With $1.2 million to spend in Halton, the answer depends on which town you choose. In Milton it buys an average detached house. In Burlington it falls about 16 per cent short of one. In Oakville it buys a freehold townhouse or a semi, and a detached house is well out of reach.
Below are the figures behind that, using what homes sold for in August 2026, and a slider to test your own budget.
What $1.2 million buys in each town
The table compares $1.2 million with the average sale price of each home type. Above 100 per cent, your budget is above average for that type. Below about 85 per cent, little will be available.
| Home type | Oakville | Burlington | Milton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | $1,787,896 Budget is 67% | $1,421,482 Budget is 84% | $1,238,259 Budget is 97% |
| Semi-detached | $960,389 Budget is 125% | $871,142 Budget is 138% | $901,857 Budget is 133% |
| Freehold townhouse | $1,052,614 Budget is 114% | $847,133 Budget is 142% | $798,419 Budget is 150% |
| Condo townhouse | $602,353 Budget is 199% | $683,931 Budget is 175% | $597,000 Budget is 201% |
| Condo apartment | $705,448 Budget is 170% | $514,550 Budget is 233% | $526,250 Budget is 228% |
Average sale prices for August 2026. An average detached house costs about $366,000 more in Oakville than in Burlington, and about $550,000 more than in Milton.
Move the budget
“Average or better” means your budget is at or above the average sale price for that type. “Below average” means 85 to 100 per cent of it. Averages hide a wide range, so use this to narrow a search, not to price an offer.
Oakville: a townhouse in the most expensive town
Oakville’s detached average of $1,787,896 is the highest of the three by a wide margin, and detached homes are half of what sells there, 103 of 203 sales. At $1.2 million you are choosing among other home types.
Freehold townhouses averaged $1,052,614 on 37 sales, so your budget is about 14 per cent above average. That buys a newer, larger townhouse in the north, in the Preserve, Glenorchy or Joshua Creek, or an older one further south in River Oaks or West Oak Trails. Semis averaged $960,389, though only nine sold.
Oakville’s condo apartments average $705,448, more than its condo townhouses. That is unusual and reflects newer, larger suites near the lake and in the Uptown Core.
What you are paying for: schools with strong reputations, the lakefront, downtown Oakville and Bronte, and the lowest property tax rate of the three. See new homes in Oakville.
Burlington: nearly a detached house
Burlington’s detached average is $1,421,482. At $1.2 million you are at 84 per cent of it, just under the level where homes are readily available. That means older detached houses in Mountainside, Palmer, Brant Hills and parts of Headon Forest, usually from the 1970s and 1980s, some needing updates.
If you step down to a semi or a townhouse, your budget is 38 to 42 per cent above average and you can buy almost anywhere in the city, including newer homes in Alton Village and Millcroft.
Burlington also has a real condo market, with 36 apartment sales and 38 condo townhouse sales in the month, concentrated downtown near the waterfront and around the GO stations.
What you give up: distance. Burlington is the farthest of the three from Toronto. It also has the highest property tax rate of the three.
Milton: the detached house
Milton is the one place here where $1.2 million reaches an average detached house. The average was $1,238,259 on 59 sales, so you are at 97 per cent of it. That buys a four-bedroom detached home on a standard lot in Clarke, Beaty, Scott, Harrison or Willmott, mostly built after 2000.
For anything other than detached, your budget is far above average and the choice is whatever you like.
What you give up: train service and proximity. The Milton GO line runs toward Toronto on weekday mornings and back in the evening only. Oakville and Burlington are both on the Lakeshore West line, which runs all day. See the Milton guide and new homes in Milton.
Cost of owning
Property tax
| Oakville | Burlington | Milton | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 residential rate | 0.850960% | 1.015281% | 0.863590% |
| Tax on a $700,000 assessment | $5,957 | $7,107 | $6,045 |
The rate applies to the MPAC assessed value, which is based on 2016 prices and is well below today’s sale price. We used the same $700,000 assessment for each town to show the gap. Oakville and Milton are close. Burlington costs about $1,100 a year more on the same assessment.
Mortgage and closing
- Mortgage: with 20 per cent down you borrow $960,000. At the best 5-year variable rate of 3.40 per cent the payment is about $4,755 a month. At the best fixed rate of 4.34 per cent it is about $5,228. See current mortgage rates.
- Income needed: to qualify for $960,000 on the variable rate, a household needs roughly $195,000 of income with no other debts. Check yours with the stress test calculator.
- Land transfer tax: $20,475 on $1.2 million, or $16,475 for a first-time buyer. None of the three towns has a municipal tax. See the worked examples.
Which town fits which buyer
- You want a detached house and the newest home for the money: Milton.
- You commute to Toronto by train: Oakville first, Burlington second. Both have all-day service.
- Schools and the lakefront matter most, and you will accept a townhouse: Oakville.
- You want a detached house on a mature lot and will renovate: Burlington.
- You are downsizing to a condo near the water: Burlington for value, Oakville for choice of newer buildings.
Looking at a lower budget or at Peel? See what $900,000 buys in Brampton, Mississauga and Milton. All the city figures are in the monthly price tracker.
Questions buyers ask
Is Burlington cheaper than Oakville?
Yes, for most home types. A detached house averages about $366,000 less in Burlington, and a freehold townhouse about $205,000 less.
Can I buy a detached house in Oakville for $1.2 million?
Rarely. The budget is 67 per cent of the average detached price there.
Which has the lowest property tax, Oakville, Burlington or Milton?
Oakville, at 0.850960 per cent for 2026, just below Milton at 0.863590 per cent. Burlington is 1.015281 per cent.
Which is best for commuting to Toronto?
Oakville. It is the closest and has all-day GO trains on the Lakeshore West line. Burlington is on the same line, farther out.
Sources and method
- Average sale prices and sales counts by home type for Oakville, Burlington and Milton, August 2026, as published by WOWA.ca from real estate board data.
- 2026 residential property tax rates: WOWA.ca.
- Mortgage rates: Ratehub.ca, October 2, 2026. Payments and income figures calculated by Local Toronto.
- Neighbourhood examples are Local Toronto’s own reading of the market, not published figures.
Prices are averages for information only and are not an appraisal. HomeLife Landmark Realty Inc., Brokerage.