After holding remarkably steady through July and August, Canada’s mover market changed direction in September.
A total of 64,569 mover households were recorded during the month, up from 54,194 in August.
That’s an increase of more than 10,000 households in a single month, representing 19.1% month-over-month growth.
The increase also breaks the relatively narrow range seen throughout the summer. June, July, and August each recorded between approximately 54,000 and 56,000 movers before September pushed activity above 64,000.
For organizations using a Canadian consumer database, the increase represents a significantly larger audience of recently relocated households entering the market.
September Breaks Away From the Summer Plateau
August’s results suggested that Canada’s mover market was beginning to level out.
Instead, September delivered the strongest mover volume since the beginning of the summer.
Recent monthly activity shows the change clearly:
- September 2026: 64,569
- August 2026: 54,194
- July 2026: 53,862
- June 2026: 55,579
- May 2026: 38,375
- April 2026: 45,270
- March 2026: 38,419
- February 2026: 26,204
- January 2026: 47,473
September’s total was approximately 16% higher than June, which had previously been the strongest month of 2026.
The year-over-year comparison also moved in a different direction from August.
August 2026 had been approximately 7.8% below the same month in 2025. In September, however, mover activity reached 64,569 households compared with 60,401 in September 2025 — an increase of approximately 6.9% year over year.
September therefore represents more than a month-to-month rebound. It marks the first month since the summer peak where 2026 mover activity has moved meaningfully ahead of the comparable period last year.
Canada’s Largest Mover Markets All Grew
Unlike August, when provincial performance was mixed, September’s increase was supported by growth across all four of Canada’s largest mover markets:
- Ontario: 28,943 (+10.4% MoM)
- Quebec: 11,915 (+33.6% MoM)
- British Columbia: 10,539 (+49.4% MoM)
- Alberta: 8,020 (+7.5% MoM)
Ontario remained Canada’s largest mover market, accounting for approximately 45% of all households identified nationally.
September also marked Ontario’s third consecutive month of growth, rising from 25,237 households in July to 26,222 in August and 28,943 in September.
But the biggest change came from British Columbia.
BC mover activity increased by nearly 50% in a single month, rising from 7,052 households in August to 10,539 in September.
Quebec also recorded substantial growth, climbing approximately 34% to 11,915 households.
Together, these increases helped turn what had been a relatively stable national mover market into a much stronger September.
Growth Extended Beyond the Largest Provinces
September’s increase was not limited to Canada’s largest markets.
Several smaller provinces also recorded substantial month-over-month growth:
- Saskatchewan: +25%
- Nova Scotia: +22%
- New Brunswick: +19%
- Newfoundland and Labrador: +17%
Only two provinces moved lower during the month:
- Manitoba: -6%
- Prince Edward Island: -4%
That breadth is important.
In August, national stability masked significant differences between provinces. September presents almost the opposite picture: the national increase was supported by growth across most of the country.
This makes September one of the more broadly positive months for mover activity seen so far in 2026.
More Movers Means More New Purchasing Decisions
A move doesn’t end when the boxes are unpacked.
Recently relocated households often spend the weeks and months following a move establishing new routines, replacing products, finding local businesses, and choosing providers for their new home.
September added more than 64,000 households to that audience.
Those households may be making decisions involving:
- Furniture and home furnishings
- Internet, utilities, and telecommunications
- Insurance and financial services
- Home improvement and renovation
- Security and home services
- Local retailers and service providers
The timing matters because many of these relationships can persist well beyond the initial move.
Reaching a household shortly after relocation can therefore give brands an opportunity to establish a relationship while consumers are actively reconsidering where they shop, which services they use, and which providers they trust.
A Canadian Consumer Database New Mover Household Mailing List allows organizations to identify these recently relocated consumers and target campaigns geographically and around the timing of the move.
Bottom Line
August suggested Canada’s mover market might be settling into a late-summer plateau.
September changed that picture.
Canada recorded 64,569 mover households, a 19.1% increase from August and approximately 6.9% more than September 2025.
The increase was also geographically broad. Ontario recorded its third consecutive month of growth, while British Columbia surged 49% and Quebec increased 34%. Most smaller provincial markets moved higher as well.
For marketers, September created a considerably larger pool of recently relocated Canadian households — consumers who are now establishing new homes, routines, purchasing habits, and service relationships.
📊Leverage Cleanlist’s New Mover Data
Cleanlist’s New Mover dataset is Canada’s most comprehensive, continuously updated source of verified move activity. With Cleanlist, you can:
Target movers by geography, household profile, or precise move timing
Align outreach with critical post-move decision windows
Improve campaign accuracy and ROI using high-quality, AI-ready data
📩 Want mover data for your area?
Cleanlist offers a free personalized data discovery report to help you see exactly how many movers are available in your target market — and how you can put that insight to work.
