Housing

Homeownership, shelter costs, affordability, and core housing need. — 2021 Census of Population

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Core Housing Need (%)

% of households in core housing need (failing adequacy, suitability, or affordability)

Distribution by riding

Share of households in core housing need by federal riding, 2021 Census. Median 9.2%; range 2.0% (Compton—Stanstead) to 32.9% (Nunavut); half of ridings between 6.7% and 12.1%. Canada: 10.1%.

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Canada 10.1%

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Vertical axis: Share of households in core housing need (%)

Each dot is one federal riding (343 with a figure; 2023 Representation Order), placed by its value and spread across the axis so that dots do not overlap. The line marks the value for Canada as a whole (10.1%). Prairies: Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Atlantic: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. North: Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population.

Highest and lowest ridings

Share of households in core housing need by federal riding, 2021 Census. 343 ridings ranked from highest (1) to lowest; tied values share a rank. Bars start at zero on one scale; the vertical line marks the value for Canada (10.1%).

10 highest

The 10 ridings with the highest values: share of households in core housing need, 2021 Census
Rank	Riding	Value
1	NunavutNU	32.9%
2	York South—Weston—EtobicokeON	25.4%
3	Humber River—Black CreekON	24.4%
4	Richmond Centre—MarpoleBC	23.3%
5	Scarborough Centre—Don Valley EastON	22.8%
6	Scarborough—WoburnON	22.2%
7	Scarborough—AgincourtON	21.9%
7	Toronto CentreON	21.9%
9	Vancouver CentreBC	21.8%
10	Vancouver EastBC	21.7%

10 lowest

The 10 ridings with the lowest values: share of households in core housing need, 2021 Census, lowest first
Rank	Riding	Value
343	Compton—StansteadQC	2.0%
342	BeauceQC	2.1%
341	Richmond—ArthabaskaQC	2.2%
340	Portneuf—Jacques-CartierQC	2.3%
339	Lévis—LotbinièreQC	2.4%
338	Chicoutimi—Le FjordQC	2.5%
336	JonquièreQC	2.6%
336	Saint-Maurice—ChamplainQC	2.6%
335	Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel—AlnôbakQC	2.7%
334	Montmorency—CharlevoixQC	2.8%

All 343 ridings, ranked

All ridings ranked by share of households in core housing need, 2021 Census, highest first
Rank	Riding	Province or territory	Value
1	Nunavut	Nunavut	32.9%
2	York South—Weston—Etobicoke	Ontario	25.4%
3	Humber River—Black Creek	Ontario	24.4%
4	Richmond Centre—Marpole	British Columbia	23.3%
5	Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East	Ontario	22.8%
6	Scarborough—Woburn	Ontario	22.2%
7	Scarborough—Agincourt	Ontario	21.9%
7	Toronto Centre	Ontario	21.9%
9	Vancouver Centre	British Columbia	21.8%
10	Vancouver East	British Columbia	21.7%
11	Etobicoke North	Ontario	21.6%
12	Burnaby Central	British Columbia	21.4%
12	Don Valley West	Ontario	21.4%
12	Hamilton Centre	Ontario	21.4%
15	Scarborough Southwest	Ontario	21.3%
16	York Centre	Ontario	21.1%
17	Winnipeg Centre	Manitoba	21.0%
18	Willowdale	Ontario	20.7%
19	Mississauga East—Cooksville	Ontario	20.5%
20	Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park	Ontario	20.4%
21	Surrey Centre	British Columbia	20.0%
22	Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River	Saskatchewan	19.3%
23	Davenport	Ontario	19.2%
23	Don Valley North	Ontario	19.2%
23	Edmonton Centre	Alberta	19.2%
23	New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville	British Columbia	19.2%
27	Richmond Hill South	Ontario	18.8%
27	Scarborough North	Ontario	18.8%
29	University—Rosedale	Ontario	18.4%
30	Beaches—East York	Ontario	18.3%
30	Richmond East—Steveston	British Columbia	18.3%
32	Toronto—St. Paul's	Ontario	18.2%
33	Toronto—Danforth	Ontario	18.1%
34	Edmonton Griesbach	Alberta	17.7%
35	Eglinton—Lawrence	Ontario	17.5%
35	Victoria	British Columbia	17.5%
37	Vancouver Granville	British Columbia	17.4%
38	Mississauga Centre	Ontario	17.2%
39	Brampton Centre	Ontario	17.1%
39	North Vancouver—Capilano	British Columbia	17.1%
41	Etobicoke—Lakeshore	Ontario	16.9%
42	Vancouver Kingsway	British Columbia	16.8%
43	Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby	British Columbia	16.6%
44	Oshawa	Ontario	16.5%
45	Ottawa—Vanier—Gloucester	Ontario	16.4%
46	Ottawa West—Nepean	Ontario	16.3%
47	Etobicoke Centre	Ontario	16.2%
47	Fleetwood—Port Kells	British Columbia	16.2%
47	Surrey Newton	British Columbia	16.2%
47	Vancouver Quadra	British Columbia	16.2%
51	Thornhill	Ontario	15.8%
52	Brampton—Chinguacousy Park	Ontario	15.7%
53	Halifax	Nova Scotia	15.5%
54	Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam	British Columbia	15.4%
55	Calgary Centre	Alberta	15.1%
56	Markham—Unionville	Ontario	15.0%
56	Ottawa South	Ontario	15.0%
58	Mississauga—Lakeshore	Ontario	14.8%
59	Cloverdale—Langley City	British Columbia	14.6%
59	London Centre	Ontario	14.6%
59	South Surrey—White Rock	British Columbia	14.6%
62	Burnaby North—Seymour	British Columbia	14.2%
62	Saskatoon West	Saskatchewan	14.2%
62	Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park	Ontario	14.2%
65	Bourassa	Quebec	14.1%
66	Markham—Thornhill	Ontario	13.8%
67	Calgary East	Alberta	13.6%
67	Ottawa Centre	Ontario	13.6%
69	Edmonton Strathcona	Alberta	13.4%
69	Lakeland	Alberta	13.4%
71	Northwest Territories	Northwest Territories	13.2%
71	Port Moody—Coquitlam	British Columbia	13.2%
71	Spadina—Harbourfront	Ontario	13.2%
74	Dartmouth—Cole Harbour	Nova Scotia	13.1%
74	Yukon	Yukon	13.1%
76	Mississauga—Malton	Ontario	13.0%
77	Halifax West	Nova Scotia	12.8%
78	Calgary Confederation	Alberta	12.7%
78	Kitchener Centre	Ontario	12.7%
78	Papineau	Quebec	12.7%
81	Abbotsford—South Langley	British Columbia	12.6%
82	Regina—Qu'Appelle	Saskatchewan	12.5%
83	Hamilton East—Stoney Creek	Ontario	12.4%
83	Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge	British Columbia	12.4%
83	St. Catharines	Ontario	12.4%
86	Mississauga—Erin Mills	Ontario	12.1%
87	Newmarket—Aurora	Ontario	12.0%
87	Yorkton—Melville	Saskatchewan	12.0%
89	Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte	Ontario	11.8%
89	Brampton South	Ontario	11.8%
89	Guelph	Ontario	11.8%
92	Windsor West	Ontario	11.7%
92	Winnipeg North	Manitoba	11.7%
94	Hamilton Mountain	Ontario	11.5%
94	Langley Township—Fraser Heights	British Columbia	11.5%
94	Peterborough	Ontario	11.5%
97	Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill	Ontario	11.4%
97	Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke	British Columbia	11.4%
99	West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country	British Columbia	11.3%
100	Ahuntsic-Cartierville	Quebec	11.2%
100	Bay of Quinte	Ontario	11.2%
100	Niagara South	Ontario	11.2%
100	Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie	Quebec	11.2%
104	Battle River—Crowfoot	Alberta	11.1%
104	Laurier—Sainte-Marie	Quebec	11.1%
104	Markham—Stouffville	Ontario	11.1%
107	Delta	British Columbia	11.0%
107	Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola	British Columbia	11.0%
107	Nanaimo—Ladysmith	British Columbia	11.0%
107	Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel	Quebec	11.0%
107	St. Boniface—St. Vital	Manitoba	11.0%
112	Parry Sound—Muskoka	Ontario	10.9%
113	Calgary McKnight	Alberta	10.8%
113	Swift Current—Grasslands—Kindersley	Saskatchewan	10.8%
115	Ajax	Ontario	10.7%
115	Grande Prairie	Alberta	10.7%
115	London—Fanshawe	Ontario	10.7%
115	New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury	Ontario	10.7%
119	Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est	Quebec	10.6%
119	Peace River—Westlock	Alberta	10.6%
121	Cape Spear	Newfoundland and Labrador	10.5%
121	Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle	Quebec	10.5%
121	Oakville West	Ontario	10.5%
124	Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake	Saskatchewan	10.4%
124	Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations	Ontario	10.4%
124	Kingston and the Islands	Ontario	10.4%
124	Outremont	Quebec	10.4%
124	Regina—Wascana	Saskatchewan	10.4%
124	York—Durham	Ontario	10.4%
130	Edmonton Manning	Alberta	10.3%
130	Kildonan—St. Paul	Manitoba	10.3%
130	Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount	Quebec	10.3%
133	Leduc—Wetaskiwin	Alberta	10.2%
134	Brampton North—Caledon	Ontario	10.1%
134	LaSalle—Émard—Verdun	Quebec	10.1%
134	Nipissing—Timiskaming	Ontario	10.1%
134	Winnipeg South Centre	Manitoba	10.1%
138	Elmwood—Transcona	Manitoba	10.0%
138	Mississauga—Streetsville	Ontario	10.0%
138	Mount Royal	Quebec	10.0%
138	Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake	Ontario	10.0%
138	North Island—Powell River	British Columbia	10.0%
138	Rivière-du-Nord	Quebec	10.0%
144	Calgary Nose Hill	Alberta	9.9%
144	Prince Albert	Saskatchewan	9.9%
146	Barrie South—Innisfil	Ontario	9.8%
146	Brampton East	Ontario	9.8%
146	Brampton West	Ontario	9.8%
146	Cambridge	Ontario	9.8%
146	Chilliwack—Hope	British Columbia	9.8%
146	Courtenay—Alberni	British Columbia	9.8%
146	Kelowna	British Columbia	9.8%
146	Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne	Quebec	9.8%
146	Parkland	Alberta	9.8%
155	Simcoe North	Ontario	9.6%
156	Edmonton West	Alberta	9.5%
156	Oakville East	Ontario	9.5%
156	Saint-Laurent	Quebec	9.5%
159	Burlington	Ontario	9.4%
159	Cumberland—Colchester	Nova Scotia	9.4%
159	Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes	Ontario	9.4%
159	London West	Ontario	9.4%
159	St. John's East	Newfoundland and Labrador	9.4%
164	Calgary Signal Hill	Alberta	9.3%
164	Sudbury	Ontario	9.3%
164	Vimy	Quebec	9.3%
167	Moncton—Dieppe	New Brunswick	9.2%
167	Pickering—Brooklin	Ontario	9.2%
167	Red Deer	Alberta	9.2%
167	Saskatoon South	Saskatchewan	9.2%
167	Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman	Manitoba	9.2%
167	Skeena—Bulkley Valley	British Columbia	9.2%
167	Souris—Moose Mountain	Saskatchewan	9.2%
167	Vaughan—Woodbridge	Ontario	9.2%
175	Sydney—Glace Bay	Nova Scotia	9.1%
176	Calgary Heritage	Alberta	9.0%
176	Cowichan—Malahat—Langford	British Columbia	9.0%
176	Lethbridge	Alberta	9.0%
176	South Shore—St. Margarets	Nova Scotia	9.0%
180	Charlottetown	Prince Edward Island	8.9%
180	Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas	Ontario	8.9%
180	La Pointe-de-l'Île	Quebec	8.9%
180	Whitby	Ontario	8.9%
184	Acadie—Annapolis	Nova Scotia	8.8%
184	Edmonton Gateway	Alberta	8.8%
184	Saanich—Gulf Islands	British Columbia	8.8%
184	Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma	Ontario	8.8%
188	Dufferin—Caledon	Ontario	8.7%
188	King—Vaughan	Ontario	8.7%
188	Milton East—Halton Hills South	Ontario	8.7%
188	Riding Mountain	Manitoba	8.7%
188	Winnipeg South	Manitoba	8.7%
193	Calgary Midnapore	Alberta	8.6%
193	Churchill—Keewatinook Aski	Manitoba	8.6%
193	Saskatoon—University	Saskatchewan	8.6%
193	Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs	Quebec	8.6%
197	Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek	Saskatchewan	8.5%
197	Edmonton Southeast	Alberta	8.5%
197	Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner	Alberta	8.5%
197	Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong	Ontario	8.5%
201	Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay	British Columbia	8.4%
201	Thunder Bay—Rainy River	Ontario	8.4%
201	Thunder Bay—Superior North	Ontario	8.4%
204	Edmonton Northwest	Alberta	8.3%
204	Sackville—Bedford—Preston	Nova Scotia	8.3%
204	Winnipeg West	Manitoba	8.3%
207	Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan	Saskatchewan	8.2%
208	Northumberland—Clarke	Ontario	8.1%
209	Kitchener South—Hespeler	Ontario	8.0%
209	Vernon—Lake Country—Monashee	British Columbia	8.0%
209	Waterloo	Ontario	8.0%
212	Bowmanville—Oshawa North	Ontario	7.9%
212	Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies	British Columbia	7.9%
212	Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies	British Columbia	7.9%
212	Regina—Lewvan	Saskatchewan	7.9%
212	Windsor—Tecumseh—Lakeshore	Ontario	7.9%
217	Hastings—Lennox and Addington—Tyendinaga	Ontario	7.8%
217	Kenora—Kiiwetinoong	Ontario	7.8%
217	Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies	British Columbia	7.8%
220	Beauport—Limoilou	Quebec	7.7%
220	Central Newfoundland	Newfoundland and Labrador	7.7%
220	Fredericton—Oromocto	New Brunswick	7.7%
220	Kapuskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk	Ontario	7.7%
220	Longueuil—Saint-Hubert	Quebec	7.7%
220	St. Albert—Sturgeon River	Alberta	7.7%
226	Chatham-Kent—Leamington	Ontario	7.6%
226	Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry	Ontario	7.6%
226	Terra Nova—The Peninsulas	Newfoundland and Labrador	7.6%
229	Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou	Quebec	7.5%
229	Brandon—Souris	Manitoba	7.5%
229	Edmonton Riverbend	Alberta	7.5%
229	Honoré-Mercier	Quebec	7.5%
233	Calgary Skyview	Alberta	7.4%
233	Long Range Mountains	Newfoundland and Labrador	7.4%
233	Nepean	Ontario	7.4%
233	Québec Centre	Quebec	7.4%
233	Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt	Ontario	7.4%
238	Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish	Nova Scotia	7.3%
238	Egmont	Prince Edward Island	7.3%
238	Provencher	Manitoba	7.3%
238	Yellowhead	Alberta	7.3%
242	Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna	British Columbia	7.2%
243	Airdrie—Cochrane	Alberta	7.1%
243	Cariboo—Prince George	British Columbia	7.1%
243	Kings—Hants	Nova Scotia	7.1%
243	Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford	British Columbia	7.1%
243	Saint John—Kennebecasis	New Brunswick	7.1%
243	Saint-Jean	Quebec	7.1%
243	Simcoe—Grey	Ontario	7.1%
250	Burlington North—Milton West	Ontario	7.0%
250	Ponoka—Didsbury	Alberta	7.0%
252	Cardigan	Prince Edward Island	6.9%
252	Elgin—St. Thomas—London South	Ontario	6.9%
254	Central Nova	Nova Scotia	6.8%
254	Hull—Aylmer	Quebec	6.8%
254	Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes	Ontario	6.8%
257	Kanata	Ontario	6.7%
257	Tobique—Mactaquac	New Brunswick	6.7%
259	Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke	Ontario	6.6%
259	Bow River	Alberta	6.6%
259	Niagara West	Ontario	6.6%
262	Calgary Crowfoot	Alberta	6.5%
263	Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound	Ontario	6.4%
263	Laurentides—Labelle	Quebec	6.4%
265	Foothills	Alberta	6.2%
265	Lanark—Frontenac	Ontario	6.2%
265	Pierrefonds—Dollard	Quebec	6.2%
268	Brossard—Saint-Lambert	Quebec	6.1%
268	Laval—Les Îles	Quebec	6.1%
268	Prescott—Russell—Cumberland	Ontario	6.1%
271	Rivière-des-Mille-Îles	Quebec	6.0%
271	Saint John—St. Croix	New Brunswick	6.0%
273	Avalon	Newfoundland and Labrador	5.9%
273	Fort McMurray—Cold Lake	Alberta	5.9%
273	Miramichi—Grand Lake	New Brunswick	5.9%
276	Perth—Wellington	Ontario	5.8%
276	Wellington—Halton Hills North	Ontario	5.8%
278	Orléans	Ontario	5.7%
279	Alfred-Pellan	Quebec	5.6%
279	Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation	Quebec	5.6%
281	Calgary Shepard	Alberta	5.5%
281	Châteauguay—Les Jardins-de-Napierville	Quebec	5.5%
281	Haldimand—Norfolk	Ontario	5.5%
281	Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi	Quebec	5.5%
281	Portage—Lisgar	Manitoba	5.5%
281	Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan	Alberta	5.5%
287	Labrador	Newfoundland and Labrador	5.4%
288	Gatineau	Quebec	5.3%
288	Kitchener—Conestoga	Ontario	5.3%
290	Carleton	Ontario	5.2%
290	Repentigny	Quebec	5.2%
290	Sherbrooke	Quebec	5.2%
293	Joliette—Manawan	Quebec	5.1%
293	Thérèse-De Blainville	Quebec	5.1%
295	Flamborough—Glanbrook—Brant North	Ontario	5.0%
296	Huron—Bruce	Ontario	4.9%
296	Middlesex—London	Ontario	4.9%
298	Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon	Quebec	4.8%
298	Beauséjour	New Brunswick	4.8%
298	Fundy Royal	New Brunswick	4.8%
298	Oxford	Ontario	4.8%
298	Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton	Quebec	4.8%
303	Les Pays-d'en-Haut	Quebec	4.7%
303	Mirabel	Quebec	4.7%
305	Lac-Saint-Louis	Quebec	4.6%
305	Madawaska—Restigouche	New Brunswick	4.6%
305	Malpeque	Prince Edward Island	4.6%
305	Rimouski—La Matapédia	Quebec	4.6%
305	Terrebonne	Quebec	4.6%
310	Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis	Quebec	4.4%
311	Abitibi—Témiscamingue	Quebec	4.2%
311	Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles	Quebec	4.2%
311	Louis-Hébert	Quebec	4.2%
314	Acadie—Bathurst	New Brunswick	4.1%
314	Beloeil—Chambly	Quebec	4.1%
314	La Prairie—Atateken	Quebec	4.1%
314	Montcalm	Quebec	4.1%
314	Vaudreuil	Quebec	4.1%
319	Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj	Quebec	4.0%
319	Trois-Rivières	Quebec	4.0%
321	Essex	Ontario	3.9%
321	Marc-Aurèle-Fortin	Quebec	3.9%
323	Côte-du-Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—Témiscouata	Quebec	3.7%
323	Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan	Quebec	3.7%
325	Drummond	Quebec	3.6%
326	Berthier—Maskinongé	Quebec	3.5%
327	Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk	Quebec	3.3%
328	Shefford	Quebec	3.2%
329	Brome—Missisquoi	Quebec	3.1%
329	Lac-Saint-Jean	Quebec	3.1%
331	Mégantic—L’Érable—Lotbinière	Quebec	3.0%
331	Mont-Saint-Bruno—L’Acadie	Quebec	3.0%
331	Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères	Quebec	3.0%
334	Montmorency—Charlevoix	Quebec	2.8%
335	Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel—Alnôbak	Quebec	2.7%
336	Jonquière	Quebec	2.6%
336	Saint-Maurice—Champlain	Quebec	2.6%
338	Chicoutimi—Le Fjord	Quebec	2.5%
339	Lévis—Lotbinière	Quebec	2.4%
340	Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier	Quebec	2.3%
341	Richmond—Arthabaska	Quebec	2.2%
342	Beauce	Quebec	2.1%
343	Compton—Stanstead	Quebec	2.0%

Value: % of households in core housing need (failing adequacy, suitability, or affordability). Riding names link to the riding's dissemination-area map for this topic.

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Housing — 2021 Census

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Housing in Canada

Housing affordability dominated public policy debate throughout the 2020s, and the 2021 Census provides the baseline data that frames the crisis. Nationally, 10.1 percent of Canadian households were in core housing need — meaning their housing was unaffordable, inadequate, or unsuitable and they could not afford an alternative. Another 23.4 percent spent 30 percent or more of their income on shelter costs (the standard affordability threshold). The housing topic maps 17 metrics including tenure (ownership vs. renting), shelter costs, dwelling values, core housing need, overcrowding, and subsidized housing that together reveal the fault lines of Canada's housing system.

Core Housing Need

Core housing need is Statistics Canada's composite measure of housing stress — a household must fail at least one of three tests (affordability, adequacy, suitability) and be unable to find acceptable alternative housing in their community at 30 percent of income.

Nunavut leads all ridings at 32.8 percent, where chronic housing shortages mean families of eight or more routinely share three-bedroom units. The next tier is dominated by immigrant-heavy GTA ridings: York South–Weston–Etobicoke (24.8%), Humber River–Black Creek (24.3%), and Scarborough Centre (22.2%). In these ridings, core need is driven primarily by affordability — recent immigrants paying market rent on modest incomes in an overheated Toronto housing market.

The lowest core housing need is found in rural Quebec: Richmond–Arthabaska and Compton–Stanstead (both 0.8%), Beauce (1.1%), Jonquière (1.1%). These are communities where housing is genuinely affordable — median dwelling values under $200,000 — and most residents own their homes outright or carry small mortgages.

Shelter Cost Burden

The 30-percent-of-income threshold for housing affordability captures a broader population than core housing need. At the riding level, the burden is heaviest in Toronto and Vancouver's most expensive neighbourhoods: Willowdale (42.5%), University–Rosedale (42.1%), and Vancouver Centre (41.7%).

These are ridings where high housing costs affect both renters and owners. In Willowdale, many homeowners are recent purchasers carrying large mortgages on Toronto's inflated prices, while renters face some of the highest market rents in the country. The pattern holds across the top ten: all are in the Toronto or Vancouver metro areas, where median dwelling values exceed $1 million.

Tenure: Owners and Renters

Canada's national homeownership rate was approximately 66.5 percent in 2021. But the riding-level data reveals extreme variation. The highest renter concentrations are in downtown cores: Laurier–Sainte-Marie (42.4% renter), Vancouver Centre (41.8%), and Toronto Centre (40.9%). These ridings are dominated by purpose-built rental apartments and investor-owned condos.

The highest ownership rates appear in rural and cottage-country ridings: Terra Nova–The Peninsulas (39.4% owner), South Shore–St. Margarets (37.8%), and Les Pays-d'en-Haut (37.2%). In these areas, low land costs and a tradition of homeownership mean that even modest-income households can own their homes.

Dwelling Values

The median dwelling value reveals Canada's housing geography in its starkest form. Vancouver Quadra leads all ridings at $2,381,454, followed by Vancouver Granville ($1,737,951) and Eglinton–Lawrence ($1,607,490). The top ten is split between Vancouver and Toronto, with West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast ($1,567,001) and North Vancouver–Capilano ($1,428,390) representing the North Shore.

At the bottom, New Brunswick dominates: Madawaska–Restigouche ($137,212), Miramichi–Grand Lake ($137,902), and Acadie–Bathurst ($138,706). The gap is staggering — a median home in Vancouver Quadra costs 17 times more than one in Madawaska–Restigouche. This ratio has widened steadily since the early 2000s as Vancouver and Toronto prices have detached from the rest of the country.

Overcrowding (Not Suitable)

The suitability standard measures whether a dwelling has enough bedrooms for its occupants based on the National Occupancy Standard. Nunavut again leads at 33.5 percent unsuitable, reflecting the territory's severe housing shortage. In southern Canada, overcrowding concentrates in immigrant-reception neighbourhoods: Humber River–Black Creek (24.4%), Etobicoke North (20.5%), Surrey Newton (19.8%), and Scarborough–Woburn (19.3%).

These are ridings where large multigenerational households occupy housing designed for smaller families, or where economic necessity forces multiple families to share a single unit. The overcrowding metric correlates strongly with core housing need and low income, making it a reliable indicator of housing stress.

Riding Rankings

Highest Core Housing Need

Rank	Riding	Core Need %
1	Nunavut	32.8%
2	York South–Weston–Etobicoke	24.8%
3	Humber River–Black Creek	24.3%
4	Richmond Centre–Marpole	22.9%
5	Scarborough Centre–Don Valley East	22.2%
6	Vancouver Centre	21.8%
7	Toronto Centre	21.7%
8	Scarborough–Woburn	21.6%
9	Scarborough–Agincourt	21.3%
10	Vancouver East	21.2%

Apart from Nunavut, every riding on this list is in the Toronto or Vancouver metro areas — Canada's two most expensive housing markets. The GTA dominates with six ridings, all in the inner suburbs where recent immigrants settle and face the sharpest affordability pressures. These are not downtown condos but the mid-rise apartment corridors of Scarborough, North York, and Etobicoke where purpose-built rental stock has not kept pace with demand.

Lowest Core Housing Need

Rank	Riding	Core Need %
1	Richmond–Arthabaska	0.8%
2	Compton–Stanstead	0.8%
3	Beauce	1.1%
4	Jonquière	1.1%
5	Lévis–Lotbinière	1.2%
6	Saint-Maurice–Champlain	1.2%
7	Mégantic–L'Érable–Lotbinière	1.3%
8	Montmorency–Charlevoix	1.3%
9	Portneuf–Jacques-Cartier	1.3%
10	Bécancour–Nicolet–Saurel–Alnôbak	1.3%

All ten are in Quebec — a remarkable finding that reflects the province's historically lower housing costs, higher homeownership rates in rural areas, and more extensive social housing system. The Beauce region in particular has some of the most affordable housing in southern Canada, with median dwelling values below $200,000 and a strong local manufacturing economy that provides stable employment.

Highest Median Dwelling Value

Rank	Riding	Median Value
1	Vancouver Quadra	$2,381,454
2	Vancouver Granville	$1,737,951
3	Eglinton–Lawrence	$1,607,490
4	West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast–Sea to Sky	$1,567,001
5	Toronto–St. Paul's	$1,552,312
6	Don Valley West	$1,523,285
7	Vancouver Kingsway	$1,441,816
8	North Vancouver–Capilano	$1,428,390
9	University–Rosedale	$1,412,037
10	Oakville East	$1,378,503

Vancouver claims five of the ten most expensive ridings — and Vancouver Quadra's median of $2.38 million is in a class of its own. The Toronto ridings on this list (Eglinton–Lawrence, Toronto–St. Paul's, Don Valley West, University–Rosedale) are all in the central city where detached homes regularly sell for over $2 million. Oakville East is the lone suburban entry, reflecting the maturation of the western GTA into a high-value housing market.

Lowest Median Dwelling Value

Rank	Riding	Median Value
1	Madawaska–Restigouche	$137,212
2	Miramichi–Grand Lake	$137,902
3	Acadie–Bathurst	$138,706
4	Sydney–Glace Bay	$156,344
5	Terra Nova–The Peninsulas	$156,460
6	Saint-Maurice–Champlain	$166,705
7	Mégantic–L'Érable–Lotbinière	$168,846
8	Tobique–Mactaquac	$169,746
9	Côte-Nord–Kawawachikamach–Nitassinan	$171,574
10	Central Nova	$175,000

New Brunswick claims three of the four cheapest ridings, with Cape Breton and Newfoundland close behind. These are regions of population decline where housing demand is falling even as the rest of Canada faces a supply crisis. A median home in Madawaska–Restigouche costs less than a year's rent in downtown Toronto — illustrating the two-speed nature of Canada's housing market.

Postal Code (FSA) Rankings

FSA-level data reveals neighbourhood-level extremes that riding averages conceal.

Most Expensive FSAs (Highest Median Dwelling Value)

Rank	FSA	Area	Median Value
1	V6N	Vancouver (Kerrisdale)	$3,320,000
2	V7S	West Vancouver (British Properties)	$3,200,000
3	V6C	Vancouver (Coal Harbour)	$3,020,000
4	V6L	Vancouver (Dunbar)	$3,020,000
5	V7V	West Vancouver South	$2,900,000
6	V6M	Vancouver (Marpole/South Granville)	$2,600,000
7	V6R	Vancouver (Point Grey)	$2,600,000
8	M2L	Toronto (Bridle Path/York Mills)	$2,500,000
9	V7W	West Vancouver West	$2,500,000
10	M2P	Toronto (Bayview Village)	$2,400,000

Vancouver dominates the most expensive list to a degree that no other Canadian city approaches. Eight of the top ten postal codes are in Vancouver or West Vancouver, with only two Toronto codes (M2L Bridle Path, M2P Bayview Village) breaking through. Kerrisdale (V6N) at $3.32 million is Canada's priciest postal code — a quiet residential neighbourhood of detached homes that has benefited from decades of capital inflows from Pacific Rim investors.

Least Expensive FSAs (Lowest Median Dwelling Value)

Rank	FSA	Area	Median Value
1	T6P	Edmonton (industrial)	$60,000
2	E8G	Madawaska County, NB	$75,000
3	E6A	Dieppe/Moncton area, NB	$80,000
4	E9C	Campbellton, NB	$80,000
5	E6J	Edmundston, NB	$85,000
6	E8C	Grand Falls, NB	$90,000
7	A0K	Northern Newfoundland	$100,000
8	A0M	Central Newfoundland	$100,000
9	B0L	Colchester County, NS	$100,000
10	E4A	Southeast NB	$100,000

New Brunswick dominates the cheapest list even more thoroughly than Vancouver dominates the most expensive. Five of the ten least expensive postal codes are in New Brunswick's northern francophone communities, where population decline has suppressed housing demand for decades. T6P in Edmonton appears as an outlier — its very low median likely reflects a small number of dwelling transactions in a primarily industrial area. The 55-to-1 ratio between Kerrisdale ($3.32M) and T6P ($60K) captures the full spectrum of Canada's housing market in two data points.

Highest Core Housing Need (by FSA)

Rank	FSA	Area	Core Need %
1	M4H	Toronto (Thorncliffe Park)	41.2%
2	X0C	Nunavut	37.4%
3	X0B	Eastern Nunavut	36.8%
4	X0G	Western NWT	32.4%
5	J0M	Nunavik, QC	30.4%
6	M4X	Toronto (Cabbagetown/Regent Park)	29.8%
7	X0A	Western Nunavut	29.5%
8	M3N	Toronto (Jane-Finch)	29.1%
9	M9N	Toronto (Weston)	28.5%
10	L6G	Brampton (Downtown)	28.2%

Torncliffe Park (M4H) surpasses even Nunavut for core housing need at 41.2 percent — a single high-rise neighbourhood in Toronto's inner suburbs where recent immigrant families crowd into aging apartment towers paying rents that consume most of their income. The northern territories (X0C, X0B, X0G, X0A, J0M) face a different crisis: there are simply not enough dwellings, and the cost of building new ones in the Arctic is five to ten times the southern Canadian average. The Toronto codes (M4X Regent Park, M3N Jane-Finch, M9N Weston) represent the city's most disadvantaged neighbourhoods, where subsidized housing waitlists stretch beyond a decade.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population. Riding boundaries reflect the 2022 Federal Electoral Districts. Adapted from Statistics Canada; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

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Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population. Adapted from Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.