Shelter Costs:
In the map comparison linked below, median dwelling value of various census tracts from Statistics Canada is classified using manual breaks. This creates colored categories for which housing cost range the census tract falls into. However, only using this variable is limited because it does not consider other important factors in housing affordability such as median household income and other costs of living. Therefore, the subsequent map classification comparison will consider income in order to compare affordability levels between Montreal and Vancouver.
Housing Affordability:
Census tract (CT) housing affordability is evaluated based on the ratio between CT median household income and median housing cost. The higher the ratio, the more unaffordable the housing is for the households. This metric is a better indicator than using housing cost alone because it takes into account how much residents can pay for housing. For example, two cities can have identical housing costs, but one may have higher levels of affordability if its median household income levels are higher.
The housing affordability rating categories are based on ratios provided by Cox and Pavletich's housing affordability survey results for Demographia International (2019). The ratio scheme is detailed in the map below. While their methodology is well-founded based on extended international market research, it is important to note that my project downscales their global metrics to a regional map. While their ratio scheme is effective for comparing cities across international boundaries, a national-scale survey may be more effective to source from because my comparison is between two cities within Canada.
While Vancouver is often ranked as the most livable city in the world, most CT's in its metro area are unaffordable. It is important to consider that influential livability rankings often consider factors other than housing affordability such as crime rate, culture, environmetal sustainability, healthcare access, education access, food/drink options, infrastructure quality, and public transit access (Lau, 2018). Even if a city is unaffordable, it can be offset by the aforementioned ranking factors.
Works Cited
Lau, L. (2018, August 14). Vancouver is sixth most "livable" city in the world, says annual report. The Georgia Straight. Retrieved from https://www.straight.com/news/1116286/vancouver-sixth-most-livable-city-world-according-annual-report
Cox, W. & Pavletich, H. (2019). 15th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey: Rating Middle-Income Housing Affordability. Retrieved from http://www.demographia.com/dhi.pdf
I was tasked with acquiring 2016 Canadian Census data and producing housing affordability and shelter cost maps comparing Metro Vancouver and Montreal. I executed joins, symbology manual classification, and data standardization in order to further develop my experience in GI systems and spatially illustrate the housing affordability crisis in Vancouver.