Amid Toronto's rising cost of living, sky-high rent prices, and housing crisis, one demographic continues to leave Ontario en masse and relocate to other Canadian provinces where rental costs are much friendlier on their wallets.

While the mass exodus among young adults first began in the difficult times of early 2020, it looks like the movement is picking up speed once again, as approximately 14,000 people in their 20s left Ontario for other provinces in 2023. 

Young people are simply leaving Ontario pic.twitter.com/PoJJ3qIAN9

— Polling Canada (@CanadianPolling) February 24, 2024

This figure is roughly double the number of net-interprovincial migrations among other age groups in the province. According to Statistics Canada data, the main destination for the demographic continues to be Alberta, which saw a net-interprovincial migration of 15,500 last year. 

In fact, the government agency found that all provinces and territories recorded losses in their interprovincial migration exchanges in the third quarter of 2023 except for Alberta, which continued to have the highest gains. 

Don’t worry, old people will be leaving soon too.

Ontario won’t be able to afford itself.

— NOBODY (@nvn_osto) February 24, 2024

Alberta has now registered interprovincial migration gains of 10,000 or more for five consecutive quarters for the first time since comparable data were made available in 1971. 

"Most of Alberta's population gains through interprovincial migration were due to its exchanges with Ontario and British Columbia," Statistics Canada noted in its third-quarter overview. 

well when you make 90k and can't even afford to live by yourself what do you expect

— alexander (@spitefield) February 24, 2024

According to rental platform liv.rent's February rent reports, the average monthly rent price for an unfurnished, one-bedroom unit in Calgary is $1,665 and $1,269 in Edmonton. 

I mean yeah when you gotta make near 6 figures to live in a city with any jobs what other option is there pic.twitter.com/53G7H15Ax6

— Jeremy (@JBplaysDG) February 24, 2024

For young adults who may be strapped for cash, these rental prices can sound enticing, especially when you consider that the same units in Toronto are now going for an average monthly rent price of $2,324. 

Despite the continuous net loss of interprovincial migration in Ontario, the province actually showed a small net loss in the third quarter of 2023, with the vast majority of population growth due to international migration.