North York vs Richmond Hill in 2027: Which Is Better to Buy In?

By Jatin Dua · Broker of Record, RE/MAX Quantum Realty · Updated 2 November 2026 · 10 min read — North York vs Richmond Hill in 2027: similar tax rates and detached prices, but North York buyers pay about double the land transfer tax.

This guide is for buyers choosing between North York and Richmond Hill in 2027, and for owners on one side of Steeles thinking about a move to the other. You will get 2026 prices by home type and by North York district, how fast homes are selling, the land transfer tax gap most buyers miss, transit facts including the subway extension, and a plain answer on who each area suits.

North York vs Richmond Hill: how do prices compare side by side?

North York is part of the City of Toronto, on the south side of Steeles Avenue. Richmond Hill is a separate city in York Region, with 202,022 people at the 2021 census, starting about 4 km north of Steeles. TRREB reports Richmond Hill as one area but splits North York into districts, so the North York figures below are by district, not one city-wide median.

Source: TRREB MLS data via REALM, January–October 2026 vs the same period of 2025 (change in brackets). North York here means Toronto districts C06, C07, C13, C14, C15 and W05; C12 (St. Andrew-Windfields, Bridle Path) is left out because it is a luxury market of its own. Community names from TRREB’s Q2 2026 community reports. These are district figures, not neighbourhood prices.

Across those six districts, North York had 1,027 detached sales and 1,820 condo apartment sales in ten months. Richmond Hill had 838 and 344. North York is the much bigger condo market.

Is Richmond Hill cheaper than North York?

It depends on which part of North York you compare it with. Richmond Hill’s detached median of $1,485,000 sits in the middle of the North York range. It is cheaper than C13 ($1,515,000) and C14 ($1,691,900), close to C07 ($1,445,000) and C15 ($1,411,000), and much more expensive than W05 ($971,250) and C06 ($1,295,444).

For condos, Richmond Hill’s $529,250 median was about the same as C15 and below C07, C13 and C14. W05 and C06 were cheaper again.

Other home types

Richmond Hill has far more freehold townhouses, with 313 sales at a $1,040,000 median, while most North York districts had only a handful. Semi-detached houses were cheaper in North York: W05’s median was $835,000 on 185 sales and C15’s was $927,500, against $1,051,000 in Richmond Hill.

How far have prices fallen since 2024?

Both have dropped a lot. Richmond Hill’s detached median is down 16.3% in two years, from $1,774,400 in January–October 2024. In North York the drop ranged from 9.3% in C13 to 21.7% in C14, where the median fell from $2,160,000. For more detail by district, see my North York housing market 2027 guide.

How fast are homes selling in North York and Richmond Hill?

At a similar pace. Richmond Hill detached homes averaged 31 days on market in 2026. In North York the range was 26 days in C13 to 36 days in C14. Detached sales rose in both: up 10.7% in Richmond Hill and about 15% across the six North York districts combined.

Supply was similar too. The REALM data listed 506 active detached homes in Richmond Hill and 585 across the six North York districts. By my rough arithmetic, that is about six months of detached supply in each, based on 2026’s average monthly sales. That is a balanced to buyer-leaning market, where well-priced homes sell and overpriced ones wait.

Which has lower property taxes, North York or Richmond Hill?

They are almost the same. Toronto’s 2026 residential rate, which applies in North York, is 0.767311%, including the City Building Fund. Richmond Hill’s total 2026 rate is 0.760104%: 0.214692% for the city, 0.392412% for York Region and 0.153% for education. On a $1,000,000 assessment, that is about $7,673 in North York and $7,601 in Richmond Hill, a gap of about $72 a year.

So property tax should not decide this. The land transfer tax, covered next, is the cost that really differs, and you pay it once, upfront, in cash. My Richmond Hill property tax guide shows due dates and examples.

How much more land transfer tax do you pay in North York?

About double. North York is inside the City of Toronto, so buyers pay both Ontario’s land transfer tax and Toronto’s municipal land transfer tax. Richmond Hill buyers pay only Ontario’s. Below $3 million, Toronto’s rates match Ontario’s, so the total in North York is roughly twice as much.

Source: Ontario Ministry of Finance land transfer tax rates; City of Toronto MLTT rates (single-family residences). My calculations, before first-time buyer rebates.

First-time buyers get some of that back. Ontario refunds up to $4,000, and Toronto’s first-time buyer rebate is up to $4,475, so a first-time buyer in North York can recover up to $8,475. On a $1,000,000 purchase that still leaves about $24,475 to pay in North York, against about $12,475 in Richmond Hill. Toronto also added higher municipal rates on homes over $3 million from April 1, 2026, and charges an extra 10% speculation tax on non-resident buyers. My guide to Toronto’s land transfer tax rates covers both.

Which is better for transit, North York or Richmond Hill?

North York, today. Line 1 Yonge-University runs through North York with stations such as Finch, North York Centre and Sheppard-Yonge, and Line 4 Sheppard connects at Sheppard-Yonge. Highway 401 crosses North York, and Highway 404 links to the Don Valley Parkway.

Richmond Hill relies on GO trains, buses and highways. The GO Richmond Hill line has four stations in the city: Bloomington, Gormley, Richmond Hill and Langstaff. Trains run only in weekday rush hours, toward Union in the morning and back in the evening, with GO buses at other times. York Region Transit’s Viva rapid buses run on Yonge Street, Highway 7 and other main roads. Highway 404 forms the city’s east edge and Highway 407, a toll road, runs along its south.

When will the subway reach Richmond Hill?

Not for years. The Yonge North Subway Extension will extend Line 1 about 8 km north from Finch Station, with five stations serving Vaughan, Markham and Richmond Hill. Metrolinx says it will open after the Ontario Line is complete, and the Ontario Line has no confirmed opening date beyond the early 2030s. The tunnelling contract was awarded in July 2025, and the first tunnel boring machine reached its launch shaft in September 2026. Buy for the transit you have today, and treat the subway as a long-term bonus.

What is it like to live in North York vs Richmond Hill?

North York

North York is a big, varied part of Toronto. Districts such as C14 and C15 combine large condo markets, with 475 and 530 condo sales in 2026, with plenty of detached streets, at 174 and 225 detached sales. W05, around Downsview and York University, is the most affordable of the six districts. You get Toronto services and transit, but also Toronto’s double land transfer tax. See my list of the best neighbourhoods in North York.

Richmond Hill

Richmond Hill is a suburban city whose southern edge is about 20 km north of downtown Toronto. It stretches 14 km from north to south. Its older core sits on Yonge Street between Major Mackenzie Drive and Richmond Heights, and the north end reaches into Oak Ridges and the Oak Ridges Moraine. Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital is in the city. The York Region District School Board runs its public schools, so check the exact address with the board before you buy.

Who should pick North York?

• Subway commuters who want Line 1 or Line 4 at the door.
• Condo buyers, with more than 1,800 condo apartment sales across six districts in ten months.
• Budget detached buyers who are open to W05 or C06, where medians were below $1.3 million.
• Buyers comparing other options nearby. My North York vs Markham guide is a useful next read.

Who should pick Richmond Hill?

• Buyers who want a freehold townhouse, with 313 sales at a $1,040,000 median.
• Drivers on Highway 404 or 407 and rush-hour GO users.
• Buyers who want to avoid Toronto’s municipal land transfer tax.
• Families who want a suburban layout with the Oak Ridges Moraine nearby.

What to do next

1. Decide whether daily subway access matters. If it does, focus on North York along Line 1 or Line 4.
2. Add land transfer tax to your cash budget: about double in North York.
3. Compare two or three real homes at your price in a specific North York district and in Richmond Hill.
4. Get a written mortgage pre-approval, since the Bank of Canada raised its rate to 2.50% on October 28, 2026.
5. If you own now, get a value estimate before you plan the move.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• City of Toronto: Property tax rates and fees (2026)
• City of Richmond Hill: 2026 tax rates
• City of Toronto: Municipal land transfer tax rates and fees
• Ontario Ministry of Finance: Calculating land transfer tax
• Metrolinx: Yonge North Subway Extension
• Wikipedia: Richmond Hill, Ontario (2021 census, GO stations, geography, hospital)
• Wikipedia: Richmond Hill line (GO Transit service pattern)
• Wikipedia: Line 1 Yonge-University (North York stations)

Related reading

• Mississauga vs Oakville in 2027: Prices, Commute and Which Fits You
• Brampton vs Mississauga in 2027: Prices, Commute and Which Fits You
• Markham vs Richmond Hill in 2027: Prices, Commute and Which Fits You
• Vaughan vs Markham in 2027: Prices, Commute and Which Fits You