Canada Housing Market Overview 2026

City housing market reports

We track housing market data for 14 major Canadian cities. Click any city below for the full report.

British Columbia

Ontario

Quebec

Prairies

Atlantic Canada

Provincial housing market reports

We also publish detailed reports for all 10 Canadian provinces. Click any province for the full analysis.

More housing market data

• Housing Starts in Canada — monthly CMHC data on new residential construction, units under construction, and completions by province
• Average Mortgage Payment in Canada — monthly payment estimates by province, city, and home price with current 2026 rates

National overview

Canada had 36,186 home sales (seasonally adjusted) in January 2026, down 5.8% month-over-month and 12.5% below January 2025. The national average home price fell 3.0% month-over-month to $652,941, down 2.6% year-over-year. The MLS® benchmark home price declined to $658,300, down 0.3% from December 2025 and 4.9% lower year-over-year. With 4.9 months of inventory nationally and a sales-to-new-listings ratio of 45%, the market sits in balanced territory, though conditions vary significantly by region.

Average home prices

The average home price in Canada was $652,941 in January 2026, down 2.6% from a year earlier. These are the average home prices across the provinces:

Benchmark home prices

The MLS® benchmark home price in Canada is $658,300 as of January 2026, down 4.9% year-over-year. Quebec reached a record-breaking benchmark of $535,000. These are the benchmark home prices across the provinces:

Home price data is from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA)

Factors affecting the Canadian housing market

Several forces shape housing prices and activity across Canada:

• Interest rates — The Bank of Canada’s policy rate directly influences mortgage costs. When rates drop, borrowing becomes cheaper and demand tends to increase, pushing prices up. Rising rates have the opposite effect, as seen during the 2022-2023 tightening cycle.
• Immigration and population growth — Canada’s ambitious immigration targets add hundreds of thousands of new residents each year, increasing demand for housing particularly in major urban centres like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.
• Housing supply — Construction of new homes has not kept pace with population growth in many markets. Zoning restrictions, labour shortages, and rising construction costs all limit supply.
• Government policy — Federal and provincial policies such as the foreign buyer ban, stress test rules, first-time buyer incentives, and changes to capital gains taxes all influence market activity.

Housing affordability in Canada

Housing affordability remains one of the most pressing issues for Canadians. The ratio of home prices to household income has reached historic highs in several provinces, particularly in British Columbia and Ontario.

To understand what you can afford, use our mortgage affordability calculator which factors in your income, debts, and current interest rates. You can also check our income to afford home calculator to see the salary needed to purchase a home at different price points.

Beyond the purchase price, remember to account for additional costs such as land transfer taxes, legal fees, and home inspection costs. Use our mortgage calculator to estimate your monthly payments and plan your home buying budget accordingly.

Average home prices by property type

National average home prices vary significantly by property type. The following table shows approximate average prices across Canada based on CREA data:

Detached homes remain the most expensive property type nationally, while condominiums offer the most accessible price points for first-time buyers. These figures are national averages — actual prices vary enormously between markets. A detached home in Toronto or Vancouver can cost three to four times the Prairie equivalent.

Average home prices by major city

Housing prices in Canada are highly concentrated in a few major urban centres. The following table compares average home prices across key markets:

*Victoria figure is the single-family benchmark for Victoria Core.

For detailed market data, visit our city-specific housing market pages: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Hamilton, Waterloo Region, London, Winnipeg, Halifax, Victoria, Saskatoon, and Regina.

National market trends and key metrics

Beyond average prices, several indicators provide a clearer picture of whether conditions favour buyers or sellers:

• Months of inventory — Measures how long it would take to sell all current listings at the current pace of sales. Below four months generally indicates a seller’s market; above six months signals a buyer’s market.
• Sales-to-new-listings ratio (SNLR) — A ratio above 60% indicates a seller’s market, between 40% and 60% signals a balanced market, and below 40% points to a buyer’s market.
• Days on market (DOM) — The average time a property takes to sell. Lower DOM signals higher demand.
• Absorption rate — The rate at which available homes are sold in a given time period, helping gauge the speed of the market.

As of January 2026, there were 140,680 properties listed for sale nationally, up 4.5% from a year earlier but 11.4% below the long-term average. The national months of supply stood at 4.9 months, just below the long-term average of five months. British Columbia (9.8 months) and PEI (10.5 months) favour buyers, while Alberta (3.8 months) remains tighter. Ontario (6.0 months), Quebec (6.6 months), and Nova Scotia (6.7 months) sit in balanced-to-buyer territory.

Regional market comparison

Canada’s housing market is best understood at the regional level. Conditions vary dramatically from coast to coast.

The Prairies, Quebec, and Atlantic provinces have seen the strongest price growth, buoyed by interprovincial migration and relative affordability. British Columbia and Ontario continue to experience price softening, with Ontario recording the steepest year-over-year benchmark decline (-7.0%) among all provinces. A historic winter storm in January 2026 further suppressed sales activity in Central and Southwestern Ontario.

Government housing policies in Canada

Federal and provincial governments have implemented several policies that significantly affect the housing market:

Mortgage stress test

All federally regulated lenders require borrowers to qualify at the greater of their contracted rate plus 2% or the Bank of Canada’s qualifying rate (currently 5.25%). This limits how much Canadians can borrow and is designed to ensure borrowers can handle rate increases. Use our mortgage qualification calculator or mortgage stress test calculator to see how this affects your borrowing power.

Foreign buyer ban

The Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act, originally effective January 1, 2023, restricts non-Canadians from purchasing residential property in Census Metropolitan Areas. The ban has been extended through January 1, 2027.

First Home Savings Account (FHSA)

Introduced in 2023, the FHSA lets first-time home buyers save up to $8,000 per year (up to a $40,000 lifetime limit) in a tax-advantaged account. Contributions are tax-deductible (like an RRSP) and withdrawals for a qualifying home purchase are tax-free (like a TFSA). Learn more with our FHSA calculator.

Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP)

The Home Buyers’ Plan lets first-time buyers withdraw up to $60,000 from their RRSPs to fund a home purchase. This can be combined with the FHSA for even more tax-advantaged savings toward a down payment.

CMHC mortgage insurance

Buyers with less than 20% down payment must purchase mortgage default insurance through CMHC, Sagen, or Canada Guaranty. Insurance premiums range from 2.8% to 4.0% of the mortgage amount depending on the down payment size. Use our mortgage insurance calculator to estimate your premiums.

Provincial policies

Individual provinces levy their own property transfer taxes and have additional regulations. Notable examples include British Columbia’s foreign buyer tax (20%) and speculation tax, Ontario’s non-resident speculation tax, and Quebec’s welcome tax (droits de mutation). See our land transfer tax calculator for province-specific calculations.

Useful housing calculators

Planning to enter the Canadian housing market? These tools can help you prepare:

• Mortgage Calculator — Estimate your monthly mortgage payments
• Mortgage Affordability Calculator — Find out how much home you can afford
• Income to Afford Home Calculator — See what salary you need for a given home price
• Land Transfer Tax Calculator — Calculate provincial and municipal transfer taxes
• Closing Costs Calculator — Estimate the total costs of buying a home
• Mortgage Insurance Calculator — Calculate CMHC insurance premiums
• Mortgage Stress Test Calculator — Check if you qualify under the stress test
• FHSA Calculator — Plan your first home savings
• Mortgage Rates — Compare current mortgage rates in Canada