Housing Information Highlights — Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo CMA

New Housing Construction

Housing Starts by Dwelling Type

Apr-26 Chg YTD Chg
Single 30 +15.4% 105 +9.4%
Semi-detached 0 -100% 2 -85.7%
Row 16 -48.4% 100 -60.3%
Apartment 809 +325.8% 1,936 +157.4%
Total 855 +235.3% 2,143 +92.4%
Notes:
  • Arrows: indicate the variation from the same period last year
  • YTD: sum of housing starts between January and this month

Housing Starts by Market Type

Seasonally Adjusted Total Housing Starts

Under Construction by Dwelling Type

Apr-26 Chg
Single 217 -4%
Semi-detached 38 -9.5%
Row 150 -60.5%
Apartment 7,592 +22.9%
Total 7,997 +17.2%
Notes:
  • Arrows: indicate the variation from the same period last year

Completed and Unabsorbed by Dwelling Type

Apr-26 Chg
Single 63 +37%
Semi-detached 9 -30.8%
Row 144 +234.9%
Apartment 51 +155%
Total 267 +118.9%
Notes:
  • Arrows: indicate the variation from the same period last year

Historical Inventory of Completed and Unabsorbed Units

Average Absorbed Single-Detached Unit Prices

7.8%

Composition of Average Absorbed Single-Detached Unit Prices

January - April
2025 104 99 % 0 0 % 1 1 % 0 0 % 0 0 % 2026 139 98 % 0 0 % 0 0 % 0 0 % 3 2 % < $300,000 $300,000 - $399,999 $400,000 - $499,999 $500,000 - $599,999 $600,000+

Rental Market

Vacancy Rates (Apartment)

Primary Rental Market2025
Studio **
1 Bedroom 4.8%
2 Bedroom 4.0%
3 Bedroom + 2.0%
Total 4.1%
Secondary Rental Market2025
Condominium 0.8%

Purpose Built Rental Universe (Apartment)

Average Rent (Apartment)

2025
1 Bedroom $1,545
2 Bedroom $1,832

Percentage Change of Average Rents from Fixed Sample (Apartment)

2025
1 Bedroom 3.2%
2 Bedroom 3.3%
Notes:
  • Existing Structures Only
  • The Percentage Change of Average Rent is a measure of the market movement, and is based on those structures that were common to the survey for both years.

Economics and Demographics

Population

2025
701,568
up
+0.3%
Notes:
  • Arrows: indicate the variation from the previous year
Source: Statistics Canada

Total Net Migration

walking Men
2025
Total:
-451 persons
-101.3%
Source of Migration 2025
(persons)
Trend
Net International 605 -98.3%
Net Interprovincial -1,546 +-47%
Net Intraprovincial 490 +40%
Source: Statistics Canada

Total Employment

Q1-2026
382,000
down
-1%
Notes:
  • Total Employment of last month in quarter.
  • Arrows: indicate the variation from the same period last year
Source: Statistics Canada

Employment Gains/Losses ('000s)

Notes:
  • Current Year: Changes in Employment between the last month of the quarter, and the annual data for the previous year.
  • Annual: indicates the variation from the previous year
Source: Statistics Canada

Mortgage Rates

Nov-25
1 year 5.84% 5 year 6.09%
Source: Bank of Canada
Note 1: Colour codes indicate the degree of market vulnerability. The HMA reflects a comprehensive framework that not only tests for the presence or incidence of signals of imbalances (that is, how far the indicator is from its historical average), but also considers the intensity and the persistence of these signals over time. Generally, low intensity and persistence are associated with a lower vulnerability. As the number of persistent signals increases, the evidence of an imbalance increases. Note 2: Results at the CMA level are not segmented by housing type or neighbourhood. They represent an assessment of the entire CMA. However, specific CMA reports provide further detailed analysis of these markets. Note 3: The colour scale extends to red only for those factors that have multiple indicators that can identify imbalances. As a result, only overvaluation and overbuilding can receive a red rating, since they are assessed using more than one indicator. Note 4: To ensure the framework is as current as possible, on a regular basis, we undertake a model selection process whereby our house price models for overvaluation are tested for statistical significance at the national and CMA level. The result of this process may change the number of indicators showing vulnerability from the previous assessment.