside Marios, Dairy Queen. Ethnic places like Indian, Chinese, Italian and other fine dining establishments.

If you plan on living here, I would recommend living in the Southend or the New Sudbury area. These are good safe areas to raise a family. The suburb communities are good too, if you don't mind the commute to the city core. I don't recommend locating in the Downtown area, Donovan or Flower Mill area. These are higher crime areas.

As for the Federal, Municipal and Provincial governments, they're well represented in the area.

If you're a cold Weather lover, love the outdoors, This place is for you.

In the Winter I would recommend good snow tires, 4 wheel drive, at the very least you must have traction control with your vehicle.

Transportation in the area is served by Ontario Northland Bus Service and Via Rail. At the Greater Sudbury Airport there is Air Canada (Express) with connections to Toronto Pearson Airport. Porter Airlines with connections to Toronto Billy Bishop City Airport. Bearskin Airlines serves the cities in the rest of Northern Ontario.
Because Greater Sudbury is within a 4 hours drive to Toronto, 5 hours to Ottawa, 3 hours to Timmins and 3 hours to Sault Ste. Marie, most people drive to their destinations via highway 17 East and West, 69/400 to Toronto and 144 to Timmins.

The reason I only gave 3 stars is, I am not a cold lover. There are only 2 seasons in Greater Sudbury. 1 is Construction Season and 2 Winter. The other reasons are the Municipal Government and roads for reasons I won't get into.
This city doesn't have what I am interested in.
Why do I live here? I have family and a good employment here. Read Less

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      Greater Sudbury, ON

      The largest city in Northern Ontario, Greater Sudbury also happens to be the largest city by land area in the entire country. In terms of population, it is Canada’s 24th largest city, and completed its amalgamation in 2001. This is when Sudbury was joined by seven surrounding cities and towns to become one large city; Greater Sudbury. Today, the city has an urban core and numerous communities that are scattered around 300 lakes. Mining is still has a large economic factor in the city, which now also has the addition of finance, tourism, education, and science and technology research.

      Due to its location, Greater Sudbury is a beautiful place to live, as it is filled with lakes and is home to six provincial parks. It is definitely an outdoor lover’s playground, offering up activities like snowmobiling, hiking, cycling, skiing and ice fishing. Plus, its lakes offer plenty of opportunities for water sports, as any Greater Sudbury local will be sure to point out. In terms of everyday living, what used to be just Sudbury is one of the most popular areas, as it is home to the city’s main shopping and dining areas and its nightlife. It is also where Laurentian University, Cambrian College and Collège Boréal are located.

      Greater Sudbury is a bilingual city, which is great for parents that want their children to be fluent in both English and French. There are both English- and French- language public schools, as well as both English and French post-secondary institutions. The largest is Laurentian University, which is bilingual, and is home to the country’s first ever medical school. Still, as a whole, the city is less educated than the average Canadian, while the median age in the city is around 41 years old. The government sector is the largest employer in the city, followed by the mining industry.

      Greater Sudbury has quite a vibrant art community, being home to two art galleries, two professional theatre companies and an award-winning documentary production company. Still, the one attraction that any Greater Sudbury guide will say not to miss is Science North, which is an interactive science museum in the Sudbury area of the city. This is actually where most attractions can be found, which is partly due to its transportation network. This area is home to Greater Sudbury’s main transportation hub, with all routes passing through it. However, buses do travel to all areas of the city, though they are much less frequent in more remote neighbourhoods.

      F Amenities

      Are there many local amenities in Greater Sudbury? Well, there are not many amenities close to this location.

      Parks

      Langdon Park
      Blezard Park
      Blezard Playgound
      Flake Playground
      Rebecca Park
      Leo Gerard's Worker Memorial Park
      Laurentian Park
      Kalmo Park Conservation Area

      Entertainment

      Whitewater Lanes

      Food & Drink

      KFC
      A&W
      Subway
      Dairy Queen
      Pita Pit
      Biller Bills Ice Cream Parlor

      F Commute

      Is public transit available in Greater Sudbury? Of all people who commute, 2.9% take public transportation in Greater Sudbury.
      Drive to Work
      46%

      6% higher than the CDN average

      Take Public Transit
      3%

      4% lower than the CDN average

      Walk to Work
      3%

      1% lower than the CDN average

      F Health & Safety

      Is Greater Sudbury a healthy and safe place to live? No, there are not many hospitals, police and fire stations,

      Hospitals

      Kirkwood Place
      St. Joseph's Continuing Care
      Health Sciences North

      Pharmacies

      Michaud Medical Pharmacy
      Rexall
      Shaw's Remedy's Rx
      Bradley
      Pharma Plus
      Shoppers Drug Mart
      I.D.A.
      Shoppers Drug Mart

      Doctors

      Northwood Medical Clinics
      City Of Lakes Family Health Team