More British Columbians moving to small towns, report shows
Global News
According to a recent study, migration from metropolitan areas into smaller communities has increased since 2015.
It seems more and more British Columbians are leaving the hustle and bustle of urban areas in favour of the quieter lifestyle small towns have to offer.
According to a recent study, migration from metropolitan areas into smaller communities has increased since 2015.
“This is something that we have been noticing for a while, is that there are people moving out of the large metropolitan cities into the smaller communities,” said Community Development Institute co-director Marleen Morris.
A new report from researchers at the UNBC Community Development Institute and UBC Housing Research Collaborative shows how this trend is impacting smaller communities.
“We started looking at this because we started to hear from community leaders and others that housing was having a real impact on economic development potential and community development potential in non-metropolitan British Columbia,” said Morris.
Morris said one of the many reasons people often leave metropolitan areas for smaller communities is the cost of living. But increased demand for housing often drives prices up for everybody.
“When people think about purchasing a home it is a lot less expensive to purchase a home in non-metropolitan areas than in metropolitan areas,” said Morris
According to researchers, affordability is a ‘big concern’.