Some of the smallest condo units in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have been built in Toronto over the past four years, new figures show.
According to Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) data, the median square footage for new condos built in Toronto since 2020 was just 616 sq. ft.
Toronto's North York area was not far behind, with the average condo unit built since 2020 being 638 sq. ft.
Of all communities in the GTA, only Oshawa had an average of smaller condo units than Toronto, at just 577 sq. ft.
Though the average new condo unit build in Toronto is 616 sq. ft., according to MPAC, thousands of smaller studio condos exist in the city and are often less than 500 sq. ft.
By comparison, cities with the largest median square footage for new condos — all of them outside the GTA — have units that are typically twice the size, including St. Catharines (1,412 sq. ft.) and London (1,315 sq. ft.).
"While new single-detached houses still make up a significant portion of new builds across Ontario, construction of this residential form has declined, especially in urban areas like the GTA," said MPAC's vice president and chief valuation and standards officer, Greg Martino.
"This shift reflects evolving market dynamics, affordability challenges and the rise of higher-density urban centres," he said.
While Toronto has some of the smallest new condos on average among major urban centres in the province — smaller than Vaughan (647 sq. ft.) and Brampton (651 sq. ft.) — other southern Ontario communities have seen even smaller condos built.
In Gravenhurst, in the Muskoka Region, the median size of a new condo is 530 sq. ft. In Lincoln, in the Niagara Region, the average condo unit constructed since 2020 measures 599 sq. ft. That metric is barely higher in Waterloo, where the average sits at 605 sq. ft
Some have blamed the small size of new condos — a large proportion of which are owned by investors — for negatively impacting the market, while not being conducive to long-term living. Although recent reports suggest condo sales in Toronto are picking up again.
And if you did want to buy a great big, new detached home? You don't have to travel far.
When it comes to single-detached houses, King Township, just north of Toronto, ranked at the top of the list for the largest new home builds from 2020 to 2024, boasting a median size of 4,716 sq. ft., according to MPAC's figures.
North York, despite all the small new condos, followed closely with a median size of 3,824 sq ft. for single-detached homes.
MPAC said the general shift in building trends is towards larger single-detached houses and smaller condos.
In Ontario, single-detached houses have grown from a median size of 1,317 sq. ft. in the 1970s to an average 2,383 sq. ft. in the 2020s, "providing for more spacious living", MPAC said.
MPAC is an independent, not-for-profit corporation funded by municipalities that assess and classify 5.6 million properties in Ontario.
