Best neighbourhoods in Ottawa
Ottawa's best neighbourhoods cluster in the west end, and they lean well-off and well-educated. Kanata Lakes tops the list with median income around $172,000 and about 6 in 10 residents holding a university degree. The Orchard and Mahogany follow close behind, both earning $150,000 or more typically.
Across the top ten, most areas clear $120,000 in median income and see over half of adults with a degree. City-wide, the typical Ottawa family makes about $111,000, and roughly 4 in 10 adults have a bachelor's degree or higher. Density citywide runs about 3,400 people per square kilometre, and about 18% of households put 30% or more of income toward housing.
How Ottawa stacks up vs Ontario
Bars are the Ottawaaggregate's percentile rank vs Ontario's 20,000+ census Dissemination Areas.
Top neighbourhoods in Ottawa
| Neighbourhood | Median income | Median age | University-educated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Orchard · Ottawa | $150,000 | 40.8 | 59.6% |
| 2. Marchwood Lakeside · Ottawa | $143,000 | 38.0 | 63.2% |
| 3. Mahogany · Ottawa | $154,000 | 43.2 | 56.7% |
| 4. Stonebridge · Ottawa | $134,000 | 40.0 | 52.1% |
| 5. Nepean · Ottawa | $125,000 | 40.8 | 58.2% |
| 6. Kanata North · Ottawa | $145,000 | 36.8 | 49.1% |
| 7. Greenbelt · Ottawa | $127,000 | 34.8 | 52.0% |
| 8. South March · Ottawa | $124,000 | 37.6 | 53.5% |
| 9. Westboro · Ottawa | $119,000 | 36.8 | 67.2% |
| 10. Havenlea · Ottawa | $129,000 | 39.2 | 49.3% |
| 11. Limebank & Spratt · Ottawa | $138,000 | 37.6 | 45.0% |
| 12. Central Park · Ottawa | $117,000 | 36.8 | 58.6% |
| 13. Summerhill Village · Ottawa | $122,000 | 32.8 | 49.9% |
| 14. Notting Hill · Ottawa | $142,000 | 37.2 | 43.6% |
| 15. Greely · Ottawa | $154,000 | 46.8 | 41.0% |
| 16. Stittsville · Ottawa | $122,000 | 36.0 | 46.7% |
| 17. Centretown · Ottawa | $106,000 | 32.4 | 69.5% |
| 18. Edenwylde · Ottawa | $123,000 | 32.4 | 44.4% |
| 19. Riverside South-Findlay Creek · Ottawa | $127,000 | 33.6 | 42.6% |
| 20. Centrepointe · Ottawa | $111,000 | 56.8 | 55.9% |
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Common questions
What are the best places to live in Ottawa?
Kanata Lakes, The Orchard, and Mahogany rank at the top. Kanata Lakes has the highest typical income of the group, around $172,000, and about 6 in 10 residents there have a university degree.
What are the best areas to live in Ottawa?
The strongest areas spread across Ottawa's west end and southern suburbs, places like Westboro Beach, Stonebridge, and Stittsville. All of them report median incomes at or above $130,000, and each has a substantial share of university-educated residents, from about half to six in ten.
Is Ottawa expensive to live in?
About 18% of Ottawa households spend 30% or more of their income on housing. That's the citywide share, and it's a useful line to compare any one neighbourhood against.
How educated is Ottawa?
About 4 in 10 adults in Ottawa hold a bachelor's degree or higher. In the city's top-ranked neighbourhoods that share climbs much higher, over 6 in 10 in places like Kanata Lakes and Westboro.