Why Richmond Hill
A very large, family-oriented Iranian community, well-ranked public schools, larger homes than central Toronto, and abundant Persian services. The trade-off: no subway, so life is harder without a car.
City guides
Living in Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill — with neighbouring Thornhill — is one of Canada's largest concentrations of Iranian families. The Yonge corridor is full of Persian supermarkets, restaurants and services, with strong schools and quiet, green neighbourhoods — a favourite for families wanting more space and suburban calm.
Neighbourhoods
Yonge corridor — the Iranian business heart, condos & townhomes. Bayview Hill — larger, pricier homes, sought-after schools. Oak Ridges — farther north, newer, a bit cheaper. Thornhill — just south, equally Persian, split between Richmond Hill and Markham.
Renting & buying
Prices are high and shifting; check rentals.ca, Realtor.ca, Facebook and Farsi groups. Many Iranians choose Richmond Hill to buy; if you're new, read our banking & mortgage guide first (Canadian credit + down payment). In Ontario the rental deposit equals last-month's rent.
Getting around
Richmond Hill has no subway. The YRT/Viva bus network along Yonge is strong and connects to Finch subway station (Line 1), which is being extended north. GO rail (Richmond Hill line) also reaches downtown. For families a car is usually more practical. PRESTO works on all of it.
OHIP & a doctor
Enrol for OHIP at ServiceOntario (ID + proof of residency). Ontario removed the 3-month wait in 2024. Use walk-in clinics or Health811 (24/7) until you find a family doctor; Farsi-speaking clinics are common locally.
Persian groceries & services
The Yonge corridor through Richmond Hill and Thornhill is full of large Iranian supermarkets, bakeries, pastry shops, restaurants and Farsi-speaking accounting and immigration offices. To find Iranian businesses in the area in our directory:
Browse Iranian businesses in the GTA →
Schools & Farsi for kids
Public schools are run by the YRDSB and rank well — one of the main reasons Richmond Hill is popular with Iranian families. Enrolment is by address. Weekend Farsi classes are plentiful in the area; our free Farsi-school tools help with practice at home too:
Free Farsi tools for kids →
First-week checklist
1) SIN · 2) Bank account · 3) OHIP · 4) PRESTO card · 5) Canadian SIM · 6) Register your address. Full steps in our newcomer guides below.
Keep going
General info, subject to change — always verify with official sources.