Property Taxes in Gatineau or Ottawa: How Do You Compare?
It's a question buyers from Ottawa ask often. The short answer: you can't compare tax rates between the two cities, because their assessments aren't based on the same date. You have to compare actual tax bills.
Why don't the rates compare?
In Ottawa, MPAC says 2026 taxes are still based on January 1, 2016 values. Gatineau's assessment roll, meanwhile, covers 2024-2025-2026, and a new roll based on the market as of July 1, 2025 takes effect in 2027.
So a $400,000 assessment doesn't describe the same house in both cities. Applying one city's rate to the other city's assessment gives a false result.
What a median home pays in Gatineau
Gatineau doesn't have a single residential rate: it varies by neighbourhood unit. In its 2026 budget, the City gives the example of a home assessed at $454,600. Its municipal bill is about $3,575, including $644 for public transit and $179 for waste management.
School tax is added on top and is billed by the school service centre or school board. For 2026-2027, the rate is $0.07899 per $100 of standardized value, everywhere in Quebec, and the first $25,000 is exempt. Expect about $340 to $350 for the same home, depending on its standardized value.
And in Ottawa?
In its 2026 budget, the City of Ottawa gives the example of an average urban home assessed at $415,000, with a bill of $4,593. The document doesn't say whether Ontario's education tax is included in that amount. These two examples don't describe equivalent homes, so I don't put them side by side as a comparison.
How do you compare for a specific home?
Ask for the latest municipal and school tax bills of the property you're interested in. In Gatineau, these amounts also appear on the listing's description sheet. Then compare the actual bills of two homes you like, one on each side of the river.
Also think about the welcome tax, paid once at purchase. In Gatineau, since February 25, 2026, the rate is 3% on the portion of the price above $500,000. I explain it in the article on notary fees and closing costs.
My take
Don't pick a side of the river based on a tax rate. Look at the purchase price, the actual tax bills and your child care costs, then run the math for your situation. If you'd like, I'll do it with you using the homes you're looking at.
Sources: City of Gatineau, 2026 budget and 2026 tax bill explanatory notes. City of Gatineau, tax base for property transfer duties. MPAC, assessment cycle. City of Ottawa, 2026 budget. 2026-2027 school tax rate (Quebec school service centres).
Yanis Gauthier-Sigeris, RE/MAX real estate broker in the Outaouais for over 9 years. Over 300 completed transactions in the region.