U-Haul Canadian Destination City No. 1: Toronto Tops List Again

Jun 28, 2019

For a 3rd straight year, Toronto had the highest inflow of moving trucks in 2018

Toronto holds steady as the No. 1 Canadian Destination City according to the latest U-Haul® migration trends report, staking its claim to the top spot for the third consecutive year.

Toronto saw a 4% year-over-year increase in one-way U-Haul truck arrivals in 2018 to remain the busiest city for incoming traffic among do-it-yourself movers.

Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton and Ottawa round out the top five cities for the most arriving U-Haul trucks in 2018. View the top 50 Canadian Destination Cities below.

“Toronto is booming,” stated Antony Grocott, U-Haul Company of Eastern Ontario president. “The Greater Toronto area, in general, has been experiencing a significant increase in job openings. Ontario’s capital has become North America’s fastest growing tech market.”

U-Haul has three Company-owned stores and 39 independent dealers currently operating in the Toronto city limits. Find U-Haul truck and trailer sharing locations in Toronto at uhaul.com/locations.

Moving Season in Toronto

Each year, U-Haul counts down its top 10 Canadian Destination Cities leading up to “Moving Day” on July 1, one of the busiest dates for residential moves in Canada, and specifically Quebec.

“Toronto is appealing because it’s a diverse city,” Grocott added. “Toronto has more than 140 unique neighborhoods, and young people are attracted to that community feel. Companies, including U-Haul, continue to invest in Toronto. There is job growth at all levels.”

Rankings are based by the total number of arriving one-way U-Haul trucks into a city in the past calendar year. Destination Cities reflect the volume and regularity of do-it-yourself movers coming into a city, but do not account for departing one-way U-Haul trucks, and thus do not necessarily reflect growth like U-Haul Growth Cities rankings do.

U-Haul released its top 25 Canadian Growth Cities for 2018 in January.

U-Haul is the authority on migration trends thanks to its expansive network that blankets all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. The geographical coverage from more than 21,000 U-Haul locations provides a comprehensive overview of where people are moving like no one else in the industry. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 2 million one-way U-Haul truck rental transactions that occur annually.

2018 U-Haul Canadian Destination Cities

Previous year rankings in parentheses.

1. TORONTO, ON (1)

2. CALGARY, AB (2)

3. MONTREAL, QC (6)

4. EDMONTON, AB (3)

5. OTTAWA, ON (4)

6. LONDON, ON (5)

7. VANCOUVER, BC (10)

8. KITCHENER, ON (9)

9. HAMILTON, ON (7)

10. VICTORIA, BC (8)

11. MISSISSAUGA, ON (12)

12. BRAMPTON, ON (11)

13. QUEBEC CITY, QC (13)

14. WINDSOR, ON (15)

15. KINGSTON, ON (16)

16. KELOWNA, BC (19)

17. SCARBOROUGH, ON (14)

18. SURREY, BC (20)

19. BARRIE, ON (17)

20. OSHAWA, ON (18)

21. ST. CATHARINES, ON (23)

22. GUELPH, ON (21)

23. DARTMOUTH, NS (32)

24. BURLINGTON, ON (24)

25. WINNIPEG, MB (22)

26. GATINEAU, QC (26)

27. MONCTON, NB (31)

28. SASKATOON, SK (28)

29. PETERBOROUGH, ON (27)

30. KAMLOOPS, BC (39)

31. NANAIMO, BC (35)

32. LETHBRIDGE, AB (34)

33. BRANTFORD, ON (30)

34. ABBOTSFORD, BC (33)

35. CAMBRIDGE, ON (29)

36. ETOBICOKE, ON (25)

37. NIAGARA FALLS, ON (40)

38. SHERBROOKE, QC (37)

39. RED DEER, AB (47)

40. REGINA, SK (38)

41. BELLEVILLE, ON (41)

42. SUDBURY, ON (42)

43. PORT MOODY, BC (NR)

44. NEWMARKET, ON (49)

45. HALIFAX, NS (NR)

46. MILTON, ON (50)

47. GRANDE PRAIRIE, AB (36)

48. FREDERICTON, NB (NR)

49. SARNIA, ON (46)

50. AIRDRIE, AB (NR)

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