From homeownership to work: What’s motivating Canadians to move

A for sale/sold sign stands in front of residential homes in the Riverside South neighbourhood of Ottawa on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

Upgrading to a larger or better quality home is the most common reason Canadians moved, according to new findings from Statistics Canada.

The data, based on the 2022 Canadian Housing Survey, shows that about one third of households, 33 per cent, moved within the previous five years.

Among those, roughly one in four, or 25.3 per cent, said their main motivation was to get a bigger or better-quality dwelling. Other frequently cited reasons included becoming a homeowner (19.2 per cent), moving to a more desirable neighbourhood (13.5 per cent) and changes in household size such as family growth or separation (13.5 per cent).

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

While most moves happened close to home, a smaller share involved crossing provincial borders. The survey found 94.4 per cent of movers stayed within the same province - often within the same municipality - while just 5.6 per cent 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 per cent of interprovincial movers, followed by wanting to be closer to family at 27.6 per cent.

Only 4.5 per cent 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 per cent, millennials (born from 1981 to 1996) at 32.2 per cent and Generation X (born from 1966 to 1980) at 30 per cent.

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

Baby boomers, meanwhile, were more likely to moved to reduce housing costs at 21.5 per cent. 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 per cent of younger households - particularly Generation Z - most often moved for school, while 59.1 per cent millennials and 51.6 per cent Generation X cited employment. Nearly 50 per cent of older Canadians were most likely to relocate to be closer to family.