Where to downsize in Ontario
Moving to less house in Ontario can mean a condo in the Greater Toronto Area, a bungalow in a smaller city, a life lease apartment or a home near the water. Start with your region. Each region page lists every municipality in it, and 63 cities and neighbourhoods have a full guide to housing, health care, getting around, flood risk and local taxes.
Ontario's regions
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Toronto
158 municipalities and neighbourhoods listed. The City of Toronto: condos, townhouses, TTC, GO and two land transfer taxes.
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Peel and Halton
118 municipalities and neighbourhoods listed. Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon in Peel; Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills in Halton.
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York and Durham
17 municipalities and neighbourhoods listed. York Region and Durham Region, from Vaughan to Whitby and beyond.
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Hamilton and Niagara
154 municipalities and neighbourhoods listed. The City of Hamilton and the twelve municipalities of Niagara Region.
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Waterloo and Wellington
57 municipalities and neighbourhoods listed. Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and the towns of Wellington County.
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London and Southwest
84 municipalities and neighbourhoods listed. London, Stratford, St. Thomas, Sarnia and the counties around them.
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Windsor and Essex
9 municipalities and neighbourhoods listed. Windsor, the Essex County shoreline towns and Chatham-Kent.
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Simcoe and Muskoka
36 municipalities and neighbourhoods listed. Barrie, Collingwood, Orillia, Bracebridge and the lake country around them.
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Grey, Bruce and Huron
26 municipalities and neighbourhoods listed. Owen Sound, Kincardine, Goderich and the Georgian Bay and Lake Huron shorelines.
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Kawarthas and Northumberland
17 municipalities and neighbourhoods listed. Peterborough, Cobourg, Port Hope, Lindsay and the lakes between.
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Ottawa and Eastern Ontario
171 municipalities and neighbourhoods listed. The capital, its suburbs and the St. Lawrence and Ottawa River towns.
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Kingston and Quinte
68 municipalities and neighbourhoods listed. Kingston, Belleville and Prince Edward County on eastern Lake Ontario.
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Northern Ontario
159 municipalities and neighbourhoods listed. Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay and the districts around them.
Check flood and hazard maps before you shortlist. Flood risk in Ontario is mapped by local conservation authorities, and insurers price overland flood and sewer backup separately. The flood and storm insurance guide explains how to look up an address.
Cities and neighbourhoods with a full guide
Toronto
- Bloor West VillageWest Toronto along Bloor Street West, near High Park.
- Don MillsNorth York area around Don Mills Road and Line 4 Sheppard.
- GuildwoodScarborough neighbourhood with Guildwood GO station.
- Lawrence ParkMidtown Toronto neighbourhoods north of Eglinton, near Yonge.
- LeasideCentral-east Toronto around Bayview and Eglinton.
- Mimico and Humber Bay ShoresEtobicoke lakeshore, Lakeshore West GO line and condo towers.
- The BeachesEast-end Toronto neighbourhood on the Lake Ontario shore.
- The KingswayEtobicoke neighbourhood known as Kingsway South.
- WillowdaleNorth York neighbourhoods along Yonge Street and Leslie.
- Yonge-EglintonMidtown Toronto around Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue.
Peel and Halton
- BronteLakeside Oakville community with a harbour and a GO station.
- BurlingtonLakefront city at the west end of Halton Region, with a hospital in town.
- MiltonHalton town with its own hospital, GO station and seniors activity centre.
- MississaugaLarge Peel Region city with apartments at City Centre and Port Credit.
- OakvilleLakeside town on the Lakeshore West GO line, in Halton Region.
- Port CreditLakefront Mississauga neighbourhood with a GO station and a harbour.
York and Durham
- MarkhamUnionville, GO Stouffville line stations and a local hospital.
- Richmond HillA hospital with long-term care on site, GO rail and Mill Pond.
- ThornhillYonge Street community split between Markham and Vaughan.
- UnionvilleHistoric Markham village with a GO station and a pond park.
- VaughanSubway at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and Cortellucci Hospital.
- WhitbyLakeshore East GO rail, the waterfront trail and Lynde Shores.
Hamilton and Niagara
- AncasterA former town now within the City of Hamilton, west of the lower city.
- DundasA former town now within the City of Hamilton, with its own valley setting.
- HamiltonA single-tier city with three hospital networks and its own seniors tax deferral.
- Niagara FallsA city with a Niagara Health hospital and a city seniors tax deferral.
- Niagara-on-the-LakeA town of several communities, with hospitals in neighbouring cities.
- St. CatharinesA Niagara city with a major emergency department and a seniors tax deferral.
Waterloo and Wellington
- CambridgeCambridge Memorial Hospital, Grand River flood mapping and city tax relief.
- GuelphGuelph General Hospital, Guelph Central Station and a city tax deferral.
- KitchenerHospital campuses, ION light rail and Region of Waterloo tax relief.
- WaterlooCity of Waterloo tax deferral, Kitchener hospitals and ION light rail access.
London and Southwest
- LondonHospitals, Thames River trails, transit and flood mapping for London movers.
- SarniaBluewater Health, Sarnia Transit, Lake Huron shore and flood mapping.
- St. ThomasElgin General, Railway City Transit, Kettle Creek and tax questions.
- StratfordStratford General, local transit, Avon River parks and flood questions.
Windsor and Essex
Simcoe and Muskoka
- BarrieA regional city on Kempenfelt Bay with a major hospital and its own transit.
- BracebridgeA Muskoka town with a hospital site on Ann Street and its own transit page.
- CollingwoodA south Georgian Bay town with its own hospital and a small transit network.
- OrilliaA city on Lake Couchiching with a hospital and a downtown transit terminal.
Grey, Bruce and Huron
Kawarthas and Northumberland
Ottawa and Eastern Ontario
- BrockvilleA small city on the St. Lawrence River with its own hospital.
- GlebeA central Ottawa neighbourhood along the Rideau Canal, within the City of Ottawa.
- KanataA west-end community within the City of Ottawa, with its own housing mix.
- OrleansAn east-end community within the City of Ottawa, on the Line 1 extension.
- OttawaA large single-tier city with hospitals, rail transit and its own tax deferrals.
- WestboroA west-central Ottawa neighbourhood on Richmond Road, within the City of Ottawa.
Kingston and Quinte
Northern Ontario
- Greater SudburyRegional hospital for the northeast, GOVA transit and Conservation Sudbury mapping.
- North BayRegional health centre, city transit and NBMCA flood mapping.
- Sault Ste. MarieSault Area Hospital, a 25 km Hub Trail and a city tax deferral for seniors.
- Thunder BayRegional health sciences centre, city transit and a low-income senior tax credit.
Where to retire in Ontario: choosing a region
There is no single best region to retire or downsize in Ontario. The right one depends on how close you need to be to family and a hospital, whether you want a condo, a bungalow or a life lease apartment, and how you feel about winter. Use this table to jump to the cities covered in each region, then compare them on the same checklist below.
How to compare places as a downsizer
- House, condo or something in between. Condos, freehold townhouses, life lease apartments and land lease homes carry different fees, rules and resale routes. The home type guide compares them.
- Health care. Distance to a hospital and to a family doctor or nurse practitioner varies sharply across the province. Ask before you commit.
- Getting around. Check transit, the walk to groceries and winter conditions. See getting around Ontario after 65.
- Land transfer tax. Your buyer pays it, and you pay it on your next home. Toronto adds its own. See land transfer tax in Ontario and the calculator.
- Flood and storm risk. Ask about overland flood and sewer backup coverage before an offer.
For the money side, read Costs and Taxes. If you want an adult lifestyle community, see 55+ communities. When you are ready, contact us.
Municipalities follow the Province of Ontario's municipal list, grouped here into regions for convenience. The groupings are ours, not official boundaries.