Highland Creek

At a glance

A suburban neighbourhood in east Scarborough, with detached houses on larger lots and the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. Only 14% of households rent, about 84% of homes are detached, and median household income is high. The high share of residents in their 20s and early 30s reflects the student population.

Median home value

$1.00M

2021 census, owner estimate · city $900K

Residents

13,551

Toronto Police estimate for 2025, up from 12,625 at the 2021 census

Households renting

14%

city 48%

Homes that are apartments

1%

city 61%

What the numbers mean

• Owners valued the median home at $1.00M in the 2021 census, 11% above the Toronto median of $900K. Prices have moved since, so treat it as a relative guide.
• 14% of households rent, well below the 48% city-wide. Most people here own and stay a while.
• 23% are 65 or older, versus 17% city-wide, a sign of long-time residents and a settled pace.
• 84% of homes are single-detached houses, versus 23% city-wide.
• Tenants here paid a median of $1,250 a month in shelter costs (rent plus utilities and fees) in the 2021 census, 14% below the $1,450 median across Toronto's 158 neighbourhoods. That figure covers all tenants, including long-term ones, so a new lease will cost more.

Who lives here

Share of residents by age, Toronto Police estimate for 2025, up from 12,625 at the 2021 census.

Homes

Share of homes by type, Toronto Police estimate for 2025, up from 12,625 at the 2021 census.

Daily errands on foot¹

Places within the neighbourhood or a 5-minute walk of its edge, compared with the typical neighbourhood in Toronto.

Supermarkets

2

city median 9

Cafés and bakeries

8

city median 38

Pharmacies and clinics

5

city median 20

Playgrounds and dog parks

27

city median 30

Upfront closing costs²

Toronto buyers pay land transfer tax twice, once to Ontario and once to the City, so the bill is about double Ontario's alone. Government fees at the median home price: This uses the 2021 census home-value estimate, and today's prices are higher, so the real bill will be larger.

Ontario land transfer tax

$16,480

on $1.00M

Toronto municipal land transfer tax

$16,480

on $1.00M

Total

$32,950

3.3% of the price

Household income and housing costs³

What households here earn and how much of it housing takes, 2021 Census.

Median household income

$120,000

2020, before tax

Spend 30%+ on housing

20%

of owner and tenant households

Owners' monthly cost

$1,310

median shelter cost

Tenants' monthly cost

$1,250

median shelter cost

Typical apartment rent nearby⁴

Highland Creek sits in CMHC's Scarborough (East) survey zone. October 2025 average rent of purpose-built rental apartments in that zone:

Studio

$1,460

−$31 vs metro average

1 bedroom

$1,633

−$128 vs metro average

2 bedroom

$1,852

−$193 vs metro average

3 bedroom or more

$2,072

−$222 vs metro average

How it's changing

Toronto doesn't publish building permits by neighbourhood, so we can't chart construction here yet.

Safety⁵

Reported incidents in 2025 (the latest full year Toronto Police publish by neighbourhood), per 1,000 residents, compared with the median of 158 Toronto neighbourhoods.

Reported crime

12.0

per 1,000 · close to the 12.5 median

Violent crime

6.3

per 1,000 · median 7.1

Property crime

5.8

per 1,000 · median 5.5

• Reported crime runs close to the median Toronto neighbourhood: 12.0 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, versus 12.5.
• The most common reported crime is assault, 48% of the total. 48% of incidents are property crime.
• Reported crime has risen since 2020 (110 to 163 incidents a year).

Reported crime by year