If you’ve been noticing a lot of U-Haul trucks crisscrossing Kelowna it’s not your imagination — the Kelowna-West Kelowna area is one of Canada’s top cities for U-Haul usage.
According to statistics released by the do-it-yourself moving company, Kelowna is ranked sixth in the top 25 Canadian cities for growth. U-Haul said trucks coming to the Kelowna area increased by 61 per cent compared to last year while trucks leaving the area increased by only 38 per cent.
Penticton was also included in the top 25 but ranked in at number 21. One-way trips to Penticton increased 30 per cent year over year, while departures increased 19 per cent.
Other notable B.C. municipalities include North Vancouver, Vancouver and Chilliwack.
Alberta and B.C. are the top two provinces for growth according to U-Haul, however 14 of Canada’s top 25 cities are in Ontario. In 2021, Alberta saw a 33 per cent increase in the arrival of one-way U-Haul trucks year-over-year, while departures rose just 29 per cent. More than 50.8 per cent of all U-Haul traffic in Alberta was inflow.
While U-Haul migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth, the U-Haul Growth Index is an effective gauge of how well cities are both attracting and maintaining residents.
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