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For additional information relating to this article, please contact:

Thomas StorringDirector – Economics and Statistics
Tel: 902-424-2410Email: thomas.storring@novascotia.ca

July 29, 2024
CANADIAN HOUSING STATISTICS PROGRAM, 2022

Statistics Canada released new data today from the Canadian Housing Statistics Program (CHSP) for the 2022 reference year. Today's release includes updated information on the characteristics of residential properties including property type, period of construction, living area and assessment value and statistics on residency ownership. The data for 2022 have been expanded to census subdivisions. Data presented below at the provincial level is only for provinces with data for 2022.

The Canadian Housing Statistics Program (CHSP) provides information on the residential property stock, defined as all residential properties in a given geographic region, excluding vacant land. Residential properties include all land and structures intended for private dwelling purposes. A residential property may consist of one dwelling, as is common for single-detached housing, or multiple dwellings such as apartment buildings or row housing.

An individual is considered a resident if their primary dwelling is in the economic territory of Canada, and are considered a non-resident if their primary dwelling is outside the economic territory of Canada.  A property is classified as resident owned when the majority of owners are defined as residents. Conversely a property is classified as non-resident owned when the majority of owners are defined as non-residents. When there is an equal number of resident and non-resident owners for the same property, the property is classified as resident owned.

In 2022, 3.6% of residential properties in Nova Scotia were owned by non-residents. This was unchanged from each of the previous two years. Of provinces with data for 2022, Nova Scotia has the highest rate of non-resident residential property ownership. British Columbia reported the next highest percentage of residential properties owned by non-residents at 3.1%. Manitoba reported the lowest percentage of residential properties owned by non-residents at 1.7% in 2022.

Nova Scotia reported the highest rate of non-resident ownership among vacant land at 7.3% in 2022. Nova Scotia also had the highest percentage of single detached houses, row houses, and mobile homes owned by non-residents in 2022. The highest shares of semi-detached and condominium apartments owned by non-residents was in British Columbia. Ontario had the largest share of properties with multiple residential units owned by non-residents in 2022.

Non-resident ownership of residential properties has been stable overall since 2020. Over this period, the share of non-resident owned vacant land, condominium apartments, mobile homes and row houses has increased while the share of single detached and semi-detached houses owned by non-residents has declined, as well as for properties with multiple residential units.  

Across the province, non-resident ownership was highest in areas of Cape Breton (Richmond and Inverness), Shelburne, and St. Mary's. Non-residential ownership was notably lower across most of the Annapolis Valley, as well as parts of Northern Nova Scotia.  

Median assessment values were lowest in parts of Northern Nova Scotia (notably parts of Cumberland county, St. Mary's and Guysborough). Median assessment values were highest in Halifax and Wolfville, followed by Lunenburg and Mahone Bay. 

 Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Housing Statistics Program, 2022 



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