A new workforce report is raising concerns that housing costs are making it increasingly difficult for employers in Wellington County to find workers who can also afford to live in the communities where they work.
The Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin's 2026 Housing Our Workforce report examines the relationship between local wages, housing prices and employers' ability to attract and retain staff.
It points to a significant change already being reported by Wellington County employers.
"Recent discussions with local employers showed that approximately 80% of workers were previously recruited from the nearby community, and that this trend has almost reversed," the report's project page states.
Housing figures included in the report show the issue extends into northern Wellington.
During the final quarter of 2025, the median price of a home in Arthur was $611,250, while Mount Forest was $600,000 and rural Wellington North was $700,000. Minto's median was $507,500, while homes sold in rural Mapleton had a median price of $710,000.
Detached homes alone had median selling prices of $611,000 in Arthur, $600,000 in Mount Forest, $700,000 in rural Wellington North, $525,000 in Minto and $795,000 in rural Mapleton.
The report compares those costs with the incomes earned in some of Wellington County's most common occupations.
Motor vehicle assemblers, inspectors and testers were the largest occupational group examined, with 3,220 employed in the Wellington Census Division in 2021. Retail workers, teachers, agricultural managers, food service workers, truck drivers, administrative officers, health-care support workers and material handlers were also among the area's most common jobs.
More recent wage data used in the study estimated a median full-time annual salary of about $58,700 for vehicle assemblers and $59,400 for administrative officers. A food counter attendant working full-time at the median wage would earn about $36,600 annually.
The report also found a sizeable portion of the local workforce remains dependent on family housing. Among just three occupations studied in Wellington County (vehicle assemblers, food counter attendants and administrative officers) 2,610 workers were classified as dependents living at home.
The planning board warns rural communities may be particularly vulnerable because they have fewer rental options available for younger workers trying to save enough money to purchase a home. It questions whether employers could eventually lose part of the local talent pool they have traditionally relied upon.
University of Waterloo planning professor Brian Doucet summarized the underlying problem in the report, saying, "The housing market has become detached from the labour market."
The Workforce Planning Board says improving housing affordability is increasingly tied to maintaining a stable workforce, particularly as communities across Wellington County continue to grow.
