Port Alberni is the fourth worst place to live in Canada, according to MoneySense magazine’s annual rankings of Canadian cities.
The magazine released its rankings on Tuesday, March 20. Alberni was ranked 186 out of 190 Canadian cities that were measured. The ranking is down from 172 out of 180 in 2011.
The magazine ranks the cities based on points system spread among criterion including housing, income, new cars, access to heath care and weather.
Port Alberni scored relatively high in the walk to work (69), housing (109) and discretionary income (121) categories.
But it also ranked high in crime (166) and unemployment (158).
It ranked low (187) in the number of new cars on the road, weather (172) and household in income (168).
In the health category, Port Alberni ranked 131 in the number of doctors per 1,000 people.
At 189, Williams Lake was the only other B.C. community to rank below Port Alberni.
Elsewhere on the Island, Campbell River ranked 184, Courtenay 73, Parksville 148 and Nanaimo 74.
Victoria ranked the highest of Island communities at 35.
reporter@albernivalleynews.com