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Real Estate

The 25 Best Canadian Cities to Buy Real Estate in 2018 Revealed

by Brent Furdyk

Updated September 27, 2018

Where is the best place in Canada to spend your real estate dollars right now? That was the question the Moneysense website set out to answer, analyzing such factors as average home price, return on investment (ROI) and economic factors such as the unemployment rate in order to determine the best cities in Canada to buy real estate in 2018.

25. Halifax, NS

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25. Halifax, NS

Average home price (2017):

$498,244
Average income to home price: 5.7
5-year annual ROI: 3.1%
Average 5-year rent increase: 15%
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.4%
Looking for a getaway and money’s no object? Check out Canada’s Most Expensive Airbnb Rentals

24. Greater Sudbury, ON

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24. Greater Sudbury, ON

Average home price (2017):

$524,800
 Average income to home price: 5.4
 5-year annual ROI: 6.5% 
Average 5-year rent increase: 15% 
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 6.8%

23. Gatineau, QUE

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23. Gatineau, QUE

Average home price (2017):

$421,939 
Average income to home price: 3.9
 5-year annual ROI: 2.8% 
Average 5-year rent increase: 5% 
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.4%

22. Charlottetown, PEI

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22. Charlottetown, PEI

Average home price (2017):

$312,182 
Average income to home price: 3.9 
 5-year annual ROI: 2.7%  
Average 5-year rent increase: 13%  
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 9.8%

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21. Regina, SK

Average home price (2017):

$520,963 
Average income to home price: 4.9
 5-year annual ROI: 2.4% 
Average 5-year rent increase: 14% 
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 4.2%

20. Moncton, NB

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20. Moncton, NB

Average home price (2017):

$342,729
 Average income to home price: 4.2 
5-year annual ROI: 3.3% 
Average 5-year rent increase: 8% 
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.5%

19. Toronto, ON

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19. Toronto, ON

Average home price (2017):

$1,020,375 
Average income to home price: 9.1 
5-year annual ROI: 8.7% 
Average 5-year rent increase: 18% 
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.7%
Here are 10 Gorgeous Homes for Sale in Oakville, Ontario (Canada’s Best Place to Live in 2018)

18. Winnipeg, MB

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18. Winnipeg, MB

Average home price (2017):

$436,671 
Average income to home price: 4.7 
5-year annual ROI: 1.6% 
Average 5-year rent increase: 24% 
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.8%

17. Thunder Bay, ON

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17. Thunder Bay, ON

Average home price (2017):

$453,471 
Average income to home price: 5.2 
5-year annual ROI: 4.7% 
Average 5-year rent increase: 17% 
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 8.4%

16. Durham-Oshawa, ON

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16. Durham-Oshawa, ON

Average home price (2017):

$599,433 
Average income to home price: 5.4 
5-year annual ROI: 8.0% 
Average 5-year rent increase: 24% 
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 8.1%

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15. Ottawa, ON

Average home price (2017):

$521,934 
Average income to home price: 4.9  
5-year annual ROI: 1.6%  
Average 5-year rent increase: 11%  
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.5%

14. Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, ON

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14. Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, ON

Average home price (2017):

$543,102
 Average income to home price: 5.5 
5-year annual ROI: 4.6%
 Average 5-year rent increase: 20% 
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 6.1%

13. Windsor, ON

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13. Windsor, ON

Average home price (2017):

$464,981
 Average income to home price: 5.6 
5-year annual ROI: 7.1%
 Average 5-year rent increase: 11% 
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.6%

12. St. Catharines, ON

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12. St. Catharines, ON

Average home price (2017):

$546,770
 Average income to home price: 6.6 
5-year annual ROI: 4.7% 
Average 5-year rent increase: 15% 
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.6%

11. Hamilton, ON

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11. Hamilton, ON

Average home price (2017):

$622,853
 Average income to home price: 6.3 
5-year annual ROI: 3.9% 
Average 5-year rent increase: 24% 
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.5%

10. Kelowna, BC

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10. Kelowna, BC

Average home price (2017):

$890,583 
Average income to home price: 9.3  
5-year annual ROI: 3.8% 
 Average 5-year rent increase: 23% 
 Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.1% 

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9. London, ON

Average home price (2017):

$485,801
 Average income to home price: 5.4 
5-year annual ROI: 6.3% 
Average 5-year rent increase: 14%
 Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 6.6%

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8. Barrie, ON

Average home price (2017):

$632,509 
Average income to home price: 6.3  
5-year annual ROI: 8.2%  
Average 5-year rent increase: 16%  
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.4% 
Go Inside 5 of Canada’s Most Expensive Real Estate Listings Right Now

7. Vancouver, BC

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7. Vancouver, BC

Average home price (2017):

$2,264,596 
Average income to home price: 22.6 
5-year annual ROI: 13.1% 
Average 5-year rent increase: 24% 
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.6%

6. Abbotsford-Mission, BC

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6. Abbotsford-Mission, BC

Average home price (2017):

$972,360
 Average income to home price: 10.6
 5-year annual ROI: 11.2%
 Average 5-year rent increase: 15% 
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.5%
Thinking of buying a house in Abbotsford? It also boasts some of the lowest taxes in all of Canada.

5. Kingston, ON

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5. Kingston, ON

Average home price (2017):

$416,028 
Average income to home price: 4.4 
5-year annual ROI: 7.0%
 Average 5-year rent increase: 17%
 Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.9%

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4. Guelph, ON

Average home price (2017):

$718,898 
Average income to home price: 6.9  
5-year annual ROI: 10.5%  
Average 5-year rent increase: 21%  
Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.0% 

3. Victoria, BC

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3. Victoria, BC

Average home price (2017):

$975,838 
Average income to home price: 10.3
 5-year annual ROI: 8.4% 
Average 5-year rent increase: 20%
 Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 4.7%

2. Peterborough, ON

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2. Peterborough, ON

Average home price (2017):

$413,394 
Average income to home price: 4.8
 5-year annual ROI: 4.6% 
Average 5-year rent increase: 10%
 Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 5.4%

1. Brantford, ON

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1. Brantford, ON

Average home price (2017):

$506,016 
Average income to home price: 5.9 
5-year annual ROI: 4.5%
 Average 5-year rent increase: 20%
 Previous year’s unemployment rate (2017): 4.9%
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Written ByBrent Furdyk

HGTV CANADA SERIES

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