Published 29 September 2026 · By Jatin Dua, Broker of Record, RE/MAX Quantum Realty
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There is no single best place; it depends on what you need most. On the numbers, Burlington stands out for many retirees: the oldest-skewing city in the table (21.0% aged 65+ in 2021), free buses for seniors with a PRESTO card, Joseph Brant Hospital and an August 2026 condo apartment median of $482,500. Toronto is the strongest choice if you want to live without a car: it has the subway, and the $2.25 senior TTC fare stops charging after 47 trips in a month. Markham has the lowest 2026 residential tax rate in the table at 0.722889%, and Brampton the lowest condo median at $425,000. The table below lets you match a city to your health, transit, family and budget priorities.
The GTA retirement comparison table
I sell homes across Toronto and the whole GTA, and the question I hear most from people in their sixties and seventies is simple: if we sell, where should we go? This table puts the numbers that matter side by side. Prices are TRREB medians for the single month of August 2026, a snapshot rather than a trend. Tax rates are each municipality’s total residential rate (city, region and education combined), and they apply to your MPAC assessed value, not to what the home would sell for.
| City or district | Detached median | Condo apt median | Total residential tax rate | Senior transit fare (65+) | Main hospital | 65+ share (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto West (incl. Etobicoke) | $1,100,000 | $525,000 | 0.767311% (2026) | TTC $2.25 PRESTO; free after 47 fares a month | Etobicoke General; Queensway Health Centre | 17.1% (whole city) |
| Toronto Central (incl. midtown, central North York) | $1,800,000 | $576,900 | 0.767311% (2026) | TTC, as above | North York General | 17.1% (whole city) |
| Toronto East (incl. Scarborough) | $950,000 | $482,000 | 0.767311% (2026) | TTC, as above | Scarborough Health Network (General, Birchmount, Centenary) | 17.1% (whole city) |
| Mississauga | $1,189,000 | $500,000 | 1.087901% (2026) | MiWay free with senior PRESTO | Credit Valley; Mississauga Hospital | 17% (secondary source) |
| Brampton | $947,500 | $425,000 | Not verified for 2026 | Free for resident seniors (Senior ID + PRESTO) | Brampton Civic | 12.5% |
| Oakville | $1,604,000 | $515,000 | 0.850960% (2026) | Free with PRESTO | Oakville Trafalgar Memorial | 15.7% |
| Burlington | $1,250,000 | $482,500 | about 1.015% (2026) | Free with PRESTO | Joseph Brant | 21.0% |
| Milton | $1,130,000 | $505,000 (14 sales) | 0.863509% (2026) | $2.55 e-ticket; $62 monthly | Milton District | 9.9% |
| Halton Hills | $990,000 | $575,000 (4 sales) | 0.955498% urban (2025) | Route 21 bus $4.25 cash; ActiVan for 65+ | Georgetown Hospital | 15.1% |
| Vaughan | $1,425,000 | $525,000 | Not verified for 2026 | YRT $2.60 PRESTO | Cortellucci Vaughan | 16.3% |
| Richmond Hill | $1,482,500 | $500,000 | 0.760104% (2026) | YRT $2.60 PRESTO | Mackenzie Richmond Hill | 17.2% |
| Markham | $1,488,000 | $563,800 | 0.722889% (2026) | YRT $2.60 PRESTO | Markham Stouffville | 18.3% |
| Aurora | $1,390,000 | $499,000 (6 sales) | 0.850893% (2025) | YRT $2.60 PRESTO | None in town; Southlake is in Newmarket | 15.4% |
| Newmarket | $1,090,000 | $650,000 (5 sales) | 0.919045% (2026) | YRT $2.60 PRESTO | Southlake Health | 15.9% |
| Pickering | $990,000 | $509,900 (13 sales) | 1.288240% (2025) | DRT $2.53 PRESTO; $55.30 monthly | Ajax Pickering Hospital | 16.6% |
| Ajax | $935,000 | $487,513 (4 sales) | 1.388664% (2026) | DRT, as above | Ajax Pickering Hospital | 13.1% |
| Whitby | Median not captured (average $1,010,663) | 6 sales (average $511,321) | 1.382491% (2026) | DRT, as above | Whitby Hospital | 14.8% |
Notes: Toronto’s 65+ share covers the whole amalgamated city. Halton and York shares are computed from each region’s published 2021 age groups; Mississauga’s comes from a secondary source citing Statistics Canada. Across Ontario, 18.5% of people were 65 or older in 2021. Where a 2026 rate could not be read from the city’s own page, I show 2025 or say so rather than guess.
What the table can and cannot tell you
Three cautions. One month of sales: anything under about 15 sales (flagged above) swings a lot, so the condo figures for Halton Hills, Aurora, Newmarket, Ajax and Whitby should not decide anything. A city is not a street: your neighbourhood can sit well above or below its median; for Toronto, the best Toronto neighbourhoods for retirees guide goes a level deeper. Tax rate is not tax bill: a low rate on a high assessment can still be a large bill.
Best for: quick picks by what matters to you
- Living without a car: Toronto. The only place in the table with a subway. Seniors pay $2.25 with PRESTO, and since 31 August 2026 the rest of the month is free after 47 fares (PRESTO or bank card, not cash). See is Toronto a good place to retire.
- Free local buses: Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga and Brampton. Seniors ride free with PRESTO; in Brampton the free ride is for residents with a Brampton Transit Senior ID.
- Lowest condo prices: Brampton at $425,000 on 21 sales, then Toronto East ($482,000) and Burlington ($482,500).
- Lowest detached prices: Ajax at $935,000, then Brampton ($947,500) and Toronto East ($950,000). Ajax also has the highest tax rate in the table.
- Lakefront living with services: Burlington, with free senior buses, Joseph Brant Hospital and the highest 65+ share here. Oakville, Port Credit in Mississauga, south Etobicoke and the Durham shore are also on the lake.
- Lowest property tax rate: Markham (0.722889%), then Richmond Hill (0.760104%) and Toronto (0.767311%).
- Closest to children in the city: stay in Toronto, or choose a 905 home near a GO station. Seniors save 55% on GO Transit.
- Published fixed seniors’ tax rebates for GIS recipients (2026): Pickering $620, Brampton $590, Burlington $575, Oakville $500, Newmarket $381.
What a downsize frees up, city by city
Most retirees I work with are selling a house they have owned for decades and buying something smaller. The gap between the medians gives a rough idea of the equity released. These are median to median, before commissions, legal fees, land transfer tax and moving costs, and illustrative only.
| City or district | Detached median | Condo apt median | Gap, before costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Central | $1,800,000 | $576,900 | $1,223,100 |
| Oakville | $1,604,000 | $515,000 | $1,089,000 |
| Richmond Hill | $1,482,500 | $500,000 | $982,500 |
| Markham | $1,488,000 | $563,800 | $924,200 |
| Burlington | $1,250,000 | $482,500 | $767,500 |
| Mississauga | $1,189,000 | $500,000 | $689,000 |
| Toronto West | $1,100,000 | $525,000 | $575,000 |
| Toronto East | $950,000 | $482,000 | $468,000 |
A condo townhouse or bungalow costs more but keeps a front door and some garden; what your house buys when you downsize covers those. The downsizing money planner below turns your own numbers into equity freed and the monthly cost of staying versus moving.
Property tax: the rate, the bill and relief for seniors
Per $100,000 of assessed value, the 2026 rates work out to (my arithmetic): Markham $722.89, Toronto $767.31, Oakville $850.96, Newmarket $919.05, Burlington $1,015.29, Mississauga $1,087.90 and Ajax $1,388.66. On the same assessment, an Ajax owner pays nearly double a Markham owner. But the bill depends on the assessment too: Markham’s own example is an average 2026 assessment of $822,671 producing a $5,947 bill.
- Toronto cancels or defers tax increases for owners 65+ with household income up to $62,000; the 2026 deadline is 2 November.
- Halton Region can defer the whole annual bill, interest-free, for owners 65+ with household income under $69,500 who have lived there four years.
- York Region defers increases for owners 65+ on the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS).
Ontario’s Senior Homeowners’ Property Tax Grant adds up to $500 a year for lower-income owners 64 and older. Details: property tax relief for seniors.
Care costs are set by the province; access is local
Ontario sets long-term care co-payments province-wide. From 1 July 2026: $2,129.17 a month basic, $2,567.17 semi-private, $3,041.97 private. What varies is how near the homes are to your family. Retirement homes are private and residents pay the full cost; the last CMHC survey (2021) put the Toronto-area average for a studio or private room with meals at $4,016 a month, and CMHC has since discontinued it. Read retirement home vs long-term care and retirement home costs in Toronto.
Beyond the GTA: smaller towns within about 90 minutes
Some retirees want out of the city altogether, and the towns they ask me about are older and quieter:
| Town | 65+ share (2021) | 2026 total residential tax rate | Nearest hospital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niagara-on-the-Lake | 36.2% | 1.293545% urban | Marotta Family Hospital, St. Catharines |
| The Blue Mountains | 34.2% | 1.032417% | Collingwood General and Marine |
| Cobourg | 34.0% | 1.834504% | Northumberland Hills Hospital |
| Collingwood | 30.0% | 1.270605% | Collingwood General and Marine |
| Stratford | 23.9% | 1.761361% | Stratford General |
| Kingston | 21.1% | 1.383802% | Kingston General; Hotel Dieu |
Several are cheaper to buy, but tax rates run higher than anywhere in the GTA, and getting to Toronto without a car is harder: Stratford gained a GO train in July 2026, Barrie is on the GO Barrie line, and Cobourg and Kingston have VIA Rail stations. Drive times depend on traffic. Compare them in the best places to retire within 90 minutes of Toronto and the cheapest places to retire near the GTA.
How to choose: five questions to settle first
- Health care access. How far is the hospital you would use, and will you need a new family doctor?
- Getting around without driving. Picture the year you stop. Can you reach groceries, a pharmacy and the clinic by bus, subway or on foot? Is there door-to-door service such as Wheel-Trans, TransHelp in Peel or Mobility On-Request in York?
- Stairs. When I walk a house with a couple in their seventies, the first thing I check is the stairs to the bedroom and the laundry. See buying a bungalow in retirement and condos that work for seniors.
- Family distance. A short GO ride from your children often matters more than any number in the table.
- Money freed. Release cash, cut monthly costs, or both? Run the planner below and read how much you need to retire in Toronto.
City-by-city retirement guides
- Toronto: Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, Midtown Toronto
- Peel: Mississauga, Brampton
- Halton: Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills
- York: Vaughan and Richmond Hill, Markham, Newmarket and Aurora
- Durham: Pickering, Ajax and Whitby
- Beyond the GTA: Collingwood and The Blue Mountains, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Barrie, Cobourg and Port Hope, Kingston, Stratford
- Other ways to live: 55+ communities, life lease housing, selling and renting
If you would like to talk through which of these fits you, book a call or phone me at 833-330-1925.
Free tool — Downsizing money planner
Downsizing money planner
See roughly how much a move frees up, what the next place costs, and how long the money lasts. Prices start at TRREB’s August 2026 medians; change any number to match your home.
Want the line-by-line breakdown, plus what homes like yours actually sold for on your street? I’ll show the full breakdown here and send you a short written plan. No obligation, no spam.
Estimates only, not advice or a valuation. Starting prices are TRREB Market Watch August 2026 medians (one month, whole-municipality figures). Rent default: Rentals.ca August 2026 Toronto average asking rent. Retirement home default: CMHC’s last Seniors’ Housing Survey (2021, Toronto, studio or private room with meals; CMHC has since discontinued it), so expect higher today. Land transfer tax uses Ontario’s brackets, plus Toronto’s municipal tax for Toronto purchases; repeat buyers get no first-time rebate. Property tax is estimated on the price, but your bill is based on MPAC’s assessed value, which is usually lower.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest city in the GTA to retire in?
It depends on the home. In August 2026 Brampton had the lowest condo apartment median in the table at $425,000, and Ajax the lowest detached median at $935,000. But Ajax also has the table’s highest 2026 tax rate, 1.388664%, so compare monthly costs, not just prices.
Which GTA cities have free bus rides for seniors?
Mississauga (MiWay, with a senior PRESTO card), Brampton (residents 65+ with a Senior ID and PRESTO), Oakville and Burlington (both with PRESTO). Cash fares are not free. On the TTC, seniors pay $2.25 with PRESTO, and trips are free for the rest of the month after 47 eligible fares.
Which GTA city has the lowest property taxes for seniors?
By 2026 rate, Markham at 0.722889%, then Richmond Hill and Toronto. Your bill still depends on your MPAC assessed value. If you receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement, check local rebates too: Pickering, Brampton, Burlington, Oakville and Newmarket publish fixed 2026 amounts.
Is it better to retire in Toronto or the suburbs?
Toronto wins on subway access, a lower tax rate than most of Peel, Halton and Durham, and hospital choice. The suburbs often win on free senior buses, quieter streets and, in places like Brampton, lower prices. If you expect to stop driving, weigh transit heavily; if family lives in one suburb, that usually decides it.
Does long-term care cost more in some GTA cities than others?
No. Ontario sets long-term care co-payments province-wide. From 1 July 2026 they are $2,129.17 a month for basic, $2,567.17 for semi-private and $3,041.97 for private accommodation. What varies by area is the number of homes near your family, so choose your five homes carefully.
Sources
- TRREB — Market Watch, August 2026 — detached, condo apartment, semi, townhouse medians by municipality and Toronto district
- City of Toronto — Property Tax Rates & Fees — 2026 total residential rate 0.767311%
- City of Markham — About Your Tax Bill — 2026 total residential rate 0.722889%
- Town of Ajax — 2026 Final Tax Rates — 2026 total residential rate 1.388664%
- TTC — Fares and passes — senior fare, end of senior passes, 47-fare monthly cap
- MiWay — Fare prices — free senior PRESTO fare in Mississauga
- Burlington Transit — Fares — free PRESTO fares for seniors 65+
- GO Transit — Seniors — seniors save 55% on GO
- City of Toronto — 2021 Census Backgrounder: Age — 17.1% of Toronto residents aged 65+
- Halton Region — 2021 population by age — age groups used to compute Halton 65+ shares
- Government of Ontario — Paying for long-term care — co-payment rates from 1 July 2026
- Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (SDMX API) — 65+ shares for towns outside the GTA
Related reading
- Is Toronto a good place to retire?
- Best Toronto neighbourhoods for retirees
- Best places to retire within 90 minutes of Toronto
- Cheapest places to retire near the GTA
- Property tax relief for seniors, city by city
- What your house buys when you downsize
- Retirement home vs long-term care in Ontario
- Downsizing in Toronto
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, Etobicoke. I work with buyers and sellers across Toronto and the GTA, and I have helped more than 100 families sell, many of them downsizing after decades in the same house. Four-plus years of active GTA transactions and over $100 million in sales volume. Every market figure here comes from TRREB’s published tables and every rule from the regulator or the legislation, so you can check all of it without asking me.
Reach me at connect@jatindua.com or 833-330-1925, or book a call.