Upper Canada College (UCC), Havergal College, and Crescent School sit in some of Toronto’s most expensive neighbourhoods. Public school teachers work around these communities every day, even as the housing market can make living nearby seem out of reach. But what happens when you put the actual Toronto teacher salary grid against current home prices and rents?
The answer is more interesting than the neighbourhoods’ price tags might suggest. A single teacher is unlikely to buy a freehold home in any of these areas, but condos and rental housing create more realistic options.
What TDSB-Scale Educators Earn in 2026
Ontario’s public elementary teachers are paid according to a salary grid, with earnings based on their qualifications and years of teaching experience. A May 2024 arbitration ruling also increased teacher salaries each year through 2026, bringing the total increase to 11.73% over the period.
The Borrowing-Power Math
The salary grid tells us what a teacher earns. Mortgage qualification tells us what that income can actually buy. The difference matters in Toronto, where even a six-figure salary can fall well short of the income needed for a typical freehold home. The mortgage stress test adds another limit by requiring borrowers to qualify at a rate above what they will actually pay.
Using a 20% down payment and assuming no other debt, a Category A4, Step 11 teacher earning $119,969 would have an estimated purchase range of $650,000 to $750,000. Teachers earning $85,000 to $102,000 would fall closer to $450,000 to $600,000.
The 2026 GTA Backdrop
At first glance, the GTA market looks more accessible than it did a year ago. TRREB’s July 2026 data shows an average sale price of $1,003,956, a 4.5% decline from July 2025. Condo apartments have been even more relevant for buyers on a teacher’s income, averaging $636,323 across the GTA and $672,807 in Toronto.
Renters have seen some relief as well. The average one-bedroom condo apartment was rented for $2,246 a month in Q1 2026, down 4.1% year-over-year. Additional housing supply gives tenants more choice, but broad GTA averages can be misleading when you’re looking at some of Toronto’s most expensive communities. The real test is what happens when those numbers are narrowed down to the neighbourhoods around UCC, Havergal, and Crescent.
Near Upper Canada College: Forest Hill South
UCC falls within TRREB’s C03 district, which covers Forest Hill South, Humewood-Cedarvale, and the Yonge-Eglinton fringe. In July 2026, TRREB’s MLS® HPI put the benchmark price for a detached home in the district at $1,842,300. The benchmark for a condo apartment sits much lower at $660,900.
These are benchmark prices rather than simple sales averages. They are designed to represent a typical home in the district after accounting for differences in the types of properties being sold. For a teacher, that condo figure is the more relevant starting point.
With 20% down, someone earning $119,969 could reasonably target a condo around the $660,900 benchmark. A mid-career teacher earning less would likely need to expand the search westward, particularly along the Crosstown LRT line, where properties below $600,000 are more attainable. Detached homes remain well beyond the reach of a single teacher.
At $2,205 a month, a one-bedroom would take up about 22% of the gross pay of a teacher earning the maximum grid salary. For someone just starting out, that same rent would account for closer to 38% of gross income, making the budget considerably tighter.
Near Havergal College: Lawrence Park
Havergal sits in TRREB’s C04 district, which includes Lawrence Park, Bedford Park-Nortown, and the stretch of Avenue Road north of the C03 boundary. Of the three districts in this analysis, C04 is the most expensive overall. It also stands out for holding onto year-over-year price growth while the broader GTA market has continued to decline.
For buyers focused on condos, the gap between Havergal and UCC is small. The condo benchmark in C04 is $659,200, almost identical to Forest Hill South’s $660,900. Detached homes are a very different story, with the typical property in C04 costing roughly $600,000 more. Renting also comes with only a modest premium. At $2,295 a month, a one-bedroom near Havergal costs about $90 more than one near UCC.
Near Crescent School: Bridle Path-York Mills
Unlike the areas around UCC and Havergal, condo ownership in C12 is out of reach for a single teacher, even at the top of the salary grid. The $1,040,600 condo benchmark reflects a district with relatively few condos and a larger share of high-end units.
Renting is more attainable, but it still comes at a high cost. At $2,764 per month, C12 had the highest average one-bedroom rent among Toronto districts. That works out to nearly a third of the gross income of a teacher at the top of the grid and more than half for someone just starting out. For a teacher hoping to live near Crescent, the more realistic options are rental housing in C12 or buying farther out in the surrounding Don Mills and Eglinton East area.
The Lesson Here
The most expensive homes around UCC, Havergal, and Crescent are firmly beyond the reach of a single teacher. But that is only one part of the market. Condos bring some ownership opportunities into range as salaries rise, and rental housing provides an even more accessible way to live near these schools.
For teachers further along the Toronto teacher salary grid, and especially for households with two educator incomes, the options widen considerably. For a teacher trying to live nearby, the key is looking beyond the detached market and finding the segment that fits the budget.
Thinking about buying or renting in Forest Hill, Lawrence Park, or the Bridle Path corridor? Search current listings on Zoocasa and start your search today.
