Settling down and starting a family isn’t just a pipe dream for young adults – it’s an achievable reality. In fact, choosing to raise your kids in Canada is one of the best decisions you can make. From affordable housing to excellent schools to low crime rates, life in Canada is ideal for raising kids. If you’re thinking about bringing your family north of the border, here are some pros and cons of living in Canada as a parent.

Safer Streets for Walking and Playing

One of the best things about raising kids in Canada is the reduced risk of child abduction. Due to lower population densities and smaller kidnapping rates, children in Canada have a lower risk of being abducted by a stranger. Between 1988 and 2002, there were only 17 cases of child abduction in Canada. That’s fewer than in any other country in the world. You may also be pleased to know that there is less risk of your children being injured while playing outside in Canada. Whether your kids are skateboarding, biking, or playing in the park, there is less chance they will be hurt while in the Great White North than they would be in the U.S. In the U.S., more than 18,000 children under the age of 15 are injured while playing outside every day. That number is considerably lower in Canada at about 12,000.

Excellent Educational Options

When it comes to raising kids, education is key. Luckily, Canada has some of the best educational options in the world. You’ll have a variety of different school choices for your kids, from religious to secular and French immersion. Canada’s renowned public school system is available to everyone, and it’s completely free. Apart from the public system, Canada has a wide range of private educational options, including religious and Montessori schools. If you live in a major Canadian city, there are also many excellent online educational programs available. You can also look into short-term study abroad programs, which might allow your kids to earn high school credits.

Affordable Housing

Housing is a major cost of living in every country. But in Canada, it is much more affordable. You can expect to pay between $500 and $1,500 per month for a two-bedroom apartment in a major city, and $600 to $1,500 for a three-bedroom house. One of the reasons for this is because Canadian real estate is taxed less. You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that the average house price in Canada is actually lower than in the U.S. If you’re planning to buy a home, you can expect to pay around $300,000 on average for a house in Canada. This is much cheaper than the average price of a house in the U.S., which is $388,000. So housing costs are less of a burden in Canada, and it’s easier to save for other things like education and retirement.

Good Jobs with Great Benefits

Raising children in Canada will make it easier to provide for your family. The cost of living may be lower, but the average salary for Canadian workers is much higher than for their American counterparts. You can expect to earn the equivalent of about $60,000 annually if you work full-time in Canada. That’s $17,500 more than the average American salary. Employment in Canada is also more secure than in the U.S. Unemployment rates are much lower in Canada, and you’re more likely to receive employer-sponsored benefits. Health insurance is more widely available in Canada, and most employers offer extended medical coverage. You might also be able to claim government benefits, such as paid maternity leave and child care subsidies.

Canada is a great place to bring up a family. It has lower crime rates and safer streets, excellent educational options, affordable housing, and good jobs with great benefits. These are all reasons why choosing to raise your family in Canada is a great decision.