Property tax rates vary dramatically depending on where you own a home in Ontario.
In some municipalities, the 2026 residential property tax rate is below 0.8%. In others, it is approaching or exceeding 1.8%.
That can translate into thousands of dollars in difference every year for properties with the same assessed value.
For example, a residential property assessed at $500,000 in Markham would generate roughly $3,614 in annual property tax using the city’s 2026 residential rate.
At the same $500,000 assessment, an urban residential property in St. Catharines would generate approximately $9,211.
That is a difference of almost $5,600 per year.
But there is one major detail Ontario homeowners need to understand before comparing these numbers.
Property taxes are generally calculated using your MPAC assessed value, not what your home would sell for today.
Ontario’s 2026 property assessments continue to be based on January 1, 2016 values, meaning the assessed value shown on a tax bill can be dramatically lower than the home’s current market value.
With that in mind, here’s how residential property tax rates compare across 20 Ontario municipalities in 2026.
2026 Ontario Property Tax Rates By City
The estimates below show what the residential tax rate would produce if the same property were assessed at $500,000, $750,000 or $1 million in each municipality.
These are illustrative calculations based on the published 2026 residential rates. They are not estimates of what a typical home in each city actually pays.
| Municipality | 2026 Residential Tax Rate | Tax On $500K Assessment | Tax On $750K Assessment | Tax On $1M Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Markham | 0.722889% | $3,614 | $5,422 | $7,229 |
| Vaughan | 0.749217% | $3,746 | $5,619 | $7,492 |
| Richmond Hill | 0.760104% | $3,801 | $5,701 | $7,601 |
| Toronto | 0.767311% | $3,837 | $5,755 | $7,673 |
| Oakville | 0.850960% | $4,255 | $6,382 | $8,510 |
| Burlington, urban | 1.015281% | $5,076 | $7,615 | $10,153 |
| Mississauga | 1.087901% | $5,440 | $8,159 | $10,879 |
| Brampton | 1.253381% | $6,267 | $9,400 | $12,534 |
| Pickering | 1.337288% | $6,686 | $10,030 | $13,373 |
| Whitby | 1.382491% | $6,912 | $10,369 | $13,825 |
| Ajax | 1.388664% | $6,943 | $10,415 | $13,887 |
| Kitchener | 1.405998% | $7,030 | $10,545 | $14,060 |
| Clarington | 1.419218% | $7,096 | $10,644 | $14,192 |
| Waterloo | 1.432260% | $7,161 | $10,742 | $14,323 |
| Barrie | 1.467503% | $7,338 | $11,006 | $14,675 |
| Guelph | 1.494407% | $7,472 | $11,208 | $14,944 |
| Hamilton, urban with full-time fire | 1.557% | $7,785 | $11,678 | $15,570 |
| Oshawa | 1.575342% | $7,877 | $11,815 | $15,753 |
| Niagara Falls, urban | 1.748888% | $8,744 | $13,117 | $17,489 |
| St. Catharines, urban | 1.842187% | $9,211 | $13,816 | $18,422 |
Municipalities can have different rates depending on service areas and property classifications. Hamilton, Niagara Falls and several other municipalities use different residential rates in certain urban or rural areas, so homeowners should check their property’s exact classification before calculating their bill.
St. Catharines Has One Of The Highest Rates In This Comparison
Among the municipalities included in this comparison, urban residential properties in St. Catharines have the highest 2026 rate at 1.842187%.
The City says its finalized urban residential rate combines municipal, Niagara Region and provincial education taxes.
At that rate, a property assessed at $500,000 would generate approximately $9,211 in property tax.
At a $750,000 assessment, that rises to around $13,816.
And at a $1 million assessed value, the annual tax would be approximately $18,422.
St. Catharines says the combined property tax rate increased 3.79% in 2026.
The average residential property used in the City’s own example has an assessed value of $258,000 and an annual 2026 tax bill of approximately $4,753.
That example also highlights why using current home prices to estimate Ontario property taxes can be misleading.
Niagara Falls Is Also Near The Top
Niagara Falls has an urban residential rate of 1.748888% for 2026.
That includes municipal, capital, waste management, transit, Niagara Region, education and urban service area components.
At a $500,000 assessed value, the rate works out to approximately $8,744 annually.
At $1 million, the calculation reaches nearly $17,489.
Again, that does not mean someone purchasing a $1 million home in Niagara Falls will automatically receive a $17,489 property tax bill.
The relevant figure is the home’s MPAC assessment.
Oshawa Has The Highest Rate Among The GTA Cities In This Comparison
Oshawa’s 2026 residential rate is 1.575342%.
That makes it the highest rate among the GTA municipalities included here.
At the same $1 million assessed value, Oshawa’s rate would generate approximately $15,753 annually.
By comparison, Toronto’s rate on the same assessment would generate approximately $7,673.
That’s a difference of more than $8,000 per year on an identical assessed value.
A current comparison of GTA municipalities shows Durham Region communities concentrated near the higher end of the GTA property tax rate table, while York Region communities dominate the lower end.
Hamilton Property Tax Rates Depend On Where You Live
Hamilton is especially important to treat carefully because there is not one universal residential rate across the entire municipality.
Tax rates vary depending on the former municipality, whether the property is urban or rural and the type of fire service provided.
For example, Hamilton’s 2026 total residential rate for an urban property with full-time fire service is about 1.557%.
Other parts of the municipality have lower rates.
The City’s published 2026 rates range from around 1.247% in certain rural areas to more than 1.55% in urban Hamilton.
For that reason, anyone purchasing in Hamilton should look up the exact property rather than applying a single citywide percentage.
Guelph’s Residential Rate Is Nearly 1.5%
Guelph’s total 2026 residential property tax rate is 1.494407%.
That includes a City levy, hospital levy and the provincial education rate.
Using the same hypothetical assessment values, that would equal approximately $7,472 annually on $500,000, $11,208 on $750,000 and $14,944 on $1 million.
Kitchener And Waterloo Have Similar Property Tax Rates
Kitchener and Waterloo sit surprisingly close together.
Waterloo’s published 2026 residential tax rate is 1.432260%.
The City says a property assessed at $405,000 would pay approximately $5,800.65 in 2026.
Kitchener’s combined 2026 residential rate is approximately 1.405998%.
That means a $500,000 assessment would produce a tax estimate of roughly $7,030 in Kitchener versus $7,161 in Waterloo.
Barrie’s 2026 Residential Rate Is About 1.47%
Barrie’s approved 2026 residential tax rate, including the education component, is 1.467503%.
That works out to approximately $7,338 on a $500,000 assessment and $14,675 on a $1 million assessment.
Barrie’s own budget documents emphasize that taxes are calculated by multiplying a property’s MPAC assessment by the applicable tax rate.
Toronto Has One Of The Lowest Rates In The GTA
Toronto frequently surprises homeowners because its residential tax rate is relatively low compared with many surrounding municipalities.
Toronto’s total 2026 residential rate is 0.767311%.
The rate consists of:
a 0.605295% City tax rate,
a 0.009016% City Building Fund levy,
and a 0.153000% education tax rate.
Together, those components produce the 0.767311% total.
At a $500,000 assessed value, that works out to approximately $3,837.
At a $1 million assessment, it would be roughly $7,673.
Toronto’s rate increased from 0.754087% in 2025.
Markham Has The Lowest Rate In This Comparison
Markham comes in at the opposite end of the table.
Its total 2026 residential tax rate is 0.722889%.
The rate consists of the City of Markham portion, York Region’s portion and the provincial education portion.
At that rate, a property assessed at $500,000 would generate approximately $3,614 in annual property tax.
At $1 million, the estimate is around $7,229.
Current GTA comparisons put Markham below Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Toronto when comparing 2026 residential rates.
A Lower Property Tax Rate Does Not Always Mean A Lower Tax Bill
This is probably the most important part of the entire comparison.
A municipality with a lower percentage does not necessarily have cheaper property taxes for the typical homeowner.
Your bill depends on both:
the property’s assessed value
and
the applicable property tax rate.
Markham has a lower tax rate than Oshawa, for example.
But a particular Markham home could have a much higher assessed value than a particular Oshawa home.
The higher assessment can offset some or all of the benefit of the lower rate.
That is why comparing rates alone should not be used to determine where homeowners actually pay the lowest total property tax.
Ontario Is Still Using 2016 Property Assessments In 2026
Ontario’s property assessment system makes these comparisons even more confusing.
MPAC confirms that property assessments used for the 2026 tax year continue to be based on January 1, 2016 current values.
That means a home worth $1 million on today’s real estate market may have an assessed value far below $1 million for tax purposes.
MPAC continues to update properties when major changes occur, including new construction, additions, demolitions and changes in use.
But the underlying valuation date remains January 1, 2016.
This is why multiplying a home’s current listing price by the city’s tax rate can produce a wildly inaccurate estimate.
How To Calculate Your Ontario Property Taxes
The basic calculation is straightforward:
Property tax = MPAC assessed value × residential property tax rate
For example, take a property with an MPAC assessment of $500,000 in Toronto.
Toronto’s 2026 residential rate is 0.767311%.
$500,000 × 0.00767311 = approximately $3,837.
Now take the same $500,000 assessed value in St. Catharines using the urban residential rate of 1.842187%.
$500,000 × 0.01842187 = approximately $9,211.
That illustrates just how much location can change the tax bill when assessed values are held constant.
Where Are Ontario Property Tax Rates Highest In 2026?
Among the 20 municipalities included in this comparison, the highest rates are concentrated in Niagara and parts of Durham, while several York Region municipalities and Toronto have much lower percentages.
St. Catharines has the highest urban residential rate in this table at 1.842187%, followed by Niagara Falls at 1.748888%.
Oshawa follows at 1.575342%.
At the other end, Markham has the lowest rate at 0.722889%, followed by Vaughan at 0.749217%, Richmond Hill at 0.760104% and Toronto at 0.767311%.
But again, those percentages do not tell you which city’s typical homeowner pays the largest dollar bill.
The MPAC assessment of the individual property matters just as much.
For anyone considering buying a home in Ontario, checking the annual property tax shown on the listing and confirming the property’s MPAC assessment can give a much more accurate picture of monthly ownership costs than relying on the municipal rate alone.
References
City of Toronto, 2026 Property Tax Rates
City of Markham, 2026 Tax Rates
Town of Oakville, 2026 Tax Rates
City of Burlington, Understanding Your 2026 Property Tax Bill
City of Hamilton, 2026 Property Tax Rates
City of Waterloo, 2026 Property Tax Rates
City of Guelph, 2026 Property Tax Rates
City of Niagara Falls, 2026 Tax Rates
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