Considering a tense political climate riddled with tariffs, safety concerns, and border arrests, it’s no wonder Canadians aren’t as keen on visiting or living in the U.S. as they once were.
Data from Redfin published Monday shows the number of Canadians searching for U.S. homes is down nearly 20% from last year. The plunge started in February when the Trump administration announced 25% tariffs on Canada imports, according to Redfin. The tariffs were put on hold for a month, but went into effect in March.
“One Canadian client is in the process of selling his last U.S. property because he no longer sees it as a good place to invest or vacation,” Cheryl Van Elsis, a Redfin Premier agent in Las Vegas, said in a statement. “He used to own four homes in the Las Vegas area, which he mainly rented to fellow Canadians here for casinos or poker events. But now, he no longer wants ties to the U.S.”
The analysis is based on the number of unique Canadian Redfin.com users (i.e. each user is counted only once) searching for homes to buy or rent in the U.S., which had dropped 19.5% year-over-year in August. The steepest decline came in April—a 34.2% year-over-year drop—when the Trump administration announced its global tariff policy. To be sure, the total number of all prospective buyers and renters searching on Redfin.com declined over that time period, too, but only by a “fraction of the amount” from Canada.
Some Canadians have been so resistant to U.S. ties they’re completely bypassing any connection to the country. Michael Mortensen, a 58-year-old Vancouver-based development consultant and urban planner, told NBC Newshe refused to spend money in the U.S. while President Donald Trump “levies idiotic tariffs and rains chaos.” He had planned a Hawaiian vacation with his family, budgeting about $10,000, but started looking into alternative destinations to avoid the U.S. “without even a connection or layover. Canadians were also severely displeased with President Donald Trump suggesting Canada become the 51st U.S. state.
“We have to stand up for Canada, you know,” another Canadian citizen told CBS News. “They’re poking us in the eye, so we got to poke them back.” Meanwhile, a March survey of more than 1,500 Canadians from Leger showed two-thirds of respondents said they had reduced their purchases of American products.
Historically, Canadians enjoyed visiting or moving to Florida, New York City, California, Arizona and Nevada, according toAllianz. They all offer more favorable climates and plenty of tourist attractions. But they’re also among the cities Redfin identified as having the steepest declines in Canadian searches. Las Vegas has seen one of the biggest drops in Canadian tourism, with its mayor recently pleading for Canadians to come back and visit.
“As the mayor of Las Vegas, I’m telling everybody in Canada, please come. We love you, we need you, and we miss you,” Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley said during a press conference last week.
West Palm Beach, Fla., saw the biggest decline with a 26.6% year-over-year drop in August, followed by Tampa (-23.1%) and Orlando (-23%). Anaheim, Calif., experienced a 26% decline in search traffic and Los Angeles searches dropped 25.5%.
Other cities that saw more than a 20% decline in year-over-year search traffic include Columbus, Ohio; Detroit; San Diego; Washington, D.C.; Boston; and New York City, according to Redfin.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
