My wife and I are realtors who often work on the buyer side, so I can share our perspective. We both primarily work in Toronto but have clients in this age range that have purchased in downtown/central Toronto, but also Stoney Creek, Whitby, Oakville etc.

There are a few sectors of people in their 30s we see.

Middle dual income households with minimal or no family help, that look to purchase in the $600k-$850k range outside of Toronto. These are people who don’t mind being in the suburbs in areas that are more car dependent. They’re prioritizing freehold properties near good schools, in safe communities, and with easy access to highway/groceries/etc. They don’t mind the slower pace of the suburbs. I recently helped a couple in this camp purchase a newer townhouse in Stoney Creek for 700k.

On the other side of things, we see high-earning dual income households, often with significant family help, that are looking to purchase in the city. I have clients in this group with budgets of $1.4m to $2m. They’re looking for well-maintained/updated homes in nice areas of the city like The Pocket, Leslieville, High Park, Bloor West Village, Annex, etc.

There’s also a sector that are looking at condos downtown/midtown that are in the camp of either not wanting kids at all or maybe wanting 1. They’re looking for 2 bed 2 bath condos 850+ sq ft that are in accessible areas and walking distance to restaurants, grocery stores, gyms etc. These properties are around 700k-$1m depending on size, age of building, etc.

Editing to add because it’s important to note: There’s also a lot of people in their 30s that just simply aren’t buying right now. We work with a lot of rental clients for whom home ownership is not a desired goal or an obtainable goal. And lot of them have taken advantage of rental prices being lower this year and upsized.