House prices drop across Durham, with Oshawa and Brock the least expensive places to buy a home

While housing in Durham is more affordable than other GTA regions–with the average price falling slightly year-over-year–there is some price disparity among its eight municipalities, meaning some towns and cities are a little more attractive to buyers with more modest budgets. 

According to numbers recently released by the Central Lakes Association of Realtors, the region’s overall average price point is under $1 million. 

CLAR’s most recent report indicates that the average home price (all home types combined) in the region hit $907,997 in August–below the average in Toronto ($1,029,069), Mississauga ($1,044,543), Brampton ($984,544), and the overall York Region ($1,297,868). 

As for individual municipalities, prices vary across the board.

Uxbridge remains the most expensive municipality for homebuyers, boasting an average home price (all home types combined) of $1,291,179. Buyers can also expect to pay more in Whitby ($966,783), Scugog ($1,029,883), Pickering ($981,212) and Ajax ($939,714). 

The average price in Clarington hit $836,354 in August and the average price in Oshawa came to $780,900. 

In most municipalities (not all), prices are down slightly month-over-month, with the average price point in Whitby falling just below $1 million. 

The most affordable municipality is Brock, where the average price sits at $749,240 (up from last month). While the rural municipality boasts less costly housing, the type available is limited. 

As far as home types go, the average detached home price in Durham overall hit $1,007,798 last month. 

Semi-detached prices cost buyers an average of $760,226, attached row townhouses cost $811,181 and condos cost $542,838. 

The most affordable detached homes are in Brock ($761,933), Oshawa ($859,293), and Clarington ($886,752). 

According to CLAR’s report, sales and prices in the Durham region overall are down from August 2023.

Last month, 709 homes exchanged hands–down from the 776 sales recorded during the same period last year. Prices also dipped slightly between August 2023 and 2024, falling from $930,781 to $907,997. 

There is some good news for buyers, as the report notes that there’s more inventory to choose from, as active listings increased 56 per cent from 1,414 in August 2023 to 2,200 in August 2024.

“August’s statistics for our region show a diverse market with varying trends across our areas,” Vicki Sweeney, CLAR president, said in the report. 

“The recent reduction in the Bank of Canada’s interest rate to 4.25 per cent will provide some relief to home buyers and should stimulate activity in the market as interest rates continue to trend lower this year. The average price adjustments we’ve seen from July to August reflect the unique characteristics of each area, and we encourage both buyers and sellers to connect with a local realtor to navigate these market conditions.”