Canada recorded 57,244 pre-mover households in August 2026, compared with 63,614 in July.
This represents a 10.0% month-over-month decrease, as national pre-mover activity continued to moderate following the elevated volumes recorded during the spring and early summer.
Despite the decline, August continued to provide organizations using a Canadian consumer database with an opportunity to identify and engage households before they complete their move.
Pre-Mover Activity Remains Above Early-2026 Levels
Canada’s pre-mover market has followed a clear seasonal pattern throughout 2026, rising sharply through the spring before beginning to moderate during the summer.
Recent monthly volumes are:
- August 2026: 57,244
- July 2026: 63,614
- June 2026: 65,859
- May 2026: 74,010
- April 2026: 70,569
- March 2026: 61,450
- February 2026: 45,173
- January 2026: 36,137
Although August activity was approximately 23% below May’s seasonal peak, it remained approximately 58% higher than January, highlighting the continued size of Canada’s pre-mover audience.
Interestingly, August 2026 was also nearly level with August 2025, when 57,331 pre-mover households were identified. This suggests that the August decline largely reflects the seasonal progression of Canada’s moving market rather than an unusual drop in activity.
Pre-Mover Activity Remains Above Early-2026 Levels
Canada’s four largest provincial pre-mover markets accounted for the majority of households identified during August:
- Ontario: 27,973 (-12.2% MoM)
- Quebec: 10,571 (+15.6% MoM)
- British Columbia: 6,801 (-30.9% MoM)
- Alberta: 6,696 (-8.1% MoM)
Ontario represented approximately 49% of all Canadian pre-mover households identified during August, continuing to make it the country’s largest market for pre-mover targeting.
Quebec moved in the opposite direction from the national trend. Following a substantial decline in July, Quebec pre-mover volume increased by approximately 16% in August, reaching 10,571 households.
British Columbia experienced the largest decline among Canada’s four largest provincial markets, falling approximately 31% month over month following its strong July performance
Provincial Activity Was Mixed Across Canada
Although national pre-mover activity declined in August, the provincial results show that moving activity does not moderate uniformly across the country.
Two provinces recorded notable month-over-month increases:
- Manitoba: +17%
- Quebec: +16%
Meanwhile, several provinces recorded declines:
- British Columbia: -31%
- Nova Scotia: -17%
- New Brunswick: -15%
- Ontario: -12%
- Newfoundland and Labrador: -11%
- Prince Edward Island: -9%
- Alberta: -8%
- Saskatchewan: -7%
These differences highlight the importance of looking beyond national totals when planning geographically targeted acquisition campaigns. While overall Canadian pre-mover volume moderated in August, opportunities remained substantial — and some provincial markets actually expanded.
What This Means for Marketers
August’s results demonstrate why timing matters when reaching consumers preparing to move.
Even as the peak spring and summer moving period begins to wind down, more than 57,000 Canadian households were identified as pre-movers during the month.
These households may be actively:
- Finalizing relocation plans
- Researching products and services
- Comparing providers
- Planning household purchases
- Evaluating services for their future address
Unlike new movers, pre-movers have not yet completed their relocation. This gives marketers an opportunity to establish awareness and customer relationships while many purchasing decisions are still being made.
Organizations leveraging a Canadian consumer database pre-mover mailing list can reach these households before the move and potentially before competitors establish relationships at the new address.
Bottom Line
Canada identified 57,244 pre-mover households in August 2026, representing a 10.0% decrease from July as the market continued its transition away from peak moving-season activity.
However, August volume remained approximately 58% higher than January, while total activity was virtually unchanged from August 2025.
Provincial trends also varied considerably, with Quebec and Manitoba recording increases despite the national decline.
For marketers, this means the pre-mover opportunity remains significant — but increasingly requires attention to regional trends, timing, and geography as Canada’s moving season progresses.
📊 Leverage Cleanlist’s Pre-Mover Data
Cleanlist’s Pre-Mover dataset identifies households preparing to relocate — often weeks or months before the move occurs. With Cleanlist, you can:
- Target pre-movers by geography and household characteristics
- Reach consumers before competitors saturate the market
- Align messaging with peak decision-making timing
👉 Cleanlist offers self-service opportunity counts to help you size the market. See our consumer data page to explore available segments and activation options.
