City of Vaughan

Highlights

• Vaughan had a record development year, issuing more than $2.6 billion in value of building permits in 2023.
• The City is one of the top development markets in the country, ranking ninth by value of building permits in Canada for all types of buildings.
• Vaughan’s industrial development market ranks sixth nationally by value of permits in 2023.
• Vaughan’s residential development activity ranks seventh nationally by value of permits over the same period.
• Vaughan remains the largest industrial market in York Region and the fourth largest industrial market in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area after Toronto, Mississauga, and Brampton.

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As an economic indicator, building permit values measure current demand in both residential and non-residential real estate markets and estimate future performance of the construction industry. Building permit activity is one indicator of the strength of the local economy, as well as a predictor of population and employment growth.

Vaughan had a record development year, issuing more than $2.6 billion in value of building permits in 2023. The City is one of the top development markets in the country, ranking ninth by value of building permits in Canada for all types of buildings.

According to data released last week from Statistics Canada that included fourth quarter building permit data, Vaughan ranks ninth overall in the country by value of permits across all building types (including both residential and non-residential building permits).

Top 10 Canadian Development Markets (All Buildings) by Value of Permits, 2023:

1.  Toronto
2. Calgary
3. Montréal
4. Vancouver
5. Edmonton
6. Ottawa
7. Hamilton
8. Brampton
9. Vaughan
10.  Winnipeg

In 2023, Vaughan ranked seventh overall in the country for value of residential building permits. 2023 residential building permits accounted for $1.9 billion in construction value, a 56 per cent increase from 2022.

From the 2023 Construction Activity Summary from Vaughan’s Building Standards Department, the value of residential building permits for 2023 was more than $1.9 billion. This is a 56 per cent increase from 2022 of approximately $860 million in residential building permit value.

Despite the increase in value, the number of residential permits decreased by 0.8 per cent in 2023. Increased costs in materials, labour, profit, overhead or residential building type may be factors. The number of residential building permits decreased from 2,146 in 2022 to 2,129 in 2023. Factors that may contribute to a higher value of residential building permits despite lowered quantity include increased costs in materials, labour, profit, overhead, or residential building type (e.g., detached, semi-detached, condominium).

Top 10 Canadian Residential Markets by Value of Permits, 2023:

1. Toronto
2. Calgary
3. Vancouver
4. Edmonton
5. Ottawa
6. Montréal
7. Vaughan
8. Hamilton
9. Winnipeg
10.   Surrey

Vaughan remains the largest industrial market in York Region and the fourth largest industrial market in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area after Toronto, Mississauga, and Brampton.

Vaughan’s industrial market remains one of the busiest in the country by value of industrial permits in 2023, ranking sixth overall.

Top 10 Canadian Industrial Markets by Value of Permits, 2023:

1. Toronto
2. Hamilton
3. Mississauga
4. Brampton
5. Vancouver
6. Vaughan
7. Montréal
8. Québec
9. London
10.   Kelowna

When looking at only Ontario, Vaughan is in the top ten census subdivisions by value of non-residential building permits, ranking sixth after Toronto, Brampton, Ottawa, Hamilton, and Mississauga which includes industrial, commercial and institutional development.

Vaughan continues to be one of the largest industrial markets in the Greater Toronto Area, with a total industrial inventory of nearly 100 million square feet at the end of the fourth quarter, according to a market report by Colliers. Both vacancy rates and availability rates remain very low in Vaughan and across the Greater Toronto Area for industrial properties.

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Definitions

Industrial buildings are defined as buildings used in the processing or production of goods or related to transportation and communication.

Commercial buildings are defined as buildings used in the trade or distribution of goods and services.

Institutional buildings are buildings used to house public and semi-public services, such as those related to health and welfare, education, or public administration, as well as buildings used for religious services.

Residential buildings are defined as buildings intended for private occupancy whether on a permanent basis or not. Dwellings are divided into the following types: single-family, mobile, cottage, semi-detached, row house and apartment building.

Non-Residential buildings are all buildings not intended for private occupancy whether on a permanent basis or not. This includes buildings used for institutional, commercial, or industrial purposes.