Lowest Tax Rate Increases in the GTA — What Markham’s 21-Year Fiscal Track Record Means for Homeowners
Markham has maintained the lowest average property tax rate increase in the GTA for 21 consecutive years — and has the lowest residential rate in the GTA at 0.700278%. Michael John Lau & Neeraj Moolchandani calculate what that means in real dollars over a 25-year mortgage versus comparable GTA municipalities.
In real estate, the quality of the municipality you live in matters as much as the quality of the home you buy. Roads, parks, community centres, libraries, flood protection, transit, and civic infrastructure — all funded by property taxes every year. And the fiscal discipline of the municipality managing those taxes is one of the most underappreciated factors in a home’s long-term value and a homeowner’s long-term carrying cost.
On this dimension, Markham has an extraordinary and verifiable track record. Michael John Lau and Neeraj Moolchandani, top real estate agents in Markham Ontario and CPA/CMAs, build Markham’s fiscal record into every buyer conversation — because it is a genuine competitive advantage that most buyers have never thought to evaluate.
The 21-Year Record — The Numbers Behind the Claim
Markham continues to have the lowest average property tax rate increase in the GTA over 21 consecutive years. The approved 3.90% property tax rate increase for 2026 amounts to $54.99 for the average Markham household — reinforcing a track record of sustained fiscal discipline across multiple election cycles and economic environments.
Why 21 years of discipline compounds: A municipality that increases property taxes by 5% per year instead of Markham’s typical 2–4% will have property tax bills approximately 34% higher after ten years from the same baseline. For a Markham homeowner whose annual property tax bill is $8,400 today, the difference between a 3% annual increase and a 5% annual increase over ten years is approximately $2,800 per year in additional tax by year ten — $28,000 in cumulative additional tax over the decade.
Mayor Frank Scarpitti said: “Since 2002, we’ve invested $680 million across more than 1,000 capital projects to build the infrastructure our growing city needs. Markham has maintained the lowest average tax rate increase in the GTA over two decades, and Markham residents agree that we continue to deliver quality services.”
What Markham’s Fiscal Discipline Has Delivered
The city’s Excellence through Efficiency and Effectiveness (E3) Program is the operational mechanism behind the fiscal track record. From 2009 to 2026, the E3 Program will have delivered $37.2 million in annual operating savings — equal to a tax rate increase avoidance of 29.0%. Without E3, Markham’s property taxes would be approximately 29% higher than they are today.
The 2026 capital budget allocates: $27.4 million for Markham Village Flood Control; $21.3 million for asphalt resurfacing and sidewalk repairs; $12.3 million for Cast Iron Watermain Replacement; $9.3 million for repair and rehabilitation of recreation, libraries, and cultural facilities. This is infrastructure investment that directly maintains the physical quality of the city — the quality-of-life attributes that drive sustained housing demand and property value in Markham’s communities.
The Full Ownership Cost Picture Includes Municipal Fiscal Quality
Michael John Lau & Neeraj Moolchandani build the complete ownership cost comparison — including the property tax advantage relative to comparable GTA municipalities — into every buyer conversation.
Book a Buyer Consultation (647) 370-8885The GTA Tax Rate Comparison — Markham’s Structural Advantage
Lowest residential property tax rate in the GTA
$2,550/yr more than Markham on an $850,000 assessed value
Nearly 3× Markham’s rate — $11,841 more per year on same assessment
At 0.700278%, Markham’s property tax rate is the lowest of any GTA municipality. On a $1,200,000 home assessed at $850,000 by MPAC, the annual property tax bill is approximately $5,952. In Brampton, the same assessed value at 1.0% generates approximately $8,500 — a $2,548 annual difference. Over a 25-year mortgage amortization, this $2,550 annual difference compounds to over $63,750 in cumulative property tax savings for Markham homeowners relative to Brampton homeowners with equivalent assessed values. This is a structural financial advantage built into every Markham property purchase that compounds in the homeowner’s favour every year.
What This Means for Markham Homebuyers in 2026
When you buy a home in Markham, you are buying into a municipal government that has demonstrated 21 consecutive years of fiscal discipline, the lowest residential property tax rate in the GTA, a capital investment program systematically maintaining the infrastructure quality that protects your property’s value, and a track record of delivering quality services without chronic budget overruns.
These attributes show up implicitly in the sustained demand for Markham real estate, the city’s ranking as one of Canada’s most livable cities, and the long-term appreciation that Markham homeowners have realized decade over decade. Michael John Lau and Neeraj Moolchandani, top real estate agents in Markham Ontario, build the full ownership cost picture — including the property tax advantage relative to comparable GTA municipalities — into every buyer conversation. The fiscal quality of the municipality you choose is a real estate decision that compounds for as long as you own your home.
Michael John Lau and Neeraj Moolchandani are licensed REALTOR®s and members of the Kaizen Real Estate Team at eXp Realty (eXp Luxury), serving buyers and sellers in Markham, Ontario and across York Region. Licence #4784577. Office: 8763 Bayview Avenue #127, Richmond Hill, ON. All property tax data sourced from City of Markham Budget 2026 documents, MPAC assessment information, and publicly available municipal tax rate comparisons. Property tax calculations are approximate and based on MPAC assessed values which may differ from market values. Verify current tax rates and assessments directly with the City of Markham and MPAC. This blog does not constitute financial or tax advice.
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