Ontario cities dominate list of popular destinations for relocating Canadians

Canadians were on the move in huge numbers last year, and Ontario cities proved some of the biggest draws for people relocating within the country.

U-Haul has released its annual list calculating the growth of cities by the net gain or loss of one-way equipment rentals.

This U-Haul Growth Index reveals that while 50.7% of one-way traffic logged in 2024 was leaving the province, Ontario cities still represented 64% of entries on the top 25 list.

“Ontario will always be the economic heart of Canada and has so much to offer its residents,” explained Jake Spelic, U-Haul area district vice president.

“What is interesting on our growth cities list is that all the top destinations in Ontario are smaller cities, and most are considered four-season recreational areas. The trend seems to be people are looking for more affordable housing in popular recreational areas with less hustle and bustle than the larger cities.”

Belleville was the most moved-to Ontario location in 2024, according to U-Haul’s metrics, shooting from 20th place on the 2023 list to third place in Canada.

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Similarly, Trenton jumped from 14th place in the 2023 rankings to fourth place in 2024.

Ontario was very well represented on the list, with locales in the province taking 16 of the 25 spots. However, the province ranked dead last in U-Haul’s provincial growth rankings, unchanged from the year before.

While Ontario cities populated much of the 2024 list, it was Alberta’s two largest cities, Calgary and Edmonton, which ranked as the top two growth cities in Canada. Calgary is a repeat winner for the most-moved-to city on U-Haul’s list, taking the top spot for the second consecutive year.

The full list of rankings is:

1. Calgary, Alberta
2. Edmonton, Alberta
3. Belleville, Ontario
4. Trenton, Ontario
5. Pembroke, Ontario
6. Brantford, Ontario
7. Medicine Hat-Redcliff, Alberta
8. Collingwood, Ontario
9. Parry Sound, Ontario
10. Chatham-Kent, Ontario
11. Innisfil, Ontario
12. St. Thomas, Ontario
13. Barrie, Ontario
14. Woodstock, Ontario
15. Lindsay, Ontario
16. Chilliwack, BC
17. Owen Sound-Meaford, Ontario
18. Peterborough, Ontario
19. Sydney, Nova Scotia
20. Sidney, BC
21. Sarnia, Ontario
22. Trail, BC
23. Kelowna, BC
24. Orillia, Ontario
25. Nanaimo, BC