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Calculate for Kingston: buy or sell
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The Kingston real estate market — Sep 2026
| Indicator | Value | 1-year change |
|---|---|---|
| Reference price (Sep 2026) | $542,800 | +0.5% |
| Average price | $589,070 | -5.8% |
| Market conditions | Buyer's market · 6.5 months | |
| Sales (Sep 2026) | 222 transactions | -4.7% |
Kingston sits where Lake Ontario narrows into the St. Lawrence, a limestone city that was briefly Canada's capital and has since built its economy on three steady employers: Queen's University, a cluster of hospitals and the federal correctional and military presence. Those are recession-resistant payrolls that do not swing with the business cycle the way manufacturing or resource towns do.
In September 2026, the MLS® benchmark price in Kingston stood at $542,800, up 0.5% year over year. The average price, all property types combined, was $589,070 (−5.8% year over year). There were 222 sales during the month, 4.7% fewer than a year earlier. With 6.5 months of inventory, it is a buyer's market by the standard board convention (under 4 months: sellers; 4 to 6: balanced; over 6: buyers). Source: Kingston and Area Real Estate Association (KAREA), September 2026.
The gap between the benchmark and the average is worth understanding before reading either as the price of a house here. The benchmark tracks a typical property from month to month; the average simply divides total dollar volume by the number of sales, so a handful of waterfront or historic-district transactions pulls it well above what a typical buyer pays. When the two diverge, the benchmark is the better guide for budgeting and the average is the better guide to how varied the local stock is.
One caveat about geography: these figures cover the entire jurisdiction of the Kingston and Area Real Estate Association, not the city limits. The association publishes no municipal breakdown, and Payotte does not manufacture one, so treat the numbers as an area gauge rather than a Kingston-proper measurement.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Kingston a buyer's or seller's market right now?
With 6.5 months of inventory, it is a buyer's market by the standard board convention (under 4 months: sellers; 4 to 6: balanced; over 6: buyers). Source: Kingston and Area Real Estate Association (KAREA), September 2026.
How much does a home cost in Kingston in 2026?
In September 2026, the MLS® benchmark price in Kingston stood at $542,800, up 0.5% year over year. The average price, all property types combined, was $589,070 (−5.8% year over year). Source: Kingston and Area Real Estate Association (KAREA), September 2026.
Why is the average price so much higher than the benchmark?
Because they measure different things. The benchmark follows a consistent typical property, while the average divides total dollar volume by the number of sales — so a few expensive waterfront or historic-district transactions move it a lot. A wide gap between the two is a sign of a market with a broad range of housing stock rather than of any distortion.
Do these figures cover the city of Kingston only?
No. They cover the whole jurisdiction of the Kingston and Area Real Estate Association, which extends beyond the city limits. The association publishes no municipal breakdown, so Payotte presents the area figure and says so rather than estimating a city-only number.
How stable have Kingston prices been over the past year?
In September 2026, the MLS® benchmark price in Kingston stood at $542,800, up 0.5% year over year. The average price, all property types combined, was $589,070 (−5.8% year over year). Source: Kingston and Area Real Estate Association (KAREA), September 2026.
How much tax do you pay when you sell a home in Kingston?
Usually none if it is your principal residence: the Canada Revenue Agency's principal residence exemption wipes out the capital gain for each year the home is designated, though the sale must still be reported. For another property (cottage, rental), half the gain is added to taxable income (1/2 inclusion rate, CRA guide T4037) and taxed at your marginal rate. Example at Kingston's reference price ($542,800): bought for $442,800, the home shows a gain of $100,000: $0 taxable if it is your principal residence; otherwise $50,000 of taxable amount is added to your income (the resulting tax depends on your marginal rate, not computed here). The land transfer tax is paid by the buyer, not the seller; the agent's commission is negotiated, and no official schedule sets it.
Source : Kingston and Area Real Estate Association (KAREA) · Ensemble de la juridiction de la chambre (MLS® System of the Kingston and Area Real Estate Association) — pas uniquement la ville de Kingston ; aucune ventilation municipale publiée. · 2026-09 — figures updated with each board release.
Property assessment in Kingston
Assessor: Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC): it assesses and classifies every property in Ontario. To appeal: Request for Reconsideration by March 31 of the tax year, or 120 days from the issue date on a Property Assessment Change Notice
The Kingston market pulse, every month
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