New findings from Statistics Canada shine a light on the real motivations driving Canadians to pack up and move — and the results hold important lessons for anyone navigating the Ottawa market right now.
What the Data Shows
Statistics Canada has released fresh insights from the 2022 Canadian Housing Survey, and the findings paint a clear picture of what drives Canadians to move.
About one third of Canadian households (33%) moved within the previous five years. Among those who relocated, the most common reason — cited by 25.3% of movers — was the desire to upgrade to a larger or better-quality dwelling. The aspiration to own a home ranked as the second most frequent motivation, followed by employment-related moves.
These top motivations were consistent across every region of the country, with upgrading housing quality and pursuing homeownership ranking first and second in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies, and British Columbia alike.
When it comes to where Canadians move, the picture is overwhelmingly local. A full 94.4% of movers stayed within the same province — often within the same municipality — while just 5.6% crossed provincial lines. For those who did relocate interprovincially, motivations shifted significantly based on age: more than 60% of Generation Z movers cited school as their primary driver, while 59.1% of millennials and 51.6% of Generation X moved for employment. Nearly half of older Canadians relocated primarily to be closer to family.
Ruby's Take
What strikes me most about this data is how powerfully it confirms something I see every single day working with clients in Ottawa: people aren't moving on a whim — they're moving with purpose. The desire for more space, better quality, and the pride of ownership are deeply rooted goals. They don't disappear when the market gets challenging; they simply get delayed. And a delayed desire eventually becomes an urgent one.
For Ottawa specifically, this data is a reminder of what fuels our market from the ground up. We are a city with a highly educated, professionally mobile population — government employees, tech workers, healthcare professionals — many of whom are in exactly the life stages this data describes: millennials and Gen X moving for career growth, growing families seeking more space, and empty-nesters preparing to get closer to the people they love. If you've been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the "perfect moment," ask yourself: has your reason to move changed, or just your confidence? Because motivation this strong doesn't stay dormant forever. If you're ready to understand what your next move could actually look like in today's Ottawa market, I'd love to have that conversation with you.
About the Author
Ruby Xue is one of Ottawa's most respected real estate leaders and the founder of Keller Williams ICON Realty. Her journey from an ambitious international student to a top-performing realtor is driven by a passion for empowering her community with clarity and expert guidance. Ruby's mission is to elevate the standard of professionalism in the industry, helping clients and agents alike build businesses worth owning and lives worth living.
Sourced from CTV News Business/Real Estate: https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/real-estate/article/from-homeownership-to-work-whats-motivating-canadians-to-move/
Comments:
Post Your Comment: