A new report finds that six B.C. cities are among the top 25 growing urban centres in Canada in 2022.
Alberta saw the most growth of any province, according to data compiled in the annual U-Haul Growth Index. British Columbia ranked second for growth, followed by Ontario.
"Alberta benefited the most from this pandemic-era trend in 2021, netting more one-way U-Haul truck customers than any other province," said report authors, who added that "migration from densely populated urban areas to less crowded, more affordable outlying markets was a recurring theme last year in Canada."
Calgary is the top landing spot for "do-it-yourself movers" coming to Alberta, but smaller markets like Red Deer-Lacombe, Medicine Hat-Redcliff and Airdrie are also attracting more residents.
While Alberta tops the province growth list, 14 of Canada’s top 25 growth cities are in Ontario. North Bay, Ont. took the top spot.
Six cities in B.C. ranked in the top 25 growth cities, with Kelowna ranking the highest on the list highest in sixth. North Vancouver ranked 10th overall, while Kamloops ranked 11th. Penticton took 21st place, while Abbotsford and Vancouver came 22nd and 23rd, respectively.
The U-Haul Growth Index is compiled according to the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks arriving in a city, or province, versus departing from that city, or province, in a calendar year. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 2 million one-way U-Haul truck transactions that occur annually across Canada and the U.S.
