GTA real estate: Where to buy in the outer suburbs 2018

Top neighbourhoods in GTA’s outer suburbs 2018

By Claire Brownell on April 18, 2018
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Watch for growth along Highway 400, between the city and the cottage

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View neighbourhood rankings by region:

1. Stroud

A community of Innisfil, Ont., Stroud is attractive to buyers who want to live halfway between work and the cottage, RE/MAX realtor Nadia Childs said. “We’ve seen a huge increase in the amount of recreational property purchases,” she said. “I think properties like that, that go up along Highway 400, they’re going to see growth.”

2. Bowmanville

This community of 40,000 is 15 kilometres east of Oshawa. Realtors we surveyed gave it good marks, with an average score of 8.75 out of 10. Homes here provide good value, with the average property selling for $485,000 in 2017.

PHOTOS: Top 10 Toronto neighbourhoods

3. Lisle

This predominantly rural area southwest of Barrie would be a great pick for people who want to spend their weekends canoeing on the Nottawasaga River. Even though it’s almost two hours north of Toronto, it’s attracting commuters seeking relief from the stress and high prices of the city.

Realtor pick: Caledon Village

This area is just south of Orangeville and not far from Bolton, which Childs described as “booming.” It may be out of the way, but it features restaurants, shops and even live theatre.

Top 25 neighbourhoods

ClickTap column headings to re-rank neighbourhoods. ClickTap on any neighbourhood name to learn more about it. Search by neighbourhood or area to filter results.

Value: Measures how affordable the neighbourhood is compared to the surrounding area and the region overall
Momentum: Measures how quickly prices are appreciating in this neighbourhood, with an emphasis on long term appreciation
Realtor Grade: How realtors we surveyed rate this neighbourhood

For more, please see our complete methodology

These are our picks for the best neighbourhoods to buy real estate in Toronto’s outer region, but if you’d rather live closer to downtown, we have more suggestions. We ranked the best neighbourhoods in three regions — core, inner suburbs and outer. The core is the city’s urban centre, with accessible transit and easy access to amenities. The inner suburbs are for people who don’t mind trading a longer commute for better parking and a bigger lot size. And the outer region is for buyers who either don’t need to commute downtown at all, or are willing to log some serious travel time in exchange for affordable prices and wide open spaces. Check out the map below to see how the regions break down.