Start with assessed value
Use the value on your assessment notice—not a listing price. Ontario still references MPAC current-value assessment; British Columbia updates market-oriented Class 1 values each year through BC Assessment.
Canada compare
🇨🇦2026 · $700k assessment · residential total rate
Property Tax by City
Rank 12 major Canadian municipalities by total residential property tax rate. Highest: Hamilton (1.557%, ~$10,900.64 on $700,000 residential assessment (illustrative)). Lowest: Vancouver (0.336%). Toronto vs Vancouver vignette gap ≈ $3,016.42/yr.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
0.336%
Lowest (Vancouver)
1.557%
Highest (Hamilton)
0.767%
Toronto total
0.665%
Calgary total
2026 property tax quick facts
Key finding — Toronto vs Vancouver vs Calgary
On $700,000 residential assessment (illustrative) (2026 hub), Toronto’s residential total of 0.767% is about $5,371.18/yr vs Vancouver’s 0.336% (~$2,354.76/yr) and Calgary’s 0.665% (~$4,654.93/yr). Highest in this set: Hamilton; lowest: Vancouver.
Key takeaways
- •Vignette: $700,000 residential assessment (illustrative); rates are total residential % of assessed value for each city’s rate year.
- •Hamilton leads this curated list at 1.557% (~$10,900.64/yr).
- •Vancouver is lowest here at 0.336% (~$2,354.76/yr).
- •Unweighted average across these 12 cities is about 0.897%.
- •Toronto (0.767%) vs Vancouver (0.336%) — dollar bills still depend on each city’s assessment.
- •Calgary (0.665%) sits below Edmonton (1.036%) on published residential totals.
- •Ontario and Alberta published totals usually include education on the municipal bill; Québec municipal schedules often list school tax separately.
- •Victoria’s city mill rate is city-only; Vancouver’s published residential total already includes school and regional levies.
- •Manitoba residential portioning (45%) means Winnipeg mill rates must be converted before comparing percent-of-assessment cities.
- •Area rating, borough surcharges, and multi-residential classes are not modeled — see each city's official schedule.
Property tax estimate calculator
Estimate your annual property tax
Use the assessed value from your notice, not a market listing price.
Toronto rate year 2026 · official · City + Ontario education + City Building Fund (2026 official residential total).
Estimate
Annual property tax
$5,371.18
Monthly
$447.60
Rate applied
0.767%
Excludes empty-home levies, local improvements, BIAs, utility transfers, and grants. Not a tax bill.
Head-to-head
Compare property tax between two cities
Same assessed-value thought experiment across Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montréal, and more.
Compare any two cities
Total residential rates, vignette tax, and official sources.
Residential rates by city
Total residential rate (% of assessment) and estimated annual tax on $700,000 residential assessment (illustrative). Each row lists the municipal rate year and confidence. Displayed rates are rounded to three decimals; vignette dollars use the full published rate.
| Rank | City | Prov. | Rate | Year | Confidence | Vignette tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |  Hamilton | ON | 1.557% | 2026 | official | $10,900.64 |
| #2 |  Winnipeg | MB | 1.321% | 2026 | official derived | $9,250.29 |
| #3 | Ottawa | ON | 1.226% | 2025 | official derived | $8,582 |
| #4 |  Halifax | NS | 1.127% | 2026 | official derived | $7,889 |
| #5 | Mississauga | ON | 1.088% | 2026 | official | $7,615.31 |
| #6 |  Edmonton | AB | 1.036% | 2026 | official | $7,254.59 |
| #7 | Toronto | ON | 0.767% | 2026 | official | $5,371.18 |
| #8 |  Quebec City | QC | 0.746% | 2026 | official | $5,224.80 |
| #9 | Calgary | AB | 0.665% | 2026 | official | $4,654.93 |
| #10 | Montreal | QC | 0.52% | 2026 | official derived | $3,641.40 |
| #11 |  Victoria | BC | 0.372% | 2026 | official | $2,606.03 |
| #12 | Vancouver | BC | 0.336% | 2026 | official | $2,354.76 |
Popular comparisons
Guide
How Canadian municipal property tax is calculated
Cities set a budget levy, divide by the taxable assessment base, and publish class rates. Your bill is almost always assessed value × applicable residential rate (plus any flat or area charges).
Apply the residential rate
Rates appear as a percent of assessment (Toronto’s 0.767% residential total), dollars per $1,000 (Vancouver’s all-in levy), dollars per $100 (Québec), or mills on portioned assessment (Winnipeg). Convert to a percent of full assessment before comparing cities.
Add only the lines that apply
Urban vs rural fire/transit area ratings (Hamilton, Ottawa, Halifax), borough taxes (Montréal), and school-division mills (Winnipeg) can change the payable rate for the same city name.
Subtract credits after the levy
Home Owner Grants (BC), Manitoba’s Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit, and local senior rebates reduce what you pay without changing the published rate used in this hub.
Guide
What usually appears on a Canadian property tax bill
“Total residential rate” wording differs by province. This hub prefers the combined municipal + education (or equivalent) figure when the city publishes one.
Municipal / city levy
Funds local services such as police, fire, roads, parks, and libraries. Cities set this rate in the annual tax by-law after the budget is adopted.
Education or provincial school tax
Ontario education rates are set provincially and collected on the municipal bill (Toronto includes 0.153% education in its published residential total). Alberta cities show a separate provincial education line (Calgary’s 0.665% combines city + education).
Regional and transit authorities
Examples include Region of Peel on Mississauga bills, TransLink and Metro Vancouver on Vancouver’s published residential table, and ARTM/roads on Montréal’s municipal schedule.
Often billed separately
Water and solid-waste fees, empty-home or vacancy taxes, local improvements, and BIA charges are usually excluded from the rate percentages shown here.
Guide
How property tax rules differ by province
Canada has no single national property tax rate. Assessment authorities, education funding, and how cities publish totals all vary—so a raw percent ranking needs provincial context.
Ontario
MPAC sets current-value assessment. Cities publish residential totals that usually bundle municipal + education (Toronto 0.767%; Mississauga 1.088% with Region of Peel). Area-rated fire/transit lines matter in amalgamated cities such as Hamilton.
British Columbia
BC Assessment updates Class 1 values annually. Vancouver’s published residential table is all-in at 0.336%. Victoria’s city mill rate on this hub is city-only—school and other authority levies still appear on the notice. Home Owner Grant and empty-home rules can change net payable.
Alberta
Municipal and provincial education lines are shown separately, then added. Calgary’s 0.665% and Edmonton’s 1.036% residential totals follow each city’s published 2026 schedules (Edmonton includes a small education requisition allowance).
Manitoba
Residential property is taxed on 45% of assessed value. Winnipeg’s hub rate (1.321%) converts municipal + school-division mills on portioned assessment into an effective percent of full assessment. Credits such as HATC reduce net school tax.
Québec
Municipal schedules list general tax (and borough taxes in Montréal) per $100 of valuation. School tax and many water/waste fees are billed separately—our Montréal and Québec City rows follow the municipal schedules, not a full all-in education stack.
Nova Scotia
HRM publishes urban, suburban, and rural general rates plus mandatory provincial and area lines (transit, fire protection, climate, supplementary education). The Halifax figure here sums the common urban stack for 2026/27; community area rates may still add.
Guide
How to compare property tax between Canadian cities
On $700,000 residential assessment (illustrative), Hamilton leads this list at about $10,900.64 while Vancouver is lowest at about $2,354.76. The unweighted average rate across these 12 cities is about 0.897%.
Match the tax year and confidence label
Prefer official 2026 totals. “Official derived” means we summed published components (for example Halifax urban lines or Winnipeg portioned mills). Ottawa still uses the city’s published 2025 urban dollars-per-$100,000 table.
Watch BC city-only vs all-in totals
Vancouver’s 0.336% already includes school and regional levies. Victoria’s city mill rate is city-only—provincial school and other authorities appear as extra lines on the BC notice.
Convert Manitoba mills to an effective percent
Residential property is taxed on 45% of assessed value. Effective % of full assessment ≈ total mills ÷ 10 × 0.45.
Compare dollars on your assessment
A lower rate city with a much higher assessment can still produce a larger bill. Use the calculator above with your assessed value before relocating or budgeting.
Guide
How Canadian property tax billing usually works
Most municipalities split the year into interim and final bills. The published rate on this hub is the annual total used after final rates are set—not the interim installment alone.
Interim bill
Often calculated as roughly half of last year’s total levy (plus arrears). It is not a forecast of this year’s approved rate increase.
Final bill
Applies the new year’s residential rates × current assessed value, then subtracts what you already paid on the interim bill.
Monthly pre-authorized plans
Many cities offer 10- or 12-month PAD plans. Early-year withdrawals often still reflect last year’s levy until final rates are loaded mid-year.
Due dates vary by city
Examples from official calendars include spring/summer instalments in many Ontario cities and June 30 in Edmonton for 2026. Always use your own tax notice.
Guide
Property tax checklist for buyers and movers
Rate rankings help screen cities, but closing budgets need assessment, credits, and one-time purchase taxes too.
Pull the assessment notice
Ask for the latest assessed value and property class. Listing price is not the tax base.
Confirm area rating or borough
Hamilton fire/transit zones, Ottawa urban vs rural tables, Halifax local transit, and Montréal borough taxes can change the payable rate inside one metro name.
Budget land transfer separately
Provincial or municipal land transfer tax (and Québec transfer duties) is a closing cost, not part of the annual residential rate on this hub.
Ask about credits and surcharges
Home Owner Grant eligibility, senior rebates, empty-home/vacancy taxes, and BIAs can move net cash flow after you apply the headline rate.
Re-run the estimate at your assessment
Use the calculator with your assessed value. The $700,000 residential assessment (illustrative) vignette is only for ranking and compare pages.
Verify on the city portal
Each profile links the municipal schedule or by-law used for the rate. Prefer that PDF or page over third-party summaries when numbers disagree.
Guide
How to read the city rankings on this hub
#1 means the highest residential rate in this curated 12-city set—not the highest bill in Canada, and not every neighbourhood inside a city.
Rate vs bill
Vancouver can still produce a large dollar bill if assessments are high. Hamilton’s leading rate applies to its published Urban Full-Time Fire residential total—other Hamilton communities post lower area rates.
Confidence labels
Official = single published total (or clear component sum from the city’s own rate table). Official derived = we converted mills or $/100k using the city’s stated formula. Estimate/model = weaker or composite cases.
Displayed decimals
On-page rates are rounded to three decimals for readability (for example 1.557%). Vignette dollar amounts still use the full published rate for money math.
Not a tax advice product
These pages are educational planning tools. Confirm instalments, credits, and class rates with the municipality before buying, selling, or relocating.
Examples
Sample annual tax at common assessments
Educational estimates using each city’s published residential rate on the same assessed value. Credits, area ratings, and excluded fees can change the payable amount.
Billing & rate timing
Confirm due dates on your municipal bill. Highlights below follow official city guidance where cited.
Spring rate confirmation
Most cities finalize residential rates each spring after budgets and education requisitions. This hub labels each city’s rate year and last-checked date.
Toronto — interim + final
Toronto issues interim and final bills. Estimated tax = assessed value × total residential rate (city + education + City Building Fund). Special charges can appear on the instalment schedule.
Calgary — May bill, June due
Calgary mails the annual bill in May for the calendar year; the due date is typically the last business day of June. Total = assessment × (city rate + provincial education rate).
Ottawa — 2026 final due June 18
Ottawa’s 2026 final property tax bills were scheduled for mid-May mailing with a Thursday, June 18, 2026 payment due date (ottawa.ca). Urban vs rural stacks differ.
How to use this ranking
Step 1
Read the ranking
Compare residential rates and vignette dollars on the same $700k assessment.
Step 2
Open a city page
Check rate year, confidence, assessment ladder, and official source.
Step 3
Compare two cities
Use Toronto vs Vancouver, Calgary vs Edmonton, or Mississauga vs Toronto.
Step 4
Personalize
Enter your assessed value in the estimate calculator — then confirm on the city portal.
Common myths vs official rules
“Property tax rate equals market-value tax.”
Bills use assessed value from MPAC, BC Assessment, or the municipal assessor — often a phased or valuation-date figure, not today’s sale price. Formula: annual tax ≈ assessment × residential rate.
“Toronto’s rate is lower than Vancouver, so Toronto is cheaper.”
Toronto’s published residential total is 0.767% vs Vancouver’s 0.336% — but dollar bills still depend on each city’s assessment for the same home. Compare rates and assessments together.
“Victoria and Vancouver use the same all-in BC rate.”
Victoria’s Class 1 mill rate here (0.372%) is city levy only. Vancouver’s published residential total already includes provincial school and regional levies — scopes differ.
“Alberta cities have the same provincial education rate on every bill.”
Calgary’s 2026 residential total is 0.665% (city + provincial education). Edmonton’s residential/farmland total is 1.036% including an education requisition allowance — municipal stacks differ.
“Québec welcome tax is the same as annual property tax.”
Droits de mutation (welcome tax) are a one-time transfer duty at purchase. Annual municipal property tax is a separate ongoing levy — see Land Transfer Tax by City for closing tax.
Glossary
- Assessed value
- The valuation base for the tax bill (MPAC current-value assessment in Ontario, BC Assessment, or the local assessor). Not always equal to market price.
- Total residential rate
- Combined municipal (+ education/regional where published as one total) rate on residential assessment, shown here as a percent of assessed value.
- Education / school tax
- In Ontario and Alberta, usually collected on the municipal bill. In Québec, school tax is often billed separately from the municipal general schedule used in this hub.
- Portioning (Manitoba)
- Manitoba taxes residential property on 45% of assessment. Mill rates on portioned value must be converted to compare with percent-of-full-assessment cities.
- Area rating / borough stack
- Extra fire, transit, or borough levies that vary by neighbourhood (e.g. Hamilton communities, Montréal boroughs). Not fully modeled on every row.
- Confidence label
- official = city-published total; official_derived = calculated from published components; estimate/model = composite where a single all-in total is not published the same way.
Methodology
- Vignette assessment is fixed at $700,000 residential assessment (illustrative) for ranking and compare pages.
- Rates are total residential percentages from municipal (and regional) schedules where published as a single total. Confidence labels: official, official derived, estimate, or model.
- Manitoba portioning (45% residential) converts mill rates on portioned assessment into an effective % of full assessment for cross-city comparison.
- Victoria’s city mill rate excludes provincial school/other BC authority levies; Vancouver’s published total already includes them — compare carefully.
- Montréal rates vary by borough; the hub uses a Ville-Marie municipal total (general + ARTM + roads + borough). Water and Québec school tax are excluded — unlike Ontario/Alberta all-in education stacks.
- Empty-home taxes, provincial surcharges on high-value BC homes, water/waste flat fees, and senior/grant rebates are excluded.
- Confirm your assessment class and location-specific surcharges on your tax bill or city portal.
Property tax by city FAQs
Municipalities multiply your property’s assessed value by a residential tax rate (often shown as a percent of assessment, dollars per $100, or mills per $1,000). Annual tax ≈ assessed value × rate ÷ 100 when the rate is a percent. Our vignette uses $700,000 residential assessment (illustrative).
Hamilton ranks #1 at 1.557% (~$10,900.64 on the vignette), using the city’s published Urban Full-Time Fire residential total for rate year 2026.
Vancouver is lowest at 0.336% (~$2,354.76 on $700,000 residential assessment (illustrative)), based on the city’s published all-in residential levy per $1,000 of taxable value.
Rate is only part of the story: Vancouver’s 0.336% all-in levy applies to high BC assessments, while Winnipeg’s derived 1.321% effective rate reflects Manitoba’s 45% residential portioning plus school mills. Compare dollar bills for your assessment, not rate alone.
Toronto’s 2026 residential total is 0.767% (city + education + City Building Fund). Vancouver’s published all-in residential levy is 0.336%. On the same $700,000 residential assessment (illustrative), that is about $5,371.18 vs $2,354.76—real bills still follow each city’s assessment.
Hub year is 2026. Most cities here use official 2026 schedules (Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Mississauga, Hamilton, Halifax, Victoria, Québec City, Montréal, Winnipeg). Ottawa still uses the city’s published 2025 urban $1,226 per $100,000 breakdown until a 2026 total is posted the same way.
Not always. Ontario uses MPAC current-value assessment (often with a lagged valuation date). BC Assessment updates Class 1 values annually. Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Québec each use their own assessment rolls. Use the figure on your assessment notice or tax bill for a precise estimate.
In Ontario and Alberta, published totals typically combine municipal and education (or provincial education) lines. Vancouver’s published residential table already includes provincial school and regional levies. Québec city pages often list municipal general tax separately from school tax and water/waste fees — our Montréal and Québec City rows follow those municipal schedules.
Calgary’s 2026 residential total is 0.665% (city + provincial education). Edmonton’s residential/farmland total is 1.036% (municipal + education + education requisition allowance). On $700,000 residential assessment (illustrative): about $4,654.93 vs $7,254.59.
Mississauga’s 2026 residential RT total is 1.088% (City + Region of Peel + Ontario education). Toronto’s published residential total is 0.767%. Peel’s regional levy is a large share of Mississauga’s bill; area services and assessment bases still drive individual results.
No. The Montréal figure here (0.52% for Ville-Marie) is the municipal stack (general + ARTM + roads + borough). Québec school tax and water/waste charges are billed separately and are excluded, matching how Ville de Montréal publishes municipal tax-rate schedules.
Residential property in Manitoba is taxed on 45% of assessed value. Winnipeg’s hub rate (1.321%) converts municipal + Winnipeg School Division mills on that portioned base into an effective percent of full assessment so it can sit beside other cities. Net school taxes can fall after the Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit.
Not directly. Victoria’s figure is the city Class 1 mill rate only. Vancouver’s published residential table already includes provincial school, TransLink, BC Assessment, Metro Vancouver, and MFA. Add those authority lines on a Victoria tax notice before comparing dollar bills.
No. Land transfer tax (or Québec duties on transfers) is paid once at purchase. Empty Homes Tax, Speculation and Vacancy Tax, and similar surcharges are excluded. See our Canada land transfer tax calculator for closing costs.
Credits reduce what you pay; they do not usually change the published mill or percent rate used in this hub. Examples include BC’s Home Owner Grant and Manitoba’s Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit. Apply credits after estimating the gross levy.
Most cities adopt final rates each spring after the budget and education requisitions are set. This hub’s year label is 2026; each city profile shows its rate year, confidence, and last-checked date for the linked official source.
About $2,354.76 per year at 0.336% on $700,000 residential assessment (illustrative), before home owner grants or other credits.
Open the official source linked on each city profile (municipal tax-rate page or by-law schedule), confirm your property class and area rating, then multiply your assessed value by the matching residential total. Credits, local improvements, and BIAs can change the payable amount.