Best Cities for First-Time Home Buyers in Ontario

Ontario cities offering the best combination of affordability and available inventory for first-time buyers.

#	City	Region	Median Price	Avg DOM	Active	Sold (12 mo)
1	Toronto	Greater Toronto Area	$825K	33 days	9,814	23,401
2	Timmins	Northern Ontario	$305K	37 days	87	597
3	Chatham-Kent	Southwestern Ontario	$346K	38 days	113	117
4	Sault Ste. Marie	Northern Ontario	$345K	30 days	16	11
5	Pembroke	Eastern Ontario	$365K	39 days	53	205
6	London	Southwestern Ontario	$556K	39 days	2,177	4,515
7	Smiths Falls	Eastern Ontario	$380K	58 days	75	153
8	Cornwall	Eastern Ontario	$406K	46 days	178	661
9	Thunder Bay	Northern Ontario	$410K	25 days	207	337
10	Sarnia	Southwestern Ontario	$400K	32 days	49	75
11	Kenora	Northern Ontario	$415K	40 days	76	69
12	Brockville	Eastern Ontario	$423K	49 days	144	329
13	North Bay	Northern Ontario	$430K	27 days	137	677
14	Parry Sound	Muskoka	$470K	53 days	33	101
15	Windsor	Southwestern Ontario	$475K	46 days	82	75

Methodology

Composite score: 60% affordability (inverse of median price relative to provincial max) + 40% inventory availability (active listings relative to max). Higher inventory gives first-time buyers more options and negotiating power. Cities must have 5+ active listings and 10+ sales.

Data source: MLS listing data aggregated by REintel. Updated every 30 minutes via ISR. Rankings are recalculated hourly.