Milton vs. Mississauga: Which Place West of Toronto Is Best?

Toronto consistently ranks as one of the best cities in the world to live in, and for good reason: it's clean and friendly, has a vibrant downtown, has outstanding amenities, and has some of the best universities, colleges, trade schools, and schools in the country. The only problem with Toronto is that housing within the city is currently unaffordable for most people. Indeed, articles have shown buyers need to make over $200k to afford a home in Toronto. With more affordable property prices, places outside the GTA have become hotspots for younger couples and families looking to buy a home. Two places where families are focusing now are Milton and Mississauga, as they are close to Toronto without quite the same cost levels. Between Milton vs. Mississauga, which place is the best choice? Let's find out as we put these two communities head-to-head in the categories that matter most to homebuyers!

Milton vs. Mississauga: Real Estate

The first area to compare is real estate when looking at the similarities and differences between these two cities. Somewhat remarkably, real estate between these two regions is pretty much the same.

Milton typically has condos in the $500,000 to $1 million range and homes that are $1.5 million and above. Likewise, Mississauga has properties that are roughly in the same price range. Most first-time homebuyers will likely pick a townhome or condo to build equity before switching to a single-family home. If you're looking to move out of downtown Toronto, where properties cost even more, you'll likely find that condos and homes in both places will give you more space and put some of your home's profits back in your pocket!

With Milton's recent population boom (we discuss this more in the demographics section below), many of the homes in Milton are newer constructions. Conversely, Mississauga is an older community, so many houses there are a little older than what you'll find in Milton. Each type of housing has pros and cons, although many people would say that older homes have more character than many new construction properties.

Both areas have their pros and cons regarding real estate, but the slight edge in this category goes to Mississauga. The reason is simple: any property you buy in Mississauga is closer to Toronto. If you need to go downtown for Leafs games, work, the Blue Jays, the ROM, or to check out a new restaurant, bar, or cafe, owning property in Mississauga will make that easier. 

Schools

Both Milton and Mississauga have excellent schools with solid academics and plenty of after-school activities to keep youth, teens, and young adults engaged. 

Two of the best public schools in Milton are Chris Hadfield and Anne J. MacArthur. Both are elementary schools servicing kindergarten through grade 8. Each of these schools scores very well on their EQAO testing and has a wide variety of after-school programs - like the Young Activists Social Justice Club at Anne J. MacArthur, for example. 

Milton is also reasonably central as far as universities go. A reasonably short drive to the south is McMaster, to the west is the University of Guelph (a top-rated institution, especially for computer science), and to the east are all the universities in Toronto! While none of these are in Milton proper, if you have multiple teens looking to attend different universities, it's an excellent, central location that helps keep commutes to all these short.

Of course, Mississauga also is home to some outstanding schools. The Fraser Institute, a well-respected organization that rates schools, lists Tecumseh, Plum Tree, and Forest Ave as having a rating of over 7.5 out of 10. Those three elementary schools are among the best-rated in Mississauga but are not the only good schools. John Fraser, Woodlands, Cawthra Park, and Lorne Park are all top-rated secondary schools and are lovely places to send kids to prepare for university!

As far as universities go, Mississauga is home to the University of Toronto Mississauga campus. While going to school here might not have the UofT downtown experience, the quality of education here is just as good - and the degree earned says "University of Toronto," so there's no distinction when looking for jobs or further studies post-graduation. Most spots in Mississauga are technically further from the University of Guelph and McMaster, although they're not that much further. Indeed, if your kids want to attend Toronto-based universities, Mississauga is the better choice overall.

Cost of Living

As noted earlier, property prices are similar between Milton and Mississauga, and you'll find the overall cost of living between both cities is about the same now.

Gas prices are virtually identical between Milton and Mississauga. Calculators comparing the overall cost of living between the two places show them almost tied. Even property taxes are nearly identical - a $1.5 million single-family home will pay about $5,000 per year in property taxes, whether in Milton or Mississauga. On the whole, goods and services are no cheaper in Milton than in Mississauga, and both jurisdictions pay the same sales tax rate as they are both subject to the Ontario HST. 

Historically, Milton has had a cheaper cost of living overall because it is further from the GTA. However, Milton has grown substantially recently, making it just as expensive as places closer to Toronto. Therefore, from a cost of living perspective, Mississauga has a slight edge as it is closer to Toronto while maintaining a cost of living that is about the same as Milton.

Traffic and Transit

Traffic within Mississauga is worse than in Milton, primarily because Mississauga is quite a bit bigger than Milton. However, Mississauga has a few traffic and transit benefits that Milton does not.

First, Mississauga has easier access, overall, to far more highways. The 407, 401, 410, and the QEW run through Mississauga. Depending on where you locate, you might be a short drive from these highways, meaning you can go in any direction relatively quickly.

The other advantage Mississauga has is that it is technically home to Pearson. If you tend to fly quite a bit, whether for work or fun, living in Mississauga makes it easy and straightforward to get to the airport. If you live in Milton, you'll have to take the 401 to Pearson, and, depending on the time of day, that could add a significant amount of time to your travels.

Speaking of the 401, the last advantage of Mississauga is that there are more convenient ways into Toronto than Milton. With Milton, the primary route into Toronto is the 401. As anyone who has taken this highway knows, it can be a nightmare for traffic. Unfortunately, the population of the GTA has grown so substantially that the 401 has slowed to a standstill in many places. 

With Mississauga, you can save some of the commute time on the 401 or hop on the QEW if you work downtown. Flexibility is essential, especially if you're commuting in rush hour.

Bottom-line, while traffic within Milton is technically better than Mississauga, unless you also work in Milton, the traffic that will likely impact you more is what's happening on the 401. And that is significantly worse commuting from Milton to Toronto than from Mississauga. Plus, Mississauga has more ways to get into the city than Milton!

Safety

Estimates put crime rates in Milton as slightly worse than in Mississauga, although both cities are remarkably safe overall. Indeed, they are both safer than Toronto.

According to one site, Milton has an estimated total crime rate of 2,177 per 100,000 people. Mississauga, on the other hand, has a crime rate of 1,884 per 100,000 people.

Unfortunately, Statistics Canada does not directly include crime rates in Milton as it is not a big enough city to warrant that granularity. As such, any crime rates published are estimates based on various factors.

In both cities, violent crime is low. Property crime is low overall, but sadly, it is rising in both Milton and Mississauga, as in most major cities. Overall, people feel pretty safe walking around the streets of Milton and Mississauga. Kids should be fine playing in parks, older adults will likely be fine walking around, and most people feel safe being out at night. 

In terms of safety, while Mississauga may have a slight edge, these numbers are estimates. The reality is that both cities are safe, and families should feel comfortable buying in either place!

Milton vs. Mississauga: Things to Do

If you're looking for things to do, both Milton and Mississauga have their fair share of amenities! The one advantage that Mississauga has, of course, is that it is closer to Toronto, which makes attending events in the downtown area much more straightforward.

Milton has a few spots that both residents and visitors will love. Those interested in hiking and nature will love Rattlesnake Point and Halton Falls. If you're looking for a fun family outing, look no further than an afternoon at either Chudleigh's Farm or Springridge Farm. As a place with plenty of young families, Milton has its fair share of playgrounds and parks, including Centennial Park and various indoor playground centres such as Skedaddle Kids Indoor Playground and Eazy-Peazy Indoor Playground.

Milton also has many excellent restaurants for both young professionals and families alike. However, if you want some higher-end places, you'll likely have to commute to Toronto.

Mississauga, being the more entrenched community, also has many spots for kids and adults alike. If you want to get outdoors, you'll love Riverwood Trails, Culham Trail, and Lake Aquitaine Trail. You're also close to Centennial Park in Etobicoke (a different one than the one in Milton) - a prominent outdoor place with numerous activities for the whole family (including the Centennial Park Mini-Indy, an excellent go-karting place!).

With more people than Milton, Mississauga's food scene is much more developed. For example, you can find some excellent Italian, Indian, and Greek food here. You'll also find numerous cafes and bars. Mississauga is home to phenomenal restaurants featuring food from everywhere in the world.

Both places have quite a bit to do. As a smaller town, Milton has a remarkably stunning array of activities for the whole family. However, partly due to its size, Mississauga has far more and is closer to Toronto if you want a real night on the town downtown!

Demographics

The demographics between Milton vs. Mississauga are similar, but their subtle differences are significant, especially for those looking to move into either area.

Milton has experienced phenomenal growth over the past 20 years or so. Over the past five years, Milton's population has increased by over 20%. Despite how much that sounds, it's a slowdown from the years before, when Milton's population was growing over 50% every five years.

Much of that growth has been from young professionals and families looking for a more affordable alternative to Toronto. Historically, Milton has been significantly less costly and was an attractive alternative for first-time homebuyers priced out of the GTA. Milton has since become a hotspot on its own, and, as noted above, property prices have risen to match. Despite the population growth, Milton still only has about 132,000 people.

Conversely, Mississauga is a much more mature city, experiencing more sustainable population growth. It has about 750,000 residents. In the last years, the population has risen by at most 10%, averaging 2-3%. Mississauga is also home to numerous large companies, and many Mississaugans work within the city boundaries. Some examples of companies headquartered in Mississauga are Maple Leaf Foods, Second Cup, Highland Farms, and Bell Mobility. Many American companies also have their Canadian headquarters in Mississauga, including Oracle, Abbott Laboratories, Office Depot, Pepsi, FedEx, Chevron, Whirlpool, Wal-Mart, and many others.

Neither city has the edge when comparing Milton vs. Mississauga in demographics. It all depends on what you prefer. Milton is the place if you want a smaller, rapidly expanding community of young professionals and families. Mississauga is the best choice if you want a larger city with more mature industries and jobs within those city bounds.

Milton vs. Mississauga: One Has the Edge

In our match with Milton vs. Mississauga, it's clear that both communities are great places. They're both suburban areas where people can feel safe, their children can go to excellent schools, plenty of amenities are nearby, and they're both within the general proximity of Toronto (although 401 traffic can make it a little more challenging to get into the downtown area from Milton).

However, Mississauga has the overall edge for three reasons:

1. If you work in the GTA, Mississauga is the clear winner. It's closer to Toronto! The commute from Milton to Toronto is more intense, and there are no savings on housing costs by choosing Milton (and the longer commute living there has).

2. Estimates say that Mississauga is slightly safer, and the availability of all the schools, especially the University of Toronto Mississauga campus, is a big plus for families!

3. Mississauga has more to do, overall, than Milton. While Milton is a beautiful town that is rapidly growing, it is nowhere near as large as Mississauga. 

Families won't go wrong picking either city to live in, but if it comes down to two similarly-priced homes (as it often will), picking the one in Mississauga makes the most sense for long-term happiness.

If you are interested in making your new home in Mississauga, please get in touch with me! I would love to hear more about your story! I can help you and your family find the perfect home in this lovely city outside the GTA!