Moving to Burlington from Toronto: What Changes, What Doesn't

Every month, a few of Nikki Vrba’s new clients say the same thing on the first call: we love the city, we cannot make the numbers work, and someone told us to look at Burlington. This post is the honest version of that conversation, before the showings start.

The commute is the first question, so here it is

Burlington has three GO stations on the Lakeshore West line: Aldershot in the west end (which also has VIA Rail), Burlington in the centre, and Appleby in the east. The train to Union Station is about an hour, a little less on express runs. By car it is roughly 57 kilometres on the QEW, which is fine at 10 a.m. and a different story at 7:30.

The practical advice: if you will commute by train more than twice a week, choose the station first and the neighbourhood second. Aldershot, the Plains Road corridor and downtown suit the Aldershot and Burlington stations; Shoreacres, Longmoor and Elizabeth Gardens suit Appleby. Burlington Transit buses connect the rest of the city to the stations, but most commuters drive or get dropped off.

What your Toronto budget buys

A Toronto condo budget in Burlington buys a condo downtown, on Plains Road or at the GO stations, or a townhouse in Tansley Woods, the Corporate node near Mainway or Alton Village. A Toronto semi budget often buys a detached home in Mountainside, Brant Hills or Palmer, all 1950s to 1980s neighbourhoods north of the QEW. A Toronto detached budget reaches Headon Forest and Millcroft, the family subdivisions of the late 1980s and 1990s, and starts to look at Roseland and the lakeshore.

The catch is that Burlington’s supply is tight. Roughly half the city’s land is protected countryside north of Dundas Street, so the urban half competes for every listing. Well-priced homes sell in the first week, and the ones that sit are the ones priced to last spring.

Neighbourhoods, quickly

• Aldershot: the west end, layered from 1940s cottages to new condos, with the Royal Botanical Gardens and the GO station. Approved for towers around the station, which is either upside or noise depending on the street.
• Downtown, Central and Maple: the walkable core along Brant Street and the lakeshore, Spencer Smith Park and the pier, condo towers since 2015, and the widest range of price points in the south.
• Roseland, Shoreacres and the south lakeshore: the 1920s garden-suburb streets and estate lots that set the top of the market.
• Tyandaga, Mountainside, Brant Hills: against the escarpment, 1950s to 1970s housing, the most affordable detached homes.
• Headon Forest, Palmer, Millcroft: the 1980s and 1990s family belt, schools inside the subdivisions.
• Alton Village, The Orchard, Tansley Woods: the newest housing, north of Dundas or near Bronte Creek Provincial Park.

The Burlington area guide goes street by street.

The small surprises

• No municipal land transfer tax. Toronto charges one; Burlington does not. You pay Ontario’s provincial tax only, and first-time buyers get up to $4,000 back. On a typical Halton purchase that is a five-figure difference from the same price in Toronto.
• Two school boards, and catchments that shift. Confirm the current boundary for the exact address with the Halton District School Board or the Halton Catholic District School Board before you rely on it.
• Split-levels everywhere. The 1960s and 1970s neighbourhoods are full of them. They photograph badly and live well, which is an opportunity.
• You will drive more. Even downtown, Burlington is a car city outside the core. Budget for it.
• Construction on the main roads. Upper Middle Road renewal and the widening of Dundas Street run through 2027.

Oakville, Milton or Burlington?

Toronto buyers usually look at all three. Oakville costs more for a comparable home and has the private-school and lakeshore-village premium. Milton is newer, cheaper and further, with a peak-hour-only GO line. Burlington sits between them with the widest range. Nikki shows the same budget in each so the decision is yours.

Start with a conversation

Nikki has lived in Halton for most of her life and has more sales in Burlington than anywhere else. Tell her the Toronto neighbourhood you are leaving and the budget you have, and she will tell you what it buys here and where. Call (416) 274-6064 or send a message.

Sources

• Land transfer tax: calculating the tax, Ontario Ministry of Finance
• Land transfer tax refunds for first-time homebuyers, Ontario Ministry of Finance
• Municipal land transfer tax, City of Toronto

Figures last checked October 2026. Rules change, so confirm with your lender and lawyer.