For small town perks, big city opportunities and a balanced lifestyle, it's hard to look beyond Thunder Bay.
Median house cost in Thunder Bay
Most affordable city in Ontario for housing
- 169 full service restaurants
- 579 retail based businesses
- 336 are hobby, media and
general merchandise - 243 are home, food,
automobiles and personal care
- 336 are hobby, media and
- 32 gyms
- 1 Symphony orchestra
- 3 theatre companies
- 4 local breweries
- 129 maintained parks
- 55 km of paved trails
- 2 downhill ski areas
- Close to 8 Provincial Parks
- 55 km of mountain biking trails
- 271 boat clops at local Marina
- 11 nearby golf courses
- 2 hospitals – Thunder Bay
Regional Health Sciences
Centre, and St. Joseph
Care Group - 115 physicians’ clinics
- 102 dentists’ clinics
- 70 chiropractors’ clinics
- 38 nursery schools
- 16 nursing homes
- 57 elementary, middle
and high schools - 1 university- Lakehead University
- 1 college – Confederation College
- 1 medical university – Northern Ontario School of Medicine University
- 1 law school – Lakehead University, Bora Laskin Faculty of Law
Spend less time working to live and more time living.
Life's Better by the Lake
Many of us have realized the importance of work-life balance and a lifestyle beyond the big city. In Thunder Bay you’re never more than 10 minutes away from the lake, your workplace or home. That means less time commuting and more time for living.
Stay Connected by the Lake
In recent years, Tbaytel has worked to secure fibre networks throughout the City and are currently installing a Fibre – to-the –home network to rural Thunder Bay. With a commitment to providing the best telecommunications solutions available, residents can work, do business and stay connected to the world even from home.
Best housing prices in Ontario
Thunder Bay is among the most affordable places to live In Canada. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association, the average price for a house in Thunder Bay was $366,044 compared to the national average of $703,446 in April 2024. Thunder Bay is as good as it gets when it comes to an affordable quality of life.
THE Best of All Worlds
Surrounded by boreal beauty, Thunder Bay is a natural playground for world class hiking, biking, camping, sailing and more. The city also boasts a thriving and energetic urban centre with an exciting diversity of people and things to do. Enjoy outdoor patios, music, festivals and events throughout the summer. From retail shopping and restaurants, to theatres and sports, the Thunder Bay lifestyle has everything you need.
THE FLAVOUR OF THE BAY
The city of Thunder Bay is known for hitting way above its weight class in trend-setting restaurants, craft breweries, and locally sourced products. In recent years, the city has undergone a food transformation. Local farmers and culinary innovators have given rise to a growing food scene featuring independent restaurants, bars, markets and food outlets. No matter what the season, there’s always great options.
And wait... There's More
With great connections and a superior quality of life, there’s never been a better time to move to a place with more space and greater affordability. Here, there is a strong love of local. You’ll find everything a big city can provide and more. Not to mention, Thunder Bay is home to world-class educational institutes and research centres.
Get to know Thunder Bay's lifestyle.
Experience Thunder Bay year-round!
Discover everything each season has to offer by watching the videos below
What others have to say about Thunder Bay.
If you’re looking for a new city to call home, you may want to consider the ones on this list. MovingWaldo has released a ranking of the cheapest places to live in Ontario with the best quality of life, and they offer the best of both worlds…
As Canada’s second-largest province, Ontario is an exciting and vibrant place to call home. With its big cities, stunning scenery, and the best of both urban life combined with access to nature, it’s no wonder why so many people choose to call Ontario home.
As a Montreal-based startup, in HelloSafe we wanted to know what are the best cities in Canada to develop a startup. With that purpose, we dived deep into the giant Startup Blink database, with which we elaborated rankings between the different Canadian cities and provinces, and see their position on global rankings. This ranking based on 3 main sets of criteria : quality, quantity and business environment.
It may be the largest city in northwestern Ontario, but the fact that Thunder Bay is tucked on the shores of the world’s largest freshwater lake and nestled within boreal forest and the Canadian Shield is all you need to know about this place like no other. Ranked #6 for Parks & Outdoors among small cities in Canada and surrounded by more wilderness than you’d find in some whole countries, it’s easy to see why so many professional hockey players and Olympic athletes are from here.
