Canada Housing Market

For many Canadians living in the Greater Toronto Area, homeownership may increasingly depend on leaving the region altogether.

A new survey conducted on behalf of Royal LePage found that 55% of GTA residents would consider moving to a more affordable Canadian city if they were able to secure employment there.

The findings highlight the growing affordability challenges facing homebuyers in Canada’s largest housing market, where home prices remain far out of reach for many households despite recent market corrections.

More GTA Residents Are Looking Beyond Toronto

According to the survey, more than half of respondents living in the GTA said they would be willing to relocate to another city in order to purchase a home.

While Toronto home prices have cooled from their pandemic-era peak, affordability remains a significant obstacle for many buyers.

Royal LePage President and CEO Phil Soper said that for many Canadians, relocating is becoming a deliberate housing strategy rather than a last resort.

“As barriers to entry remain high in the country’s most expensive urban centres, relocating to a more affordable city is becoming less of a last resort and more of a deliberate strategy,” Soper said.

These Are The Cities GTA Residents Are Considering

Among the cities attracting the most interest from GTA residents were:

• Edmonton, Alberta
• Thunder Bay, Ontario
• Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
• Windsor-Essex, Ontario

The list reflects a growing willingness among Canadians to consider smaller markets where home prices remain significantly lower than those found across the GTA.

The inclusion of Charlottetown is particularly notable, as Atlantic Canada continues attracting buyers from Ontario seeking a lower cost of living and more affordable housing options.

Affordability Continues To Drive Migration

Housing affordability has become one of the biggest factors influencing migration patterns across Canada.

Over the past several years, provinces such as Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island have all experienced increased interest from buyers relocating from Ontario and British Columbia.

Many of these buyers are able to sell properties in higher-priced markets and purchase homes elsewhere while reducing their overall housing costs.

At the same time, remote and hybrid work arrangements have made it easier for some households to move farther away from traditional employment centres.

Canada’s Most Affordable Cities

The survey also examined housing affordability across Canada.

According to Royal LePage’s National Affordability Ranking, Alberta dominated many of the most affordable markets, with Lethbridge earning the top spot.

The ranking reinforces the growing affordability gap between Canada’s largest urban centres and many smaller cities across the country.

What It Means For Toronto’s Housing Market

The findings underscore a growing challenge for Toronto and the broader GTA.

While the region remains Canada’s largest economic hub, housing affordability continues to push some residents to consider opportunities elsewhere.

Whether that trend accelerates will likely depend on future home prices, income growth, interest rates, and the availability of housing across the GTA.

For now, however, the poll suggests many prospective buyers are increasingly looking beyond Toronto’s borders in search of homeownership.

References

Lewis, C. (2026, June 23). Fifty-five per cent of GTA-based poll respondents say they’d move to a more affordable city. Toronto Life. https://torontolife.com/real-estate/fifty-five-per-cent-of-gta-based-poll-respondents-say-theyd-move-to-a-more-affordable-city/

Royal LePage. (2026). National affordability survey and housing market insights. Royal LePage. https://www.royallepage.ca