Some Edmontonians would like to see Vancouverites stay right where they are after a report showed that Edmonton is the top relocation destination for Vancouverites seeking a lower cost of living.
Royal LePage released a report earlier this week outlining Canada’s 10 most affordable cities. The report also contained a survey gauging Canadians’ attitudes toward relocating from major centres like Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal into more affordable markets.
According to the survey, 45% of Vancouver respondents said they would consider purchasing a home in a more affordable city. Vancouverites picked Edmonton as their top relocation choice (19%), followed by St. John’s (13%), and Thunder Bay (9%).
The news garnered plenty of reaction from Edmontonians, who, while living in the fifth-most affordable city in the country, are seeing housing costs rise rapidly. An influx of new residents, particularly from Ontario and British Columbia, is a contributing factor.
Edmontonians had plenty to say in the comments on our Instagram, with many wanting housing costs to stay comparatively low.
“Please don’t move here! We are struggling here already. We don’t need you here,” one reader pleaded.
Another user who moved to Edmonton two years ago praised their choice, saying, “We did in 2022, best decision we’ve made.”
“Welcome to Edmonton! The City never gets out of the house; spring weather is like wildfire, smoke and wind. Summer: Wildfire smoke, dandelion allergy and mosquitos. Winter: only -50°C,” another joked.
“Don’t because my rent is already too high,” a user commented.
Another person poked some fun at the rivalry between Alberta’s major cities, adding, “People from Calgary are not going to like this, lol.”
A spring report from Royal Lepage found that the aggregate price of a home in Edmonton increased by 3% year-over-year to $442,200 in the first quarter of 2024.
The real estate company predicts the aggregate price of a home in Edmonton will increase by 6.5% in Q4 of 2024 compared to the same quarter last year.
Renters are also feeling the crunch, with Edmonton seeing some of the highest year-over-year price gains in the country.