York Region is Where Talent and Opportunity Intersect for Your Business
York Region is centrally located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) – one of North America’s largest business hubs – and is an in-demand location for top-tier companies and high-skilled talent. With more than 57,000 businesses and over 500 foreign companies already calling the Region home, discover why establishing your Canadian or GTA operations in the place where talent and opportunity intersect is a great choice!
Join a Top-Tier Canadian Business Hub
- 1.2 million residents (50% foreign born)
- 624,000+ local jobs (est. 2022)
- $71.8 billion real GDP
- Major operations of 3 of the top 5 corporate R&D spenders in the GTA
- Third largest business hub in Ontario
- One of the largest ICT sectors in Canada
- Ontario’s second largest finance, insurance, and real estate sector
- Canada’s largest independent auto parts and electronics manufacturing cluster
- Third largest manufacturing sector in Ontario
- Fourth largest food and beverage processing hub in Canada
Leverage Our Global Talent Pool
The Region is home to a highly-skilled workforce and attracts world-class talent from the GTA and abroad. It also has a strong talent pipeline with 18 post-secondary institutions nearby.
- Highest concentration of residents in tech occupations in the Toronto-Waterloo Corridor
- 3rd highest rate of university education among Canada’s largest municipalities
- 73% of population has post-secondary education
- 47% of residents in the Region have a university degree
- Half of GTA’s Top 10 secondary schools [2024]
- 5 of Greater Toronto Area’s top 10 “best to live” cities and towns for new Canadians [2018]
Discover Limitless Opportunity in the Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is Canada’s largest business hub. York Region is the premiere and most central location within the GTA for your business to tap into the opportunity available in the local and Canadian economy.
Locating your business in York Region creates opportunity around every turn. Whether your business is looking for new clients, strategic partners, or top-level talent, or all of that – it’s here.
With interconnected access to downtown and the world, your business also has every opportunity to thrive globally.
- 15 Minutes to Toronto Pearson International Airport
- 40 minutes to Billy Bishop International Airport
- 40 minutes to Downtown Toronto by subway
- 30 minutes to Downtown Toronto by vehicle
Key Industry Sectors
- Information & Communications Technology: 4,900+ ICT companies – one of Canada’s largest tech clusters
- Financial, Insurance & Professional Services: Ontario’s 2nd largest cluster with over 4,900+ firms across the region
- Automotive Parts & Auto-Tech: Canada’s largest independent auto parts and electronics manufacturing cluster, home to Canada’s largest auto innovation hub (GM’s CTC Markham Campus), and a leading automotive head office location in Canada
- Life Science & Health-Tech: Over 300 life sciences and healthcare technology companies and home to Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, Canada’s first “smart hospital”
- Building & Construction: $5.9 billion construction value in 2023
- Logistics & Distribution: Over 2,000 logistics, warehousing, and distribution companies supporting 20,000+ jobs
- Agri-Food: York Region is home to a vibrant and thriving agriculture and agri-food sector, and is the fourth-largest food and beverage processing hub in Ontario
Our Innovation Advantage
There is a flourishing climate of creativity and a strong entrepreneurial and innovation culture in York Region. There are a diverse range of innovation resources available to support entrepreneurs in the early stages, as well as, for companies with a need to scale-up an existing business venture.
- The Regional Innovation Centre, ventureLAB, provides mentoring and programming to high-growth startups. Since 2011, companies supported by ventureLAB have raised more than $250 million in capital funding
- Entrepreneurs can incubate their ideas with the help of York University’s YSpace, Treefrog Accelerator, the Centre for Local Innovation and Collaboration, and Seneca Polytechnic’s HELIX
2 Employment Megazones
There are 4 employment ‘megazones’ across the Toronto Region.
4,900+ ICT Companies
Ready to join one of Canada’s largest tech hubs and the #YRtech ecosystem?
18 Universities and Colleges
These world-renowned institutions are within commuting distance.
Unlock the GTA Cost Advantage in York Region
Within the Greater Toronto Area, York Region offers operational cost-saving advantages for businesses looking to leverage Canada’s largest business hub and the talent that lives here.
- GTA’s lowest municipal commercial and industrial property taxes
- 40% lower lease costs for Class A/B office versus downtown Toronto
- Up to 15% lower salary costs for experienced professionals compared to the downtown core (commute time trade-off)
- Range of location and cost alternatives across 9 local cities and towns
- A range of space alternatives to suit any budget and operational need: from co-location to industrial flex to Class A/B/C office
- Significant cost advantage versus the USA (taxes, employment, healthcare, R&D)
- Free office parking versus average of $315/month per spot in Toronto’s downtown core
- Eligibility for Federal Government and Provincial Government incentives (case specific)
From Class A Office to Quality Co-Working Spaces
York Region is home to many significant office towers and business parks, but we also have a significant number of co-working operations that provide opportunity for small businesses and entrepreneurs to access top-quality office space at a reduced cost. Many are supported by post-secondary institutions and global R&D companies including York University, Seneca Polytechnic, IBM Canada, and others.
Spread throughout our 9 cities and towns these co-working spaces provide an opportunity to network and learn from other businesses. This helps to build a strong business community that also connects enterprise scale corporations with startups and entrepreneurs to help drive business growth and innovation.
Need a custom-build office or industrial facility? There are a number of investment-ready sites available to check out on our employment lands page.
Future-Focused Urban Growth in the Region
York Region is investing heavily in transit and other infrastructure to support growth throughout the Region, but with a specific focus on four urban growth centres in Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, and Vaughan.
- The Region’s four urban growth centres are Markham Centre, Newmarket Centre, Richmond Hill Centre / Langstaff Gateway, and the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre
- The only Region outside of the City of Toronto to have direct TTC subway access to Downtown Toronto
- 34 kilometres of Bus Rapid Transit, along with interconnectivity to the TTC, York Region Transit, VIVA, and GO Transit, and others make the Region highly connected without needing a vehicle