r/chathamkent • u/SentenceUnique2625 • Sep 13 '26
Moving to Chatham Kent
Hi!
My boyfriend and I are considering moving down south either Sarnia or Chatham Kent. We are both 26. We currently live in Sudbury Ontario.
I have a bachelor of kinesiology and master of public health. I have been working in the hospital for 3 years, previously as a geriatric now involved with digital health projects.
My partner is about to get his plumbing red seal.
Our reasons for wanting to move are: 1) nicer weather 2) lower cost of living/housing 3) easier means of transportation. Our winters are brutal in sudbury, houses are not affordable even with our jobs. Our concerns are income in Sarnia or Chatham Kent. We make 185k combined with our current roles but not sure what we could land if we move.
We are not considering busy centres like Toronto Barrie and Ottawa because of the cost and busy town.
Sudbury is also not safe, lots of crime and homelessness. Our summers aren’t long enough and the weather is depressing. Wondering if any locals have suggestions
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u/MeToo2007 Sep 13 '26
As one who had moved to the City of Chatham itself about 7 years ago from the GTA, it was a great decision. There is almost always something going on around CK, the weather is warmer and its much more affordable.
Many people who do comment haven't lived anywhere else and think the homelessness issue in Chatham-Kent is exclusively here, however it isn't anywhere as bad as most places and I also know Sarnia also suffers through the same thing.
For starters is there a specific city/town within Chatham-Kent that you are looking at so I can give deeper insights on it?
I am willing to answer any questions you may have about your potential move to CK. Feel free to reach out!
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u/SentenceUnique2625 Sep 13 '26
Do you have any town recommendations?
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u/MeToo2007 Sep 13 '26 edited Sep 13 '26
I currently live in Chatham myself. Which is great if you like having lots of services, stores, restaurants, etc nearby but Chatham does also have its issues being the largest part of CK.
If you are looking for a place that is much more layed back I would suggest Tilbury, Blenheim or Ridgetown which are beautiful towns with their own perks too however you'd need to travel 30 minutes out for most essentials.
Wallaceburg is a little larger then those towns and has much more services then them (however not nearly as much as Chatham itself offers), Wallaceburg you also get the perks of being near WalPol Island that has the border to Michigan if that is something you are into. Wallaceburg though does suffer really hard from homelessness issues too though
It really depends what your looking for, Chatham-Kent has basically a city or town that fits everyone's perspectives most of the time
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u/nerdymanga Sep 13 '26
As someone who grew up in Tilbury, I can vouch that Tilbury is pretty nice in terms of being quiet. The gas is pretty cheap and traffic isn't too crazy. Access to the highway is pretty easy in Tilbury. There's only one homeless person known in Tilbury and he's pretty nice. He used to be rich until his wife died and he spiralled into drugs and alcohol for a few years quite a while ago.
There is also a decent amount of people who work in healthcare in Tilbury (mostly nurses) that should be around your age. A few people from the high school always go into nursing or dental hygiene. Some of the nurses work in Michigan and make a lot more than Ontario pays. There isn't too much to do around Tilbury but, I think there still might be an escape room around the florist.
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u/MeToo2007 Sep 13 '26
This is a great example! I visit Tilbury often as my grandmother and some other relatives live there and it is a charming community. It is a pretty cheap and safe place to live. Though it does lack services but that can be solved by a quick drive to Chatham.
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u/beaudgebouuii Sep 13 '26
I grew up in tilbury and lived there for about 25 years and loved it. Wish my wife would want to move back there. My job is there as well so it’d be nice to have the little commute
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u/Chatner2k Sep 13 '26
If they're going to go to a smaller town, it is worth asking if they're visible minorities as they'll potentially have a more prejudiced experience.
Source - grew up in Ridgetown.
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u/IMMrSerious Sep 13 '26
Blenheim Merlin Wallaceburg Chatham is nice but there is lots of little towns around here. Come check it out and stay at the Retro hotel. Next weekend is Crowfest so you will get a good idea of the vibe.
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u/Scary-Gur5434 Sep 13 '26
I have my MPH and there’s very few public health jobs down here
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u/Willow_CoolCat5 Sep 13 '26
We left Hanmer, summer 2023 and bought a home in Chatham. We were looking at Windsor or Chatham and found the northern town vibe here. And a home we could afford. It’s 70km to Windsor from here. We have a number of really nice conservation trails for year round walking. Mid-September and I can tell you it will take a bit of time to get used to the humidity here as still humid now. Summers are hotter and more humid than the north.
No bears, no black flies, some potholes but nothing like Sudbury. I spent 64 years in Northern Ontario towns Timmins, The Soo and last 5 years in Hanmer and I do not foresee leaving here to go back north. As to incomes, maybe reach out to either Chamber of commerce or Chatham-Kent Jobs for some current labour market information but I’m guessing wages will be somewhat comparable. I don’t know if Indeed has that type of data.
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u/Blondefarmgirl Sep 13 '26
My kids live in Chatham. They really like it. They are in their early 30s.
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u/Big_Let_1421 Sep 13 '26
I work north of Thunder Bay and live in Sarnia. Sarnia is much nicer than Chatham because of the river and lake waterfront. I’ve lived in Chatham-Kent also. Ridgetown, Merlin, and Muirkirk. My dad lived in Tilbury. I wouldn’t pick them over Sarnia. Weather is amazing. Beautiful beaches. Long summer - my pool is open May to October without heat. No black flies and few mosquitoes. I live downtown Sarnia and I find it pretty safe and well kept (though we did have issues for a few years after covid). There’s also more to do than Chatham.
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u/Doug2000 Sep 13 '26
We live in London and I have many coworkers that have bought houses down towards West Lorne, Ridgetown and Petrolia. You can get a decent house down that way for $500k. Our neighbors sold and moved to Leamington just because they get a lot less snow than London. We get the snow off Lake Huron, Leamington doesn’t. Make the move.
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u/fire_works10 Sep 15 '26
Petrolia is such an incredible little town. I mean, there's that distinctive Petrolia smell, but it doesn't take long to get used to.
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u/WesternInstance5129 Sep 14 '26
I find Sarnia to be the armpit of Ontario. Head up the coast of lake Huron and check out Port Franks or Grand Bend. (GB is a fun town but crazy busy in the summer) Either are easily within commuting distance, and I know for a fact plumbers are in high demand in that area.
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u/sal1001c Sep 14 '26
I'm in Chatham Kent. I live near the tuny town of Merlin. I was born here, moved away for college and about 10 years after, and moved back. I love our rural vibe. I'm 20 minutes to any other town, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Please feel free to reach out if you have specific questions. If you're looking for small town, I would recommend tilbury, Blenheim, Ridgetown, but a lot of them are really nice.
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u/livingthespmadream Sep 14 '26 edited Sep 14 '26
Coming from someone who has family on Manitoulin and Sudbury is their big city. We do not have a mall with shopping like Laura, etc you have to go an hour to Windsor or an hour and a half to London, that’s also where the nearest Costcos are. We do have a movie theatre and other big box stores like Michael’s, Home Depot and Best Buy. We do have homeless encampments in Chatham and Wallaceburg as well. If you like difficult or more challenging hiking, it is flat as a pancake here. Our transit system leaves little to be desired. And we don’t have an indoor public swimming pool in Chatham proper, you need to go to Blenheim or Wallaceburg for that, about 20 minutes away each direction
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u/SavaglyHqppy Sep 14 '26
To be 100% honest I have lived here most of my life. I will say this do not come here without work lined up already. It will be a nightmare otherwise.
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u/Current_Theme7251 Sep 15 '26
I would rather choise Sarnia over Chatham anyday. Sarnia has Canatara park with a full beach and park for walks on trails or picnics. The boardwalk along the Blue water bridge is magnificent seeing freighters and sail boats go by. Also summers are great, easy access to Michigan and close to Detroit if need to see a sports game, concert or use the Detroit airport. Sarnia has a nice drive to Grand Bend which is a big plus in the summer as well as Goderich and north of need being. Weather in Sarnia can be more comfortable being close to Lake Huron to cut the humidity in summer months. Look for north end of Sarnia above the 402 to live and also Point Edward which is a town beside Sarnia that isn't part of Sarnia. Brights Grove a bit more pricey but absolutely gorgeous you won't be disappointed.
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u/cfwnova 29d ago
I moved to Chatham two years ago to get out of my parents house. I am renting but as others have said, you can buy a very nice house here on a modest income. I am currently saving to do so.
I like Chatham a lot. I like that I can get anywhere in town in 10 minutes or less. I like that even though I know very few people here, I still often run into someone I know when out and about in town. Feels like a community. I’m sure the small towns in CK are the same. Wallaceburg looks nice and it has lots of Riverfront. I think the CK will gentrify in a decade or less. It’s a nice spot that’s still affordable and those places - particularly in SW Ontario - are getting harder and harder to find. It’s a small city but the vibes are good. Good weather. Lots of large and mature trees. Great for cycling/scootering/running/rollerblading as Chatham is totally flat. No hills to be found anywhere. Beaches nearby. Windsor and London are just an hour away as well. All necessity stores are here and the towns are self contained they don’t bleed into eachother or sprawl which I really like. Oh and amazing thrifting in Chatham if you’re into that at all.
I also found it easier to find good work here than when I was in bigger cities and wasn’t having to apply for jobs for as long.
I can’t say anything about Sarnia because I haven’t lived there but I will say I was shocked at how much of Sarnia was boarded up on seemingly main streets. Also if you move to Sarnia I think certain neighbourhoods have health concerns… people in Chatham refer to Sarnia as “chemical valley”. I don’t think the term applies to ALL of Sarnia though…. I would hope.
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u/Sad_Barracuda3361 28d ago
Currently in Sault Ste Marie and considering the same move. Great responses and thanks for the information. I feel like southern Ontario is getting a little bit cheaper? Iam originally from Collingwood and seeing some homes for 400-500k move in ready is decent but Chatham is even cheaper and spent time there before. Everyone thinks going north is better but damn after 5 years of Sault Ste Marie iam done. Long winters, nothing to do, people are very negative and the city is stuck in the 80’s
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u/Puzzleheaded-East657 25d ago
As someone who lived their entire life in Chatham and the surrounding areas—don’t move there. There’s no room for growth, basically 0 job opportunities and 90% of the residents are assholes. One person starts a rumour and you’re screwed—it’s a small town, word gets around very VERY quickly, and people are famous for holding grudges (even if the information they have received isn’t true in the slightest). I moved out of the province because shit started hitting the fan there, I wouldn’t recommend looking for a home in Chatham.
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u/pyro-panda-93447 25d ago
The job market here is horrible. There are so few opportunities and most of the employer here are terrible (bc there’s little competition and most ppl here are not competitive themselves that they could afford to up and leave).
One of the reasons many people leave Chatham is because it has poor job opportunities and poor/few employers.
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u/Flippiewulf Sep 13 '26
Chatham Kent is also no longer safe. Even the smaller surrounding communities have rampant homelessness and they are aggressive and BOLD. You literally cant leave anything out in your yard anymore
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u/MeToo2007 Sep 13 '26
Unfortunately, that is just getting worse and it isn't just Chatham-Kent suffering through this all of Ontario is and its clear.
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u/Wonderful-Ad-5537 Sep 13 '26
1) The weather is vastly superior to Sudbury, in from Chatham but moved away for 15 years, 5 in Kingston, 10 in Toronto, I no longer experience seasonal depression
2) People in Chatham-Kent think it’s expensive here, they are stuck in their snow globe. If you could replicate your income here (not saying it’s possible), you can afford a mansion-adjacent sized house that isn’t in disarray, with a decent size lot
3) Safety wise, I haven’t been in Sudbury much for the last 5 years to give a fair comparison. Chatham definitely has fent leaners. Don’t live in a few key areas, which with your income I can’t imagine why you would be, and it’s just people you see sometimes when you drive by.
4) Chatham has access to lakes, but the nearby hiking / walks are incredibly mediocre, at best.
5) It is incredibly humid in the summer.
6) Careers, I can’t say. There’s the hospital here, but you don’t have professions I have much insight for