Canada’s housing affordability crisis is creating a major generational divide, with new data showing Millennials are far more likely to live with their parents than previous generations were at the same age.
According to Statistics Canada data highlighted by Better Dwelling, 16.3% of Canadian Millennials aged 25 to 39 lived with their parents in 2021, almost double the share of Boomers who lived at home at the same age.
Millennials Are Staying Home Longer
The data shows a clear generational shift in household formation.
Among Canadians aged 25 to 39:
- 8.2% of Boomers lived with their parents in 1991
- 12.3% of Gen X lived with their parents in 2006
- 16.3% of Millennials lived with their parents in 2021
This suggests that younger Canadians are facing increasing difficulty moving out, forming households, and becoming financially independent.
Fewer Millennials Are Living With Partners or Children
The shift is not just about living at home.
The share of young adults living with a spouse, partner, or child has also fallen significantly.
According to the data, that share dropped from 74.4% for Boomers to 62.8% for Millennials.
This points to a broader delay in household formation, which can affect everything from homeownership to family planning and long-term financial stability.
Toronto Has One of the Biggest Gaps
The problem is especially severe in Canada’s most expensive housing markets.
In Toronto, the share of 25- to 39-year-olds living with their parents increased from 11.3% among Boomers to 26.1% among Millennials.
Vancouver saw a similar pattern, rising from 8.3% to 19.6% over the same generational comparison.
These numbers highlight how high-cost cities are making independence harder for younger adults.
Nearly Half of Young Toronto Millennials Lived at Home
The data is even more striking among younger Millennials.
Among Canadians aged 25 to 29, 31.1% of Millennials lived with their parents.
In Toronto, that number reached 48.6%, meaning nearly half of younger Millennials in the city were still living at home.
Other major cities also showed elevated shares:
- Vancouver: 36.9%
- Winnipeg: 31.9%
- Montreal: 29.5%
- Calgary: 28.3%
- Ottawa: 27.6%
- Edmonton: 25.4%
- Halifax: 19.2%
The Issue Is Spreading Beyond Toronto and Vancouver
While Toronto and Vancouver show the most extreme numbers, the trend appears across the country.
Even cities typically considered more affordable saw increases in the share of young adults living with parents.
This suggests that the issue is not limited to Canada’s most expensive cities. Instead, affordability pressures are affecting household formation across multiple regions.
What This Signals for Canada’s Housing Market
The latest data reinforces how Canada’s housing crisis is affecting more than home prices.
It is also delaying major life milestones for younger generations.
For the housing market, this means:
- Demand may remain pent up among younger adults
- Household formation is being delayed
- Affordability is limiting mobility
- More young Canadians may remain renters or live with family longer
This creates a complicated picture. There may be future demand waiting on the sidelines, but many younger Canadians cannot act on it under current market conditions.
What This Signals for Ontario
In Ontario, the implications are especially significant.
Toronto’s high share of young adults living at home suggests affordability pressures are reshaping how Millennials enter the housing market.
This could lead to:
- Continued demand for more affordable ownership options
- Increased interest in smaller units or lower-cost regions
- More young adults leaving the GTA for cheaper markets
- Ongoing pressure for rental and missing-middle housing
Unless affordability improves, Ontario may continue seeing young adults delay independence or leave higher-cost regions entirely.
References (APA – OHM Standard)
Better Dwelling. (2026, May 6). Nearly 1 in 6 Canadian Millennials still live with their parents.
https://betterdwelling.com/nearly-1-in-6-canadian-millennials-still-live-with-their-parents/
Statistics Canada. (2026). Housing across generations: Living arrangements of young adults in Canada.
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/
Canada Housing Market 
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