With Canadian housing prices essentially pricing non-homeowners out of the house market, some people are turning this frustration into disdain for Canada as a nation. To many peoples surprise, Canada has a housing market very unlike that of our neighbours to the south. In many places in the United States, the housing market reminds many young people of the market their parents had when they bought their homes 30 years ago. While fool.com says the average home price in the United States is $420,000, the average home price varies very widely depending on which state you look at. For example, Washington, DC, Hawaii, and California, will remind us too much of Toronto, with price averages of $1,195,00, $947,000, and $869,000 respectively. On the other hand, low prices can be seen in states like Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, and Mississippi, with averages of $277,000, $260,000, $241,000, $248,000, $257,000, respectively. This can be compared to the averages in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, which are at $1,106,050, $1,276,716, and $642,040.&nbsp;To escape these house prices, many Canadians have already started fleeing to the US. According to CTV News: “Of the 126,000 people who moved to the U.S. in 2022, 53,000 were born in Canada, 46,000 were Americans returning home, and 30,000 had immigrated to Canada from outside North America and chose to leave”. It seems many people are starting to feel Canada is not a suitable place for them to plot their future. CTV says the number one reason is cost of living in Canada compared to the United States.This issue has taken on a greater profile after President Trump teased about the possibility of Canada becoming the 51st state.Young people are the likely demographic hoping to gear up soon to eventually own a home. I sent out a survey asking people whether they would consider throwing in the towel and moving to the US. I was pleasantly surprised to see that most people said no. 74% said no and 26% said yes. When I asked people to tell me why they answered a certain way, the answers were all surrounding the same issues and were just as I predicted. Many people cited reasons like President Trump (although there were those, especially men, that were concerned that President Trump wouldn’t be around long enough as he only has a four-year mandate), healthcare, gun violence, natural disasters, education, racism, homophobia, and transphobia. When prompted, one person simply said “trans.” Another person said “they don’t like us brown folks down there.” Someone also said they don’t believe the United States has an adequate social safety net, and expanded on their reasoning by expressing their concerns about healthcare and the education quality. Another respondent said they’re aware of Canada’s cost of living crisis but isn’t very confident they will be any better off in the US. 74% believe there is more to life than getting the cheapest price of eggs possible.Only one person who said they would move believed housing to be the biggest concern, saying they would trust health insurance to take care of them. For me, the more desirable places to live in America aren’t going to be cheaper. As we discussed above, the cheaper places are the more rural places with vastly different social politics. The areas that remind me more of Canada culturally are the more expensive ones. I think I would be happier in Toronto than Iowa.&nbsp;I also believe we need to remember the grass is always greener on the other side. We are a very privileged bunch to call ourselves Canadians. We may be small, but we are mighty, being one of the smallest yet most powerful forces in World War I. We continue to carry that tradition until today. We are our own people with our own values, traditions, viewpoints, and priorities.However, our governments would be wise to remember that old saying about relationships: “Don’t take people for granted, because no matter how much someone loves you, eventually everyone gets tired”. Canadians are tired - but strong. With light on the Canadian electoral horizon, they are also hopeful. However, while President Trump’s offer may not fully resonate today, tangible relief has to be offered to Canadians (starting with big tax cuts) or that greener grass will start to look even more attractive.&nbsp;

A Bright Future Ahead: Why Canadians Are Staying Hopeful despite Housing Challenges

Despite housing challenges, Canadians remain hopeful for the future, staying committed to their values and looking forward to opportunities in 2025.

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