What a home costs in St. Catharines, what you pay to close, and how much a physician program lets you buy.
Benchmark price for St. Catharines, July 2026, from the CREA MLS Home Price Index, Niagara Region area, as published in the LSTAR July 2026 release. Niagara Region figure, not St. Catharines alone. Other cities show the MLS Home Price Index benchmark unless marked. Figures reviewed August 2026.
A physician program could add
$0
to the home you can buy.
Estimate at 4.49%, stress tested at 6.49%, with 10% down, below the $1.5M insured limit.
St. Catharines is in the Niagara Region, outside the City of Toronto, so buyers pay only the Ontario provincial land transfer tax with no municipal surcharge. On a $650,000 home that is roughly $9,475.
Sources: Ontario Ministry of Finance, calculating land transfer tax; Ontario, land transfer tax refunds for first-time homebuyers. Rates reviewed August 2026.
Physician programs qualify residents on $185,000 in PGY-1 and PGY-2 and $225,000 from PGY-3, not on these salaries.
PARO, PARO-OTH arbitration decision, September 24, 2024, in effect from July 2025. The agreement expired June 30, 2026. PARO states its terms, including salary, stay in effect until a new agreement is reached. No 2026 grid had been published when this table was reviewed.
How much is land transfer tax in St. Catharines?
St. Catharines charges only the Ontario provincial land transfer tax, roughly $9,475 on a $650,000 home, with no municipal surcharge.
Is St. Catharines affordable for physicians?
Yes. St. Catharines offers affordable Niagara-region housing with the Niagara Health network locally and Hamilton and McMaster within easy reach.
