Westmount property taxes and carrying costs are where the price of a Westmount home keeps going after the sale. Two costs set Westmount apart from the Montreal boroughs around it. The first is the welcome tax: Westmount charges 3% on every dollar above $500,000, so the same house costs thousands more in transfer duties than it would in NDG. The second is the annual tax bill on a housing stock where the median house sells for more than $2.1 million.
This guide sets out both, with the 2026 rates published by the City of Westmount, the 2026–2027 school tax rate, and Centris figures for Westmount over the last four quarters to Q2 2026. The aim is simple: know the full cost of owning in Westmount before you decide what to offer.
The Westmount market this year
| Property type | Median price | Change | Sales | Active listings | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family | $2,135,250 | 0% | 167 (+5%) | 132 (+9%) | 95 |
| Condo | $879,981 | -3% | 65 (-14%) | 81 (0%) | 68 |
Changes are year over year. Source: Centris, Westmount, last four quarters to Q2 2026.
Westmount houses take time to sell. At 95 days on market, a typical house is listed for three months, and at the current pace the 132 houses for sale represent about nine and a half months of supply. The median did not move. Buyers have time to do the work below, and sellers who priced for last year's market are still adjusting.
The Westmount welcome tax: 3% above $500,000
Every Quebec municipality charges the welcome tax (droits de mutation immobilière) on the first $315,000 at the same provincial rates: 0.5% on the first $62,900 and 1% up to $315,000. Above that, municipalities can set their own brackets. The City of Westmount's 2026 table is:
- 0.5% on the first $62,900
- 1% from $62,901 to $315,000
- 1.5% from $315,001 to $500,000
- 3% on the portion above $500,000
Montreal's brackets rise more gradually: 1.5% up to $552,300, then 2%, 2.5%, 3.5% and 4% at higher thresholds. Côte-Saint-Luc keeps 1.5% until $800,000. The effect on the same purchase price:
| Purchase price | Westmount | Montreal (e.g. NDG) | Côte-Saint-Luc | Westmount premium over Montreal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $879,981 (Westmount condo median) | $17,010 | $12,949 | $12,110 | $4,061 |
| $1,000,000 | $20,610 | $15,349 | $15,110 | $5,262 |
| $1,500,000 | $35,610 | $27,326 | $27,610 | $8,285 |
| $2,135,250 (Westmount house median) | $54,668 | $43,207 | $43,492 | $11,461 |
At the median house price, a Westmount buyer pays $11,461 more in welcome tax than the same purchase would cost in a Montreal borough. It is a one-time cost, but it is paid in cash, usually within weeks of closing, and it does not go into the mortgage.
First-time buyers get some of it back on a condo. Quebec's new refundable welcome tax credit is worth $2,820 at the Westmount condo median, because the credit is reduced above $750,000. It is worth nothing on a house at the Westmount median. Our guide to the 2026 first-time buyer welcome tax credit covers eligibility.
Westmount property tax in 2026
Westmount adopted its 2026 rates on January 16, 2026. The total residential rate is $0.6583 per $100 of assessed value, made up of a general tax of $0.6422 and a special infrastructure tax of $0.0161. In 2025 the total was $0.6548, so the rate rose about 0.5%. Westmount's published rates show no separate water tax for residential property.
The city's own example: the average single-family home is assessed at $2,705,159 and pays $17,808 in property tax in 2026.
Your bill is based on the assessed value, not the price you pay. 2026 is the first year of the new 2026–2027–2028 assessment roll, which values property as of July 1, 2024. The agglomeration's residential values rose 9.6% on the new roll for buildings of five units or fewer, and Westmount was among the municipalities below the agglomeration average. A house bought today can be assessed above or below its price. Ask for the current tax bill during your due diligence and use the actual figure.
School tax on a Westmount home
The school tax is set province-wide. For 2026–2027 the rate is $0.07899 per $100, applied after an exemption on the first $25,000 of value. The bill is calculated on an adjusted standardized value set under provincial rules, which can differ slightly from the municipal assessment, so treat the figures below as close estimates.
Annual carrying costs at Westmount price points
The table assumes the property is assessed at the price shown. It covers the two taxes only. Insurance, heating, maintenance and, for a condo, the common charges come on top.
| Assessed value | Property tax (2026) | School tax (2026–2027) | Total per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $879,981 | $5,793 | $675 | $6,468 | $539 |
| $1,500,000 | $9,874 | $1,165 | $11,039 | $920 |
| $2,135,250 | $14,056 | $1,667 | $15,723 | $1,310 |
| $2,705,159 (city average house) | $17,808 | $2,117 | $19,925 | $1,660 |
Westmount's rate is not high. On a $1,500,000 assessment, Côte-Saint-Luc's 2026 residential rate of $0.7606 plus its $0.0395 water reserve tax would come to about $12,000, against Westmount's $9,874. What makes Westmount expensive to carry is the assessed values, not the rate.
The cash to close on a Westmount purchase
Above $1.5 million, federal rules require at least 20% down and the mortgage cannot be insured by CMHC. Below $1.5 million, the minimum is 5% of the first $500,000 and 10% of the rest.
- At the house median of $2,135,250: 20% down is $427,050. With the Westmount welcome tax of $54,668, that is $481,718 in cash before the notary, the inspection and the tax adjustments.
- At the condo median of $879,981: the minimum down payment is $62,998. The CMHC premium at 4.00% is $32,679 and is added to the loan. The 9% Quebec tax on that premium, $2,941, is due in cash at the notary. Add the $17,010 welcome tax and you need about $83,000 in cash.
A mortgage without CMHC insurance is stress-tested at the greater of your contract rate plus 2% or 5.25%, under OSFI's minimum qualifying rate. On a Westmount house, that test usually decides the budget, not the down payment.
Westmount condos: read the syndicate's numbers
The condo median of $879,981 is down 3%, with sales down 14%. Days on market fell to 68, and 81 condos are listed, which is about fifteen months of supply at the current pace. Buyers are selective, and they should be.
Many Westmount condos are in older buildings with stone, masonry and roofs that need regular capital work. Since August 14, 2025, Quebec law requires the syndicate to give a selling owner a certificate (the attestation du syndicat) within 15 days of the request. It sets out the reserve fund balance, three years of common charges, the current budget, insurance, and major work in the past five years and planned for the next ten. Syndicates also have three years from August 2025 to adopt a maintenance logbook and obtain a reserve fund study, which can push some buildings' contributions up. Our guide to condo corporation health explains how to read these documents.
Westmount houses: budget for the building, not only the taxes
Much of Westmount's housing stock is historic, and parts of the city are protected heritage areas where exterior work needs municipal approval. That affects windows, masonry, roofs and additions, and it affects the timeline and the cost. Our article on buying a heritage home in Westmount or Outremont covers the rules. A thorough pre-purchase inspection by an inspector who knows century-old stone houses is part of the carrying-cost calculation, not a formality.
How I would use these numbers before an offer
- Ask the listing broker for the current municipal and school tax bills, and for a condo, the syndicate certificate. Build your monthly budget from those, not from averages.
- Add the Westmount welcome tax to your cash plan at the start, not after the offer is accepted.
- Compare the full cost against the next best option. At the same $1,500,000, NDG costs $8,285 less in welcome tax, and Côte-Saint-Luc has a lower welcome tax but a higher annual tax rate.
- Use the days on market. At 95 days for houses, a listing past three months is a normal negotiation, not a failed one.
The Westmount neighbourhood page covers what houses actually sell for, the house and condo gap, and what to verify in a Westmount house. If you are buying, the buyer page explains how I work.
Westmount carrying cost questions
What is the Westmount property tax rate in 2026?
$0.6583 per $100 of assessed value for residential property: a general tax of $0.6422 plus a special infrastructure tax of $0.0161. The city says the average single-family home, assessed at $2,705,159, pays $17,808.
How much is the welcome tax in Westmount?
0.5% on the first $62,900, 1% to $315,000, 1.5% to $500,000 and 3% on the rest. On a $2,135,250 house that is $54,668, about $11,461 more than in a Montreal borough.
How much is the school tax on a Westmount home?
For 2026–2027, $0.07899 per $100 after a $25,000 exemption. On a home valued at $2,135,250 that is about $1,667 a year.
Do I need 20% down to buy in Westmount?
Only at $1.5 million and above, which includes most houses. Below $1.5 million, including most condos, the minimum is 5% of the first $500,000 and 10% of the rest, with CMHC insurance.
Is Westmount's property tax higher than Montreal's?
The rate is not especially high. Côte-Saint-Luc's 2026 residential rate is higher. Westmount's tax bills are large because its assessed values are.
Sources: City of Westmount, 2026 property taxes (January 16, 2026) and welcome tax table; City of Montreal, 2026 welcome tax brackets; City of Côte-Saint-Luc, 2026 transfer duty brackets and 2026 budget; Comité de gestion de la taxe scolaire de l'île de Montréal, 2026–2027 school tax rate; Agglomeration of Montreal assessment roll 2026–2028 release; Centris, Westmount, last four quarters to Q2 2026; Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, minimum down payment; OSFI, minimum qualifying rate; CMHC premium schedule; Revenu Québec, tax on insurance premiums; Government of Quebec, copropriété divise regulation in force since August 14, 2025.
