ontario

Ontario is officially the worst province in Canada to buy a house

A new study has revealed the worst place in Canada to buy a home, and it might surprise you.

MetroVancouverHomeSource.com looked at each province's average house price and median annual income to determine its rankings.

While British Columbia's housing market makes headlines over and over again for its unaffordability, it's actually Ontario that took the not-so-coveted prize with a score of 20.97 out of 100.

"The average house price in the province is a staggering $931,870, while the median annual income is $41,690. Ontario also has high living costs, with high childcare, food, and household maintenance costs. However, the province has the lowest healthcare costs of all ten provinces," the report found.

Apparently, BC placed a bit better for the chance of buying a home due to having "the lowest mortgage insurance premiums on average." 

But the average cost of a home in 2023 is higher than in Ontario — a jump compared to 2022 and remains more than double what it would cost in Alberta.

"The province has the highest average house price at $996,460 in addition to high living costs, with the most expensive public transport, healthcare, and education," the study said.

But Alberta, where the message of affordability has been shared widely by politicians, still has high-income tax, water, insurance, and healthcare costs compared to other spots and not as many homes available to buy, according to this study.

However, the "average house prices in the province are $447,444, and Alberta has the second-highest median annual income of all ten provinces at $44,850."

Here are the full rankings of the easiest provinces to buy a house and the average price.

  1. Newfoundland and Labrador ($291,806)
  2. New Brunswick ($289,785)
  3. Prince Edward Island ($388,844)
  4. Nova Scotia ($411,784)
  5. Manitoba ( $360,373)
  6. Quebec ( $483,573)
  7. Saskatchewan ($303,260)
  8. Alberta ($447,444)
  9. British Columbia ($996,460)
  10. Ontario ($931,870)
Lead photo by

Fareen Karim


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Real Estate

Award-winning home in exclusive Toronto area drops price by $1.4 million

Here's what experts predict will happen to Canada's housing market next year

Mountain range-shaped condo shaping up to be like nothing else in Toronto

Massive Toronto redevelopment is back on the table after years of silence

One-of-a-kind $8 million Toronto home looks straight out of the pages of a design magazine

Pair of Toronto office buildings would be torn down for 4-tower condo complex

Over 180-year-old British military building in Toronto sits empty awaiting new life

Stunning Toronto Victorian home that was completely restored is selling for $3 million