Everyone keeps telling me nobody owns a home in Canada anymore. So I pulled the actual Census numbers.
This started as a post on my social channels. Here's that version, with the province-by-province breakdown.
What the 2021 Census actually says
66.5% of Canadian households own the home they live in. That's down from 69.0% in 2011, so yes, it's slipping. But two out of three is a long way from "nobody."
A few things that jumped out at me:
- Newfoundland and Labrador leads the country at 75.7%.
- New Brunswick (73.0%), Alberta (70.9%) and Saskatchewan (70.7%) round out the 70% club.
- B.C. sits at 66.8%, basically dead-on the national rate. Not what most people guess.
- Quebec is the lowest province at 59.9%. Renting is just a bigger part of life there.
- Nunavut is the big outlier at 19.2%.
Nine provinces and territories sit above the national rate. Four sit below. None ties it exactly — B.C. and Nova Scotia are both 66.8%, a hair above Canada's 66.5%.
B.C. is closer to the middle than the myth
Around here, the barbecue consensus is that homeownership in B.C. must be near the bottom. The Census says otherwise. British Columbia lands almost exactly on the Canada average.
That doesn't mean buying is easy in Greater Vancouver. Prices are high, and the path looks different for every household. It does mean the "nobody owns here" line isn't what the data shows.
Owning and renting are both legit paths
As a REALTOR® who helps both buyers and renters in Greater Vancouver, my take is simple: owning and renting are both legitimate. What matters is a plan that fits your life, not the barbecue consensus.
If you're weighing a purchase, start with my page for home buyers. If you're a newcomer relocating here and need a place to rent first, my guide to relocating to Greater Vancouver covers neighbourhoods from Vancouver to the Tri-Cities, BC, and here's how my relocation rental service for tenants works.
Where does your province land, and did any of these surprise you?