Where to buy Ottawa real estate 2018

ottawa real estate rankings — (Natalia Pushchina/Shutterstock)

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Compared to Toronto’s wild year of price swings, Ottawa’s real estate market was an oasis of calm in 2017. That tends to be the case in Ottawa, where prices appreciate at a slower but steadier pace compared to houses in Toronto, just a few hours away. Ottawa-based RE/MAX realtor Laura Seanor said there’s a simple reason for that stability: “We have a very big employer.”

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Being a government town helps insulate Ottawa from the peaks and valleys experienced by real estate markets in some of Canada’s other major urban centres. But that doesn’t make it completely immune from the forces currently buffeting the industry. The city experienced a surge in sales activity near the end of the year, right before buyers had to start complying with stricter mortgage stress test rules. Our top neighbourhood picks for Ottawa overall are all far from the city centre, with Seanor noticing her clients are becoming more willing to trade gruelling commutes for the space and peace of the countryside. If an hour and a half-long drive to work isn’t for you, we’ve also got some suggestions for places to buy closer to the core.

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.

Rank	Neighbourhood	Area	Average home price (2017)	Value	Momentum	Realtor Grade	Average price vs. area	Avg. price vs. metro district	Avg. price vs. outer region	1-year price change	3-year price change	5-year price change
1	North Glengarry, Lochiel Township	Alexandria	$267,250	65.79	75.32	★★★★★	94.70%	N/A	64.59%	30.37%	-1.02%	46.24%
2	Lanark Highlands, Lanark Township	Almonte, Lanark Highlands Township & Area	$267,437	75.97	69.90	★★★★½	80.99%	N/A	64.64%	0.25%	22.77%	28.24%
3	Fringewood	Stittsville, Munster, Richmond, Goulbourn Township	$303,075	78.77	88.97	★★★	69.70%	N/A	73.25%	24.27%	24.88%	39.49%
4	Finch	Winchester, Cornwall, Morrisburg & Area	$214,333	81.67	88.72	★★★	82.36%	N/A	51.80%	13.30%	52.37%	46.91%
5	Chesterville	Winchester, Cornwall, Morrisburg & Area	$219,955	79.52	76.50	★★★½	84.52%	N/A	53.16%	6.63%	36.44%	25.08%
6	Almonte	Almonte, Lanark Highlands Township & Area	$322,888	56.29	58.45	★★★★★	97.78%	N/A	78.04%	13.07%	5.16%	13.41%
7	Kemptville	Kemptville, Merrickville, Brockville & Area	$296,361	64.82	49.67	★★★★★	91.44%	N/A	71.63%	6.91%	5.72%	9.63%
8	Brockville	Kemptville, Merrickville, Brockville & Area	$254,618	80.16	60.72	★★★★	78.56%	N/A	61.54%	23.34%	-0.43%	16.61%
9	Vankleek Hill	Rockland, Russell, East Quebec Border	$235,833	80.18	71.99	★★★½	81.99%	N/A	57.00%	-0.69%	16.46%	47.40%
10	Merrickville, Wolford Township	Kemptville, Merrickville, Brockville & Area	$335,471	50.34	84.98	★★★★	103.51%	N/A	81.08%	9.68%	28.81%	46.20%
11	Prescott	Kemptville, Merrickville, Brockville & Area	$197,329	93.82	68.11	★★★	60.88%	N/A	47.69%	7.54%	4.65%	30.99%
12	Maxville	Alexandria	$228,500	82.13	79.45	★★★	80.96%	N/A	55.23%	3.40%	27.19%	48.62%
13	North Stormont (Roxborough) Township	Winchester, Cornwall, Morrisburg & Area	$263,833	61.61	97.56	★★★	101.38%	N/A	63.77%	37.02%	71.78%	100.63%
14	North Glengarry, Kenyon Township	Alexandria	$254,600	71.99	31.48	★★★★★	90.21%	N/A	61.54%	-21.08%	40.90%	-12.91%
15	Elizabethtown-Kitley (Old Kitley) Township	Rideau Lakes Township, Westport & Area	$221,324	84.97	45.01	★★★★	77.59%	N/A	53.49%	7.82%	-7.12%	11.35%
16	Woodroffe	Woodroffe	$267,463	87.44	59.80	★★★½	58.80%	N/A	64.65%	24.57%	18.51%	3.72%
17	South Dundas, Williamburg Township, Morewood	Winchester, Cornwall, Morrisburg & Area	$252,925	66.96	87.71	★★★	97.19%	N/A	61.13%	27.86%	18.80%	37.69%
18	Merrickville	Kemptville, Merrickville, Brockville & Area	$297,515	64.12	61.77	★★★★	91.79%	N/A	71.91%	12.93%	4.13%	17.54%
19	Constance Bay	Carp, Dunrobin, Huntley, Fitzroy & Area	$368,218	65.34	70.65	★★★½	77.01%	N/A	89.00%	0.29%	28.39%	27.50%
20	Elmvale Acres	Elmvale Acres & Area	$366,345	63.02	75.57	★★★½	80.54%	N/A	88.55%	18.49%	14.65%	21.03%
21	Champlain Township	Rockland, Russell, East Quebec Border	$284,508	60.76	75.30	★★★½	98.91%	N/A	68.77%	0.10%	17.57%	83.55%
22	The Nation Municipality, St-Isidore, St-Albert	Rockland, Russell, East Quebec Border	$269,241	65.96	76.43	★★★	93.61%	N/A	65.08%	11.34%	13.12%	26.47%
23	North Grenville Township, Kemptville East	Kemptville, Merrickville, Brockville & Area	$414,311	28.87	76.29	★★★★½	127.83%	N/A	100.14%	12.53%	16.77%	23.62%
24	Westport	Rideau Lakes Township, Westport & Area	$305,064	53.13	65.33	★★★★	106.94%	N/A	73.73%	1.86%	10.90%	25.93%
25	Lanark Highlands, Dalhousie Township	Almonte, Lanark Highlands Township & Area	$241,200	85.24	32.60	★★★★	73.05%	N/A	58.30%	5.82%	-20.90%	5.26%

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

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.