Property tax estimator
Annual property tax for the major Canadian cities, based on assessed value. Rates vary widely — Vancouver under 0.3%, Winnipeg over 1.2%.
Your scenario
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Rates change annually — assessed value also typically differs from market value. Confirm with your city's tax department.
How Canadian property tax actually works
Property tax in Canada is a municipal tax on real estate, calculated as assessed value × municipal mill rate. Assessed value is set by your provincial assessment authority (MPAC in Ontario, BC Assessment in BC, Alberta Municipal Affairs, etc.) — usually updated annually or every few years — and is often somewhat below current market value.
Why rates vary so much across Canada
Property tax rates differ dramatically between cities because they reflect both service costs and average property values in each municipality. Cities with very high real estate values (Vancouver, Toronto) can collect enough revenue at low percentage rates; cities with lower values (Winnipeg, Halifax) need higher rates to fund the same services.
- Vancouver: ~0.30% — lowest among major Canadian cities
- Toronto: ~0.72% — low because of high property values
- Calgary: ~0.65%
- Ottawa / Montreal: ~0.80–1.08%
- Halifax / Edmonton: ~0.96–1.11%
- Hamilton / Winnipeg / Regina: ~1.08–1.25% — among the highest
Assessed value vs market value
In Ontario, MPAC reassessments have been frozen at 2016 values for several years — so most homeowners' assessed values are significantly below current market value. Other provinces update more frequently. Either way, the gap between assessed and market value can be substantial: don't assume your tax bill scales 1:1 with your home's current sale price.
Special charges and rebates
- Local improvement charges: capital projects like new sewers or sidewalks billed over multiple years
- School board levy: included in your bill in most provinces; you can usually designate public vs separate
- Vacant home tax: Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Vancouver, others charge an additional 1–3% on vacant homes
- Senior / low-income deferrals: most provinces let qualifying seniors defer property tax to a lien at sale
- First-time buyer rebates: some municipalities offer one-time rebates separate from land transfer tax rebates
How property tax fits in your mortgage approval
Lenders include property tax in your GDS (Gross Debt Service) ratio calculation. High property tax cities reduce how much mortgage you qualify for — a $700k home in Winnipeg (~$8,700/yr tax) costs you noticeably more affordability than the same home in Vancouver (~$2,100/yr).