Affordability isn't just a spreadsheet — it's the residue of two centuries of decisions about where to build, where to lay the rails, and where to draw the city's edge. This series pairs a short, original history of each area on our interactive map with its present-day numbers, so you can see why a place costs what it does, not just that it does.
The 416: Old Toronto's core districts
We're starting with the four districts that make up the old City of Toronto and the former Metro boroughs — the places amalgamated into a single city in 1998. More areas are on the way.
| Area | Avg. condo | Qualifying income | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Toronto From "Muddy York" to the costliest core in Canada. | $825,000 | ~$178,000 | History → |
| North York The suburb that built itself a downtown on Yonge. | $712,000 | ~$152,000 | History → |
| Etobicoke Lakeshore villages and Humber industry, west-end today. | $695,000 | ~$148,000 | History → |
| Scarborough The Bluffs, the boom, and the most attainable 416. | $621,000 | ~$131,000 | History → |
Figures mirror the interactive regional map on our home page; see the methodology for how qualifying income is derived.
Coming next: the 905
The suburban municipalities that ring the city each have their own story — Mississauga's lakeside origins and rapid rise, Brampton's "Flower Town" heritage, the boomtown growth of Vaughan and Markham, Oakville's harbour-town gentility, and Pickering's lakeshore east. Profiles for Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Oakville and Pickering are in progress and will join the series.
About this series. Every history here is written originally for this site as a fresh summary of well-documented local history. It is inspired by — but not copied or transcribed from — excellent Toronto history projects, including the Old Toronto Series on YouTube, which is well worth a watch if you love this city's past. Housing figures are illustrative estimates for general information only, not an appraisal or financial advice. See our terms of use.