The Beaches, Toronto: prices, rent, and living guide
The only Toronto neighbourhood where a genuine beach lifestyle is on offer, with a boardwalk, sailing clubs, and Queen East's independent retail. Reads more like a lake town than a city district.
FamiliesBest value
Typical house
$2.13M
Typical condo
$864K
One bedroom rent
$2,100/mo
Walk Score
87
Transit 71 · Bike 82
Known for: The boardwalk, Woodbine Beach, and the Beaches Jazz Festival. Boardwalk, sand, and a small-town main street inside the city.
Prices and rent in The Beaches
TRREB recorded 51 sales in The Beaches in 2026 Q1, at an average of $1,394,823 and a median of $1,235,000. Homes sold for 103% of list price after 21 days on market.
| Property type | Average sale price |
|---|---|
| Detached | $2,163,000 |
| Semi-detached | $1,399,000 |
| Attached / row / townhouse | $1,241,000 |
| Condo apartment | $906,000 |
TRREB Community Housing Market Report, 2026 Q1, district E02, community The Beaches. TRREB suppresses any property type with two or fewer sales in the quarter, so a missing row means too little activity to report, not no demand.
Estimated price by unit size
| Condo | Estimate | House | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $622,000 | 2 bed | $1,747,000 |
| 1 bed | $864,000 | 3 bed | $2,131,000 |
| 2 bed | $1,175,000 | 4 bed | $2,621,000 |
| 3 bed | $1,538,000 | 5+ bed | $3,197,000 |
Estimated monthly rent
| Unit | Monthly rent |
|---|---|
| Bachelor | $1,700 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,100 |
| 2 bedroom | $2,370 |
| 3 bedroom | $2,790 |
Unit-size prices and rents are scaled from one benchmark per neighbourhood and are estimates, not appraisals. Compare The Beaches with the rest of Toronto in the best neighbourhoods in Toronto guide.
Who The Beaches suits
Families who want a genuine beach lifestyle and a small-town main street, and who either work from home or accept a long commute in exchange for it.
Who it is wrong for
Anyone commuting daily to the west end or north, and anyone looking for cultural or demographic diversity in their immediate area.
Pros
- The only Toronto neighbourhood with a real beach and boardwalk lifestyle
- Queen East offers independent retail and a strong main street feel
- Kew Gardens, sailing clubs, and Ashbridges Bay give exceptional recreation access
Cons
- The worst commute of any established neighbourhood on this list
- Famously homogeneous, which residents and critics both note
- Summer weekends bring the entire city to your doorstep
Living in The Beaches
Getting around
501 Queen streetcar, Main Street station. Walk Score 87, Transit Score 71, Bike Score 82.
Safety
Among the safer areas in the east end, quiet outside summer. The boardwalk draws large crowds in warm months.
Restaurants
Queen East holds patios, pubs and casual independents, busiest in summer. The scene is more relaxed than ambitious.
Shopping
Queen Street East offers boutiques, surf and outdoor shops, bookstores and independent grocers along a walkable strip.
Within a short walk or transit hop
- Parks
- Kew Gardens, Woodbine Beach, Ashbridges Bay Park, Glen Stewart Ravine
- Library
- Beaches Branch, one of the original Carnegie libraries
- Recreation
- Donald D Summerville pools, Balmy Beach Club, Ashbridges Bay skate park
- Groceries
- Beach farmers' market, Metro on Queen, Nutty Chocolatier
- Schools
- Balmy Beach Community School, Williamson Road Junior, Malvern Collegiate
Safety text is a qualitative description of the area, not crime statistics. Scores are approximate and vary within the neighbourhood.
Renting in The Beaches
A one bedroom runs about $2,100 a month, and a two bedroom about $2,370.
Mostly house suites and small walk-ups near Queen East, with very little purpose-built stock. Summer is the wrong time to look — demand spikes with the season — and the commute is the reason rents sit below comparable west-end neighbourhoods.
Where The Beaches is
The Beaches: frequently asked questions
Is The Beaches a good place to live?
If you want a genuine beach lifestyle inside the city, nothing else in Toronto comes close — boardwalk, sand, the Martin Goodman Trail and a Queen East main street. The cost is the worst commute on this list: no subway, a long streetcar ride, and gridlock along Lake Shore in summer.
Are the Beaches in Toronto expensive?
Yes. TRREB's 2026 Q1 figures for The Beaches show a median detached sale of about $2.13 million, semis at roughly $1.36 million and condo apartments at about $864,000 — the highest condo median of any east-end neighbourhood on this list, because the small condo stock here is low-rise and lake-facing.
Is it 'the Beach' or 'the Beaches'?
Both, and locals have argued about it for decades — the BIA settled on 'The Beach' in 2006 and the argument continued anyway. Listings and the city use The Beaches. Nobody will misunderstand you either way.
What is it like in The Beaches in winter?
Quiet, which residents mostly like. The summer crowds vanish, the boardwalk is empty, and the retail on Queen East thins out. If you are buying on the strength of a July visit, walk the same blocks in February before you commit.
How long does it take to get downtown from The Beaches?
Realistically 40 to 50 minutes on the 501 Queen streetcar at rush hour, or about 25 minutes driving off-peak. The GO train from Danforth station is the fastest option if your destination is Union, at roughly 15 minutes.
Nearby Toronto neighbourhoods
Leslieville
Brunch, design shops, and Victorian semis on tree-lined streets
House $1.47M · Condo $670K· Walk 91
3.1 km from The Beaches
FamiliesYoung professionalsFirst time buyers
Danforth (Greektown)
Greek restaurants, subway convenience, and solid family housing
House $1.35M · Condo $620K· Walk 95
3.9 km from The Beaches
FamiliesBest valueCar free living
Riverdale
Skyline views from the park, big Victorians, and Greektown at the edge
House $1.73M · Condo $700K· Walk 92
4.4 km from The Beaches
FamiliesCar free living
Cabbagetown
The largest intact Victorian streetscape in North America
House $1.42M · Condo $589K· Walk 94
5.5 km from The Beaches
Young professionalsFamiliesBest value
Similar to The Beaches elsewhere in Toronto
Rosedale
Ravine lots and heritage mansions, ten minutes from Bay Street
House $4.26M · Condo $790K· Walk 78
LuxuryFamilies
Leaside
Planned garden suburb with top schools and quiet crescents
House $2.25M · Condo $718K· Walk 74
FamiliesLuxury
Davisville Village
Midtown's best value, if you can live with the cranes
House $2.1M · Condo $633K· Walk 90
First time buyersYoung professionalsFamilies
Kensington Market
The most stubbornly independent square kilometre in Canada
House $1.18M · Condo $675K· Walk 97
StudentsCar free livingBest value
Guides and tools for buying in The Beaches
- First Time Home Buyer in Toronto: The Complete 2026 Guide
- Steps to Buying a House for the First Time in Toronto (2026)
- Home Inspection When Buying a House in Toronto (2026)
- Buying a Home vs Condo in Toronto (2026)
- Pre Construction Condo vs Resale Condos in Toronto (2026)
- Toronto land transfer tax calculator
- Toronto closing costs calculator
- Toronto property tax calculator
- Toronto rent vs own calculator
- Toronto condo fee calculator
- Toronto housing market report
- Best neighbourhoods in Toronto
- The Beaches real estate agents