June was a busy month across the Kingston area — busier than we've seen in a while, and there's more than one reason why. Between a shifted military posting season, a major new tax rebate on new-build homes, fresh movement on the Alto high-speed rail file, and the usual summer rush of cottage buyers heading for South Frontenac, there was a lot working in the market's favour this month.
Here's a full breakdown of what actually happened in June 2026 across Kingston, Loyalist Township, Greater Napanee, South Frontenac, Stone Mills, and Gananoque — the real numbers, what's behind them, and what they mean if you're buying, selling, or investing in the region.
The Big Picture: Kingston Leads a Busier June
Kingston saw 199 homes sell in June, up 4.2% from May, though still down 4.8% from June of last year. Average price came in at $648,710, up 2.8% month over month, while median price dipped to $582,500, down 4.5% from May. That gap between average and median suggests a handful of higher-priced sales pulled the average up while the typical, middle-of-the-market home traded a touch softer — a sign of a market with more range in it right now than it had earlier this spring.
The clearest shift was speed. Homes that sold in June moved in an average of 26 days, down almost 20% from May's 33. That figure reflects the average for homes that actually sold, and does not include active listings still on the market — a distinction worth remembering, since a well-priced home moving in under a month tells a very different story than an overpriced one sitting for two or three.
New listings pulled back slightly (down 8.2% from May), and 13.6% of homes that sold went for over asking, up from 12.0% the month before — a sign that buyers are competing again for the right homes. Zoomed out to the full year, Kingston is still down 5.3% in total sales compared to this point in 2025, so June was a genuinely strong month inside a softer year overall.
Four Local Stories Shaping June's Market
A few local developments help explain why activity picked up the way it did this month.
A Later CFB Kingston Posting Season
CFB Kingston drives meaningful housing demand every year through its annual posting cycle, as military families relocate in and out of the base — typically spread across spring and into summer. This year, postings landed later than usual, compressing a lot of that relocation activity into June instead of spreading it across April and May. That timing shift lines up closely with faster days on market and stronger competition in the communities closest to the base.
New-Home HST Relief Becomes Law
Ontario's enhanced HST rebate on new-build homes — worth up to $130,000 combining the provincial and federal portions — moved fully into law this June. Ontario's enabling legislation received Royal Assent in mid-May, and the federal piece followed with Royal Assent on June 18th. Eligible buyers signing an agreement of purchase and sale with a builder between April 2026 and March 2027 can now recover the full 13% HST on a qualifying new home priced up to $1 million. That kind of savings is changing behaviour on both sides of the deal: builders are bringing more new-construction supply to market, and buyers who had been sitting on the sidelines are stepping back in. The effect is most visible in Kingston, Loyalist Township, and Greater Napanee, where new-home development is active. Worth noting: as of June, the CRA's updated claim forms weren't fully in place, so many buyers are still paying the HST at closing and claiming the rebate back afterward rather than receiving a credit upfront — a conversation worth having with your lawyer or accountant.
Alto High-Speed Rail: A Southern Route Gains Ground
On June 22nd, federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced he is directing Alto to formally assess a southern high-speed rail route between Peterborough and Ottawa that would include a potential stop in Kingston, and signalled a strong preference for that option over the originally proposed northern route. Kingston's mayor welcomed the news. A southern route could ease the expropriation pressure that has been weighing on landowners along the original northern corridor through Frontenac, Stone Mills, and Lennox & Addington — though nothing is finalized, and a more detailed alignment isn't expected until this fall. If the southern route does move forward, the uncertainty shifts rather than disappears, this time toward communities along the new corridor, including parts of South Frontenac.
Cottage Buying Season Arrives
June also marks the unofficial start of cottage buying season across the region, as seasonal and waterfront buyers move to close on a property in time for summer. This is a meaningful seasonal driver in its own right, and it shows up most clearly in South Frontenac's numbers this month — more on that below.
Community-by-Community Breakdown
Kingston
199 sales, average price $648,710, median price $582,500. Homes moved in an average of 26 days, and sellers who priced right achieved 97.6% of asking on average. New listings totalled 434 for the month, so buyer choice remains healthy — it's the well-priced homes that are moving quickly, not the overall supply that has tightened. Kingston is also one of the communities where the new-home HST relief is having a real impact, given its active new-construction activity. Year-to-date sales sit at 875, down 5.3% from last year.
Loyalist Township
Loyalist had one of the more eye-catching months in the region: 38 sales, up 8.6% from May, with average price jumping to $692,594 — a 20.2% increase month over month and 16.6% year over year. Loyalist is benefiting from two forces at once: its proximity to CFB Kingston makes it a natural landing spot for relocating military families, and it's also an active new-construction market, so the HST relief likely added extra momentum. Days on market ticked up slightly to 34, but that's still well ahead of last June's 50-day average. Year-to-date, Loyalist sits at 156 sales, down 7.7% from last year.
Greater Napanee
Napanee saw a quieter month on volume — 19 sales, down 20.8% from May and 26.9% from last June — but pricing continued to gain, with average price up 5.1% to $548,605. Napanee is also an active new-construction market, and the HST relief becoming law in June is likely part of what's kept builder activity going even as resale volume cooled; it's worth watching new-listing activity here over the summer. Average days on market rose to 38. Year-to-date, Napanee has 97 sales, down 18.5% from last year.
South Frontenac
South Frontenac was the standout market this month. 42 homes sold, up 44.8% from May and 16.7% from last June — the strongest month-over-month move anywhere in the region. Average price climbed to $690,674, up 13.0% from May, and median price rose 9.8% to $657,500. Days on market fell sharply to 35, down a third from May's 52.
Two local factors are driving this: South Frontenac's proximity to the base makes it a likely beneficiary of the later posting season, and June is also the start of cottage buying season, when seasonal and waterfront buyers move to close on a property before summer. South Frontenac's mix of lakes, rural acreage, and easy access to Kingston makes it one of the most popular destinations for that seasonal wave, and this year's numbers reflect it.
That said, context matters: year-to-date, South Frontenac still sits at 126 sales, down 18.2% from last year, so June's surge is a strong rebound rather than a full turnaround. It's also worth watching the Alto rail conversation here, since a southern route would bring South Frontenac into that discussion as well.
If you're considering a cottage or waterfront purchase in South Frontenac this season, check out our complete cottage buying guide for what to know before you buy.
Stone Mills
Stone Mills is a smaller market, so June's 13 sales should be read as a small sample where a couple of unusual deals can swing the percentages. With that caveat: sales were flat month over month and up 18.2% from last June. Average price dipped 7.3% from May but is up 25.9% year over year, and average days on market improved to 34, down from 52 in May. The bigger-picture figure to watch is year-to-date volume — 47 sales, down 36.5% from last year — a genuinely slower year overall despite a solid June. For landowners here, the federal government's new preference for a southern Alto route could ease some of the expropriation pressure that's been hanging over the originally proposed northern corridor, though nothing is confirmed yet.
Gananoque
Gananoque is the smallest market in the region, and with only 8 sales in June, month-over-month percentages here can be misleading. The year-to-date picture is more reliable: 40 sales, down 18.4% from last year, with average price up 6.0% to $538,233 and median price up 5.2% to $515,500 — pricing has trended upward even with fewer transactions closing. Year-to-date average days on market has stretched to 51, up from 47 last year, and terminations are up sharply, at 56 year-to-date versus 21 at this point last year — a sign that more sellers are pricing optimistically and having to pull listings back. For anyone selling in Gananoque, pricing accuracy matters more here than anywhere else in the region.
What This Means for Buyers, Sellers, and Investors
Buyers
• Kingston, Loyalist, and South Frontenac are moving quickly right now — be ready to act when you find the right home.
• Napanee, Stone Mills, and Gananoque still favour patient buyers with more room to negotiate.
• Considering a new build in Kingston, Loyalist, or Napanee? The HST relief is worth running the numbers on with your lawyer or accountant.
• Shopping for a cottage in South Frontenac this season? Give yourself extra lead time given the competition.
Sellers
• Pricing accuracy matters more than ever — terminations are climbing in several communities, most notably Gananoque, as overpriced listings get pulled rather than sold.
• If you're near the base hoping the posting-season bump carries your listing, remember it helped homes that were already priced right — it isn't a rescue plan for an overpriced one.
Investors
• Watch Loyalist and South Frontenac for near-term momentum tied to the base and cottage season, keeping in mind both are still down year-to-date.
• Watch Kingston, Loyalist, and Napanee for new-construction activity as the HST relief works through the market.
• Treat Gananoque's numbers with extra caution given how few transactions occur there each month.
Let's Talk About Your Move
Whether you're buying, selling, or just keeping an eye on the Kingston-area market, I'd love to talk through what June's numbers mean for your specific situation.