Calgary 
U-Haul has revealed the most popular Canadian cities and provinces for DIY movers after analyzing migration patterns from 2023.
Credit: U-Haul
U-Haul rated Canadian destinations by the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks, trailers, and U-Box moving containers arriving in a city versus departing from that city in a calendar year.
Most Popular Provinces:
In 2023, Alberta emerged as Canada’s most popular province for relocation.
According to the U-Haul Growth Index, Alberta remarkably jumped from the bottom to the pinnacle in the national rankings. Key cities contributing to Alberta’s rise include Calgary, Edmonton, and Camrose, all featuring in the top 25 Canadian growth cities.
Naga Chennamsetty, U-Haul Area District Vice President of Western Canada, credits Alberta’s affordable housing and job opportunities as key factors.
Alberta saw 51.1% of one-way U-Haul customers arriving, compared to 48.9% leaving, a 1.6% increase in arrivals over departures from the previous year.
Neighbouring British Columbia also significantly climbed, advancing from ninth to second place among growth provinces. In contrast, New Brunswick, the previous year’s leader, dropped to third.
Notably, Ontario experienced the largest net loss of U-Haul customers, plummeting from third to last place, with 49.1% arrivals against 50.9% departures, marking a 1% decrease in arrivals versus departures from 2022. Despite this, Ontario still boasts nine cities in the top 25 growth locations, the highest for any province, followed by British Columbia with seven.
Recent Statistics Canada data also shows Alberta leads the provinces for interprovincial migration.
2023 U-Haul Canadian Growth Provinces
| 1. | ALBERTA (10) |
| 2. | BRITISH COLUMBIA (9) |
| 3. | NEW BRUNSWICK (1) |
| 4. | SASKATCHEWAN (6) |
| 5. | QUEBEC (2) |
| 6. | PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND (4) |
| 7. | NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR (8) |
| 8. | MANITOBA (7) |
| 9. | NOVA SCOTIA (5) |
| 10. | ONTARIO (3) |
Most Popular Cities:
According to the U-Haul growth index, Calgary was the nation’s leading growth city last year. Calgary’s distinction as Canada’s leading growth city is attributed to a strong trend of incoming residents since 2020.
Sherbrooke, QC, and Edmonton, AB, follow as second and third, respectively.
Both Calgary and Edmonton have witnessed a significant influx of new residents, and have notably seen fewer departures, leading to their substantial net gains in DIY movers. Over 52% of Calgary’s one-way U-Haul customers were arrivals, while Edmonton saw 50.4% arrivals.
Ontario cities experienced notable shifts in the Canadian Growth Cities rankings. Chatham-Kent, previously holding the top position, fell to 7th place. Brantford dropped from 8th to 10th, while Sudbury moved down from 7th to 19th. Belleville saw a decline from the 13th to the 20th, and Sarnia experienced a significant fall from the 3rd to the 21st. Other Ontario cities like Collingwood, Orillia, and Trenton maintained their presence on the list but without specific ranking changes from the previous year.
In Quebec, Sherbrooke saw a remarkable rise, jumping from 18th to 2nd place, indicating significant growth. Levis and Jonquiere also featured on the list, showcasing the province’s diverse urban expansion, but without any changes in rankings.
Eight British Columbia cities feature in the list. Kelowna slightly moved up to 4th place from 5th in the previous year. Penticton showed impressive growth, jumping from 21st to 6th. Courtenay and Campbell River made their debut on the list, highlighting their emerging status in the province’s urban landscape. Nanaimo and Victoria continued to feature among the top cities, with Victoria experiencing a shift in its ranking. Chilliwack, however, faced a notable decline, slipping from 10th to 23rd place. Salmon Arm, previously at 19th, moved down the list to 24th.
Cities from Atlantic Canada, which had gained popularity during the pandemic years, showed limited presence in the list, with only Moncton, New Brunswick, and Truro, Nova Scotia, being featured.
2023 Top 25 U-Haul Canadian Growth Cities
| 1. | CALGARY, AB |
| 2. | SHERBROOKE, QC (18) |
| 3. | EDMONTON, AB |
| 4. | KELOWNA, BC (5) |
| 5. | COURTENAY, BC |
| 6. | PENTICTON, BC (21) |
| 7. | CHATHAM-KENT, ON (1) |
| 8. | CAMPBELL RIVER, BC |
| 9. | LEVIS, QC |
| 10. | BRANTFORD, ON (8) |
| 11. | COLLINGWOOD, ON |
| 12. | ORILLIA, ON |
| 13. | JONQUIERE, QC |
| 14. | TRENTON, ON |
| 15. | MONCTON, NB |
| 16. | TRURO, NS |
| 17. | NANAIMO, BC |
| 18. | VICTORIA, BC |
| 19. | SUDBURY, ON (7) |
| 20. | BELLEVILLE, ON (13) |
| 21. | SARNIA, ON (3) |
| 22. | WASAGA BEACH, ON |
| 23. | CHILLIWACK, BC (10) |
| 24. | SALMON ARM, BC (19) |
| 25. | CAMROSE, AB (16) |
The company says migration trends data is compiled from more than 2.5 million one-way truck-sharing transactions that occur annually in Canada and the U.S.
Per the news release, U-Haul has been investing heavily in Alberta and other provinces, developing self-storage solutions and expanding its fleet of trucks, trailers, and containers. This move is in response to the growing demand from DIY movers across Canada.
