Why Are People Moving to PEI in 2026?
Hiya!
If you follow our Move to PEI Facebook group, you already know the messages don't stop. People reaching out from all over — Ontario, Alberta, the US — asking the same underlying question in a dozen different ways: is this actually a good move for us? (Here's one resource I always point people to first.)
After enough of these conversations, patterns start to show up. Here are the five reasons I hear most.
1. They want their kids to just be kids
A lot of parents tell me some version of the same thing: they want their kids to have the kind of childhood they had — riding bikes to a friend's house, playing outside until the streetlights come on, not being shuttled everywhere because it isn't safe to walk. On PEI, that's still normal. Not because we're trying to sell you a postcard, but because the island is small enough that kids can actually roam, and communities here still know each other's names.
I would say "just ask my kiddos" — but they're probably off riding their bikes with their friends around the neighbourhood.
It's not just about the kids' time, either. Long commutes just aren't the norm here. No hour each way sitting in traffic. That time comes back to you as a family — more of it at the dinner table, more of it outside together, more of it just being around each other. When new families tell me they are okay with a 45 minute commute, I like to encourage them to imagine their days where they can have 30 minutes to an hour of more time with their family 5 days a week if they aren’t commuting. It’s not a judgement, just most people have never thought about a world where they don’t spend 2 hours, (sometimes 3 or 4 if there is an accident, inclement weather or construction) in the car going to and from work.
If you're weighing where a family-centric neighbourhood actually is around here, I wrote a full breakdown: Should I Live in Charlottetown, Stratford, or Cornwall?
2. They're ready to slow down
Retirement is a big one. People are done with the pace of a bigger city — the traffic, the noise, the constant push — and they want a slower way of life without giving up community. PEI gives you that. Smaller towns, a slower rhythm, and still enough going on that you're not isolated.
There's a financial piece to this too. Cost of living on PEI has gone up like everywhere else, no question. But compared to a city like Toronto or Vancouver, home prices here are still significantly lower. That means retirees can cash in the equity built up in their city home and turn it into a smaller, low-maintenance place on more land — often with money left over. Worth budgeting for the extras beyond the purchase price too.
3. They're looking for somewhere safer to live as who they are
This one comes up more than people might expect, and I want to be honest about it rather than gloss over it. Some of the folks reaching out are members of the LGBTQ+ community, largely from the US, who no longer feel safe where they are and are looking at Canada — PEI specifically — as somewhere they can live without that fear. I've had many questions from this community about what it's actually like here. I hope my answers have been what they were looking for, and I hope PEI is as welcoming to this community as I want it to be.
4. Work brought them here
Relocation for a job is still one of the most straightforward reasons — nursing, government, construction, and a handful of other sectors bring people to the island regularly. Sometimes it's a transfer, sometimes it's a spouse's job, sometimes it's someone who did the math on remote work and realized they didn't need to stay put anymore. If you are wanting to know more about job searching on PEI - stick around - that will be coming shortly!
5. They're coming back to their roots
This one's harder to explain but I hear it all the time. Maybe you grew up here and you're finally ready to move "home." Maybe your grandmother was from the island and you've always felt a pull to it, even having never lived here. Maybe you grew up reading Anne of Green Gables and you're out here looking for your own Gilbert. Whatever the version, the story is the same — something in you just knows PEI is home, and you're ready to start living your island life.
Here's the thing about all five of these: they're not really about the house. They're about the life someone's trying to build around it. That's honestly most of what I do with relocation clients — less "here's a listing" and more "let's figure out what you're actually looking for, and whether PEI delivers it for you."
I've written before about why I love working with people making the jump to relocate to PEI — it's genuinely my favourite part of this job.
Ultimately, I want people to really think about their island life and how they're wanting to live. When we made our own move, we were looking for a family-centric neighbourhood in the Charlottetown area, and that's exactly what we found. Every day after school, our kids get off the bus, grab a snack, and head out with their friends. There's no shortage of extracurricular options for them, and we love the childhood they're having. We're only 10–20 minutes from the beach depending on which direction you go, and we have close family and friends nearby. That's what island life looks like for us — yours might look different, and that's the fun part of figuring it out.
If you're weighing a move for any of these reasons — or a completely different one — happy to talk it through. Ultimately this is your decision, and you have to be comfortable with the choice you make. I can just help make sure you're making it with your eyes open.
Chat soon! Amy