Why Do Canadians Downsize? What CMHC and Census Data Actually Show
Most older Canadians don't downsize. CMHC found that about 913,000 households aged 45 to 84 moved to smaller homes between 2011 and 2021, a minority of those who could have. People who do move give two kinds of reasons: pushed by upkeep, stairs or health, or pulled toward a better fit. Here's why people downsize in Canada, by the numbers.
Key takeaways
Canada had 7.0 million people aged 65 and older in 2021, or 19.0% of the population (Statistics Canada, 2022).
96% of Canadians aged 65 and older would prefer to age in place (National Institute on Ageing, 2021, cited by the FPT Seniors Forum, 2025).
About 913,000 households aged 45 to 84 moved to smaller homes from 2011 to 2021, roughly 91,300 a year. CMHC calls downsizing a trend "confined to a minority" (CMHC, 2023).
Of Canada's three largest metro areas, Toronto and Vancouver households are the most likely to move to condominiums as they age (CMHC, 2023).
A small study of recent downsizers found that people pushed into moving felt less in control and reported lower wellbeing than people drawn toward something they wanted (Costlow et al., 2020).
What is rightsizing? CMHC describes rightsizing as "finding a place that better suits your needs and lifestyle, and which can more easily accommodate changes in your needs or abilities as you age." It's about fit, not about having less.
How many Canadians are reaching downsizing age?
More than ever. The 2021 Census counted 7.0 million people aged 65 and older, nearly one in five Canadians (19.0%), up from 16.9% in 2016. Statistics Canada projects that share could reach 24.9% by 2051.
Most of them still live in a house. Among adults 65 and older living in private dwellings, 60% live in single-detached homes, according to a 2025 report for the Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Seniors Forum using Statistics Canada data. So the question of "what next?" is landing on a lot of kitchen tables at once.
By the numbers: downsizing in Canada
Statistic | Figure | Source and date |
Canadians aged 65 and older | 7.0 million, or 19.0% of the population (2021) | |
Projected share aged 65 and older by 2051 | 24.9% | |
Adults 65+ in private dwellings who live in single-detached homes | 60% (2021) | |
Canadians 65+ who would prefer to age in place | 96% | |
Households aged 45 to 84 that moved from larger to smaller homes | About 913,000 from 2011 to 2021 (about 91,300 a year) | |
Households aged 45 to 84 living in homes with 3+ bedrooms | A little over 5 million (2011) | |
Owner households aged 65 to 69 in 2011 who owned a condo | 12.3%, rising to 17.4% by 2021 when the same group was 75 to 79 | |
Dwellings in the Toronto area that are high-rise apartments | 30.7%, the highest share of any large urban centre (2021) |
CMHC measured home size by number of bedrooms, since it had no floor-space data. "Toronto area" is the Toronto census metropolitan area, which includes Markham.
How common is downsizing, really?
Less common than the headlines suggest. CMHC's 2023 analysis followed the same age groups from one census to the next. About 913,000 households aged 45 to 84 shifted from large homes to smaller ones between 2011 and 2021. That sounds like a lot until you set it beside the little over 5 million households in that age range who were living in homes with three or more bedrooms in 2011.
CMHC's conclusion is plain: downsizing "is a trend as households age, but it remains confined to a minority of elderly households in Canada." Its report adds that many senior households, especially younger ones, appear to be choosing to age in their homes rather than sell.
That lines up with what people say they want: 96% of Canadians aged 65 and older would prefer to age in place (National Institute on Ageing, 2021).
Why do people downsize in Canada? Push and pull reasons
Researchers often sort moving decisions into "push" and "pull" factors. Push factors make the current home harder to live in. Pull factors draw you toward something better. Here's how the reasons named by CMHC fall into those two groups:
Push: the house is getting harder | Pull: the next home fits better |
Children have left the family home (CMHC, 2023) | Living closer to friends and family (CMHC guide) |
A larger property is hard to keep up (CMHC, 2023) | More social and recreational options nearby: shops, parks, libraries (CMHC guide) |
The home can't keep pace with changes in health or mobility, including stairs (CMHC guide) | Shopping, services and transit within easy walking distance (CMHC guide) |
Regular maintenance cuts into free time (CMHC guide) | Room to keep doing the hobbies you love, like cooking, gardening or having friends over (CMHC guide) |
More personal or healthcare support may be needed (CMHC guide) | A home that's a little smaller, with fewer or no stairs (CMHC guide) |
Grouping into push and pull is ours. The reasons come from CMHC's 2023 Housing Market Insight and the questions in CMHC's "Downsizing or rightsizing?" consumer guide.
Illustrative graphic based on CMHC sources.
Why does the difference matter? In a study of 68 older adults who had downsized within the past year, people whose decisions were driven more by push factors felt less control over the move, found it harder to feel at home in their new place, and reported lower wellbeing and move satisfaction (Costlow et al., 2020). It's a small U.S. study, so treat it as a signal rather than a rule. But it matches what CMHC's guide advises: plan early, so you're making "an informed choice rather [than] being forced to make a rush decision during an emergency."
Downsizing, rightsizing and smart-sizing: what's the difference?
The three words get used interchangeably, but they point in different directions:
Downsizing means moving to a smaller home. It's the measure CMHC tracks, by number of bedrooms.
Rightsizing is CMHC's term for "finding a place that better suits your needs and lifestyle," whether or not it's smaller.
Smart-sizing is the word we use at inCAN and The Unionville for rightsizing into a home that's shaped around how you live: the closets and storage, the den, the finishes. The goal is less space you don't use and more of the space you do.
Notice that even the official definition of aging in place leaves room for a move. The FPT Seniors Forum defines it as having the supports you need "to live safely and independently in your home or your community for as long as you wish and are able." Moving to a better-suited home in the community you already know can be part of aging in place, not the opposite of it.
Who moves to condos as they age?
Some do, and Toronto and Vancouver stand out. Among Canadian owner households aged 65 to 69 in 2011, 12.3% owned a condo. Ten years later, when that same group was 75 to 79, the share was 17.4% (CMHC, 2023).
CMHC calls the overall shift "quite limited," but it found some differences between Canada's three largest metro areas. As households age, those in Toronto and Vancouver are the most likely to transition to condominiums, while Montréal households lean toward renting.
What this means for Markham
For families in Markham and the rest of York Region, the national picture comes into sharper focus:
The age wave is here. In 2021, 18.5% of Ontarians were 65 or older (Statistics Canada, 2022).
Condo living is familiar. The Toronto area, which includes Markham, has the highest share of high-rise apartments of any large urban centre in Canada, at 30.7% of dwellings.
Toronto-area households lean toward condos. Among Canada's three largest metro areas, CMHC found Toronto and Vancouver households the most likely to move to condominiums as they age.
Most people would still rather stay. With 96% preferring to age in place, a move has to earn its place. It needs to feel like home, in a neighbourhood people already know.
Representative image
That's the thinking behind The Unionville, our mid-rise community in Angus Glen, Markham. Its home-sized suites are planned with people moving from a house in mind. Customization is part of your purchase, so you can plan designer closets and storage around what you actually own, or resize the den or turn it into a hobby space. Bigger layout changes, like moving walls, are considered where possible, subject to design review. You can read more about the idea in Right Size Your Life: Why Your Next Move Isn't Downsizing, It's an Upgrade and The Rise of Smart-Sizing, or learn about inCAN Developments' custom-home roots.
Coming up in this series: a 12-month smart-sizing timeline, from decision to move-in (November 17), and a decision framework for whether to stay, downsize or right-size in Markham (November 24, on The Unionville blog).
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of Canadian seniors downsize?
CMHC doesn't publish a single percentage, but its 2023 analysis found that about 913,000 households aged 45 to 84 moved from larger to smaller homes between 2011 and 2021, compared with a little over 5 million households in that age range living in homes with three or more bedrooms in 2011. CMHC describes downsizing as confined to a minority of elderly households.
What is the difference between downsizing and rightsizing?
Downsizing means moving to a smaller home. Rightsizing, as CMHC puts it, means finding a place that better suits your needs and lifestyle and can adapt as your needs change, whether or not it is smaller.
Do most Canadian seniors want to age in place?
Yes. The National Institute on Ageing found in 2021 that 96% of Canadians aged 65 and older would prefer to age in place. Aging in place can include moving to a better-suited home within the same community.
Are older Canadians moving to condos?
Some are. CMHC found that among owner households aged 65 to 69 in 2011, the share owning a condo rose from 12.3% to 17.4% by 2021. Among Canada's three largest metro areas, households in Toronto and Vancouver are the most likely to move to condos as they age.
Can I customize a new inCAN condo to fit how I live?
Customization is part of your purchase. At The Unionville, buyers can plan options such as designer closets and storage or a resized den or hobby space, and structural changes are considered where possible, subject to design review.
Sources
Statistics Canada, The Daily, "In the midst of high job vacancies and historically low unemployment, Canada faces record retirements from an aging labour force: number of seniors aged 65 and older grows six times faster than children 0-14" (2021 Census), April 27, 2022. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220427/dq220427a-eng.htm
Federal, Provincial and Territorial Seniors Forum (prepared for Employment and Social Development Canada), Housing supply needs and challenges for a diverse seniors population in Canada, November 2025 (sections 2.8, 3.5 and 4.7). https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/seniors-forum-federal-provincial-territorial/reports-publications/housing-diverse-seniors.html
CMHC, Housing Market Insight: What do we know about elderly people's behaviour on the Canadian real estate market?, November 2023. https://assets.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/sites/cmhc/professional/housing-markets-data-and-research/market-reports/housing-market-insight/2023/housing-market-insight-canada-m11-en.pdf
CMHC, Downsizing or rightsizing? Choosing the right home for the next phase of your life (consumer guide, PDF © 2016). https://assets.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/sf/project/cmhc/pdfs/content/en/downsizing-rightsizing.pdf
Costlow, K., Choi, S., Roskos, B. and Parmelee, P., "When Less Is More: Downsizing, Sense of Place, and Well-Being in Late Life," Innovation in Aging 4(Suppl 1), December 2020 (conference abstract). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7742778/
Images: renders are labelled "Artist's concept". Stock and AI-generated images are labelled "Representative image".
E.&O.E.
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