The one number that explains everything
People assume moving out of the city means paying less. That isn't really what happens, and when the average sale price in Middlesex comes back higher than London's, it throws them. The explanation isn't that Middlesex is more expensive. It's that Middlesex and London are selling completely different things.
In the City of London, it's 48.8%.
| Share of all homes | Middlesex Centre | Strathroy-Caradoc | London |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single detached house | 90.6% | 72.6% | 48.8% |
| Row house / townhouse | 3.2% | 3.9% | 13.3% |
| Apartment, 5+ storeys | 0.0% | 0.0% | 21.5% |
| Built 2016–2021 | 10.5% | 12.1% | 6.7% |
| Average household size | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.4 |
Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population (Catalogue 98-316-X2021001). The 2026 Census was collected in May 2026; dwelling-type results aren't published until 2027, so these are the current official figures.
An average that includes 21.5% high-rise apartments and 13.3% townhouses is not measuring the same thing as an average made up almost entirely of detached houses on their own lots. Comparing the two headline numbers tells you nothing useful. Compare a detached house to a detached house and the picture changes completely — and that comparison is the one worth doing before you decide anything.
Flip that around if you're the one selling: a London detached is exactly the scarce thing everyone above is competing for, and that scarcity is your leverage. We run London sales too — the same free valuation covers both ends of the move.
One more figure: 12.1% of Strathroy-Caradoc's homes and 10.5% of Middlesex Centre's were built between 2016 and 2021, against 6.7% in London. Roughly one home in nine in those two municipalities is nearly new. That's a different kind of buying decision — newer builds, newer mechanicals, and often a warranty still in play.
What's being built
Kilworth is where the volume is right now. Sifton Properties has approval from council, granted 22 April 2026, for a development at 10242 Glendon Drive of roughly 900 to 975 homes — though the zoning amendment is currently under appeal at the Ontario Land Tribunal, so that one isn't settled. In Komoka, Renwick Estates has draft approval for 163 single-detached lots plus a medium-density block and is in engineering review.
If you have kids, this is the one to know about: a new Catholic elementary school with a five-room childcare centre is under construction on Crestview Drive in Kilworth — a $20.6 million build with capacity for 424 students, anticipated to open in 2027.
Strathroy-Caradoc is a smaller pipeline, but it is not a still one. The largest file we're currently following there is a redline revision to the Sifton subdivision (SC1901 / ZBA 8-2024), whose evaluation report went to council on 15 June 2026 and states 229 new homes. Alongside it sit zoning amendments, an Official Plan amendment and minor variances. Strathroy-Caradoc's current files are on Townlens.
Wondering if a proposed subdivision sits behind a street you're looking at? Text us the address: (289) 212‑6270
Schools — and why "check with the board" is real advice
Checking the school catchment is real advice here. On 25 June 2024 the Thames Valley District School Board approved new boundaries for Delaware Central and Parkview public schools, effective September 2025, moving some Komoka and Kilworth students from one to the other. Boundaries here genuinely move.
A few things worth knowing before you start looking:
- Kilworth has no school of its own. Parkview Public School, at 10008 Oxbow Drive in Komoka, serves both Komoka and Kilworth.
- Mount Brydges is served by Caradoc Public School on Bowan Street.
- Ilderton and Arva feed into Medway High School.
- Strathroy has Strathroy District Collegiate Institute on Second Street, with Mary Wright and North Meadows among the elementary schools.
Check any specific address with the board directly — Thames Valley's school locator for the public board, and the London District Catholic board's own locator for Catholic schools. Both boards state plainly that their online tools aren't to be relied on for enrolment or busing eligibility, so if the school matters to your decision, phone them before you make an offer. It takes five minutes and it's the cheapest insurance in the whole process.
Good to know before you move
A few practical things to plan for.
- Plan on driving. These communities are built around the car, and transit between most of them and London is limited.
- Check the commute yourself. Drive times change by the hour, so map yours for your real morning.
- Ask how each property is serviced. Municipal water and sewer, or a well and septic system? It varies property to property in Middlesex, it changes your maintenance and your financing, and it's a question to ask before you fall in love with a house.
- Servicing capacity is a live constraint in this corridor. Arva had development frozen from February 2026 under an interim control by-law while the municipality studied sanitary sewer capacity; Middlesex Centre lifted that by-law on 13 August 2026, so ask what servicing capacity a given lot has today.
- Pick the pace that suits your family. More room at home, and London a short drive away when you want the city.
Where this leaves you
Middlesex County's Official Plan, approved with provincial modifications in June 2026, projects the county reaching about 151,500 people by 2056. The growth is planned, not accidental, and it's concentrated in exactly the communities people are asking me about.
None of which tells you whether it's right for your family. That depends on your commute, your kids' ages, what you'd be giving up, and what a detached house here costs against what your current place would sell for today. That's a conversation, not a webpage.
Questions people ask me
Is it cheaper to buy in Strathroy or Komoka than in London?
Not in the way people expect. The average sale price in Middlesex often comes back higher than London's because Middlesex sells almost entirely detached houses while more than half of London's stock is towns, semis and apartments. Compare a detached house to a detached house and the picture changes.
Does Kilworth have a school?
Not one of its own. Parkview Public School, at 10008 Oxbow Drive in Komoka, serves both Komoka and Kilworth. A new Catholic elementary school with a childcare centre is under construction on Crestview Drive in Kilworth, anticipated to open in 2027. Confirm any address with the board before you offer.
Will I need a second car if I move out of London?
Most likely, yes. These communities are built around the car, and transit between most of them and London is limited. Map your commute at the time you'd really leave for work.
What's being built in Komoka and Kilworth?
Kilworth carries the volume: Sifton Properties has council approval (22 April 2026) for roughly 900 to 975 homes at 10242 Glendon Drive, though the zoning amendment is under appeal at the Ontario Land Tribunal. In Komoka, Renwick Estates has draft approval for 163 single-detached lots plus a medium-density block.
Want the numbers for your own move?
Tell me where you are now and what you're looking for, and I'll put together the actual comparison — what your place is likely worth, and what that buys you in Middlesex. No obligation, and no pressure to list.
What's my place worth?Figures on this page come from Statistics Canada's 2021 Census of Population, the published planning records of Middlesex County, Middlesex Centre and Strathroy-Caradoc, and the Thames Valley District School Board, each dated where it appears. Development applications change; school boundaries change; confirm anything you intend to rely on with the municipality or the board. This is general information about the area, not advice on a specific property, and it is not legal, planning or financial advice.