Toronto and GTA Residents Rate Quality of Life at C+
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
A Canada Pulse Insights poll reveals residents struggle with housing affordability and support for vulnerable populations despite praising city parks and entertainment.
Residents of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have assigned their overall quality of life a grade of C+, according to a poll conducted by Canada Pulse Insights for CityNews Toronto.
In the City of Toronto, only 9% of respondents awarded their quality of life an A, while 44% gave it a B and 30% responded with a C. Additionally, 13% gave a D and 5% provided a failing grade. Residents of the GTA outside of Toronto also gave their overall quality of life a C+, though some specific metrics varied; for instance, they rated their quality of life as B-.
According to CityNews Toronto, the highest-rated categories for Toronto residents were entertainment and access to parks and green spaces, both receiving a B-. Specifically, 66% of Toronto respondents rated entertainment and variety of access as an A or B, while 64% gave the same grades to parks and green spaces. In the broader GTA, parks and green space access earned a B grade.
Conversely, both Toronto and GTA residents gave the lowest grade—a C-—to their municipality's plan regarding the accessibility and affordability of housing. Toronto residents also gave a C- to the city's support for vulnerable people, while those in the GTA rated that category slightly higher at a C.
Regarding municipal governance, 58% of Toronto residents expressed pride in how their municipality operates, while 65% of those in the GTA felt the same. The survey follows municipal elections in which Toronto residents re-elected Mayor Olivia Chow and Mississauga elected Alvin Tedjo over incumbents Carolyn Parrish and former Mayor Bonnie Crombie.
The poll was conducted between Sept. 14 and Sept. 25, 2026, among 510 adult Toronto residents and 825 GTA residents across Halton, York, Durham, and Peel regions.