Canadians were on the move last year, and some cities were more popular than others. If you’re curious to see which ones were the most frequently moved to, read on, because U-Haul officially released its report of the top growth cities in Canada for 2023.
The U-Haul Growth Index uses transactional data to determine which cities and provinces saw the biggest influx of new residents.
The report is based on the number of one-way trips throughout the year, compiled according to the net gain (or loss) of one-way U-Haul trucks arriving in a province or city, versus departing from that province or city.
So, where exactly were Canadians moving last year?
According to the 2023 report, Alberta leads the way with Calgary as the #1 top-growth city. What’s more, Calgary, Edmonton, Salmon Arm, and Camrose were all among Canada’s top 25 growth cities last year, propelling the province from the bottom of the list to the top.
“We first noticed a strong trend of U-Haul customers moving into Alberta in 2020 because of the affordable housing, and since then the province has continued attracting residents and bringing in new jobs,” states Naga Chennamsetty, U-Haul Area District Vice President of Western Canada. “Cities like Calgary and Edmonton saw a good influx of new residents again in 2023.”
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BC also saw a ton of growth as a whole, jumping from ninth place in 2022 to second in 2023, with Kelowna, Courtenay, and Penticton leading the way in the 4th, 5th, and 6th spots.
On the other hand, Ontario saw the largest net loss of one-way U-Haul customers, falling from third to the last province on the index. So it looks like many Ontarians were looking to make a change last year!
Nonetheless, Ontario still has nine cities on the list of top 25 Canadian growth cities – which is the most out of any province.
Here are the Top 25 Canadian Growth Cities of 2023:
- Calgary, AB
- Sherbrooke, QC
- Edmonton, AB
- Kelowna, BC
- Courtenay, BC
- Penticton, BC
- Chatham-Kent, ON
- Campbell River, BC
- Levis, QC
- Brantford, ON
- Collingwood, ON
- Orillia, ON
- Jonquiere, QC
- Trenton, ON
- Moncton, NB
- Truro, NS
- Nanaimo, BC
- Victoria, BC
- Sudbury, ON
- Belleville, ON
- Sarnia, ON
- Wasaga Beach, ON
- Chilliwack, BC
- Salmon Arm, BC
- Camrose, AB
Outside of Alberta, BC, and Ontario, it looks like Quebec has the most top growth cities of 2023, with Sherbrooke securing the #2 spot.
Surprisingly, the report found that New Brunswick and Saskatchewan had more movers overall than Quebec, situated at the #3 and #4 spot on the list of Canadian Growth Provinces respectively.
So there you have it, Canada! If you’re hoping to make a change in 2024, it might be time to trade big-city living for small-town charm.
