If you were to ask people why they were moving to a new city, province, or country, the answer you would probably hear most often is: to find a job. For these people, the key deciding factor in choosing their new city is whether its major industries matched up with their skill set. Even for people who are simply moving to buy a bigger house in a nicer neighborhood, a town’s major industries play a large part in their decision. Why? Because a town’s character, feel, and level of prosperity is defined by its industries. If you’re curious about how Richmond Hill supports itself, we’ve got your answers here.
Though Richmond Hill does have its own economy, it is primarily a suburb of larger Toronto. With Richmond Hill located only 35 kilometers from Toronto, it’s only logical that a large portion of the town’s population would rather commute south to Toronto to work than encourage the type of congestion and commercial domination in their town that exists in Toronto. This means that people who are moving from Toronto to Richmond Hill don’t even need to change jobs. Commute times vary. Normally the drive is about thirty minutes, but can be as long as an hour and a half at rush hour. The GO Trains and buses take approximately 50 minutes to get from Richmond Hill to Union Station in Toronto.
If you’re planning on moving to Richmond Hill, however, putting up with a long commute isn’t your only option for employment, as there are many businesses located here in Richmond Hill. Unlike some other cities and towns in Ontario, no one sector accounts for most of Richmond Hill’s economy. Rather, a wide variety of businesses make their homes here, from insurance companies to scientific laboratories to computer firms to locally owned hotels and restaurants. This means that Richmond Hill is more economically resilient in the case of one industry (such as auto manufacturing) suffering a downturn.
Richmond Hill is a very educated town, with over 70% of the adult population having some form of post secondary education. It’s also a town that’s dedicated to preserving its quiet lifestyle and unspoiled environment, so you won’t find much heavy industry located in town. Instead, most of the people who are employed here in Richmond Hill have jobs in the professional services industry. This includes finance, insurance, real estate, health care, scientific research and engineering, information technology, and administration. For those that are unskilled and hoping to get a job in Richmond Hill, the thriving hotel, restaurant, and retail sales sectors may have something for you.
The city council of Richmond Hill actively works to attract more businesses to the town in order to give the city more tax revenue and provide more residents with jobs. The tax rates are competitive, transportation and access to infrastructure is easy, and sustainable practices are encouraged. You might use your move as an opportunity to open a business yourself. Numerous companies large and small have already seen the attraction. Ten of the city’s largest employers include big names like Wal-Mart, Sheraton Hotels, Rogers Cable, and Loblaws as well as local fixtures like the Town of Richmond Hill and York Central Hospital.
