Published 2 November 2026 · By Jatin Dua, Broker of Record, RE/MAX Quantum Realty
Keswick is much cheaper: Georgina’s detached median was $800,000 from January to October 2026, about $270,000 below Newmarket’s $1,070,000. Newmarket has a lower 2026 tax rate (0.919045% vs 1.191146%), a GO station, Viva buses and faster resale. Pick Keswick for price and the lake, Newmarket for transit and convenience.
This guide is for buyers deciding between Newmarket and Keswick in 2027, and for Newmarket owners wondering whether a move north to Lake Simcoe gets them more house. You will get 2026 prices by home type, how fast homes are selling, the property tax gap in dollars, the commute facts I checked, and who each place suits.
Newmarket vs Keswick: how do they compare side by side?
Keswick is not its own municipality. It is the largest community in the Town of Georgina, the northernmost town in York Region, on the south shore of Lake Simcoe. The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) reports Georgina as one area, so the Keswick numbers below are town-wide Georgina figures. They also include Sutton, Jackson’s Point, Pefferlaw and the lakeshore.
| Measure (Jan–Oct 2026) | Newmarket | Keswick (Georgina) |
|---|---|---|
| Detached median price | $1,070,000 (−10.1%) | $800,000 (−2.1%) |
| Detached sales | 483 (+10.3%) | 475 (−5.8%) |
| Freehold townhouse median | $827,000 (−8.1%) | $697,000 (−6.1%) |
| Semi-detached median | $825,000 (−7.6%) | Too few sales (11) |
| Condo apartment median | $490,000 (−12.8%) | Too few sales (7) |
| Detached average days on market | 27 | 36 |
| 2026 total residential tax rate | 0.919045% | 1.191146% |
| Population (2021 census) | 87,942 | 47,642 (all of Georgina) |
| GO train station | Newmarket GO (Barrie line) | None in Georgina |
Source: TRREB MLS data via REALM, January–October 2026 vs the same period of 2025 (changes in brackets); Town of Newmarket and Town of Georgina 2026 tax rates; 2021 census as reported by Wikipedia. Georgina figures cover the whole town, not Keswick alone.
Newmarket is a smaller area, about 38.5 square kilometres, but it has nearly twice as many people. Georgina covers about 288 square kilometres of towns, cottages and farmland. That difference in density shows up in everything from prices to bus service.
Is Keswick cheaper than Newmarket?
Yes, by a lot. Georgina’s detached median was $800,000 from January to October 2026, which is $270,000 below Newmarket’s $1,070,000. Freehold townhouses were about $130,000 cheaper. Georgina had the lowest detached median of York Region’s nine municipalities in 2026.
The gap is shrinking
Newmarket fell faster. Its detached median is down 15.4% in two years, from $1,265,000 in January–October 2024. Georgina’s is down about 7.0%, from $860,000. So the detached gap between the two has narrowed from $405,000 in 2024 to $270,000 in 2026. Newmarket buyers are getting a better deal than they were, while Georgina has held its price better.
TRREB’s October 2026 Market Watch, which counts all home types together, shows the same order. Its year-to-date median was $938,750 in Newmarket and $780,000 in Georgina. For a closer look at the Keswick side, see what a Keswick house is worth in 2027.
What about condos and semis?
Newmarket is the realistic choice. It had 51 condo apartment sales at a $490,000 median and 91 semi sales at $825,000. Georgina had only seven condo apartment sales and 11 semis in ten months, too few for a useful median.
How fast are homes selling in Newmarket and Keswick?
Faster in Newmarket. Detached homes there averaged 27 days on market in 2026, against 36 in Georgina. Newmarket’s detached sales also rose 10.3% from 2025, while Georgina’s fell 5.8%.
Supply is the bigger difference. At the end of October 2026 there were 193 detached homes for sale in Newmarket and 347 in Georgina. By my own arithmetic, that is about 4.0 months of detached supply in Newmarket and 7.3 months in Georgina, based on 2026’s average monthly sales. Four months leans toward buyers but is close to balanced. Seven months is a clear buyer’s market.
Sale-to-list ratios point the same way. TRREB’s year-to-date figures show homes selling at 98% of the asking price in Newmarket and 96% in Georgina. Keswick buyers have more room to negotiate. My northern York Region market guide compares both towns with Aurora, East Gwillimbury, King and Stouffville.
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Which has lower property taxes, Newmarket or Keswick?
Newmarket has the lower rate. Its 2026 total residential rate is 0.919045%, while Georgina’s is 1.191146%. Both pay the same York Region rate and the same education rate. The whole gap is the local town portion.
| 2026 residential rate | Newmarket | Georgina (Keswick) |
|---|---|---|
| Town | 0.373633% | 0.645734% |
| York Region | 0.392412% | 0.392412% |
| Education | 0.153000% | 0.153000% |
| Total | 0.919045% | 1.191146% |
| Tax on a $500,000 assessment | about $4,595 | about $5,956 |
Source: Town of Newmarket 2026 property tax rates; Town of Georgina 2026 tax brochure. Dollar amounts are my calculation. Tax is charged on MPAC’s assessed value, not your purchase price.
Georgina’s tax brochure lists an average home assessment of $463,113 for 2026. At Georgina’s rate that is about $5,516 a year. The same assessment in Newmarket would be about $4,256. So a Keswick owner pays roughly $1,260 to $1,360 a year more on a similar assessment. Because Keswick homes often sell for less, their assessments can be lower too, so ask for the seller’s latest tax bill.
Closing costs
Neither town has a municipal land transfer tax. On Newmarket’s detached median of $1,070,000, Ontario’s land transfer tax is $17,875. On Georgina’s $800,000 median it is $12,475. The minimum down payment is $82,000 in Newmarket and $55,000 in Keswick at those prices.
How long is the commute from Keswick vs Newmarket?
Longer from Keswick, and you will almost certainly drive. Keswick is about 72 km from downtown Toronto. Wikipedia notes that Keswick has no major employers and that most residents commute south to Newmarket or Toronto. Highway 404 was extended in 2014 to Woodbine Avenue, just south of Ravenshoe Road at the Keswick and East Gwillimbury border, which gives Keswick a direct highway run south.
Newmarket has more ways to get around. Newmarket GO is on the Barrie line. Viva Blue buses run from the Newmarket Bus Terminal to the Finch Bus Terminal in Toronto, and Viva Yellow uses the Davis Drive Rapidway, finished in 2015. Highway 404 has interchanges at Davis Drive and at Mulock Drive.
Georgina has no GO train station. The nearest Barrie line stations are East Gwillimbury and Newmarket. If a train matters to you, check how many trips stop there at the hours you travel, and how long the drive to the station takes from your street.
What is daily life like in Newmarket vs Keswick?
Newmarket
Newmarket is a compact, built-up town with a historic core. Its Main Street was recognized as a Provincial Heritage Conservation District in 2013. Southlake Regional Health Centre, a regional hospital and major employer, is in town. Upper Canada Mall sits at Yonge and Davis, Fairy Lake is a park in the centre of town, and the Tom Taylor Trail runs from the Aurora border north to Holland Landing. See my top 5 Newmarket neighbourhoods for where to look.
Keswick
Keswick is a lake town. Cook’s Bay forms its western edge, and the Maskinonge River runs through it. Boating, swimming, ice fishing and snowmobiling are popular, and Sibbald Point Provincial Park is nearby. The area was mainly Toronto cottage country until the late 1980s, when new subdivisions brought year-round families. If you want to be on the water, read my guide to Georgina’s Lake Simcoe waterfront homes first.
Schools and services
Both towns are in York Region, so they share the same regional services and the same public and Catholic school boards. The choice is about the school at a given address, so check it with the board before you buy.
Georgina’s numbers mix Keswick subdivisions with lakefront homes, older cottages and rural lots across the whole town. A town-wide median can be far from the right price for a particular street. With about seven months of detached supply, buying in Keswick before you sell elsewhere can also leave you carrying two homes for months.
Keswick saves you about $270,000 on a detached house, and that is real money. In return you pay a higher tax rate, you drive more, and resale is slower. If you work from home, work in Newmarket, or want the lake, Keswick is a strong choice. If you need a train, a condo, a short drive to Southlake or a faster sale later, Newmarket is worth the extra cost. I would compare total monthly costs, including gas and tolls, before deciding.
Who should pick Newmarket?
- Commuters who want GO trains, Viva buses and a shorter drive south.
- Condo and semi buyers, since Keswick has very few.
- Owners who want a faster sale later, with 27 days on market for detached homes.
- Health care workers and families who want Southlake close by.
If you are also weighing Aurora, see my Newmarket vs Aurora comparison.
Who should pick Keswick?
- First-time and budget detached buyers. The 2026 Georgina median was $800,000.
- Remote and hybrid workers who drive south only a few days a week.
- Lake lovers who want boating, swimming and ice fishing at the door.
- Buyers who want room to negotiate, with homes selling at 96% of asking on average.
What to do next
- Work out your full monthly cost in each town: mortgage, property tax and the commute.
- Drive from your target Keswick street to work at rush hour before you make an offer.
- Ask for the seller’s latest tax bill and compare it with a similar Newmarket home.
- Get a written mortgage pre-approval, since rates went up in late October 2026.
- If you own in Newmarket, get a value estimate so you know what you can spend in Keswick.
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
Is Newmarket better than Keswick?
Neither is better for everyone. Newmarket has GO trains, Viva buses, Southlake hospital and faster resale, but detached homes cost a median of $1,070,000 from January to October 2026. Keswick, in Georgina, had a detached median of $800,000, a lake setting and more room to negotiate, but a longer drive and a higher tax rate.
Is Keswick cheaper than Newmarket in 2027?
Yes, for detached homes. Georgina, which includes Keswick, had a detached median of $800,000 from January to October 2026, about $270,000 below Newmarket’s $1,070,000, according to TRREB MLS data via REALM. Freehold townhouses were about $130,000 cheaper. These are 2026 figures, not a 2027 forecast.
Are property taxes higher in Keswick or Newmarket?
Keswick’s are higher. Georgina’s 2026 total residential rate is 1.191146%, against Newmarket’s 0.919045%. On a home assessed at $500,000, that is about $5,956 a year in Keswick and $4,595 in Newmarket. Both pay the same York Region and education rates, so the gap comes from the town portion.
Is there a GO train in Keswick?
No. Keswick and the rest of Georgina have no GO train station as of November 2026. The nearest stations are East Gwillimbury GO and Newmarket GO on the Barrie line. Most Keswick residents drive, using Highway 404, which was extended north to Woodbine Avenue near Ravenshoe Road in 2014.
How far is Keswick from Toronto?
Keswick is about 72 km from downtown Toronto, according to Wikipedia. Highway 404 starts just south of Ravenshoe Road at the Keswick and East Gwillimbury border and runs south to Toronto. Most Keswick residents commute south to Newmarket or Toronto for work, so test the drive at rush hour before you buy.
Is Keswick part of Georgina?
Yes. Keswick is the largest community in the Town of Georgina, in York Region, on Lake Simcoe. Georgina also includes Sutton, Jackson’s Point, Pefferlaw and smaller communities. TRREB reports house prices for Georgina as a whole, so there is no official Keswick-only median price for 2026.
How fast are houses selling in Newmarket in 2026?
Detached houses in Newmarket averaged 27 days on market from January to October 2026, against 36 days in Georgina. Newmarket had about four months of detached supply at the end of October 2026, close to balanced, while Georgina had about seven. Homes in Newmarket sold at 98% of asking on average.
Is Keswick a good place to live?
It suits people who want a lake town at a lower price. Keswick sits on Cook’s Bay of Lake Simcoe, with boating, ice fishing and Sibbald Point Provincial Park nearby. Georgina’s 2026 detached median was $800,000. The trade-offs are a long drive south, no GO train, few condos and a higher property tax rate than Newmarket.
How much down payment do I need for a house in Keswick?
At Georgina’s 2026 detached median of $800,000, the minimum down payment is $55,000: 5% of the first $500,000 and 10% of the remaining $300,000. In Newmarket, at $1,070,000, it is $82,000. With less than 20% down you also pay mortgage default insurance, added to your loan.
Sources
- TRREB Market Watch, October 2026 (York Region municipal summary)
- Town of Newmarket: 2026 property tax rates
- Town of Georgina: 2026 property tax brochure
- Ontario Ministry of Finance: Calculating land transfer tax
- Keswick, Ontario (Wikipedia: location, Highway 404, commuting)
- Georgina, Ontario (Wikipedia: 2021 census and communities)
- Newmarket, Ontario (Wikipedia: 2021 census, transit, landmarks)
- Barrie line (Wikipedia: GO stations)
Related reading
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- Markham vs Richmond Hill in 2027: Prices, Commute and Which Fits You
- Vaughan vs Markham in 2027: Prices, Commute and Which Fits You
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.