This page shows the income needed for a typical home in Ontario and in Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton.
Income needed for a typical home
| Area | Price measure | Price | Income needed, minimum down | Income needed, 20% down |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | MLS HPI benchmark | $745,400 | $166,300 | $145,000 |
| Ontario | Average sale price | $788,835 | $175,500 | $153,100 |
| Toronto (GTA) | MLS HPI benchmark | $925,900 | $204,200 | $179,000 |
| Ottawa | MLS HPI benchmark | $637,700 | $143,700 | $124,700 |
| Hamilton | MLS HPI benchmark | $728,400 | $162,800 | $141,800 |
Prices: provincial REALTOR association figures on CREA Stats (August 2026); Toronto (GTA): Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (August 2026); Ottawa: Ottawa Real Estate Board (August 2026); Hamilton: Cornerstone Association of REALTORS (Hamilton-Burlington) (August 2026). Incomes: this site's calculation, with the assumptions on the calculator page.
Toronto
The GTA’s MLS HPI benchmark home, at $925,900 in August 2026, needs about $204,200 of household income with the minimum down payment of $67,590. Putting 20% down lowers that to $179,000. More on the Toronto housing market.
Ottawa
Ottawa’s benchmark price was $637,700 in August 2026. A buyer putting 20% down, $127,540, would need about $124,700 a year; with the minimum $38,770, about $143,700. See the Ottawa housing market page.
Hamilton
In Hamilton-Burlington, the benchmark of $728,400 calls for roughly $162,800 of income at the minimum down payment and $141,800 with 20% down. The Hamilton housing market page breaks prices down by type.
Closing costs
Closing costs are on top of the down payment: see closing costs in Ontario.
Related pages
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them between September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026. How we check facts.
- Bank of Canada: Data table
- CMHC: Calculating GDS / TDS
- CMHC: CMHC Purchase
- CMHC: Home Start
- CMHC: CMHC Improvement
- cornerstone.inc: Home | Cornerstone Association of REALTORS®
- CREA: Hami
- CREA: creastats.crea.ca
- Department of Finance Canada: Technical backgrounder mortgage insurance rules income proposals revised october 14 2016
- Department of Finance Canada: Government announces boldest mortgage reforms in decades to unlock homeownership for more canadians
- Department of Finance Canada: Straight switches and portfolio insurance
- Department of Finance Canada: Boldest mortgage reforms in decades come into force today
15 more sources
- Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: Down payment
- Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: Buying home
- oreb.ca: Ottawa Real Estate Board
- oreb.ca: Ottawa Home Sales Pull Back Sharply in August While Prices Hold Steady
- OSFI: Minimum qualifying rate for uninsured mortgages
- OSFI: Final Revised Guideline B-20: Residential Mortgage Underwriting Practices and Procedures
- OSFI: Amendments to the minimum qualifying rate for uninsured mortgages
- OSFI: OSFI exempts uninsured mortgage straight switches from the prescribed MQR and…
- OSFI: Loan-to-income limits for uninsured mortgage portfolios
- TRREB: TRREB
- TRREB: Market Watch – TRREB
- TRREB: PDF document
- wowa.ca: Ottawa Housing Market Report: Sep. 8th, 2026 Update - WOWA.ca
- wowa.ca: Hamilton Housing Market Report: Sep. 9th, 2026 Update | Interactive Map - WOWA.ca
- wowa.ca: Canadian Housing Market Report Sep. 15th, 2026 | Interactive Map - WOWA.ca