Living in Mississauga

Now Canada's sixth largest city and one of the fastest growing, Mississauga is home to 585,000 people. A well-managed, debt-free city, Mississauga has become the preferred location for technology-driven companies in Eastern Canada. It is a major business centre within the Greater Toronto Area with 9,730 businesses, widely diversified in manufacturing, distribution and business services. As well, there are approximately 9,000 retail businesses.

As one of the most affluent cities in the Golden Horseshoe, Mississauga has very high standards in education, policing, fire and other emergency services, well-maintained roads, excellent housing and recreational facilities.

Mississauga is a multicultural city with substantial ethnic population from the Orient, East Indies, the Caribbean, the Philippines and Europe. Residents participate extensively in the arts ensuring that the more than 170 performing and visual arts groups flourish. The City is home to public and private art galleries, community theatre groups, Meadowvale Theatre, Stage West Theatre Restaurant and the state-of-the-art Living Arts Centre.

The City also boasts one of Ontario's largest shopping centres, Square One; Canada's first interactive entertainment centre, Playdium; more than 400 parks of various sizes; and some of the best salmon fishing in the world.

There are all the other necessities, too, fine restaurants, golf courses, fitness clubs, hockey arenas, baseball fields, tennis courts, movie theatres, a symphony orchestra and passive parkland in abundance for the residents of Mississauga. When you add it all up, Mississauga is a most satisfying place in which to live.

Downtown Mississauga

Mississauga City Centre is a square mile of prime real estate in the heart of Mississauga. It has grown to become the focus of commercial activity in the Region of Peel with close to 400 corporate businesses, among them, such major employers as the Royal Bank of Canada, Baxter Corporation and Hammerson Canada Inc. They have recognized Mississauga's considerable advantages over other neighbouring downtowns.

The City Centre also contains close to 1.6 million sq. ft. of retail with Square One and new businesses like Famous Players Theatre, Playdium and Chapters. Office space in the City Centre is plentiful with planned ultimate growth expected to increase from its present 3.3 million sq. ft. to 22 million sq. ft. Several high quality residential developments containing both high rise and single family homes enable residents to walk to work, go shopping, attend exercise classes at the Central YMCA, drop into Mississauga Central Library, eat out or take in a movie.

The City Centre also serves as Mississauga's entertainment and cultural centre with family-oriented sports, leisure and arts facilities readily available. And the unique, Living Arts Centre combines traditional visual and performing arts as well as professionally equipped studios.

This downtown core is the hub of the Mississauga transit system and draws residents and visitors to attend such events as the Mayor's annual levee and Canada Day festivities. Major developers work with the City to promote the City Centre as one of Canada's most exciting and fastest growing urban centres.

Housing

Overview

One of the more attractive attributes of Mississauga as a business location is the housing mix and quality. Many builders of national reputation have developed housing subdivisions of quality and distinction. With the formation of the City of Mississauga in 1974, housing development efforts were more closely guided by the municipal planning process. As a result, a substantial diversity exists, ranging from townhouse and high-rise condominium and rental facilities to semi-detached, fully-detached and executive housing to satisfy every income level.

Some communities can provide a variety of housing in most price ranges but are short of top-of-the-line accommodation for chief executive officers. Mississauga does not have this problem. The City has an abundance of large houses in superb treed and ravine settings and even penthouse condos that rank with the most sophisticated and luxurious in the world.

Housing Inventory

Single detached houses constitute 45% of the entire housing stock. Apartment units constitute 32%; semi-detached, 11%; and townhouse units, approximately 13%. Future building plans, both committed and proposed, show an increase in the proportions of apartment and townhouse developments. This can be explained by a number of trends: the completion of developing neighbourhoods, the increase of "empty nesters" who prefer the maintenance-free living of condo and apartment units and the provision of affordable housing for new families.

Housing Prices and Rental Rates

The price of housing in Mississauga is strongly influenced by the Greater Toronto Area market. Like most large centres, housing prices are slightly higher than those in smaller cities. However, average housing prices in Mississauga are lower than the average for the GTA.

First Quarter 1999 Average
House Prices By Type


Mississauga's rental units also compare favourably to those in the Toronto CMA as the following chart indicates.

New Home Sales

1998 New Home Sales
Top 5 Municipalities In The Greater Toronto Area

1990-1998 Total $ Value of Residential
Building Permits