From a Studio Apartment to a Large Detached Home: What the Average Peak Millennial Can Afford Across Canada

From a Studio Apartment to a Large Detached Home: What the Average Peak Millennial Can Afford Across Canada

• The average Canadian peak millennial’s purchasing power dropped by approximately 16.5% ($40,103) after the introduction of the OSFI stress test
• Peak millennials can expect 12% less living space on average in Greater Vancouver compared to last year
• The footprint of a typical peak millennial property grew in the Greater Toronto Area as properties affordable to this demographic continued to move away from the city centre
• A peak millennial can purchase a home in Moncton, New Brunswick for the cost of the 20 per cent down payment on a home in the market segment accessible to them in the Greater Toronto Area or Greater Vancouver 

April 2018 – According to Royal LePage, Canada’s leading real estate services provider, peak millennials[1] are seeing significant disparities in the properties they can afford in the country’s largest cities. With a median salary of $38,148[2], this generation typically has a maximum home buying budget of $203,246[3]. This factors in a 20 per cent down payment, and the impact of OSFI’s new stress test, which has reduced the average peak millennial’s purchasing power by approximately 16.5 per cent, or $40,103. However, given that the aggregate Canadian home value currently rests at $605,512[4], many must either bide their time or look for creative solutions to finance a home purchase.

In major cities across Canada, a growing number of peak millennials will save, pool their money with a partner and/or borrow funds from their parents, many of whom are downsizing in retirement and can financially contribute to their child’s first home purchase. While peak millennials are largely able to afford their monthly mortgage expenses, coming up with an adequate down payment often proves to be the greatest hurdle to homeownership among the demographic. In areas with high home values, like Greater Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area, a 20 per cent down payment often equates to over $160,000, or roughly the same price as a home in Moncton, New Brunswick.

“We have seen a rare pause this year in the relentless rise in the cost of housing,” said Phil Soper, president and chief executive officer, Royal LePage. “In our largest cities, it is difficult for young people to purchase a home on a single household income. Some will purchase homes with family or friends, and some are following the age-old practice of saving money and waiting until they can effectively double their maximum budget with a life partner.”

When combined, a dual income peak millennial couple has a typical maximum budget of $406,479, exclusive of any help from the bank of mom and dad. In the first quarter of 2018, the average Canadian home listed between $325,000 to $425,000 (the price range of homes accessible to this dual-income demographic, with the higher end often receiving some financial assistance from their families) had 2.7 bedrooms, 1.8 bathrooms and 1,269 sq. ft. of living space. When broken out by region, homes listed between $325,000 to $425,000 in Greater Vancouver had an average of 1.5 bedrooms and 1.2 bathrooms, while homes in the Greater Montreal Area and the Greater Toronto Area offered peak millennial purchasers an average of 2.9 and 1.7 bedrooms and 1.5 and 1.4 bathrooms, respectively. Meanwhile, on the east coast, Halifax delivered the biggest bang for a peak millennial’s buck, offering them an average of 3.1 bedrooms and 3.0 bathrooms. In fact, of the seven cities studied across Canada, the region offered the most living space overall for prospective peak millennial purchasers, with homes in this price range averaging 1,736 sq. ft. In contrast, Greater Vancouver offered prospective peak millennial purchasers the least amount of living space with an average of 788 sq. ft.

“There are striking differences in the options available to peak millennial purchasers across Canada,” continued Soper. “While $425,000 will largely net an entry-level condo in Greater Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area, on the east coast, this budget unlocks the majority of the market, offering prospective millennial purchasers large, detached homes with all of the bells and whistles.

Individual Peak Millennial Purchasing Power with an Annual Salary of $38,148[5] 

 
Peak Millennial Couple’s Purchasing Power with a Combined Annual Salary of $76,296[6]

Aggregate & Regional Home Attributes for Homes Between $325,000 and $425,000[7]
(For the three-month period ended March 31^st)

 For more information visit: www.royallepage.ca. or share the release 
Reprinted with permission