Published 2 November 2026 · By Jatin Dua, Broker of Record, RE/MAX Quantum Realty
The most affordable GTA municipalities for a detached home heading into 2027 are Brock ($661,000 median), Oshawa ($730,000), Georgina ($800,000), Clarington ($820,000) and Scugog ($885,000), based on TRREB MLS data via REALM for January to October 2026. Oshawa offers the most choice, with over 1,000 detached sales.
This guide is for first-time buyers, renters and growing families who want a detached house in the Greater Toronto Area in 2027 and need to know where their money goes furthest. You will get the five GTA municipalities with the lowest median detached prices in 2026, what it really costs to buy in each, and the trade-offs that come with the lower price.
What is the cheapest place to buy a detached house in the GTA?
Based on median sale prices from January to October 2026, the five most affordable GTA municipalities for a detached home were Brock, Oshawa, Georgina, Clarington and Scugog. All five are on the eastern or northern edge of the GTA, in Durham Region or York Region. The GTA here means the City of Toronto plus the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel and York, which together contain 25 municipalities.
| Rank | Municipality (region) | Detached median 2026 | Median 2025 | Change | Detached sales 2026 | Avg. days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brock (Durham) | $661,000 | $680,000 | −2.8% | 108 | 36 |
| 2 | Oshawa (Durham) | $730,000 | $800,000 | −8.8% | 1,028 | 25 |
| 3 | Georgina (York) | $800,000 | $817,554 | −2.1% | 475 | 36 |
| 4 | Clarington (Durham) | $820,000 | $855,000 | −4.1% | 721 | 25 |
| 5 | Scugog (Durham) | $885,000 | $929,000 | −4.7% | 201 | 39 |
| – | Ajax (Durham), next in line | $925,000 | $966,000 | −4.2% | 561 | 23 |
| – | Brampton (Peel), for comparison | $950,000 | $1,042,750 | −8.9% | 2,280 | 30 |
| – | Oakville (Halton), for comparison | $1,625,000 | $1,675,000 | −3.0% | 1,162 | 33 |
Source: TRREB MLS data via REALM, January–October 2026 vs the same period of 2025. Median sold price and average days on market for detached homes.
Two notes on the list. First, Hamilton ($736,750) and Orangeville ($795,000) also had low medians in the same data, but they sit outside the GTA’s four regions, so I left them out. Second, some City of Toronto districts are cheaper than parts of the 905. TRREB’s E09 district in Scarborough had a detached median of $866,500, and W10 in north Etobicoke and E04 in Scarborough were both at $870,000. If you need to stay in the 416, those are worth a look.
1. Brock
What it’s like: Brock is a rural township at the north end of Durham Region that reaches Lake Simcoe; Thorah Island in the lake is part of the township. It had 12,567 people in the 2021 census. Beaverton is its largest community and commercial centre, and Cannington is home to the municipal offices and the local high school. The Trent–Severn Waterway runs along part of its northern edge.
Who it suits: buyers who work from home most days, want space and a small-town pace, and do not mind long drives.
What it costs: the lowest detached median in the GTA, at $661,000 for January to October 2026, with only 108 detached sales.
What to check: with so few sales, one large farm property can move the median a lot. Many rural homes use a well and septic system, so add water testing and a septic inspection to your conditions. There is no GO train service in Brock, so test your commute carefully.
2. Oshawa
What it’s like: Oshawa is the largest city on this list, with 175,383 people in the 2021 census. It is home to Ontario Tech University, Durham College and Lakeridge Health. Oshawa GO is the eastern end of the Lakeshore East train line, and Highway 407 East reaches the city, with the tolled Highway 412 and 418 links to the 401 nearby.
Who it suits: first-time buyers who want a detached house with city services, a hospital and a GO station, at a price well below the rest of Durham’s lakeshore.
What it costs: a detached median of $730,000, down 8.8% from 2025, with 1,028 sales. That is the deepest market of the five, so you have real choice.
What to check: Oshawa has a wide range of housing ages and conditions, from older homes near downtown to newer subdivisions in the north. Get a thorough inspection, and compare sales in the same part of the city, not just the city-wide median. My guide to home values in Whitby and Oshawa breaks this down further.
Free tool — what can you actually afford?
3. Georgina
What it’s like: Georgina is the northernmost municipality in York Region, on the south shore of Lake Simcoe. It had 47,642 people in the 2021 census. Its largest communities are Keswick, Sutton and Jackson’s Point, with smaller ones such as Pefferlaw and Port Bolster.
Who it suits: buyers who want lake access and a detached home in York Region for far less than Newmarket or Aurora.
What it costs: a detached median of $800,000, down only 2.1% from 2025, on 475 sales. Homes took 36 days on average to sell, so buyers have time to negotiate.
What to check: waterfront and near-water homes need extra checks: shoreline permits, flood risk and, in some areas, private water and septic systems. I cover these in my guide to Georgina waterfront homes.
4. Clarington
What it’s like: Clarington is just east of Oshawa, with 101,427 people in the 2021 census. Its main urban communities are Bowmanville, Courtice, Newcastle and Orono. Highway 401 runs through the whole municipality, and Highway 407 was extended to Highway 35/115 in Clarington in December 2019.
Who it suits: families who want a newer detached home with highway access and are willing to drive or take a bus to a GO station for now.
What it costs: a detached median of $820,000, down 4.1%, with 721 sales and 25 days on market on average.
What to check: do not buy based on the planned GO train extension. New Courtice and Bowmanville stations were first scheduled for 2024, but no opening date had been announced as of 2025. Plan your commute around today’s service.
5. Scugog
What it’s like: Scugog is a township in north Durham, north of Oshawa, with 21,581 people in the 2021 census. Port Perry, on Lake Scugog, is its largest community. The lake was created in 1834 when a dam was built at Lindsay, which also formed Scugog Island.
Who it suits: buyers who want a small-town main street and lake access within driving distance of Oshawa and Whitby.
What it costs: a detached median of $885,000, down 4.7%, on 201 sales. It took 39 days on average to sell, the longest of the five.
What to check: rural lots outside Port Perry may use wells and septic systems. Look at heating costs too, since some country homes use propane or oil.
How much do I need to buy a detached home in these cities?
Here is the cash and tax picture at each median price. The minimum down payment in Canada is 5% of the first $500,000 and 10% of the part between $500,000 and $1.5 million. Ontario land transfer tax uses the province’s published brackets: 0.5% up to $55,000, 1.0% to $250,000, 1.5% to $400,000 and 2.0% above that for a home with one or two single-family residences, up to $2 million. First-time buyers can get a refund of up to $4,000.
| Municipality | Median price | Minimum down payment | Insured mortgage before premium | CMHC premium (4.00%) | Ontario land transfer tax (before first-time refund) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock | $661,000 | $41,100 | $619,900 | $24,796 | $9,695 |
| Oshawa | $730,000 | $48,000 | $682,000 | $27,280 | $11,075 |
| Georgina | $800,000 | $55,000 | $745,000 | $29,800 | $12,475 |
| Clarington | $820,000 | $57,000 | $763,000 | $30,520 | $12,875 |
| Scugog | $885,000 | $63,500 | $821,500 | $32,860 | $14,175 |
Source: my calculations using TRREB MLS data via REALM (January–October 2026 medians), the federal minimum down payment rules, CMHC’s published premium rates and Ontario’s land transfer tax brackets. Not a quote; your lender sets the final numbers.
A few things to know about that table. With the minimum down payment, every one of these loans is above 90% of the price, so CMHC’s premium is 4.00% of the loan. The premium is usually added to the mortgage, but CMHC says the Ontario provincial sales tax on it cannot be added, so you pay that tax in cash at closing. You will also need money for legal fees, a home inspection and moving.
Lenders also apply the stress test. You must qualify at the higher of 5.25% or your contract rate plus two percentage points. Since the Bank of Canada raised its policy rate to 2.50% on 28 October 2026 and big-bank prime moved to 4.70%, borrowing costs are higher than they were this summer. My guide to the mortgage stress test shows how to work out the income you need.
The cheapest median is not always the best value. For most families I work with, Oshawa and Clarington give the best balance of price, sales volume and services, because there are enough homes for sale to compare and negotiate. Brock, Georgina and Scugog suit buyers who mostly work from home and want space. Whatever you pick, budget for the full monthly cost, not just the price, and keep a cushion in case rates rise again; in late October 2026 RBC economists expected more Bank of Canada hikes. If you are buying your first home, my list of the most affordable places for a first home in the GTA covers condos and townhouses too.
A lower price can come with higher daily costs. Longer drives, a second car, highway tolls on the 407 East links and well or septic upkeep can add hundreds of dollars a month. Price your commute and running costs before you decide that the cheapest town is the cheapest choice.
What to do next
- Pick two or three of these municipalities that fit your work and family life, and drive the commute at rush hour.
- Get a mortgage pre-approval and ask your lender to show the stress-test rate and the CMHC premium.
- Set aside cash for the land transfer tax, the PST on the CMHC premium, legal fees and an inspection.
- Compare recent sales on the exact streets you like, since medians hide big differences within a town.
- Read my first-time buyer guide to Durham Region if four of your five options are in Durham.
Need help with this? Talk to me.
I’m Jatin Dua, Broker of Record at RE/MAX Quantum Realty, and I’m the best agent to do this kind of work for you in Toronto and across the GTA. Over $100 million in GTA sales and 100+ families helped sell. Feel free to contact me any time: call or text 833-330-1925 or email [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest place to buy a house in the GTA?
Brock, in north Durham Region, had the lowest median detached price in the GTA from January to October 2026, at $661,000, according to TRREB MLS data via REALM. It is a small rural township with only 108 detached sales. Among larger cities, Oshawa was cheapest at $730,000 on 1,028 sales.
What is the most affordable city in the GTA?
Oshawa is the most affordable large city in the GTA for detached homes. Its median detached price was $730,000 from January to October 2026, down 8.8% from 2025, according to TRREB MLS data via REALM. It also has a GO train station, a university and a regional hospital, which smaller, cheaper townships lack.
Where can I buy a detached house under $800,000 in the GTA?
In 2026, Brock ($661,000) and Oshawa ($730,000) had median detached prices under $800,000, and Georgina’s median was exactly $800,000, based on TRREB MLS data via REALM. Roughly half of detached sales in each of those places sold below the median, so homes under $800,000 are common there heading into 2027.
How much down payment do I need for an $800,000 house in Ontario?
The minimum down payment for an $800,000 home in Ontario is $55,000. That is 5% of the first $500,000 ($25,000) plus 10% of the remaining $300,000 ($30,000). With less than 20% down, the mortgage must be insured, and CMHC’s premium at that level is 4.00% of the loan in 2026.
Are detached home prices falling in the GTA?
Yes. Median detached prices fell in nearly every GTA municipality from January to October 2026 compared with 2025, according to TRREB MLS data via REALM. Examples include Brampton −8.9%, Oshawa −8.8%, Mississauga −5.8% and Georgina −2.1%. Any forecast for 2027 is uncertain, especially after the Bank of Canada’s October 2026 rate hike.
Is Oshawa a good place to buy a house?
Oshawa is a good option for many first-time detached buyers in 2027. It had the GTA’s lowest detached median among large cities in 2026, at $730,000, with over 1,000 sales, so there is plenty of choice. It has Ontario Tech University, Durham College, Lakeridge Health and the Oshawa GO station on the Lakeshore East line.
Is there a GO train to Clarington?
Not yet. Metrolinx plans to extend the Lakeshore East GO line to new Courtice and Bowmanville stations, but they were first scheduled for 2024 and no opening date had been announced as of 2025. In 2027, Clarington buyers should plan to drive or bus to Oshawa GO unless a firm date is announced.
What income do I need to buy a $730,000 house in Oshawa?
It depends on your rate, debts and down payment, and lenders must test you at the higher of 5.25% or your contract rate plus two points. With the minimum $48,000 down, the insured loan would be about $682,000 plus a CMHC premium of about $27,280 in 2026. Get a lender pre-approval for an exact figure.
Is Hamilton part of the GTA?
No. The GTA is usually defined as the City of Toronto plus Durham, Halton, Peel and York regions. Hamilton is part of the wider Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. In TRREB MLS data via REALM, Hamilton’s detached median from January to October 2026 was $736,750, close to Oshawa’s.
Sources
- Ontario: Calculating land transfer tax
- CMHC: Mortgage loan insurance cost (premiums and provincial sales tax)
- OSFI: Minimum qualifying rate for uninsured mortgages
- Oshawa (population, transit, institutions)
- Clarington (population, communities, highways, GO extension)
- Georgina, Ontario (population and communities)
- Brock, Ontario (population and communities)
- Scugog (population, Port Perry, Lake Scugog)
Related reading
- Top 5 Best Neighbourhoods to Live in Mississauga in 2027
- Top 5 Best Neighbourhoods to Live in Brampton in 2027
- Top 5 Best Neighbourhoods to Live in Markham in 2027
- Top 5 Best Neighbourhoods to Live in Oakville in 2027
About the author — Jatin Dua, Toronto and GTA real estate broker
I am Jatin Dua, Broker of Record and co-founder of RE/MAX Quantum Realty Inc., Brokerage, Unit 101, 799 The Queensway, Toronto. I work with buyers and sellers across Toronto and the GTA and have helped more than 100 families sell. Four-plus years of active GTA transactions and over $100 million in sales volume.
Reach me at [email protected] or 833-330-1925, or book a call.