Beyond the Borders: Unraveling Reasons for Canadians’ Relocation to the United States

In recent years, Canada has witnessed a significant increase in the number of its citizens relocating to the United States and elsewhere. In the U.S.-Canadian context, economists and policy analysts tend to focus on income differentials to explain the migration of populations. In this paper, we draw on original, real‑time survey data — an alternative stream of evidence beyond official statistics — allowing us to probe the “why” behind the southbound relocations in a way traditional administrative data cannot.

Scant analysis has been undertaken to study the mix of factors influencing emigration from Canada. Statistics Canada provides excellent data on immigration; yet, due to a lack of public data regarding the reasons behind emigration to the U.S. it is difficult for analysts to study why Canadians relocate there and what factors may entice them to return to Canada. Instead, analysts have relied on U.S. statistics that provide data on Canadians who have moved south of the border.

This study investigates this phenomenon, going beyond official statistics to understand the personal experiences and motivations driving this migration. The data collection for this study was undertaken in August 2024 — before the 2024 U.S. presidential election — focusing on individuals who had already moved to the U.S. from Canada. Further, this study uses RIWI’s Random Domain Intercept Technology (RDIT™), which is a web intercept survey methodology, to capture real-time data from a broad cross-section of the U.S. population. By engaging respondents who may not typically participate in panel-based research, this approach allows us to gather diverse observations regarding Canadian expatriates. 

Detailed regional analyses, demographic breakdowns and methodological notes are provided in the sections that follow and in the appendix for readers seeking more comprehensive understanding.