The spring market came a little late to Toronto this year, but for many sellers it arrived in the nick of time. Sales surged 17% in April 2019, compared with the year before. For many, this increased activity is a signal that Canada’s largest real estate market is finally stabilizing after a year of decline. While the decline was intended—Toronto’s housing market cooled considerably last year as industry and government officials tightened mortgage regulations, imposed taxes on foreign buyers and took other measures designed to curb runaway prices—it did raise concerns that this market interference had gone too far.The thing about Toronto, though, is that market fundamentals are still strong. The city offers great employment opportunities, there’s been an uptick in immigration and businesses seem to be investing in the future. All of this lends itself to a strong economic base for this city—the sort of base that attracts workers, their families and the need for housing. Compare mortgage rates on Ratehub.ca* These strong economic fundamentals also mean that Toronto’s housing market remains expensive. That’s one reason why this year’s list is dominated by neighbourhoods once considered completely undesirable. But don’t get be fooled. A community can’t rise in this list just because it’s cheap; there are other factors that need to be in place. In this case, our top three neighbourhoods all benefitted from major investment in transit. The Rockcliffe-Smythe neighbourhood is now more accessible by the Eglinton LRT line to Keele, while the Humber Summit neighbourhood is great for car commuters relying on Finch Avenue, Steeles Avenue, Weston Road, Highway 400 and Highway 401. Perhaps the most surprising inclusion on this year’s list is our No. 3 neighbourhood: Glenfield-Jane Heights, which includes the notorious Jane & Finch ’hood. The big draw for this neighbourhood is that housing prices are so much cheaper, and this is gradually attracting families and investors looking for value. Plus, with an already large immigrant base—mostly Spanish-, Italian- and Vietnamese-speaking residents—this neighbourhood is a natural draw for recently-landed immigrants who want to put down roots in Toronto by purchasing property.
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Rank
Neighbourhood
Area
Average home price
(2017)
Value
Momentum
Average price vs. area
Avg. price vs. metro
district
Avg. price vs. outer region
1-year price change
5-year price change
Final Star Rating
1
Rockcliffe-Smythe
Toronto W03
$723,575
77.24%
83.77%
97.7%
63.03%
77.7%
6.71%
79.0%
★★★★
2
Humber Summit
Toronto W05
$706,722
84.89%
75.00%
94.2%
60.81%
75.0%
-4.97%
133.4%
★★★★
3
Glenfield-Jane Heights
Toronto W05
$745,701
88.99%
80.78%
92.0%
59.39%
73.3%
-3.66%
168.6%
★★★★
4
Keelesdale-Eglinton West
Toronto W03
$1,204,201
78.54%
78.73%
97.1%
62.67%
77.3%
7.14%
71.8%
★★★★
5
Little Portugal
Toronto C01
$916,466
48.13%
87.13%
89.3%
101.20%
124.8%
1.39%
186.1%
★★★★
6
Oakwood-Vaughan
Toronto C03
$615,053
72.57%
73.69%
51.4%
77.02%
95.0%
7.70%
71.1%
★★★½
7
Mount Dennis
Toronto W04
$1,306,366
99.07%
57.09%
68.0%
51.69%
63.8%
-1.51%
61.0%
★★★½
8
Kensington-Chinatown
Toronto C01
$701,448
37.87%
95.52%
96.8%
109.78%
135.4%
9.62%
473.2%
★★★½
9
Oakridge
Toronto E06
$712,802
93.47%
64.55%
86.8%
58.95%
72.7%
-4.68%
74.4%
★★★½
10
Black Creek
Toronto W05
$730,270
87.50%
67.72%
92.8%
59.90%
73.9%
4.55%
59.1%
★★★½
11
West Hill
Toronto E10
$864,733
87.31%
60.07%
88.3%
61.37%
75.7%
8.42%
57.2%
★★★½
12
Caledonia-Fairbank
Toronto W03
$874,039
60.82%
89.18%
112.6%
72.67%
89.6%
9.95%
85.6%
★★★½
13
Woodbine-Lumsden
Toronto E03
$886,913
74.63%
61.19%
86.2%
73.45%
90.6%
1.02%
65.1%
★★★½
14
Briar Hill-Belgravia
Toronto W04
$1,353,253
64.55%
78.36%
98.1%
74.53%
91.9%
-0.42%
83.1%
★★★½
15
Dufferin Grove
Toronto C01
$731,473
32.28%
98.69%
100.3%
113.72%
140.3%
14.72%
512.7%
★★★½
16
Weston
Toronto W04
$729,035
88.99%
58.21%
80.9%
61.47%
75.8%
0.80%
61.9%
★★★½
17
Woburn
Toronto E09
$746,787
81.34%
64.18%
99.9%
61.27%
75.6%
2.84%
65.9%
★★★½
18
Mount Olive-Silverstone-Jamestown
Toronto W10
$702,736
73.13%
81.90%
106.3%
62.76%
77.4%
8.63%
74.0%
★★★½
19
Humbermede
Toronto W05
$772,315
89.93%
61.38%
91.5%
59.06%
72.8%
-1.87%
82.7%
★★★½
20
Eglinton East
Toronto E08
$631,198
83.77%
58.77%
84.3%
64.90%
80.1%
0.24%
65.6%
★★★½
21
Malvern
Toronto E11
$692,097
91.60%
54.48%
92.3%
53.04%
65.4%
-0.33%
61.4%
★★★½
22
Kennedy Park
Toronto E04
$729,499
91.42%
41.98%
91.5%
58.16%
71.7%
-1.65%
56.0%
★★★½
23
Rexdale-Kipling
Toronto W10
$813,832
78.17%
73.69%
103.9%
61.31%
75.6%
2.91%
69.4%
★★★½
24
Humberlea-Pelmo Park W4
Toronto W04
$742,644
77.61%
69.78%
90.0%
68.39%
84.4%
-5.68%
91.7%
★★★½
25
Elms-Old Rexdale
Toronto W10
$730,011
75.19%
74.07%
105.8%
62.41%
77.0%
8.70%
65.2%
★★★½
26
Crescent Town
Toronto E03
$1,279,511
91.23%
40.86%
72.0%
61.35%
75.7%
-4.26%
52.4%
★★★½
27
Moss Park
Toronto C08
$1,306,424
38.06%
83.40%
101.0%
107.53%
132.6%
17.07%
433.1%
★★★½
28
Cabbagetown-South St. James Town
Toronto C08
$768,813
34.14%
79.29%
103.1%
109.79%
135.4%
-4.84%
240.8%
★★★½
29
West Humber-Clairville
Toronto W10
$1,391,603
70.15%
80.60%
109.5%
64.61%
79.7%
10.61%
67.4%
★★★½
30
South Parkdale
Toronto W01
$787,442
27.99%
94.40%
104.3%
116.95%
144.2%
13.42%
228.3%
★★★½
31
Clairlea-Birchmount
Toronto E04
$966,748
70.15%
64.93%
104.1%
66.17%
81.6%
2.71%
66.8%
★★★½
32
Mimico
Toronto W06
$1,098,825
51.49%
76.68%
102.4%
81.24%
100.2%
4.87%
77.3%
★★★½
33
East York
Toronto E03
$968,126
40.49%
80.60%
108.3%
92.34%
113.9%
10.23%
76.6%
★★★½
34
Danforth Village-East York
Toronto E03
$913,862
54.29%
53.54%
95.5%
81.36%
100.4%
2.18%
60.8%
★★★½
35
Rouge E10
Toronto E10
$1,507,003
55.41%
62.69%
110.5%
76.80%
94.7%
2.79%
63.8%
★★★½
36
Palmerston-Little Italy
Toronto C01
$778,635
22.20%
81.34%
111.7%
126.65%
156.2%
-1.47%
131.5%
★★★½
37
Thistletown-Beaumonde Heights
Toronto W10
$721,620
67.72%
67.16%
110.9%
65.43%
80.7%
6.69%
65.9%
★★★½
38
Weston-Pellam Park
Toronto W03
$874,229
86.19%
47.39%
94.0%
60.64%
74.8%
-2.11%
59.3%
★★★½
39
Beechborough-Greenbrook
Toronto W04
$915,568
66.60%
66.23%
96.7%
73.47%
90.6%
-19.28%
117.4%
★★★½
40
Etobicoke West Mall
Toronto W08
$744,769
72.01%
47.20%
69.4%
76.94%
94.9%
-3.81%
55.5%
★★★½
41
Bendale
Toronto E09
$1,480,988
76.87%
49.44%
102.0%
62.59%
77.2%
3.32%
56.2%
★★★
42
Trinity-Bellwoods
Toronto C01
$700,204
23.88%
75.00%
109.8%
124.46%
153.5%
3.86%
298.9%
★★★
43
Ionview
Toronto E04
$1,150,535
89.93%
27.05%
92.6%
58.84%
72.6%
-5.38%
46.2%
★★★
44
Regent Park
Toronto C08
$875,511
49.63%
50.19%
90.8%
96.69%
119.3%
-2.84%
58.7%
★★★
45
Greenwood-Coxwell
Toronto E01
$889,193
75.00%
28.73%
78.1%
73.58%
90.8%
-3.98%
47.9%
★★★
46
New Toronto
Toronto W06
$1,596,098
66.23%
56.72%
94.2%
74.73%
92.2%
-6.33%
62.8%
★★★
47
Englemount-Lawrence
Toronto C04
$971,303
36.57%
72.57%
80.1%
134.13%
165.4%
-0.82%
79.1%
★★★
48
Alderwood
Toronto W06
$873,114
49.07%
70.15%
102.9%
81.63%
100.7%
6.30%
65.1%
★★★
49
Blake-Jones
Toronto E01
$975,044
77.99%
25.93%
77.9%
73.37%
90.5%
-14.16%
28.8%
★★★
50
O'Connor-Parkview
Toronto E03
$1,005,905
51.68%
58.21%
96.1%
81.94%
101.1%
5.69%
60.5%
★★★
51
Cliffcrest
Toronto E08
$984,244
42.54%
72.39%
109.8%
84.53%
104.3%
7.68%
71.5%
★★★
52
Birchcliffe-Cliffside
Toronto E06
$725,980
39.37%
78.92%
121.8%
82.71%
102.0%
16.60%
66.4%
★★★
53
Morningside
Toronto E09
$1,201,571
82.28%
37.13%
99.5%
61.01%
75.3%
-7.83%
56.7%
★★★
54
Yorkdale-Glen Park
Toronto W04
$940,929
30.22%
76.31%
132.9%
100.98%
124.5%
-0.47%
83.1%
★★★
55
Eringate-Centennial-West Deane
Toronto W08
$1,616,335
66.79%
50.56%
71.3%
79.07%
97.5%
6.91%
49.2%
★★★
56
University
Toronto C01
$1,282,144
16.98%
90.49%
119.8%
135.83%
167.5%
3.24%
495.3%
★★★
57
Bathurst Manor
Toronto C06
$933,915
46.08%
58.77%
87.9%
107.75%
132.9%
-8.66%
68.8%
★★★
58
Rustic
Toronto W04
$936,804
55.60%
71.08%
103.3%
78.48%
96.8%
0.64%
102.7%
★★★
59
Woodbine Corridor
Toronto E02
$1,322,692
65.86%
34.70%
85.6%
78.73%
97.1%
-3.61%
48.2%
★★★
60
Islington-City Centre West
Toronto W08
$1,064,529
34.14%
70.71%
100.3%
111.16%
137.1%
14.44%
61.2%
★★★
61
Long Branch
Toronto W06
$1,575,584
39.37%
65.49%
112.7%
89.46%
110.3%
0.90%
73.9%
★★★
62
Humewood-Cedarvale
Toronto C03
$924,255
34.51%
65.67%
88.3%
132.41%
163.3%
10.49%
60.5%
★★★
63
Kingsview Village-The Westway
Toronto W09
$2,162,519
59.14%
49.07%
99.9%
77.67%
95.8%
1.68%
57.5%
★★★
64
Annex
Toronto C02
$2,115,505
14.55%
63.81%
106.9%
181.73%
224.2%
11.64%
49.1%
★★★
65
Forest Hill North
Toronto C04
$835,467
15.67%
64.55%
106.1%
177.78%
219.3%
13.88%
59.9%
★★★
66
Humberlea-Pelmo Park W5
Toronto W05
$761,846
64.37%
48.32%
108.8%
70.21%
86.6%
-0.70%
52.7%
★★★
67
Wexford-Maryvale
Toronto E04
$874,045
75.19%
34.33%
100.7%
64.02%
79.0%
-9.05%
55.8%
★★★
68
Corso Italia-Davenport
Toronto W03
$918,131
58.02%
36.38%
113.8%
73.45%
90.6%
-3.11%
48.1%
★★★
69
East End-Danforth
Toronto E02
$1,207,792
68.84%
18.66%
83.9%
77.16%
95.2%
-4.79%
34.3%
★★★
70
Runnymede-Bloor West Village
Toronto W02
$1,465,100
34.51%
46.46%
110.7%
101.50%
125.2%
3.96%
49.5%
★★★
71
Henry Farm
Toronto C15
$2,503,258
28.92%
63.81%
101.0%
123.12%
151.9%
-8.89%
73.7%
★★★
72
Bedford Park-Nortown
Toronto C04
$908,743
6.53%
77.24%
125.6%
210.37%
259.5%
6.68%
71.9%
★★★
73
Centennial Scarborough
Toronto E10
$959,693
57.28%
47.76%
109.8%
76.37%
94.2%
1.15%
52.0%
★★★
74
Willowridge-Martingrove-Richview
Toronto W09
$818,679
50.93%
56.72%
103.7%
80.65%
99.5%
12.89%
49.5%
★★★
75
Brookhaven-Amesbury
Toronto W04
$950,569
76.87%
23.88%
90.5%
68.80%
84.9%
-2.56%
34.4%
★★★
76
Dovercourt-Wallace Emerson-Junction
Toronto W02
$1,909,055
63.06%
24.44%
87.1%
79.88%
98.5%
-4.85%
40.1%
★★★
77
Newtonbrook East
Toronto C14
$1,283,280
25.19%
65.67%
93.1%
160.43%
197.9%
-10.89%
77.6%
★★★
78
Stonegate-Queensway
Toronto W07
$822,992
29.10%
73.88%
118.3%
107.84%
133.0%
18.27%
62.0%
★★★
79
York University Heights
Toronto W05
$2,621,947
65.86%
27.99%
107.2%
69.16%
85.3%
-4.50%
45.1%
★★★
80
Bayview Village
Toronto C15
$2,664,929
3.73%
81.53%
180.8%
220.34%
271.8%
0.22%
96.9%
★★★
81
Yonge-St. Clair
Toronto C02
$938,422
4.10%
68.10%
131.8%
223.95%
276.2%
9.57%
61.5%
★★★
82
Highland Creek
Toronto E10
$1,377,618
49.25%
38.25%
113.4%
78.86%
97.3%
-10.69%
53.7%
★★★
83
Newtonbrook West
Toronto C07
$848,109
38.06%
48.32%
89.8%
115.77%
142.8%
3.77%
59.3%
★★★
84
Guildwood
Toronto E08
$987,603
72.76%
27.05%
92.5%
71.27%
87.9%
-7.38%
46.2%
★★★
85
Maple Leaf
Toronto W04
$908,986
43.47%
33.96%
109.2%
83.00%
102.4%
-9.44%
45.9%
★★★
86
Steeles
Toronto E05
$806,554
65.86%
12.13%
93.4%
76.39%
94.2%
-8.78%
34.3%
★★★
87
Downsview-Roding-CFB
Toronto W05
$1,234,296
68.66%
39.18%
105.0%
67.78%
83.6%
6.66%
40.7%
★★★
88
Roncesvalles
Toronto W01
$2,099,546
43.84%
24.63%
92.5%
103.73%
127.9%
-0.35%
35.3%
★★★
89
Kingsway South
Toronto W08
$1,016,076
7.84%
83.96%
159.2%
176.44%
217.6%
14.20%
71.4%
★★★
90
South Riverdale
Toronto E01
$933,688
53.17%
21.08%
90.7%
85.39%
105.3%
-6.10%
42.7%
★★★
91
L'Amoreaux
Toronto E05
$784,794
60.26%
27.05%
95.9%
78.46%
96.8%
-1.25%
40.6%
★★★
92
Rouge E11
Toronto E11
$832,235
65.67%
30.04%
114.8%
65.95%
81.3%
5.82%
35.6%
★★★
93
Milliken
Toronto E07
$3,378,544
72.20%
27.43%
94.2%
69.94%
86.3%
0.71%
39.5%
★★★
94
St. Andrew-Windfields
Toronto C12
$806,087
24.44%
62.13%
78.7%
283.92%
350.2%
-2.16%
65.4%
★★★
95
Agincourt North
Toronto E07
$873,976
77.80%
13.81%
91.2%
67.74%
83.6%
-6.42%
33.5%
★★½
96
Tam O'Shanter-Sullivan
Toronto E05
$1,325,612
73.51%
18.66%
89.8%
73.45%
90.6%
-11.14%
39.4%
★★½
97
Wychwood
Toronto C02
$2,300,349
45.90%
22.20%
65.6%
111.40%
137.4%
2.11%
30.3%
★★½
98
Willowdale East
Toronto C14
$1,773,134
11.19%
68.28%
112.1%
193.32%
238.4%
14.68%
65.2%
★★½
99
Willowdale West
Toronto C07
$968,178
14.93%
61.57%
115.6%
149.01%
183.8%
-5.73%
76.2%
★★½
100
Junction Area
Toronto W02
$969,265
58.96%
16.04%
88.7%
81.36%
100.4%
-0.33%
25.8%
★★½
101
Victoria Village
Toronto C13
$909,570
62.87%
21.64%
67.6%
81.45%
100.5%
-12.90%
42.3%
★★½
102
Broadview North
Toronto E03
$1,426,676
68.66%
3.36%
89.7%
76.44%
94.3%
-13.34%
19.4%
★★½
103
Clanton Park
Toronto C06
$1,066,035
31.16%
42.16%
97.8%
119.89%
147.9%
-5.74%
51.8%
★★½
104
Hillcrest Village
Toronto C15
$1,220,567
56.90%
9.14%
73.5%
89.59%
110.5%
-10.44%
33.8%
★★½
105
Parkwoods-Donalda
Toronto C13
$1,902,021
48.69%
26.87%
85.1%
102.57%
126.5%
0.59%
38.9%
★★½
106
Lansing-Westgate
Toronto C07
$1,685,373
11.94%
61.38%
124.0%
159.84%
197.2%
-0.86%
62.8%
★★½
107
High Park-Swansea
Toronto W01
$954,582
14.18%
62.50%
126.3%
141.63%
174.7%
8.94%
58.5%
★★½
108
Danforth
Toronto E03
$1,186,697
57.46%
5.60%
94.1%
80.22%
98.9%
-10.84%
27.2%
★★½
109
Don Valley Village
Toronto C15
$1,069,615
52.43%
24.63%
81.8%
99.73%
123.0%
-15.31%
48.6%
★★½
110
Scarborough Village
Toronto E08
$1,338,629
37.13%
32.28%
116.7%
89.89%
110.9%
-6.71%
44.5%
★★½
111
Lambton Baby Point
Toronto W02
$1,837,206
23.51%
52.99%
122.7%
112.50%
138.8%
13.72%
57.4%
★★½
112
Leaside
Toronto C11
$1,287,180
15.86%
33.40%
111.9%
154.39%
190.4%
11.86%
28.3%
★★½
113
Playter Estates-Danforth
Toronto E03
$3,287,905
26.31%
29.10%
126.9%
108.17%
133.4%
-3.86%
25.2%
★★½
114
Rosedale-Moore Park
Toronto C09
$1,700,179
5.60%
68.47%
119.9%
276.31%
340.8%
19.90%
63.3%
★★½
115
Yonge-Eglinton
Toronto C03
$1,112,402
26.49%
19.59%
95.3%
142.88%
176.2%
-8.43%
38.7%
★★½
116
Markland Wood
Toronto W08
$977,718
53.36%
25.56%
84.3%
93.48%
115.3%
-11.53%
42.6%
★★½
117
Westminster-Branson
Toronto C07
$1,649,747
61.75%
3.17%
63.7%
82.17%
101.3%
-21.79%
24.1%
★★½
118
Lawrence Park North
Toronto C04
$940,485
34.89%
17.35%
82.8%
138.64%
171.0%
-2.49%
31.3%
★★½
119
Agincourt South-Malvern West
Toronto E07
$958,013
52.24%
25.19%
106.5%
79.04%
97.5%
-7.36%
45.1%
★★½
120
Pleasant View
Toronto C15
$1,707,152
65.86%
4.85%
66.1%
80.51%
99.3%
-12.84%
27.8%
★★½
121
Mount Pleasant West
Toronto C10
$1,553,112
21.64%
22.76%
103.2%
143.46%
177.0%
-2.42%
31.8%
★★½
122
Mount Pleasant East
Toronto C10
$1,516,934
30.97%
20.71%
93.8%
130.52%
161.0%
-2.68%
35.0%
★★½
123
Princess-Rosethorn
Toronto W08
$1,154,177
20.15%
45.90%
115.0%
127.48%
157.2%
0.37%
53.8%
★★½
124
North Riverdale
Toronto E01
$1,321,537
41.60%
0.75%
103.0%
96.99%
119.6%
-27.05%
2.8%
★★½
125
High Park North
Toronto W02
$2,368,252
25.56%
33.77%
121.1%
111.06%
137.0%
6.81%
36.7%
★★½
126
Lawrence Park South
Toronto C04
$1,374,148
8.77%
23.88%
118.8%
199.02%
245.5%
-10.16%
44.1%
★★½
127
The Beaches
Toronto E02
$2,012,771
21.83%
21.83%
125.5%
115.48%
142.4%
4.55%
28.2%
★★
128
Edenbridge-Humber Valley
Toronto W08
$3,757,271
9.14%
43.28%
152.6%
169.15%
208.6%
-3.72%
43.5%
★★
129
Forest Hill South
Toronto C03
$1,319,395
1.31%
17.35%
210.6%
315.75%
389.5%
-9.04%
39.6%
★★
130
Bayview Woods-Steeles
Toronto C15
$1,199,256
41.04%
16.04%
91.0%
110.88%
136.8%
-5.67%
36.1%
★★
131
Banbury-Don Mills
Toronto C13
$1,199,256
8.77%
42.91%
140.9%
169.85%
209.5%
8.80%
48.0%
★★
132
Humber Heights
Toronto W09
$2,507,174
31.16%
89.18%
129.6%
100.78%
124.3%
9.78%
95.6%
★★
133
Casa Loma
Toronto C02
$4,755,258
6.53%
14.74%
124.0%
210.70%
259.9%
-2.02%
27.0%
★★
134
Bridle Path-Sunnybrook-York Mills
Toronto C12
$2,700,000
6.90%
36.94%
110.8%
399.62%
492.9%
-7.26%
53.2%
★★
Toronto’s top 3 neighbourhoods to buy
1. Rockcliffe-Smythe
Not a millionaire? Want to own a detached home close to downtown? Take a look at this year’s No. 1-ranked Toronto neighbourhood: Rockcliffe-Smythe.
Why did this way-under-the-radar neighbourhood make it to the top spot? The homes here have ample yards and almost every one comes with dedicated parking. (Not many Toronto ’hoods can boast the same.) It’s super-close to the newly built Stock Yards Village, a buzzy outdoor shopping mall at St. Clair Avenue and Weston Road, with a Roots, Winners and Nations, a grocery store that bonuses busy parents with a play area, games room and arcade.
Commuters have plenty of options as the neighbourhood is close to the 24-hour St. Clair streetcar line and pretty close to major inner commuter driving routes. The extension of the Eglinton LRT line to Keele will add even more accessibility to this area. And it’s just steps from an inner-city ravine system (can we say hiking and biking?).
However, we weren’t the first to spot this awesome up-and-coming neighbourhood. That prize goes to Toronto Life, which listed Rockcliffe-Smythe among their top three ’hoods for first-time buyers in 2015, a year before BlogTO awarded the neighbourhood a top spot, followed by a “best kept trendy ’hood” award from Airbnb in 2017.
Why is MoneySense late to join the Rockcliffe-Smythe fan club? Data. Our more conservative ranking forecasts possible future appreciation based on past performance and current conditions. But that doesn’t mean Rockcliffe-Smythe was completely off our radar. In 2017, the neighbourhood ranked No. 73 out of 142 Metro Toronto locations. In 2018, it moved up the list but still didn’t crack the top 25. Now, in 2019, this west-end neighbourhood has taken the No. 1 spot in the Metro Toronto ranking.
This leafy residential community is mostly made up of single-family detached homes. With large amounts of green space, including the centrally located Smythe Park, the area attracts middle-income buyers who want a good single-family home close to downtown.
Average prices here are a smidge lower than surrounding communities, but the real saving can be found when comparing average Rockcliffe-Smythe to average Metro Toronto or GTA houses, which are 47% or 22% more expensive, respectively.
2. Humber Summit (W05)
Humber Summit began as a pioneer community—that’s why the time-travelling Black Creek Pioneer Village attraction is located here. It was originally centred around the grist and saw mills of the 1840s. Over time, this community evolved into a resort community: a place where Toronto socialites could come and unwind at the shores of the Humber River. However, many of these resort cottages were destroyed in 1954, when Hurricane Hazel ripped through the area.
Through the process of rebuilding, this community became the middle-class neighbourhoodit is today, with a well-established Italian community, along with growing South and East Asian communities.
For commuters, several major roadways pass through, including Finch Avenue, Steeles Avenue, Weston Road, Highway 400 and Highway 401.
For the most part, the homes in this neighbourhood are semi-detached back-splits with attached single and double-car garages. The average house price is 39% cheaper than in Metro Toronto, and 25% cheaper than the GTA average.
3. Glenfield-Jane Heights
Ask just about any realtor who has worked longer than a decade in the Toronto markets and they’ll tell you to avoid this neigbhourhood. Full stop.
But times change. Funding and resources are directed into less-than-desirable areas and things start to improve. And eventually, that improvement starts to reflect in the numbers. Crime goes down. Families move in. Developers start to build. And before you know it, a neighbourhood has overcome its old reputation. It happened in The Junction; it happened in Parkdale; and it’s happening at Moss Park. Next on the list is this year’s No. 3-ranked Glenfield-Jane Heights.
It’s infamous as part of Toronto’s notorious Jane-Finch area—Canada’s equivalent to The Bronx. But, being a lower-priced neighbourhood in a large, expensive city, home buyers have slowly started to move in and set down roots.
These days, the community is home to a large immigrant population, with a high percentage of Spanish-, Italian- and Vietnamese-speaking residents. While many still live in high-rise apartment buildings and semi-detached houses, there are streets of single-family homes where a strong sense of community is starting to build.
Jane-Finch Mall is popular for shopping, and a number of parks are located throughout Glenfield-Jane Heights, including Firgrove, Oakdale, Spenvalley, Stanley, along with parts of Derrydown, Topcliff, Downsview Dells and Northwood.
In 2008, then-Toronto City Councillor Anthony Perruzza attempted to rebranding the neighbourhood using banners attached to hundreds of hydro poles. The banners displayed the name “University Heights,” a moniker given to the Jane-Finch area in municipal planning documents. The rebranding didn’t really eliminate the area’s tarnished reputation. But plans to construct a light rail line—the Finch West LRT—is going a long way to help change and gentrify this inner-suburban neighbourhood. The LRT station is scheduled to open in 2023 and the influx of labour and investment into the area, due to this infrastructure project, is helping a great deal with property values.
While the communities’ average household income is typically lower than the average household income for the GTA, this is starting to change as home buyers and investors realize its untapped potential. Houses here are more than 40% cheaper, on average, than the City of Toronto average house price, and more than 25% cheaper than the average GTA house price. While property prices fell almost 4% last year, five-year price growth is more than 186%, making this area both a strong purchase in terms of value and potential future price momentum.
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