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Toronto vs Vaughan: where to buy
Vaughan borders Toronto to the northwest and is the one neighbouring city with a TTC subway station of its own. Its August 2026 median was $1,148,750 from 242 sales, against $770,000 from 1,767 in the City of Toronto.
Side by side, August 2026
| TRREB, August 2026 | City of Toronto | Vaughan |
|---|---|---|
| Sales, all property types | 1,767 | 242 |
| Median price, all property types | $770,000 | $1,148,750 |
| Average price, all property types | $979,684 | $1,234,758 |
| Detached sales | 550 | 122 |
| Average detached price | $1,525,749 | $1,671,824 |
| Condo apartment sales | 885 | 63 |
| Average condo apartment price | $651,648 | $607,650 |
| Land transfer tax at Vaughan's median | $38,900 | $19,450 |
| Toronto municipal land transfer tax | Yes | No |
A single month is a snapshot. Small categories in particular swing from one month to the next, so read these alongside our Toronto market reports, which follow the figures over time.
What a house and a condo cost
Vaughan's sales are weighted towards houses: 122 of its 242 sales in August 2026 were detached, compared with 550 of Toronto's 1,767. The detached average was $1,671,824 in Vaughan and $1,525,749 in Toronto.
Condo apartments averaged $607,650 in Vaughan and $651,648 in Toronto.
Medians by property type, August 2026
On medians, Vaughan's detached houses sold for $1,425,000 against $1,170,000 in the City of Toronto. That puts the typical Vaughan detached sale above the typical Toronto one.
Semi-detached houses had medians of $1,022,500 in Vaughan and $981,000 in Toronto. Freehold townhouses were $1,005,000 and $962,000. Condo apartments were $525,000 and $550,000.
| Median price, August 2026 | City of Toronto | Vaughan |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | $1,170,000 (550 sales) | $1,425,000 (122 sales) |
| Semi-detached | $981,000 (159 sales) | $1,022,500 (14 sales) |
| Freehold townhouse | $962,000 (45 sales) | $1,005,000 (31 sales) |
| Condo townhouse | $661,650 (120 sales) | $715,000 (9 sales) |
| Condo apartment | $550,000 (885 sales) | $525,000 (63 sales) |
Source: TRREB Market Watch, August 2026, tables by home type. A category with only a few dozen sales in a month is a thin sample, so read its median as a rough guide.
What the 2021 Census counted
Of the 103,915 occupied private dwellings Statistics Canada counted in Vaughan in 2021, 63% were single-detached houses. Only 13% were apartments in buildings of five or more storeys. In the City of Toronto the shares were 23% and 47%.
That gives Vaughan the highest share of single-detached houses of the three neighbours compared on this site, ahead of Markham at 56% and Mississauga at 37%.
| 2021 Census, occupied private dwellings | City of Toronto | Vaughan |
|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings | 1,160,890 | 103,915 |
| Single-detached houses | 23% | 63% |
| Apartments, five or more storeys | 47% | 13% |
One subway line, two tax bills
Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station, at 3150 Highway 7, is the northern end of TTC Line 1, so a Vaughan condo near the station has a one-seat subway ride into Toronto.
Crossing Steeles changes the tax. Toronto's municipal land transfer tax applies only to property in the City of Toronto, so at its August 2026 median of $1,148,750 a buyer pays $19,450 in Ontario land transfer tax. The same price in Toronto costs $38,900, before first-time buyer refunds.
On a house the difference is larger. At Vaughan's median detached price of $1,425,000 the Ontario tax is $24,975. Inside Toronto the same price carries $49,950. The land transfer tax calculator works out any other price.
Property tax: 2026 rates
Vaughan's 2026 residential rate is 0.749217%, combining the City of Vaughan, York Region and education rates. Toronto's is 0.767311%. On the same $800,000 assessment that is $5,994 a year in Vaughan and $6,138 in Toronto, so Vaughan has the lower bill when the assessments match.
The rate applies to the value the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) puts on a home, not the price paid. Assessments for 2026 are still based on January 1, 2016 values, so two homes that sell for the same price today can carry quite different assessments. Check the actual tax on a listing before you compare.
| Residential property tax, 2026 | City of Toronto | Vaughan |
|---|---|---|
| Total tax rate | 0.767311% | 0.749217% |
| Annual tax on an $800,000 assessment | $6,138 | $5,994 |
Getting downtown
At Vaughan Metropolitan Centre the subway meets Viva bus rapid transit on Highway 7 and York Region Transit buses, according to the TTC. From there Line 1 runs south through Toronto to Union and on to Finch.
The GO Barrie line also crosses Vaughan, with stations at Maple and Rutherford. Southbound trains stop at Downsview Park in Toronto before Union Station.
Further east, the Yonge North Subway Extension will take Line 1 about eight kilometres north from Finch Station with five stations serving Vaughan, Markham and Richmond Hill. Metrolinx says it will go into service after the Ontario Line is complete.
Which homes and costs fit which purchase
For a detached house, Vaughan has the highest share of the three neighbours: 63% of its homes are single-detached. Its August 2026 median was $1,425,000. The purchase avoids the municipal land transfer tax. The annual property tax on a matching assessment is also lower than in Toronto.
For a condo apartment on the subway, Line 1 reaches Vaughan at its northern terminus. In Toronto the subway serves many more neighbourhoods. Toronto had 885 condo apartment sales in August 2026 against 63 in Vaughan.
For a semi-detached house or a freehold townhouse, Toronto recorded 159 and 45 sales in August 2026 against 14 and 31 in Vaughan. Vaughan's semi-detached median was $41,500 above Toronto's. Its freehold townhouse median was $43,000 above Toronto's. With samples this small, compare individual listings rather than medians.
Price the specific homes you would consider in each city and add the tax difference before you decide.
Toronto neighbourhoods on Line 1
If the subway is the draw, Toronto has Line 1 neighbourhoods at several price points. Our guides to Willowdale, Yonge and Eglinton and the Annex set out their homes and prices. Willowdale alone has three Line 1 stations: Finch, North York Centre and Sheppard-Yonge. Browse homes for sale or compare Toronto house prices across the city.
Choosing within Toronto
Toronto is not one market. A condo near the waterfront, a semi in Riverdale and a detached house in Lawrence Park answer very different questions. Our Toronto neighbourhood guides set out the prices, housing and transit for eighteen of them and the relocating to Toronto guide covers a move into the city.
Check the numbers on a real home
Put a specific price through the land transfer tax calculator and the mortgage calculator. You can also ask us to set two homes you are considering side by side.
Other comparisons
Toronto vs Vaughan questions
Is Vaughan more expensive than Toronto?
On the August 2026 median, yes: $1,148,750 in Vaughan against $770,000 in Toronto (TRREB). The detached average was more in Vaughan than in Toronto that month.
Does the subway go to Vaughan?
Yes. Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station on Highway 7 is the northern terminus of TTC Line 1.
Do Vaughan buyers pay Toronto's municipal land transfer tax?
No. It applies to property in the City of Toronto, so Vaughan buyers pay the Ontario land transfer tax only.
What is Vaughan's 2026 property tax rate?
0.749217% for residential property, against 0.767311% in Toronto. On an $800,000 assessment that is $5,994 a year in Vaughan and $6,138 in Toronto.
Which GO stations are in Vaughan?
Maple and Rutherford on the Barrie line, which runs to Union Station by way of Downsview Park.
How much land transfer tax does a Vaughan detached house save?
At Vaughan's August 2026 median detached price of $1,425,000, the Ontario tax is $24,975. The same price in Toronto carries $49,950 once the municipal tax is added, $24,975 more, before first-time buyer refunds.
What share of Vaughan homes are detached houses?
63% of occupied dwellings in the 2021 Census, against 23% in the City of Toronto.
What is the median home price in the City of Toronto?
TRREB recorded a median of $770,000 across all property types in the City of Toronto in August 2026, from 1,767 sales.
Sources
- TRREB Market Watch, August 2026
- Ontario Ministry of Finance, Calculating land transfer tax
- City of Toronto, Municipal land transfer tax rates and fees
- TTC, Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station
- GO Transit, Barrie line timetable and map (Table 65)
- Metrolinx, Yonge North Subway Extension
- City of Toronto, Property tax rates and fees (2026)
- City of Vaughan, 2026 final tax rates
- City of Markham, 2026 final tax brochure
- Statistics Canada, Census Profile 2021, Toronto (C)
- Statistics Canada, Census Profile 2021, Vaughan (CY)