More than 35,000 households moved out of GTA; Simcoe, Hamilton, Calgary top destinations

According to new data from Environics Analytics, 35,140 households left the Greater Toronto Area for other cities and provinces in the past year. That’s just a fraction of the nearly 250,000 households that moved during that period.

How are the migrations distributed?

Of the total households that moved to a new area:

51.5% left the GTA

48.5% moved within the GTA

Top destinations for leaving the GTA

Simco County → 10.4%

Hamilton → 3.2%

Calgary → 3.1%

Waterloo → 2.9%

Greater Vancouver → 2%

Niagara → 1.9%

Middlesex and Wellington regions also saw more than 1,000 households move in.

The main reason: housing prices and the search for more space

Real estate experts say this trend has been going on for years, with people having to move away from the GTA to buy a decent home.

A real estate agent says:

> “Families are cashing out of the GTA and buying bigger homes in cities like Barrie or Calgary.”

Traffic is also a factor

65 per cent of survey respondents said the area’s traffic and congestion have made them consider leaving Toronto.

Despite immigration, the GTA’s population continues to grow

Thanks to international migration, the region’s population is growing positively, surpassing 7 million this year.

Policymakers want more housing supply

Experts warn that price pressures are marginalizing and disempowering the working and middle classes, and the need for more affordable housing is more urgent than ever.

Source: CTV News Toronto