Downsizing in the Kawarthas and Northumberland
This region runs from the Lake Ontario shore at Cobourg and Port Hope north through the lakes and rivers of the Kawarthas to Peterborough and Lindsay. Housing, health care and flood risk vary a lot from one municipality to the next, so this page helps you pick where to look.
What the Kawarthas and Northumberland region covers
For this site, the region joins two areas. Northumberland County sits along Lake Ontario and includes Cobourg and Port Hope. The Kawarthas are the lake and river country inland, where Peterborough and the City of Kawartha Lakes, which includes Lindsay, are the main centres. The grouping is ours, not an official boundary, so use the directory below to see where a particular municipality falls.
The Trent-Severn Waterway, which Parks Canada describes as a 386 kilometre route connecting Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay, passes through this part of the province. That water shapes the scenery and also the flood questions you should ask.
Choose a city: Peterborough, Cobourg, Port Hope or Lindsay
- Downsizing in Peterborough: a city with Peterborough Regional Health Centre, Peterborough Transit and a city tax assistance program for low-income seniors.
- Downsizing in Cobourg: a lakeshore town with Northumberland Hills Hospital and a VIA Rail station.
- Downsizing in Port Hope: the neighbouring municipality, closer to Cobourg's hospital than to any other.
- Downsizing in Lindsay: a community in the City of Kawartha Lakes with Ross Memorial Hospital and a city rebate for low-income seniors.
Housing for downsizers in the Kawarthas and Northumberland
Across the region, downsizers compare condominium apartments and townhouses, freehold townhouses, smaller houses and, in a few places, adult lifestyle communities. Waterfront homes and rural properties add questions about wells, septic systems, road maintenance and shoreline rules. The condo, townhouse or house guide covers the trade-offs, and the life lease and land lease guide explains homes where you own the building but not the land. Our 55+ communities page lists the lifestyle communities we have researched.
Hospitals and health care in the region
Three hospitals anchor the places we cover. Peterborough Regional Health Centre is in Peterborough, Northumberland Hills Hospital is in Cobourg and Ross Memorial Hospital is in Lindsay. Each states that it has an emergency department. Smaller communities may be a longer trip from any of them. Primary care is a separate issue from hospital access, so ask residents how they found a family doctor or nurse practitioner.
Getting around the region
Peterborough Transit serves Peterborough and publishes a trip planner. VIA Rail has stations in Cobourg and Port Hope. Elsewhere, we have not confirmed public transit, so ask each municipality what exists. In rural areas you will likely rely on a car, which is worth thinking about if you expect to stop driving. The guide to getting around Ontario after 65 covers alternatives.
Flood and storm context for the Kawarthas and Northumberland
Three conservation authorities map flood hazards here: Otonabee Conservation, Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority and Kawartha Conservation. Which one applies depends on the watershed, and a single municipality can sit in more than one. Check the map and ask the authority about an address before you make an offer. Sewer backup and overland flood are usually insured separately, as the flood and storm insurance guide explains.
Local government and tax notes
Local government differs across the region. Northumberland County is an upper-tier municipality, and Cobourg and Port Hope are local municipalities within it. The City of Peterborough and the City of Kawartha Lakes each publish a tax program for low-income seniors, and Port Hope's rebates page lists none aimed at seniors. Details are on each city's page above.
The seller pays no land transfer tax in Ontario. The buyer does, including you on your next home. Read land transfer tax in Ontario, use the net proceeds calculator and see costs and taxes. This is general information, so confirm with an Ontario real estate lawyer and an accountant.
All municipalities in Kawarthas and Northumberland
The directory below follows the Province of Ontario's municipal list. Municipalities with a full guide are linked.
Northumberland
Peterborough
- Asphodel-Norwood
- Cavan Monaghan
- Douro-Dummer
- Havelock-Belmont-Methuen
- North Kawartha
- Otonabee-South Monaghan
- Selwyn
- Trent Lakes
Single-tier municipalities
- Kawartha Lakes
- Peterborough Full guide
Next steps
If you are early in the process, start with the step-by-step downsizing guide. When you are ready, contact us. Messages go to real estate agents on the operating team at eXp Realty.
Questions people ask
Which cities in the Kawarthas and Northumberland have a full guide here?
Peterborough, Cobourg, Port Hope and Lindsay each have a page with hospital, flood mapping and tax details. The directory on this page lists the other municipalities in the region.
Which conservation authority covers my address?
It depends on the watershed. Otonabee Conservation is based in Peterborough, Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority covers Cobourg and Port Hope, and Kawartha Conservation is based in Lindsay. Parts of the City of Kawartha Lakes fall under Ganaraska, so confirm by address.
Does property tax relief for seniors differ by municipality?
Yes. Peterborough and the City of Kawartha Lakes publish programs for low-income seniors. We did not find one described for Cobourg or Port Hope. Ask each municipality's tax office what applies and when to apply.
The other regions
- TorontoThe City of Toronto: condos, townhouses, TTC, GO and two land transfer taxes.
- Peel and HaltonMississauga, Brampton and Caledon in Peel; Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills in Halton.
- York and DurhamYork Region and Durham Region, from Vaughan to Whitby and beyond.
- Hamilton and NiagaraThe City of Hamilton and the twelve municipalities of Niagara Region.
- Waterloo and WellingtonKitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and the towns of Wellington County.
- London and SouthwestLondon, Stratford, St. Thomas, Sarnia and the counties around them.
- Windsor and EssexWindsor, the Essex County shoreline towns and Chatham-Kent.
- Simcoe and MuskokaBarrie, Collingwood, Orillia, Bracebridge and the lake country around them.
- Grey, Bruce and HuronOwen Sound, Kincardine, Goderich and the Georgian Bay and Lake Huron shorelines.
- Ottawa and Eastern OntarioThe capital, its suburbs and the St. Lawrence and Ottawa River towns.
- Kingston and QuinteKingston, Belleville and Prince Edward County on eastern Lake Ontario.
- Northern OntarioSudbury, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay and the districts around them.
Questions about downsizing in Ontario?
Write to us and a licensed agent on our team at eXp Realty can reply. Ontario Downsizing is operated by licensed agents affiliated with eXp Realty and is not a brokerage.