If you’re thinking of moving out of your city but aren’t sure where to unpack your boxes next, a recent Kijiji study could help you choose which Canadian spots to move to — or to avoid.
The classifieds site released a report last month that showed Canada’s most sought-after cities for relocation for both Canadians and Americans.
It highlighted the cities in Canada that topped the charts in rental availability, affordability, and popularity.
Analyzing Google Trends search volume from the past year in the most populous US and Canadian cities, Kijiji determined interest in relocating to different Canadian cities.
Since the site is also commonly used to find rentals, the company also created a meta-ranking for the top cities in Canada to move to by using its internal data for the 25 most populated cities available.
It considered the total number of rental listings, average rental prices in Canadian dollars, population and desirability score based on average favourites, replies, and requests to view property listings.
When it comes to the most popular cities Canadians and Americans are thinking of relocating to, Toronto takes the cake.
According to the study, a majority of people living in Ontario suburbs like Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, and Milton have been searching for apartments in Toronto.
Kijiji
Outside of Ontario, residents in Halifax are most interested in Toronto apartment hunting, along with US cities like Miami, Atlanta, and New York.
Kijiji
Calgary takes the second spot, with residents in neighbouring cities like Edmonton searching for apartments there.
Outside of Alberta, Torontonians seem to be eyeing a move to the western city, with over 700 searches for rentals there. There are even more apartment searches coming from Vancouverites who are thinking of moving to Calgary.
Kijiji
If you’re wondering where Vancouver lands, it took fourth place, just below Ottawa, for most popular cities Canadians and Americans are thinking of relocating to.
Most interest comes from its neighbour Burnaby, with over 13,000 apartment searches, according to Kijiji.
In the US, residents in cities like Portland, Seattle, and Los Angeles are also perusing Vancouver rental listings.
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Here’s the full list of the most popular cities in terms of searches.
Kijiji
While these cities may be the most popular in searches, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the most affordable ones to live in based on rent.
According to the study, while Toronto had the highest rental availability in the country, with 11,941 property listings, it’s far from having the most affordable housing.
Trois-Rivières, Quebec, took the top spot with the most affordable rental prices, averaging $1,243 per month. Regina is in second place with an average rent of $1,319 per month, followed by Sherbrooke, Quebec, with an average rent of $1,407 per month.
Unsurprisingly, Vancouver and Toronto were in the bottom three spots for most affordable rental prices.
Kijiji
A recent report from Royal LePage named Edmonton the top choice for Canadians looking to relocate. With homes averaging $390,200, it’s no wonder Canadians from major cities are moving there.