Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

These are the Canadian cities where homes are most affordable

Share

Canadians earning average incomes may struggle to afford homes in the country’s urban centres, but new research from Zoocasa is highlighting real estate markets where homes are within reach.

 and found that people earning the median income for their city could not afford a home at the average price tag in 10 of those markets.

However, suggest buyers could find luck outside major cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa.

WHERE ARE HOMES MOST AFFORDABLE?

Saint John, N.B., stood out as a city with the greatest home affordability, according to Zoocasa.

At $79,000, the median income was lower in the Atlantic Canadian city compared with the other listed markets, but the average price of a home in Saint John was listed as $291,000 – far below the maximum home price threshold of $365,165 for median income earners.

Regina also stood out in terms of affordability.

At just under $111,000, the Saskatchewan capital had the largest gap between the average price of a home and the affordable range for a median income earner. Those earners could pay up to $429,457 for a home in Regina, where the average home price was $318,700.

Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Quebec City and the province of Prince Edward Island also had average home prices within the affordability range for a median income earner.

WHERE ARE HOMES LEAST AFFORDABLE?

The average home was priced at more than $1 million in Vancouver and Toronto, meaning “it is likely no surprise†that people earning median incomes in those cities would find it hard to afford a home at the average price, Zoocasa said.

People in cities with the highest median incomes would also find it difficult to buy a home, the research showed.

Ottawa had the highest median income at $106,240, but “a home in the city at the current average price may still be out of reach,†the research noted, with the average home listed $160,000 higher than the maximum median earners could afford.

Victoria and Calgary, cities with the second and third highest median incomes, also showed average home prices that were too expensive for those earners.

METHODOLOGY

Median household incomes were sourced from Statistics Canada.

The maximum affordability of median income households was calculated by finding the monthly earnings of the median income and then using the Scotiabank “What Can I Afford Calculator,†assuming an interest rate of 5.04 per cent and an amortization period of 25 years.

Average home prices were sources from the Canadian Real Estate Association.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.

Toronto police say they are searching for a suspect who allegedly shot and killed his brother in an argument at a Scarborough housing complex late Saturday night.

Ontario's police watchdog has decided there are no grounds to believe Sudbury police committed a crime during a difficult arrest in May where the suspect's neck was broken.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected