In this post, I list the best places to live to raise a family in Regina.
If you recently moved or are planning to move to Regina, I’ll show you the best neighbourhoods to buy a home in and the best places to rent in Regina.
This post also lists neighbourhoods with the best access to top rated daycares in Regina and some of the safest neighbourhoods in Regina.
Let’s jump right in.
About the city of Regina
What is the worst thing about living in Regina?
The worst thing about living in Regina is:
- The worst thing about listing in Regina on a daily basis is the persistent loud blaring of the freight trains that travel at night.
- The worst thing about listing in Regina on a long term basis is: Regina has clay-rich soils that expand and contract throughout the year. This leads to gradual shifting of building foundations. Cracks form over time in home basements and separation can occur between home foundations and the ground.
Note: The above experiences are subjective and are not experienced by all Regina residents.
Unless you’re speaking with a real estate agent, the city of Regina is divided into 6 areas as far as most Regina residents are concerned.
- Downtown Regina
- North Central Regina
- North Regina
- South Regina
- East Regina
- West Regina
If you’re coming from a place like Toronto, then Regina is a small city. You can usually drive from the North of the city to the South in about 20 minutes.
Weather-wise, Regina is very windy and winters can get pretty terrible. It’s common to have -20°C days in winter and temperatures will drop lower than that every now and then.
Public transport in Regina is manageable. However, having a personal vehicle is a necessity for many individuals and families.
Regina is generally a quiet city and traffic or road congestion isn’t an issue in Regina. The only time you’re likely to be stuck in traffic is during temporary road closures due to freight train crossings which last about 6-9 minutes.
Living in North Regina
North Regina is a largely suburban area that is characterized by large single family homes.
Neighbourhoods in North Regina are generally “less busy” than in other areas of Regina and feel more spacious.
However, the blaring sound of freight train horns in the night is unpleasant.
Additionally, freight train crossings in North Regina lead to brief but manageable traffic build ups from time to time.
North Regina has a number of good public and private schools that your children can attend.
There are also plenty of parks that provide green space for relaxation and recreational activities.
You’ll find big grocery stores such as Walmart and Real Canadian Superstore in North Regina.
You’ll also find a reasonable number of restaurants and pizzerias to order delivery from, a cinema, and a few shopping malls and centers as well.
As for public transport, the public transport experience in North Regina is not great.
Commute times via bus are much longer than if you used your own vehicle and bus stops tend to feel more sparsely located than in other parts of Regina.
Meaning, you may have to walk a longer distance to or from your bus stop if you live in North Regina.
Overall, North Regina is a great place for families to live in especially if you have a vehicle of your own.
Daycares in North Regina
Daycare spaces in North Regina are in short supply and finding a daycare vacancy can take months.
I highly recommend joining daycare waitlists in North Regina as far in advance as possible to increase your chances of obtaining an enrollment spot for your child.
The best daycare in North Regina
Competent Baby Daycare is the best daycare in North Regina at the time of writing this post.
Publicly available information such as parent reviews, daycare photos, and public information about daycare programs was the primary method used to subjectively determine the best child care providers in North Regina.
Neighbourhoods with the best daycares in North Regina
Below is a list of the best places and neighbourhoods to rent or buy a home in North Regina if access to the best daycares in North Regina is a priority for you.
According to a 2022 study, the neighbourhoods with the best daycares in North Regina are:
Living in South Regina
The population of South Regina feels more diverse than in North Regina.
At a glance, residents of South Regina seem to come from a more diverse variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
South Regina also feels “busier” and more densely populated than North Regina.
Business activity also feels more vibrant and amenities are also located closer to homes in many cases.
There are also a broader range of recreational activities to choose from in South Regina.
For example, you’ll find museums, art galleries, boat tours on Wascana lake, cinemas, and other recreational activities in South Regina.
As a South Regina resident, you’ll frequently drive (or be driven) along Albert Street South.
Albert Street South is notable for having a row of impressive vintage mansions and grand character homes.
As for public transport, the public transport experience in South Regina is better than in North Regina.
Generally speaking, bus stops in South Regina feel more closely spaced together than in other parts of the city. Meaning you’re more likely to walk a shorter distance to or from your bus stop when taking the bus.
A big bonus for students living in South Regina is proximity to the University of Regina (also known as “U of R”) and Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
South Regina has a number of big grocery stores such as Walmart and Real Canadian Superstore in South Regina.
You’ll also find plenty of restaurants and pizzerias to order delivery from and a few shopping malls and centers as well.
South Regina also has a number of good public and private schools that your child can attend.
There are also plenty of parks that provide green space for relaxation and recreational activities.
The Harbour Landing neighbourhood in South Regina
The Harbour Landing neighbourhood in South Regina has seen increased interest and growth in recent years.
Harbour Landing is a largely suburban area.
It is located on the outskirts of the city and is characterized by larger newly built single family homes than you will find in other neighbourhoods in South Regina.
Harbour Landing feels less busy, more spacious, and safer than other neighbourhoods in South Regina.
Daycares in South Regina
Daycare spaces in South Regina are in short supply. Finding an open spot in a daycare to enroll your child in can take months.
I highly recommend joining daycare waitlists in South Regina as far in advance as possible to increase your chances of obtaining an enrollment spot for your child.
The best daycare in South Regina
The best daycare providers in South Regina at the time of writing this post are:
- Village Childcare Centre
- YMCA of Regina – South Child Care (McVeety)
- Hope’s Home (Highly recommended for special needs care)
- Living Skies Daycare
Publicly available information such as parent reviews, daycare photos, and public information about daycare programs was the primary method used to subjectively determine the best daycare providers in South Regina.
Neighbourhoods with the best daycares in South Regina
Below is a list of the best places and neighbourhoods to rent or buy a home in South Regina if access to the best daycares in South Regina is a priority for you.
According to a 2022 study, the neighbourhoods with the best daycares in South Regina are:
Living in East Regina
East Regina is larger than South Regina and possibly larger than North Regina as well.
The population of East Regina is relatively diverse with residents from a variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
Residential areas in East Regina feel more densely populated than North Regina but less densely populated than South Regina.
East Regina seems to have a broader range of business activity than North and South Regina. However, proximity to restaurants and grocery stores is generally worse in East Regina than in North and South Regina.
East Regina also has a number of good public and private schools that your child can attend.
The Greens on Gardiner neighbourhood in East Regina
The Greens on Gardiner neighbourhood in East Regina has seen increased interest and growth in recent years.
Greens on Gardiner is located on the outskirts of the city and is characterized by larger, newly built single family homes than you will find in other areas in East Regina.
Greens on Gardiner also feels less busy, more spacious, and safer than other neighbourhoods in East Regina.
Daycares in East Regina
Daycare spaces in East Regina are in short supply and finding a daycare opening can take months.
I highly recommend joining daycare waitlists in East Regina as far in advance as possible to increase your chances of obtaining an enrollment spot for your child.
The best daycare in East Regina
Bethel Daycare is the best daycare provider in East Regina at the time of writing this post.
Publicly available information such as parent reviews, daycare photos, and public information about daycare programs was the primary method used to subjectively determine the best daycare providers in East Regina.
Neighbourhoods with the best daycares in East Regina
Below is a list of the best places and neighbourhoods to rent or buy a home in East Regina if access to the best daycares in East Regina is a priority for you.
According to a 2022 study, the neighbourhoods with the best daycares in East Regina are:
Living in West Regina
West Regina is also known as Cathedral Area and is characterized by character homes.
Character homes in Regina are houses built around the turn of the Twentieth century onwards but before 1940 and often have a vintage look.
The Crescents neighbourhood, located in West Regina, is a famous prestigious neighbourhood and one of the most desirable residential neighbourhoods in Regina.
West Regina also feels more deeply connected with arts and culture in Regina. Festivals, art galleries, dance studios, and other arts organizations can be found in West Regina.
Residential areas in West Regina are closer to downtown Regina than residential areas in North, South, or East Regina.
Therefore, living in West Regina will likely shorten your work commute whether by bus or personal vehicle.
West Regina also feels less busy than East and South Regina and has a number of good public and private schools that your child can attend.
There are also plenty of parks that provide green space for relaxation and recreational activities in West Regina.
Daycares in West Regina
Daycare spaces in West Regina are in short supply. Finding an available enrollment spot in a daycare can take months.
I highly recommend joining daycare waitlists in West Regina as far in advance as possible to increase your chances of obtaining an enrollment spot for your child.
Neighbourhoods with the best daycares in West Regina
At the time of writing this post, there was insufficient publicly available information to subjectively determine the best daycare provider in West Regina.
However, below is a list of the best places and neighbourhoods to rent or buy a home in West Regina if access to the best daycares in West Regina is a priority for you.
According to a 2022 study, the neighbourhoods with the best daycares in West Regina are:
Tips, suggestions, and advice about living in Regina
- According to a 2023 study, daycares in Regina have an average of 69 children on a daycare waitlist.
- If you need daycare in Regina, get on a daycare waiting list before arriving in Regina. Don’t wait to arrive in Regina to begin your search for child care.
- Use our daycare cost calculator to get an estimate of the cost to enroll one or more children in a licensed daycare in Regina.
- Prepare for winter. Winter in Regina is very harsh and being ill prepared could result in terrible health consequences.
- You will survive without a personal vehicle. However, having a personal vehicle is highly recommended especially if you are a parent and you do not have any friends or other family members living in Regina.