Millennials (Gen Y) and Zoomers (Gen Z) are feeling significantly more pressure to own a home than the generations that preceded them.
That’s just one of the findings from a new Wahi survey of Angus Reid Forum members that asks Canadians, including both owners and renters, how attitudes towards homeownership are affecting them.
Wahi’s 2025 Homebuying Pressure Point Survey suggests that a majority of millennials (54 per cent) and many Gen Zers (41 per cent) have been under pressure to own a home at one time or another — and it’s so pervasive that it’s comparable to the pressure to get married or have children.
This surpasses the response at the national level, as 34 per cent of Canadians of all generations say they have experienced the pressure to purchase. The pressure on younger Canadians also stands in stark contrast to responses from members of Gen X (30 per cent) and baby boomers (13 per cent), the groups with the highest homeownership rates.
“As Canadian home values have increased over the decades, so has the pressure to own real estate,” says Wahi CEO Benjy Katchen. “While long-term price trends suggest homebuying is often a smart decision, it’s important that Canadians do their due diligence before making what will likely be the biggest purchase of their lives,” he continues.
Societal Expectations Are the Leading Source of Pressure to Own Property for Millennials and Gen Z
Wahi’s 2025 Homebuying Pressure Point Survey also asked participants to identify the sources of the pressure they are experiencing. Respondents could choose one or more of the following options: societal norms, personal goals, family, finances, friends, or other.
Most Gen Zers (59 per cent) and millennials (55 per cent) cited societal norms as a source of pressure — the most popular response for these cohorts.
Societal norms were less of a factor for Gen Xers (33 per cent) and baby boomers (27 per cent). Instead, personal goals were the most common pressure point for Gen Xers (34 per cent) and baby boomers (31 per cent).
Older generations were also far more likely to say there is no pressure at all to own property in Canada. Some 27 per cent of baby boomers and 21 per cent of Gen Xers shared this sentiment, compared to just 13 per cent of Gen Zers and 11 per cent of millennials.
A Generational Divide
From views on the challenges facing young homebuyers today to the rate of home ownership, responses varied sharply by age group.
- About 81 per cent of boomers and 74 per cent of Gen Xers own property in Canada, versus 61 per cent of millennials and 21 per cent of Gen Z.
- Millennials are most likely to self-identify as the generation to face the most pressure to own property (47 per cent), followed by Gen Z (40 per cent), Gen X (39 per cent), and baby boomers (36 per cent).
- The pressure for Gen Z to own property is about as prevalent as the pressure to have children (43 per cent) or get married (43 per cent).
- For millennials, the pressure to have children (53 per cent) was about as widespread as the pressure to own property, though the pressure to get married was somewhat less common (43 per cent).
The pressure Canadians are facing could be contributing to more pessimistic views towards the attainability of homeownership.
Two-thirds of Canadians were still homeowners as of the most recent national census, in 2021, yet a majority of respondents (62 per cent) believe that the ownership rate is 50 per cent — or less.
Meanwhile, 50 per cent of those surveyed say the general perception of renting a home in Canada is unfavourable.
The inability to buy a home is also leading to dissatisfaction for many non-owners. For example, 51 per cent of non-owners are discontent with not owning a property.
The Pressure to Own Property Is Lowest in Quebec
Respondents from some provinces are significantly less likely to report feeling the pressure to purchase property than others.
The pressure to own was lowest in Quebec and Atlantic Canada, regions with relatively more affordable home prices. It was highest in Alberta, which is attracting homebuyers from other more expensive provinces, and B.C., home to some of the country’s priciest local housing markets.
Methodology:
These findings are from a survey conducted by Wahi from June 17th to June 19th, 2025, among a representative sample of 1,500 online adult Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The survey was conducted in English and French. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-2.53 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.