Published 2 November 2026 · By Jatin Dua, Broker of Record, RE/MAX Quantum Realty
Port Perry is a good place to live for buyers who want a heritage lake town and can live without a GO train. The best areas in Scugog for 2027 are downtown Port Perry, its residential streets, Prince Albert, Scugog Island and Caesarea, and Blackstock. Scugog’s detached median was $885,000 from January to October 2026 (TRREB MLS data via REALM).
This guide is for buyers looking at Port Perry and the rest of the Township of Scugog for 2027, from young families to retirees leaving Toronto. You will get real 2026 prices, the 2026 tax rate, my five best areas to live, who each one suits and what I would check before buying.
Is Port Perry a good place to live in 2027?
For many buyers, yes. Port Perry is the main town in the Township of Scugog, in the north of Durham Region. The Township says it has about 21,580 people and expects more than 24,000 by 2028. Port Perry itself had 9,553 people in the 2021 census. The rest of the township is lakeshore, island and farm country around Lake Scugog.
What draws people here:
- A heritage downtown. Port Perry’s Victorian-era main street, Queen Street, is full of shops, cafés and galleries, and the Township protects its core as a Heritage Conservation District.
- The lake. Lake Scugog was created when a dam was built at Lindsay in 1834. Lakeside parks such as Palmer Park and Birdseye Park are popular in summer.
- Local services. Port Perry has a 24-bed hospital, Lakeridge Health Port Perry, plus the Township offices and a recreation centre with two ice rinks.
- Space. The township covers about 475 square kilometres, so hamlets and country lots are never far away.
The trade-offs are distance and taxes. The Township describes itself as 75 km from Toronto, and there is no GO train. Durham Region’s tax rate is also high, which I cover below.
What do homes cost in Scugog right now?
Almost every sale in Scugog is a detached house. These are township-wide medians. A median is the middle sale: half sold for more and half for less.
| Home type (Scugog) | Median Jan–Oct 2024 | Median Jan–Oct 2025 | Median Jan–Oct 2026 | Change vs 2025 | Sales 2026 | Avg days on market 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | $958,516 | $929,000 | $885,000 | −4.7% | 201 | 39 |
| Freehold townhouse | $820,000 | $795,000 | $740,000 | −6.9% | 9 | 28 |
| Condo apartment | no sales | $821,000 | $812,500 | −1.0% | 4 | 62 |
Source: TRREB MLS data via REALM, January–October 2026 vs the same period of 2025 and 2024. Township of Scugog, all areas combined, median sold prices. Semi-detached and condo townhouse sales were too few to report.
The detached median is down about 7.7% in two years, from $958,516 to $885,000. Sales held steady at 201, but homes took 39 days to sell on average, up from 27 in 2024. At the end of October there were 137 detached homes for sale, up from 78 two years earlier.
TRREB’s October 2026 Market Watch shows 27 sales in Scugog that month at a median of $880,000, with 5.4 months of inventory. Durham Region as a whole had 3.6 months. Homes sold for 96% of their final asking price on average, so buyers have room to negotiate.
TRREB splits Scugog into three communities: Port Perry, Rural Scugog and Blackstock. The prices above cover all three, not each area below.
1. Downtown Port Perry: heritage streets by the water
What it’s like: Peter Perry laid out village lots on the lakeshore in 1848, and the town took his name in 1852. The railway to Whitby arrived in 1872, and the grain elevator built the next year is described as Canada’s oldest. The old Town Hall, built in 1873, is now a performing arts centre, and the Port Perry Fair has run every Labour Day weekend for more than 150 years.
Who it suits: downsizers and couples who want to walk to the lake, shops and restaurants, and buyers who love older homes.
What it costs: Use the township’s detached median of $885,000 as a starting point only. Older homes near Queen Street vary a lot by size and condition.
What to check: Ask whether the property is inside the Heritage Conservation District or on the Township’s Heritage Register. That can affect exterior changes. Check the roof, wiring and foundation in any older house.
2. Port Perry’s residential neighbourhoods north and south of Highway 7A
What it’s like: Highway 7A crosses the town, and the Township splits Port Perry into two wards along it. Away from the main street, Port Perry is a town of family streets. Public schools listed for the township include R.H. Cornish and S.A. Cawker, and Port Perry High School is here.
Who it suits: families who want a detached house, a short drive to schools and the hospital, and town services.
What it costs: The few freehold townhouses that sell in Scugog had a median of $740,000 in 2026, but only nine sold. Most families are buying detached homes near the $885,000 township median.
What to check: Confirm with the seller and the Township that the home is on municipal water and sewer. Ask about any new subdivisions planned nearby, since growth to 24,000 people has to go somewhere.
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3. Prince Albert: Port Perry’s older neighbour
What it’s like: Prince Albert sits just southwest of Port Perry, around King Street and Simcoe Road. In the 1800s it was a busy grain-trading village on a planked toll road to Whitby. When the railway went to Port Perry instead, business moved north, and today Prince Albert is effectively a suburb of Port Perry. Reuben Crandell, the area’s first settler, built a homestead in 1821 that still stands on King Street between Prince Albert and Manchester.
Who it suits: families who want a quieter street a few minutes from downtown. Prince Albert Public School is one of the township’s elementary schools.
What it costs: Prince Albert is counted inside TRREB’s Port Perry figures, so there is no separate median. Ask your agent for recent sales on the same streets.
What to check: Lot size and services. Some properties on the edge of a village are on wells and septic, so ask before you assume.
4. Scugog Island and Caesarea: life on the lake
What it’s like: Scugog Island was formed when the 1834 dam raised the lake. The island is home to the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, whose Great Blue Heron Casino is the area’s largest private employer. Across the water from the island’s east side, Caesarea had 816 people in 401 homes in 2021. It was originally called Lasherville.
Who it suits: buyers who want a waterfront or water-view home, boating in summer and ice fishing in winter.
What it costs: Waterfront is priced on frontage, shoreline quality and services, so the township median tells you little. Compare only true waterfront sales.
What to check: Shoreline rules on this lake are unusual, and services on the island differ from town. My guide to Port Perry and Lake Scugog waterfront homes explains the permits, zoning and services in detail.
5. Blackstock, Nestleton and the rural east
What it’s like: East of Port Perry is the former Cartwright Township, with farmland and small villages. Blackstock, established in 1851, had 786 people in 2021, and TRREB tracks it as its own community. Nestleton and Nestleton Station sit nearby, and the township’s schools include Cartwright Public School.
Who it suits: buyers who want a village feel, a larger lot and lower prices than lakefront, and who are happy to drive.
What it costs: Only a few homes sell here each quarter. Expect to rely on sales from the whole east side of the township to judge value.
What to check: Many homes here are on private wells and septic systems. Durham Region’s Health Department approves septic systems in Scugog and keeps the records. My guide to septic systems and wells for Ontario buyers covers the tests to ask for.
How much are property taxes in Scugog?
Higher than most buyers expect. Scugog’s 2026 residential tax rate is 1.387026% of MPAC’s assessed value. That is made up of the Township’s share (0.453266%), Durham Region’s share (0.780760%) and the provincial education rate (0.153%).
| Assessed value | 2026 tax at 1.387026% |
|---|---|
| $400,000 | about $5,548 |
| $550,000 | about $7,629 |
| $700,000 | about $9,709 |
Source: Township of Scugog, 2026 Summary of Tax Rates (residential class). Dollar amounts are my calculation. Tax is charged on the assessed value, not the price you pay.
Always ask for the seller’s latest tax bill. Rates for 2027 will be set after the Township and Durham Region approve their 2027 budgets and the Province sets the education rate.
Do not compare Scugog homes on price alone. At 2026 rates, a home assessed at $700,000 pays about $9,709 a year in property tax. Add that, the drive and any well or septic costs to every home you compare, and make rural offers conditional on a water test and a septic inspection.
How do you get from Port Perry to Toronto?
Mostly by car. Scugog has no GO train station. Durham Region Transit runs a bus route linking Uxbridge, Port Perry and Whitby, and Whitby has a GO station on the Lakeshore East line. Test the drive at rush hour from the actual street before you buy. If you are new to the region, my guide to moving from Toronto to Durham Region covers what changes day to day.
In my view, Port Perry is one of the few small towns near the GTA with a real heritage downtown on the water, and detached prices are about 7.7% below 2024. For resale, I would focus on in-town Port Perry and Prince Albert, where most buyers look. The island and lakeshore are wonderful for the right family, but buy on today’s shoreline and services, not on plans. The tax bill is the one number I would never skip. This is my opinion, not a forecast.
What to do next
- Choose your trade-off: walkable town, quiet village or waterfront. That narrows Scugog to one or two areas.
- Get a mortgage pre-approval. At the $885,000 detached median, the minimum down payment is $63,500.
- Ask for the seller’s latest tax bill and check whether the home is on town services or a well and septic.
- Drive the commute at rush hour from the actual street.
- Compare Scugog with the rest of the region in my Durham housing market outlook for 2027.
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 Port Perry a good place to live?
Yes, Port Perry is a good place to live for families and downsizers who want a small heritage town on Lake Scugog in 2027. It has a Victorian-era downtown, a 24-bed hospital and its own high school. Scugog’s median detached home sold for $885,000 from January to October 2026. The drawbacks are no GO train and a high property tax rate.
What is the best area to live in Scugog?
For 2027, downtown Port Perry is the best area in Scugog for walking to the lake and shops, and Port Perry’s residential streets suit families. Prince Albert offers quiet streets next to town, Scugog Island and Caesarea offer lake living, and Blackstock and the rural east offer village life and larger lots. Your commute and budget decide the best fit.
How much is a house in Port Perry in 2026?
The median detached house in the Township of Scugog, which includes Port Perry, sold for $885,000 from January to October 2026, down 4.7% from $929,000 a year earlier, per TRREB MLS data via REALM. In October 2026 alone, Scugog’s median for all home types was $880,000. Lakefront and large rural properties can sell well above these figures.
Are house prices dropping in Port Perry?
Yes, modestly. Scugog’s detached median fell 4.7% from January to October 2026 compared with 2025, and is about 7.7% below the same period of 2024, according to TRREB MLS data via REALM. Homes took 39 days to sell on average in 2026. Nobody can promise where prices go in 2027, so buy for your own plans.
What is the property tax rate in Scugog?
Scugog’s 2026 residential property tax rate is 1.387026% of the assessed value, combining the Township (0.453266%), Durham Region (0.780760%) and education (0.153%) shares. On a home assessed at $700,000, that is about $9,709 a year. Tax is charged on MPAC’s assessed value. The 2027 rates will be set after the 2027 Township and Region budgets.
Does Port Perry have a GO train?
No. As of November 2026 there is no GO train station in Port Perry or anywhere in the Township of Scugog. Durham Region Transit runs a bus route linking Uxbridge, Port Perry and Whitby, which has a Lakeshore East GO station. Most Port Perry residents drive to work, so test the commute at rush hour before buying.
How far is Port Perry from Toronto?
The Township of Scugog describes itself as 75 km from Toronto, and Port Perry is about 84 km northeast of central Toronto. Many residents drive south toward Whitby and Oshawa for work, Highway 401 or GO trains. Drive times vary a lot at rush hour, so time the trip from the actual street before you buy in 2027.
Is Scugog Island a good place to buy?
Scugog Island can be a good 2027 buy for people who want lake living, but it is a specialist market. The island was formed by the 1834 dam at Lindsay and is home to the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. Waterfront value depends on frontage, shoreline quality and services, so compare only true waterfront sales and check what you can build at the water.
What schools are in Port Perry?
Port Perry High School is the township’s high school. Public elementary schools listed for Scugog include R.H. Cornish, S.A. Cawker, Prince Albert, Cartwright and Greenbank, plus Good Shepherd Catholic School. School boundaries can change, so confirm the exact address with the Durham school boards before you buy a home in Port Perry in 2027.
What are the communities in Scugog Township?
As of 2026, TRREB divides the Township of Scugog into three communities: Port Perry, Rural Scugog and Blackstock. Within those are many smaller places, including Prince Albert, Scugog Island, Caesarea, Greenbank, Seagrave, Nestleton and Nestleton Station. Port Perry is the main town and the township’s commercial and administrative centre, with most of the shops and services.
Sources
- Township of Scugog: 2026 Summary of Tax Rates
- Township of Scugog: Community Profile
- Township of Scugog: Heritage
- Port Perry: history, hospital and culture (Wikipedia)
- Scugog: communities, wards and schools (Wikipedia)
- TRREB Community Housing Market Report: Durham – Scugog, Q2 2026
- TRREB Market Watch, October 2026
- Sewage and septic systems – Region of Durham
Related reading
- Top 5 Best Neighbourhoods to Live in Mississauga in 2027
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- 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.