Ontario’s housing market is still very uneven in 2025. While the GTA and cottage/city suburbs remain expensive, many smaller cities and northern communities offer significantly lower prices.
Note that different sites report average sold price, median sale price, or current listing average, that’s why figures can look different from one source to another.
Below are seven places that consistently show up among Ontario’s most affordable markets, with up-to-date price references for each location.
1. Rainy River, ON
Typical price (latest MLS/listing snapshot): ~ $150,000–$230,000 (current listing averages vary by source). Source: Rainy River MLS / Zolo shows an average listing price ~ $154,000 and notes higher detached listing values around $229,000. Zolo+1
Why Rainy River: tiny population, remote northern location, extremely low entry prices for buyers who value nature and quiet.
Things to know: very limited local job market and services; mileage and logistics matter.
2. Deep River, ON
Typical price (current market/listings): ~ $286,000 (recent 30-day Zolo average listing). Source: Zolo market snapshot (Nov 2025) reports an average listing/sold price in the high-$200k range for Deep River; other local reports can differ since sample sizes are small. Zolo+1
Why Deep River: small, safe community on the Ottawa River; more affordable for buyers who still want occasional access to Ottawa.
Things to know: prices can swing quickly in micro-markets, check sold data and days-on-market.
3. Thunder Bay, ON
Typical sold/average price (YTD 2025): ~ $380,000–$400,000. Local market updates (RE/MAX and CREA board stats) show average sale prices in the high-$300k range in 2025. RE/MAX Canada+1
Why Thunder Bay: full city amenities with smaller-city pricing; good rental demand for investors.
Things to know: winter costs and travel distances are higher than southern Ontario.
4. Greater Sudbury, ON
Typical average/sold price (2025 YTD): ~ $510,000–$540,000. Market writeups and local broker data put Greater Sudbury average sale prices in the low-to-mid $500k range in 2025. Lake City Realty+1
Why Sudbury: largest city in Northeastern Ontario, better services, hospitals, and schools while still cheaper than much of southern Ontario.
Things to know: still a meaningful premium vs the smallest towns; price growth has been stronger recently.
5. Sarnia / Sarnia-Lambton, ON
Typical average/sold price (2025 YTD): ~ $490,000–$530,000. CREA / local board reporting for Sarnia-Lambton shows average sale prices around $489k for recent months and year-to-date averages near $530k. CREA Stats
Why Sarnia: Lake Huron waterfront access and comparatively affordable Southwestern Ontario pricing.
Things to know: industrial presence (refineries) influences local economy and perceptions.
6. Kingston, ON
Typical average/sold price (2025): ~ $620,000–$640,000 (market average). CREA/board and REMAX market updates indicate Kingston’s average sale price around $620k+ in 2025. CREA Stats+1
Why Kingston: university town + strong rental demand, historic downtown and lakefront — more expensive than the northern towns but still cheaper than GTA for comparable amenities.
7. London, ON
Typical average/sold price (2025): ~ $560,000–$630,000 (market/monthly variance). Market trackers (WOWA / local reports) show London’s composite average around the mid-$500ks to low $600ks for 2025 depending on month and property mix. WOWA+1
Why London: big-city services, two universities and healthcare sector, still noticeably cheaper than the GTA for similarly sized cities.
Why numbers differ (short explanation)
- Average listing price vs sold price vs median sale price: Listing averages are what sellers ask; sold averages/medians reflect actual sale transactions. In small towns a handful of sales can swing averages strongly. Always check median sale price or a 3- or 6-month rolling average for a steadier view.
- Property mix matters: a market with mostly apartments will show different averages than one with mostly detached houses. Boards often publish both composite and property-type benchmarks.
- Timing: prices move month-to-month; use the most recent board reports for the clearest picture.
Buyer tips for affordability seekers
- Compare median sold price (not just listing) and check last-6-month trends.
- Factor in total carrying costs, heating, insurance, travel, which can be higher in remote areas.
- If you need local income, check employment and commute distances before committing.
- For investors, look at rent-to-price ratios and vacancy rates.
- Work with a local realtor and ask for recent sold comparables (last 3–6 months) in your target neighbourhood.
Sources & references
- Rainy River — Zolo MLS listing snapshot (Rainy River average listing ≈ $154,000; detached listing examples ≈ $229,000). Zolo+1
- Deep River — Zolo Deep River housing trends (current average listing/sold snapshots show values in the high-$200k range). Zolo+1
- Thunder Bay — RE/MAX Thunder Bay market update & Thunder Bay CREA board statistics (average/median sale prices in the high-$300k to $400k range for 2025). RE/MAX Canada+1
- Sudbury — Local broker market updates (RE/MAX / Lake City Realty) showing Greater Sudbury average sale prices around ~$510k–$540k YTD 2025. Lake City Realty+1
- Sarnia / Sarnia-Lambton — CREA board Sarnia-Lambton statistics (recent months’ average sale price ≈ $489k; YTD averages ≈ $530k). CREA Stats
- Kingston — CREA / REMAX Kingston market updates (market average ~ $620k+ in 2025). CREA Stats+1
- London — WOWA / Nesto / local market trackers showing London composite averages in the mid-$500k to low-$600k range (monthly variance).
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