U-Haul’s Migration Trend Report

Did you know that U-Haul releases an annual report which details the previous year's highest growth markets? The cities are calculated by the net gain of arriving one-way U-Haul trucks over departing one-way U-Haul trucks for a calendar year. The data is compiled from more than 1.7 million one-way U-Haul truck rental transactions that occur annually and is actually a highly sought after source of information as it offers the most comprehensive data of its kind.

1. Kamloops, British Columbia

   Quick Facts
   Population: 85,678
   Unemployment Rate: August 2016: 6.8%
   Mean Maximum Temperature: 26.94°C
   Mean Minimum Temperature: (-4.2°C)
   Average Household Income: $77,718
   Economic Drivers: Tourism, agriculture, forestry, mining, manufacturing/retail, high tech
   Location: 250 km (155 miles) north of US (Washington) border; 310 km (193 miles) northeast of Vancouver. Kamloops is in south central British Columbia in Canada at the confluence of the two branches of the Thompson River near Kamloops Lake.
   Average House Price 2016: $419,000

2. Belleville, Ontario

   Quick Facts
   Population: 49,454
   Location: Belleville is located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern (Central) Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor.
   Average Household Income: $69,041
   Average House Price 2016: $274,900

3. Guelph, Ontario

   Quick Facts
   Population (city): 131,794
   Population (CMA): 151,987
   Location: Guelph is located in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly 28 kilometres (17 mi) east of Waterloo and 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of Downtown Toronto
   Average household income: $83,047
   Average price detached home: $475,715
   Other: For many years, Guelph has been ranked at the bottom of Canada's crime severity list. Even after a slight increase, it had the second lowest crime rate in Canada in 2014, at 43 (per 100,000 population); by comparison the national rate was 68.7.

4. Gravenhurst, Ontario

   Quick Facts
   Population: 11,640 living in 4,674 of its 7,757 total dwellings
   Summer Months: (tourism): 34,000
   Land Area: 518.59 km2 (200.23 sq mi)
   Average Household Income: $76,787
   Average House Price 2016: $419,000

5. North Bay, Ontario

   Quick Facts
   Location: Located as the gateway between northern and southern Ontario, North Bay is located three hours north of Canada’s largest city, Toronto, and three and a half hours west of the nation’s capital, Ottawa.
   Average Household Income: $56,609
   Average House Price 2016: $239,546

6. Parry Sound, Ontario

   Quick Facts
   Location: Located on the eastern shore of the sound after which it is named. Parry Sound is located 160 km south of Sudbury and 225 km north of Toronto.
   Average Household Income: $46,180
   Average House Price 2016: $255,000

7. Woodstock, Ontario

   Quick Facts
   Location: Woodstock is the seat of Oxford County, at the head of the non-navigable Thames River, approximately 128 km from Toronto, and 43 km from London, Ontario.
   Average Household Income: $73,738
   Average House Price 2016: $304,250
   Other: Dairy capital of Canada!

8. Trenton, Ontario

   Quick Facts
   Population:16,770
   Location: A community in Southern Ontario in the municipality of Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. Located on the Bay of Quinte, it is the main population centre in Quinte West, and is one of the largest freestanding unincorporated communities in the province.
   Average House Price: $233,577
   Other: Canadian Forces Base Trenton/8 Wing, located on the east side of the town, is an important facility for the Royal Canadian Air Force's transport and search and rescue operations, and is Trenton's main employer.

9. Chilliwack, British Columbia

   Quick Facts
   Population: 83,788
   Location: Chilliwack is the seat of the Fraser Valley Regional District and its second largest city. This city is surrounded by mountains and recreational areas such as Cultus Lake and Chilliwack Lake Provincial Parks. It is located 102 kilometres southeast of Vancouver.
   Average Household Income: $75,844
   Average House Price 2016: $397,911
   Other: Chilliwack's mild climate with limited extremes provides excellent growing conditions for a wide variety of crops and agricultural products. When averaged from 1981 to 2010, Chilliwack had the warmest mean temperature for any city in Canada.

10. Ottawa, Ontario

    Quick Facts
    Population: 934,243
    Location: The capital and fourth largest city of Canada, Ottawa stands on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of southern Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec.
    Average Household Income: $94,700
    Average House Price 2016: $417,374
    Other: The city is the most educated in Canada, and is home to a number of post-secondary, research, and cultural institutions, including the National Arts Centre and the National Gallery. Ottawa also has the highest standard of living in the nation and low unemployment. It ranked second out of 150 worldwide in the Numbeo quality of life index 2014–2015, and it contains a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

11. Midland, Ontario

    Quick Facts
    Population: 16,864
    Location: Located on Georgian Bay in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Huronia region of Central Ontario.
    Average Household Income: $45,256
    Average House Price 2016: $259,900
    Other: In the summer months, the area's population grows to over 100,000 with seasonal visitors to more than 8,000 cottages, resort hotels, provincial and national parks in the surrounding municipalities of Penetanguishene, Tiny and Tay.

12. Strathroy, Ontario

    Quick Facts
    Population: 20,978
    Location: A municipality 35 kilometres west of London, Ontario, Canada. It was created through the merger of the former township of Caradoc and the town of Strathroy in 2001. Its two largest communities are Strathroy and Mount Brydges.
    Average Household Income: $59.108
    Average House Price 2016: $269,000

13. Chatham, Ontario

    Quick Facts
    Population: 103,671
    Location: Southwestern Ontario- the Municipality of Chatham-Kent is located on the Thames River 80 km east of Windsor.
    Average Household Income: $71,542
    Average House Price 2016: $175,703

14. Kingston, Ontario

    Quick Facts
    Population: 159,961
    Location: Kingston is located on the eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is located midway between Toronto and Montreal.
    Average Household Income: $77,140
    Average House Price 2016: $409,356
    Other: Kingston was named the first capital of the Province of Canada on February 10, 1841. While its time as a political centre was short, Kingston has remained an important military installation.

15. Vernon, British Columbia

    Quick Facts
    Population: 40,116
    Location: Vernon is located in the Okanagan region of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is 440 km (270 mi) northeast of Vancouver.
    Average Household Income: $79,847
    Average House Price 2016: $439,000
    Other: Each winter, Vernon plays host to the Vernon Winter Carnival. First held in 1961, it is now Western Canada's largest and North America's second largest Winter Carnival.
    The remaining cities that round out the top 25 2016b migration trends in Canada are:

16. Orillia, Ontario

17. St. Thomas, Ontario

18. Penticton, British Columbia

19. Peterborough, Ontario

20. Halifax, Nova Scotia

21. Huntsville, Ontario

22. Nepean, Ontario

23. Simcoe, Ontario

24. Merritt, British Columbia

25. Elliot Lake, Ontario

Ontario was at the forefront of the Canadian Growth Cities, with a total of nineteen out of the top twenty-five located in the province.

Five British Columbia cities are represented, and Halifax is the only city outside of Ontario and BC to make the list. Not surprisingly, these cities are located in the two provinces that have seen the hottest housing markets (Toronto and Vancouver), which may explain the migration to other, more affordable areas to live in.