Methodology
How neighbourhood scores work
Each metric is converted to a 0-100 score with fixed breakpoints (piecewise-linear, not relative to other neighbourhoods). Toronto has its own scale: metrics whose typical level is set by the city (collisions per kilometre of road, transit service, parkland per resident, rent, home prices and overdose calls) are rescaled to Toronto, and the rest share the reference breakpoints. Metrics are averaged into categories using the weights below, and categories into the overall score. Distances and shares are measured from where residents live (City of Toronto address points on residential and mixed-use zoning, with apartment buildings weighted by their units), weighted by population.
Scoring model v2, updated 2026-10-11. Every number on this page is read from the same configuration file the data pipeline uses.
Overall score
The overall score is the weighted average of seven category scores. On the home page you can change these weights or pick a preset; category scores stay the same, only how they are combined changes.
Safety
25% of overallCrime near homes and serious traffic collisions.
Violent crime near homes · 50% of Safety · per 1,000 residents / yr, lower is better
Police-reported crimes against the person (assaults, sexual violations, robbery, threats, homicide and attempts) plus weapons offences, 2023-24, per 1,000 residents per year, counting incidents at homes in full and outdoor incidents at half. The at-home share comes from where Toronto Police's Major Crime Indicator assaults and robberies happened in the neighbourhood. Residents are the 2021 Census population grown with Toronto Police's population projections. Small neighbourhoods are shrunk toward the city rate.
Source: Toronto Police Service Reported Crimes and Major Crime Indicators
Property crime near homes · 30% of Safety · per 1,000 residents / yr, lower is better
Break-ins, theft, vehicle theft, mischief and arson (fraud excluded), 2023-24, per 1,000 residents per year, counting incidents at homes in full and outdoor incidents at half. The at-home share comes from where break-ins, vehicle thefts, thefts over $5,000, thefts from vehicles and bike thefts happened. Shrunk toward the city rate.
Source: Toronto Police Service Reported Crimes, Major Crime Indicators, Theft From Motor Vehicle and Bicycle Thefts
Injury collisions on local roads · 20% of Safety · per 10 km of road / yr, lower is better
Injury collisions (2023 and 2024) per 10 km of non-expressway road per year. Fatal and serious-injury collisions count three times and any collision involving a pedestrian or cyclist counts double. Expressway collisions and laneways are excluded. Shrunk toward the city rate for short road networks.
Source: Toronto Police Service Traffic Collisions; City of Toronto KSI collisions; Toronto Centreline
Toronto scale: the reference breakpoints × 6.92, so a typical Toronto neighbourhood (21) scores like a typical one in Ottawa (3.0).
Schools
15% of overallResults at the schools residents would most likely attend, and how far away they are.
Nearest elementary schools (EQAO) · 45% of Schools · % meeting standard, higher is better
For each home, the 3-year EQAO average of the nearest English public (TDSB) and English Catholic (TCDSB) elementary schools, averaged across residents. EQAO results also reflect family income, not only school quality.
Source: Ontario School Information and Student Demographics (2022-23 to 2024-25); City of Toronto School Locations
Nearest high schools (EQAO / OSSLT) · 20% of Schools · % meeting standard, higher is better
For each home, the 3-year average of Grade 9 math and Grade 10 literacy results at the nearest TDSB and TCDSB secondary schools.
Source: Ontario School Information and Student Demographics (2022-23 to 2024-25)
Distance to an elementary school · 35% of Schools · km, lower is better
Average straight-line distance from homes to the nearest publicly funded elementary school of any board.
Source: City of Toronto School Locations
Amenities
15% of overallShare of residents who can reach everyday destinations nearby.
Grocery store within 1 km · 25% of Amenities · % of residents, higher is better
Share of residents living within 1 km (straight line) of a supermarket or full-service grocer.
Source: Toronto Public Health DineSafe, categorized
Park within 400 m · 20% of Amenities · % of residents, higher is better
Share of residents within 400 m of the edge of a City park.
Source: City of Toronto Green Spaces
5+ places to eat within 800 m · 20% of Amenities · % of residents, higher is better
Share of residents with at least five restaurants, cafes, bakeries or pubs within 800 m.
Source: Toronto Public Health DineSafe, categorized
Recreation facility within 1.5 km · 15% of Amenities · % of residents, higher is better
Share of residents within 1.5 km of a City pool, arena, rink or community centre.
Source: City of Toronto Parks, Forestry & Recreation facilities
Distance to a library · 20% of Amenities · km, lower is better
Average distance from homes to the nearest Toronto Public Library branch.
Source: Toronto Public Library
Getting Around
15% of overallFrequent transit, protected bike routes, and how far homes are from downtown jobs and highways.
Peak transit service near home · 35% of Getting Around · departures / hour, higher is better
Weekday 7-9 am departures per hour within 400 m (bus, streetcar) or 800 m (subway, LRT, GO and UP Express), counting each route and direction once, averaged across residents.
Source: TTC, GO Transit and UP Express GTFS
Toronto scale: the reference breakpoints × 3.8, so a typical Toronto neighbourhood (48/hr) scores like a typical one in Ottawa (13/hr).
Distance to downtown · 25% of Getting Around · km, lower is better
Average straight-line distance from homes to downtown (King and Bay), the city's largest employment centre.
Source: Computed from resident locations
Protected bike route within 400 m · 25% of Getting Around · % of residents, higher is better
Share of residents within 400 m of a cycle track, multi-use trail or park road path. Painted lanes, sharrows and signed routes don't count.
Source: City of Toronto Cycling Network
Distance to a highway · 15% of Getting Around · km, lower is better
Average distance from homes to the nearest expressway or 400-series highway.
Source: Toronto Centreline; OpenStreetMap
Nature
10% of overallTree cover, nearby large greenspace, and parkland per resident.
Tree canopy · 35% of Nature · % coverage, higher is better
Share of land under tree canopy (2018, trees and shrubs, water excluded). Toronto's canopy target is 40%.
Source: City of Toronto 2018 Tree Canopy Study land cover
Large greenspace within 1 km · 35% of Nature · % of residents, higher is better
Share of residents within 1 km of a park or natural area of 4 ha or more of any ownership (City parks, ravines, TRCA land, Rouge National Urban Park).
Source: City of Toronto Green Spaces; OpenStreetMap
Parkland nearby per 1,000 residents · 30% of Nature · ha / 1,000 residents, higher is better
Hectares of City parkland within 1 km of each home divided by the residents who share it.
Source: City of Toronto Green Spaces
Toronto scale: the reference breakpoints × 0.56, so a typical Toronto neighbourhood (3.1) scores like a typical one in Ottawa (5.5).
Affordability
10% of overallTypical rent and home value, from one consistent source for every neighbourhood.
Typical rent · 50% of Affordability · $ / month, lower is better
2021 Census median monthly rent, scaled to today's market by one citywide factor (Rentals.ca average asking rent, September 2026, over the 2021 Census median). Subsidized units pull a census median below what a new tenant would pay, so each neighbourhood's figure adds back $17.53 per percentage point of tenants in subsidized housing (the relationship across Toronto's neighbourhoods), rebased so the citywide median is unchanged.
Source: Statistics Canada 2021 Census via City of Toronto Neighbourhood Profiles; Rentals.ca/Urbanation
Toronto scale: the reference breakpoints × 1.22, so a typical Toronto neighbourhood ($2,430) scores like a typical one in Ottawa ($2,000).
Typical home value · 50% of Affordability · $, lower is better
2021 Census median value of owned dwellings, scaled to today's market by the change in TRREB's City of Toronto median sale price (May 2021 to September 2026).
Source: Statistics Canada 2021 Census via City of Toronto Neighbourhood Profiles; TRREB Market Watch
Toronto scale: the reference breakpoints × 1.24, so a typical Toronto neighbourhood ($819,000) scores like a typical one in Ottawa ($659,000).
Health & Environment
10% of overallEmergency care, primary care, overdose burden and traffic noise.
Distance to an emergency department · 40% of Health & Environment · km, lower is better
Average distance from homes to the nearest 24/7 adult emergency department, including hospitals just outside the city. SickKids, Women's College, CAMH and urgent care centres don't count.
Source: OpenStreetMap; hospital listings
Overdose ED visits · 25% of Health & Environment · per 100K / yr, lower is better
Calls to Toronto Paramedic Services for suspected opioid overdoses in 2025, counted where the call happened, per 100,000 residents per year, shrunk toward the city rate for small neighbourhoods. Neighbourhoods with fewer than 5 calls are suppressed in the source and counted as 2.5. Shelters and supervised consumption sites raise the count where they are.
Source: Toronto Public Health; Toronto Paramedic Services electronic patient care records
Toronto scale: the reference breakpoints × 1.1, so a typical Toronto neighbourhood (48) scores like a typical one in Ottawa (44).
Homes next to major roads · 20% of Health & Environment · % of homes, lower is better
Share of homes (apartment buildings weighted by their units) within 150 m of an expressway or 50 m of an arterial road, a standard proxy for traffic noise and air pollution exposure.
Source: City of Toronto Address Points; Toronto Centreline
Distance to a family / walk-in clinic · 15% of Health & Environment · km, lower is better
Interim measure: average distance to the nearest family practice or walk-in clinic mapped in OpenStreetMap. OSM coverage is incomplete.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors
Turning values into scores
Each metric is mapped to 0–100 with fixed breakpoints (shown beside each metric) and straight lines between them. Values beyond the first or last breakpoint get that breakpoint's score. Because the breakpoints are fixed, a neighbourhood's score only changes when its own data changes.
Each city has its own scale. Most metrics mean the same thing everywhere (a 500 m walk to a school, a test result, tree cover), so they share breakpoints. Metrics whose typical level is set by the city itself (collisions per kilometre of busy road, transit service, parkland per resident, rents and home prices, and overdoses, which cities count differently) are rescaled for each city: the breakpoints are multiplied by the city's median over Ottawa's, keeping the same curve. Scores compare neighbourhoods within a city, not across cities.
Counts of rare events (crime, collisions, overdoses) are noisy in small neighbourhoods. Rates are shrunk toward the city rate by adding 5,000 person-years (or 30 road-km-years for collisions) at the city average. This pulls small neighbourhoods toward the middle in both directions; large neighbourhoods barely move.
Missing data is never treated as zero. A category's score is the weighted average of the metrics that have data; if less than 70% of its weight has data, the category is left out of the overall score and the neighbourhood is flagged.
Score labels: Excellent (80+), Very good (75+), Good (65+), Fair (55+), Poor (0+). The thresholds are set so a label never contradicts a neighbourhood's tier (no “Very good” in the bottom half).
Rankings
Neighbourhoods with the same rounded score share a rank. Because reasonable people weigh categories differently, each neighbourhood also shows a likely rank range: the overall score is recomputed 500 times with every category weight multiplied by a random factor between 0.8 and 1.2, and the range covers the 10th to 90th percentile of the resulting ranks.
Tiers: Top 10%, Top 25%, Top half, Bottom half. A narrow range means the rank holds up under different weightings; a wide one means it depends on what you value.
- Balanced: The default weights. (Safety 25%, Schools 15%, Amenities 15%, Getting Around 15%, Nature 10%, Affordability 10%, Health & Environment 10%)
- Families: Schools, safety and parks first. (Safety 25%, Schools 25%, Amenities 10%, Getting Around 5%, Nature 15%, Affordability 10%, Health & Environment 10%)
- Car-free: Transit, walkable amenities and downtown access. (Safety 15%, Schools 5%, Amenities 25%, Getting Around 35%, Nature 5%, Affordability 10%, Health & Environment 5%)
- On a budget: Lower rent and home prices weigh most. (Safety 20%, Schools 10%, Amenities 10%, Getting Around 15%, Nature 5%, Affordability 35%, Health & Environment 5%)
- Retirees: Safety, health care and quiet nature. (Safety 25%, Amenities 20%, Getting Around 10%, Nature 15%, Affordability 5%, Health & Environment 25%)
Shown but not scored
These appear in each neighbourhood's breakdown for context but do not affect scores.
- All police-reported incidents
- Every Criminal Code incident in the neighbourhood divided by residents. Inflated in areas with many visitors, so it is shown but not scored.
- Residents used for crime rates
- 2021 Census population grown by the dwellings added since (municipal address points), estimated for the crime data period, so fast-growing suburbs are not divided by an out-of-date population.
- Incidents at businesses and institutions
- Major Crime Indicator incidents at commercial, educational, transit and other non-residential premises. Reflects visitor activity more than risk at home.
- All collisions
- Every reported collision, including property-damage-only.
- Schools inside the boundary
- Count of schools located inside the neighbourhood polygon. Not scored, since children often attend schools just outside it.
- Workers commuting 60+ min
- 2021 Census. Collected during the pandemic, so shown for context only.
Known limitations
- Neighbourhoods are the City of Toronto's 158 social development neighbourhoods. Census figures come from the City's 2021 neighbourhood profiles and count people in private households.
- Resident locations come from City of Toronto address points on residential and mixed-use zoning. Rental apartment buildings use their registered unit counts (RentSafeTO), other large buildings are sized by floor area from the City's 3D massing model, and each neighbourhood's homes are calibrated to its 2021 Census households.
- Crime counts are Toronto Police reported crimes for 2023–24 by neighbourhood (fraud excluded). The share that happened at homes comes from where the police's Major Crime Indicator incidents occurred (houses and apartments in full, outdoors at half). Theft under $5,000 and mischief have no location detail, so their at-home share is estimated from the other property crimes.
- Rates divide by the 2021 Census population grown by Toronto Police's Environics Analytics projections for the same years.
- Toronto has its own scale for metrics whose typical level depends on the city. Its streets have about seven times Ottawa's injury collisions per kilometre and its transit runs about four times as often, so those scales (and parkland per resident, rent, home prices and overdose calls) are set from Toronto's own neighbourhoods. Scores compare neighbourhoods within Toronto.
- Collisions are Toronto Police reports for 2023–24; 400-series highways are policed by the OPP and are not included.
- Overdoses are 2025 calls to Toronto Paramedic Services for suspected opioid overdoses, counted where the call happened (Ottawa counts emergency visits by where patients live), so the overdose scale is Toronto's own. Neighbourhoods with fewer than 5 calls are suppressed in the source and counted as 2.5.
- Tree canopy is from the City's 2018 land cover (trees and shrubs, the City's canopy definition; water excluded).
- Transit counts TTC subway, LRT, streetcar and bus service plus GO and UP Express trains on a weekday in October 2026.
- Restaurant categories come from DineSafe inspection records; about 5% of restaurants could not be classified and are not counted as dining.
- Rent and home values are 2021 Census medians scaled by one citywide factor (Rentals.ca asking rents and TRREB sale prices), so they rank neighbourhoods consistently but are not current asking prices. Census median rent is adjusted for the share of tenants in subsidized housing.
- Toronto publishes no Walk Score or Bike Score. Walkability is a TopHoods index (0–100) of everyday places near home: a grocery store, the ten nearest places to eat, two cafés, a park, an elementary school and a library, each with full credit within 400 m, fading to none at 1.6 km. Bike route access is the share of residents within 400 m of a protected route.
- Distances are straight-line, not along streets or paths.