Canada recorded 63,614 pre-mover households in July 2026, compared to 65,859 in June.
This represents a 3.4% month-over-month decrease, reflecting continued seasonal moderation following the elevated activity observed during Canada’s spring moving season.
July continued to provide organizations using a Canadian consumer database with a valuable opportunity to identify and engage pre-mover households before they completed their move.
Pre-Mover Activity Continues to Outpace Early 2026
The first seven months of 2026 illustrate the seasonal progression of Canada’s moving market:
- 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 activity has moderated from May’s seasonal peak, July remained approximately 76% higher than January, demonstrating that a large number of Canadian households continue to prepare for relocation.
Ontario Continues to Lead National Pre-Mover Activity
Canada’s largest provinces continued to account for the majority of pre-mover households identified in July:
- Ontario: 31,842 (+0.4% MoM)
- British Columbia: 9,840 (+15.9% MoM)
- Quebec: 9,144 (-21.4% MoM)
- Alberta: 7,289 (-8.8% MoM)
Ontario represented approximately 50% of all Canadian pre-mover households identified during July, reinforcing its importance for nationwide customer acquisition campaigns.
Among the four largest provinces, British Columbia was the only province to record a significant month-over-month increase, while Quebec experienced the largest seasonal decline.
Provincial Activity Was Mixed Across Canada
Following the broad seasonal moderation seen in June, provincial pre-mover activity varied across the country in July.
Several provinces recorded month-over-month increases:
- British Columbia: +16%
- Newfoundland and Labrador: +23%
- Prince Edward Island: +9%
Meanwhile, other provinces recorded declines, including:
- Quebec: -21%
- Manitoba: -17%
- Saskatchewan: -11%
- Alberta: -9%
- Ontario: essentially flat (+0.4%)
Despite these regional differences, national pre-mover activity remained well above the levels observed during the first two months of 2026.
What This Means for Marketers
July continues to represent a valuable opportunity to reach consumers before they complete their move.
Many households identified as pre-movers are actively:
- Finalizing relocation plans
- Researching products and services
- Comparing providers
- Making purchasing decisions related to their upcoming move
Unlike new movers, pre-movers are still evaluating many of the products and services they’ll need after relocating, making this an ideal stage for early customer acquisition.
Organizations leveraging a Canadian consumer database pre-mover mailing list can engage households before competitors establish new customer relationships.
Bottom Line
While pre-mover activity declined modestly from June, more than 63,000 Canadian households were identified as preparing for a move during July.
With activity remaining substantially above early-year levels, the pre-mover audience continues to provide marketers with an excellent opportunity to connect with consumers before major relocation-related purchasing decisions are finalized.
📊 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.
