Living in London · Ontario

Living in London, Ontario

Is London, Ontario a good place to live? For a lot of people, yes. You get two universities, a college, a hospital network, and Toronto two hours away on the 401.

The trade-offs are a smaller job market in some fields, and less transit than a big city. You might be worried about picking the wrong end of it, so this guide goes one area at a time.

Start with the moving guide Compare the areas

By Ken Small, REALTOR® ·
Ken Small Real Estate Team, London, Ontario ·
Century 21 First Canadian Corp., Brokerage ·
Last updated: October 6, 2026 ·
Reviewed monthly.

The Bottom Line (Quick Answer)

Living in London: for a lot of people, London, Ontario is a good place to live.
You get two universities, a college and a hospital network. Toronto is about two hours away on the 401.
Nine areas are covered here one page at a time, each with its trade-off in writing.

The short version

Lake Huron and Lake Erie beaches are a day trip by car.
Transit is lighter than in a big city, so a car matters more.
Two hours is too far for a daily Toronto commute.

2 hoursTo Toronto. Also two hours to Detroit. London sits between them on the 401.

9 areasCovered here one page at a time, each with its trade-off in writing.

1804The year Byron was founded as its own village. It joined London in 1961.

Is London, Ontario a good place to live?

For a lot of people, yes. London is known as The Forest City. The City of London puts it this way:

“It is a hub for higher education, medical research, manufacturing, and technology.”

(source: City of London, read October 6, 2026)

Here is what that means day to day. You get two universities, a college and a hospital network. Lake Huron and Lake Erie beaches are a day trip by car. Toronto is about two hours away on the 401, and there is train and bus service.

The trade-offs are real. The job market is smaller in some fields. Transit is lighter than in a big city, so a car matters more. And two hours is too far for a daily Toronto commute.

So the real question is not whether London. It is which end of it.

More detail is in our moving guide.

What it costs to live in London

Housing is the biggest cost for most people. London’s average sale price was $591,927 in September 2026 (source: LSTAR Residential Market Activity Report, September 2026).

That is the whole city. What this means for you: your area and your price band matter more than the city average. Each area guide below shows how its homes differ. Thinking of renting first? Our rent-or-buy guide runs the maths. Buying? Use the Buyer Closing-Cost Calculator.

The nine areas, and what each one is like

It depends on what you want most. Want older homes close to downtown? Try Old North or Wortley Village. Want something newer? Look at Sunningdale, Riverbend or Hyde Park. Want a village feel? Byron or Lambeth. Lambeth adds quick highway access.

Byron and Masonville are twenty minutes apart and feel like different decades.

Byron Its own village from 1804, annexed in 1961. Still behaves like one. Old North Century homes between the Thames and Adelaide, a walk from downtown. Wortley Village Mostly homes from before the Second World War, on deep lots. You trade newer finishes for walkability. Masonville North end, right above Western. 1980s houses beside newer apartment buildings. Oakridge Oxford Street West splits it. South is 1950s on wide lots, north is 1970s and 80s. Sunningdale Large brick homes on cul-de-sacs, built from about 2000 on. Riverbend Built in the last twenty years, wrapped in the Thames and Kains Woods. Hyde Park A rural corner until 1992. Now mostly newer construction, Fanshawe to Sarnia. Lambeth Its own village until 1993. North of the 402, still small-town.

Sorted by families, walkability and newer homes →

Things to do, with the costs and the parking

On now

Thanksgiving Weekend in London 2026 October 9 to 12. What is open on the Monday, what to do each day, and where to eat if you are not cooking. Pumpkins After Dark London 2026 On until October 31. Most Mondays and Tuesdays are dark. What it costs, and how to do it right. Halloween in London 2026 Five spots with confirmed 2026 dates, from free to $35 plus fees. Halloween is a Saturday this year. Fall in London 2026 Pumpkin patches, corn mazes and fall festivals. Who’s open, what it costs, and which ones are worth the drive.

From last season

Still useful for the lay of the land. Most come back every year, and we refresh each one when it does.

Great Canadian Race Weekend 2026 It ran September 25 and 26 at Delaware Speedway. The schedule, the camping, and car #21, which we back. Doors Open London 2026 Forty buildings opened free on September 19 and 20. Hours, accessibility limits, and where to park. Western Fair 2026 Buy at the gate on the busiest Saturday and you’ll circle the lot for twenty minutes. The 150th is set for September 10 to 19, 2027. Heat Wave Expo Survival Guide London’s hot sauce festival, held at Centennial Hall each February. GNCTR Concrete Sled Race 400 engineering students and 350-pound concrete sleds, down Boler Mountain. The race has run since 1974, in a different host city each year; London hosted in 2014 and 2026. 2025 London Ontario Santa Claus Parade Guide Where to stand, where to park, and how to keep everyone warm. It normally runs on a Saturday in mid-November. London’s Best Pumpkin Spice Lattes for 2025 We read local Google reviews instead of trusting our own taste buds.

Before you pick an area

Moving to London An honest local’s guide to the move itself. Rent or buy here? The maths, with no sales pitch attached.

Who this is not for

If you already know the street you want, this is the long way round. Go straight to the home search.

This is for the person still deciding. Whether London. Which end of it. Whether the commute works.

We sell real estate. That is how we get paid, and you should read all of this knowing it. What we will not do is tell you an area suits you when it does not. Every guide here gives you its trade-off in writing. Judge for yourself.

How we help you buy What’s My Home Worth?

The honest takeaway

So the real question is not whether London. It is which end of it.

Common questions about living in London, Ontario

Is London, Ontario a good place to live?

For a lot of people, yes. It has two universities, a college and a hospital network, and Toronto is two hours away. The trade-offs are a smaller job market in some fields, and less transit than a big city.

What does it cost to live in London, Ontario?

Housing is the biggest cost for most people. You can see London’s latest average sale price here, with its month and source. For renting versus buying, see our rent-or-buy guide.

Where is London, Ontario?

London is in southwestern Ontario, on the 401 roughly two hours from Toronto and roughly two hours from Detroit. It sits on the Thames River, between Lake Erie and Lake Huron.

What should I know about moving to London, Ontario?

Pick the end of the city before the street. Transit is lighter than in a big city, so a car matters more. Two hours is too far for a daily Toronto commute. Our moving guide has more detail.

Which London, Ontario neighbourhoods does this guide cover?

Byron, Old North, Wortley Village and Old South, Masonville, Oakridge, Sunningdale, Riverbend, Hyde Park, and Lambeth. Each has its own guide covering the homes, the schools, the parks and the trade-offs.

Which London neighbourhoods were separate villages before joining the city?

Byron was founded in 1804 and annexed into London in 1961. Lambeth was its own village until 1993. Hyde Park was a rural corner called Hyde Park Corner until it was annexed in 1992.

Is this guide only for people buying a home?

No. It is written for anyone deciding whether London is the right place to live. That includes renters, people moving here for work, and people comparing one end of the city to another.

Moving to London, or across it?

Start with the moving guide. When you are ready to look at homes, a 15-minute call with Ken is the next step.

Start with the moving guide Book a call with Ken

Ken Small Real Estate Team · Century 21 First Canadian Corp., Brokerage · 420 York Street, London, Ontario N6B 1R1 · 226-271-1140
Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract.