Buying a Home in St. Thomas, Ontario

St. Thomas is a city in Elgin County, southwestern Ontario. The 2021 Census recorded 42,840 residents, a 10.1% increase over 2016, so it has been growing at a similar pace to London itself.

What the numbers say

LSTAR’s August 2026 release put the St. Thomas benchmark price at $499,700. That is below the $553,500 composite benchmark for the London market that month, and well under the Middlesex Centre and Strathroy-Caradoc figures. Price is the main reason some London-area buyers look here. A benchmark is a modelled typical home, so individual homes will land above and below it.

The PowerCo question

The largest local story is the PowerCo battery plant. In December 2023 the Volkswagen Group announced that its PowerCo unit planned an investment of up to CAD$7 billion in St. Thomas, with up to 3,000 jobs. News coverage in late September 2026 suggested the timeline had shifted, but we have not confirmed a current start date from the company, so we are not quoting one. Our advice: do not buy on the assumption of a particular opening year. Buy a home that makes sense for your own life and budget, and treat plant-related demand as a possible bonus rather than a plan.

Living here

The City of St. Thomas website points residents to its own transit service, a public library, recreation programs and a parks department. At the time of writing it noted that Homedale Park was closed for a playground replacement, a reminder to check the City’s notices when a park matters to your purchase. Because St. Thomas is a city of its own, you will deal with the City of St. Thomas for permits, taxes and services rather than the City of London.

What buying looks like

Expect a mix of older homes in established streets and newer builds on the edges. Because new construction is part of this market, you may want to read our page on new home construction and ask about the Tarion warranty and any HST rebates that could apply.

What to ask your REALTOR® about St. Thomas

• How do recent comparable sales in the exact street compare with the benchmark?
• Which parts of the city are closest to the services I use most?
• If I commute to London, how realistic is that day to day, and what does the route look like at rush hour?
• For a new build, who is the builder, what is the closing timeline, and what is covered by warranty?
• How long have similar homes been on the market recently, given LSTAR has described a buyers’ market?

Thinking of buying or selling?

If you are weighing a purchase, our buyer guide walks through the process step by step. If you own here and wonder what your home might sell for, request a free home valuation.