The Best Toronto Neighbourhoods If You Don't Own a Car (Family Edition)

By Joshua Opolko · Published June 11, 2026 · Data: 2021 Census, City of Toronto Open Data, Ontario Licensed Child Care Database, TDSB

In two Toronto neighbourhoods, nearly half of all commuters get to work without driving. Taylor Massey and North St. James Town each posted a 46% transit-commuter share in the 2021 Census, the highest among the city's 158 neighbourhoods (via the City of Toronto Neighbourhood Profiles). But high transit use alone doesn't make a neighbourhood work for a family. You also need kids around, and somewhere to send them during the day. This guide filters all 158 neighbourhoods down to the ten where car-free family life is genuinely practical. It's part of our larger data guide to choosing a Toronto neighbourhood for your family.

Which Toronto neighbourhoods have the highest transit use?

Taylor Massey and North St. James Town share first place: in each, 46% of commuters used public transit to get to work, the highest shares among Toronto's 158 neighbourhoods (2021 Census, via the City of Toronto Neighbourhood Profiles). South Eglinton-Davisville follows at 44%, then North Toronto at 43% and South Parkdale at 42%.

Notice the pattern. Most of the top ten are light on children: North Toronto sits at 8.3% kids, South Parkdale at 9.3%, South Eglinton-Davisville at 9.6%, all far below the citywide median of 14.55%. Others have plenty of kids but thin childcare, like Oakridge at just 11.2 licensed spaces per 100 children. That's why a transit ranking alone isn't a family ranking, and why our composite ranking of the best family neighbourhoods weighs six criteria, not one.

How did we build the car-free family list?

We kept only neighbourhoods that clear three bars: a high transit-commuter share (every qualifier lands at 30% or above), a child share above the citywide median of 14.55%, and licensed childcare coverage above the median of 21.35 spaces per 100 kids (2021 Census; Ontario Licensed Child Care Database). Ten of 158 neighbourhoods qualify.

The filter is brutal on the headline transit list. Only Taylor Massey survives from the overall top ten. North St. James Town misses on both family criteria (11.7% kids, 20.9 spaces per 100). Oakridge has the kids (18.7%) but ranks among the city's weaker childcare areas at 11.2 spaces per 100, a problem we map in our guide to Toronto's childcare deserts and best-served neighbourhoods. The ten that remain offer the full package: frequent transit commuters, lots of children, and real licensed capacity. Licensed centres aren't all childcare, but they're the part we can measure consistently.

Compare these neighbourhoods side by side in HomeTurf →

The 10 best car-free Toronto neighbourhoods for families

Ten neighbourhoods make the cut, with transit-commuter shares running from 30% to 46% (2021 Census). Taylor Massey leads, Danforth and Kennedy Park tie at 37%, and Blake-Jones brings the deepest childcare bench: 72.7 licensed spaces per 100 children under 15 (Ontario Licensed Child Care Database).

1. Taylor Massey: 46% transit share

Taylor Massey tops the list, and it isn't close: nine points clear of the next family-friendly entry. Children make up 17.8% of its 15,025 residents, well above the 14.55% citywide median, and 7 licensed centres provide 23.8 spaces per 100 kids. Two thirds of households rent (66%), a tenure mix we unpack in renters' Toronto vs owners' Toronto. Median household income is $68,500.

2. Danforth: 37% transit share

Danforth is the highest-income entry on the list at $98,000, and the most owner-heavy at 63%. It's compact (9,305 people) but family-dense: 16.6% of residents are under 15, and 9 licensed centres deliver 27.9 spaces per 100 kids (Ontario Licensed Child Care Database). For households that want car-free commuting without renting, this is the strongest profile here.

3. Kennedy Park: 37% transit share

Kennedy Park pairs a 37% transit share with the second-best school coverage on the list: 7 TDSB schools, or 2.71 per 1,000 kids (TDSB directory). Childcare clears the bar comfortably at 29.7 spaces per 100 children. Median income is $69,000, which also earns it a spot in our affordable family neighbourhoods guide. Bengali (8%), Tagalog (8%) and Tamil (6%) are the top home languages after English (2021 Census).

4. Beechborough-Greenbrook: 36% transit share

The smallest entry at 6,260 residents, and the lowest-income at $62,400. Kids are plentiful (16.5%) and childcare clears the median at 22.7 spaces per 100. The trade-off is schools: just 1 TDSB school, or 0.97 per 1,000 kids. Two thirds of households rent (67%), so it's one of the more accessible entry points on this list.

5. Blake-Jones: 33% transit share

Blake-Jones is the institutional heavyweight. Its 10 licensed centres hold 913 spaces, which works out to 72.7 per 100 children, more than triple the citywide 20.8 (Ontario Licensed Child Care Database). It also has 9 TDSB schools for a population of 7,475, or 7.17 per 1,000 kids, the highest school density on the list. Kids make up 16.8% of residents; median income is $86,000.

6. Scarborough Village: 33% transit share

No neighbourhood on this list has a higher child share: 18.9% of Scarborough Village's 16,520 residents are under 15, which is 3,122 kids (2021 Census). Support keeps pace, with 13 licensed centres (28.8 spaces per 100 kids) and 6 TDSB schools. Median income is $71,500, and the tenure split leans rental at 55%.

7. Mount Dennis: 31% transit share

Mount Dennis squeaks past the childcare bar at 21.4 spaces per 100 kids, just above the 21.35 median, spread across 8 centres. Children are 16.5% of its 13,055 residents, median income is $70,500, and 53% of households rent. It's the marginal case on this list: the fundamentals qualify, but with less headroom than its peers.

8. Clanton Park: 30% transit share

Clanton Park is the only neighbourhood on the list that grew between 2016 and 2021, and it grew fast: +7.0% (2021 Census). That growth came with infrastructure, including 11 licensed centres offering 26.3 spaces per 100 kids. Children are 16.1% of 17,620 residents, and median income is $88,000. If you want a car-free family area that's adding people rather than losing them, this is it.

9. East End Danforth: 30% transit share

The biggest neighbourhood on the list at 21,840 residents, and the one with the most children in absolute terms: 3,735 kids, or 17.1% of the population. Its 12 licensed centres hold 866 spaces (23.2 per 100 kids), backed by 6 TDSB schools. Median income is $90,000 with a 55% owner majority.

10. Forest Hill North: 30% transit share

Forest Hill North closes the list with the second-best childcare coverage here: 33.1 spaces per 100 kids across 10 centres. Children are 15.4% of its 12,290 residents, and despite the postal-code reputation, 65% of households rent. Median income is $90,000. Curious who your neighbours would be in any of these ten? See our breakdown of languages spoken at home by neighbourhood.

What doesn't transit-commuter share tell you?

Transit-commuter share measures one thing: the percentage of workers who used public transit to commute, as reported in the 2021 Census, a pandemic-affected year. It says nothing about walkability, subway versus bus access, or off-peak service. Treat these rankings as a strong starting point, not a verdict.

Three caveats matter. First, 2021 commuting was unusual: ridership was depressed and many people worked from home, so absolute shares likely understate normal transit use, even if relative rankings hold. Second, the Census doesn't distinguish a neighbourhood served by frequent subway from one dependent on a single bus route; both can post the same number. Third, high transit share partly reflects who lives somewhere (income, car ownership) rather than how good the service is. Our methodology and limitations page covers all of this in detail. Before you commit, walk the routes you'd actually use at the times you'd use them.