Why Canadians Are Moving: Bigger Homes, Homeownership, and Job Opportunities Revealed

New Data Shows Why Canadians Move

According to new findings from Statistics Canada, upgrading to a larger or better quality home is the most common reason Canadians moved. The data, based on the 2022 Canadian Housing Survey, reveals that about one third of households (33%) moved within the previous five years.

Top Motivations for Moving

Among those who moved, 25.3% said their main motivation was to get a bigger or better-quality dwelling. Other frequently cited reasons included:

• Becoming a homeowner (19.2%)
• Moving to a more desirable neighbourhood (13.5%)
• Changes in household size such as family growth or separation (13.5%)

These top motivations were consistent across regions, with upgrading housing and homeownership ranking first and second in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies, and B.C.

Job Opportunities Drive Interprovincial Moves

While most moves happened close to home, a smaller share involved crossing provincial borders. The survey found 94.4% of movers stayed within the same province—often within the same municipality—while just 5.6% moved to another province.

According to the data, those who moved between provinces tended to have different motivations. Employment was the leading factor, cited by 42.5% of interprovincial movers, followed by wanting to be closer to family at 27.6%.

Only 4.5% of cross-province movers said upgrading their housing was a reason—far lower than among those who moved within their province.

Life Stages Also Play a Role

Reasons for moving also varied by age group, reflecting different life stages.

Among people who moved within their province, upgrading housing was the top reason for younger and middle-aged movers, including:

• Generation Z (born from 1997 to 2012) at 19.3%
• Millennials (born from 1981 to 1996) at 32.2%
• Generation X (born from 1966 to 1980) at 30%

Younger households were also more likely to move in order to form their own household at 18.5%, while 30.4% of millennials cited becoming homeowners.

Baby boomers, meanwhile, were more likely to move to reduce housing costs at 21.5%. Among the oldest groups, personal health reasons also became a significant factor.

For those moving between provinces, motivations again differed by age. More than 60% of younger households—particularly Generation Z—most often moved for school, while 59.1% of millennials and 51.6% of Generation X cited employment. Nearly 50% of older Canadians were most likely to relocate to be closer to family.