The boats are coming out of the water in Peterborough & the Kawarthas, but the cottage market has not gone quiet. 386 cottages and recreational properties were for sale on November 1, 2026, with a median asking price of $699,000. 123 sold over the past 90 days.
What shoreline costs in Peterborough & the Kawarthas
95% of the cottages and homes listed in Peterborough & the Kawarthas are on the water. Waterfront asks a median of $899K against $705K off the water, a premium of about 28%. With a typical frontage of 65 feet, buyers are paying in the region of $13,900 for each foot of shoreline. Use that as a rough yardstick when you compare two waterfront listings of different widths.
Lake by lake
Two cottages a few kilometres apart can be priced very differently because of the lake they face. Here is how the busiest lakes in Peterborough & the Kawarthas compare with the region as a whole.
| Lake | Listed | Median asking | vs region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckhorn Lake | 19 | $1.13M | +61% |
| Pigeon Lake | 18 | $1.19M | +70% |
| Rice Lake | 17 | $700K | +0% |
| Chemong Lake | 14 | $1.22M | +75% |
| Chandos Lake | 11 | $1.05M | +50% |
| Catchacoma Lake | 7 | $899K | +29% |
| Kasshabog Lake | 6 | $974K | +39% |
| Jack Lake | 6 | $2.09M | +199% |
Cottage sales: this season and last year
Over the last 90 days 123 cottage-country properties sold in Peterborough & the Kawarthas at a median of $700,000. In the same 90 days last year there were 124 sales at a median of $740,000, so the median is down 5.4% from last year. Sellers got a median of 94.5% of their asking price, and the typical sale took 43 days, longer than in the city, because cottage buyers wait for the right water and the right road.
Towns and townships with the most listings
| Town | Listed | Median asking |
|---|---|---|
| Trent Lakes | 114 | $665K |
| Selwyn | 51 | $999K |
| North Kawartha | 50 | $799K |
| Havelock-Belmont-Methuen | 46 | $625K |
| Douro-Dummer | 36 | $565K |
| Otonabee-South Monaghan | 35 | $550K |
| Peterborough | 13 | $300K |
| Cavan Monaghan | 11 | $650K |
Also listed in Peterborough & the Kawarthas: 130 vacant lots (median $277K) and 3 resort condos and fractional units (median $465K). A lot lets you build to your own plan, but budget for the well, septic, hydro connection and road before you compare it with a finished cottage.
Buying a cottage in fall
- Fall viewings show you what spring photos hide: how the property drains after rain, how much light reaches the cottage once the sun is lower, and whether the road is being maintained.
- Ask the seller when the cottage was last opened and closed for the season, and who did the work. Winterizing records tell you a lot about how it has been cared for.
- Many sellers who listed in summer and did not sell are open to offers now, before they pay another winter of carrying costs.
Other cottage regions this month
Cottage questions
How much is a waterfront cottage in Peterborough & the Kawarthas?
The median asking price for waterfront in Peterborough & the Kawarthas was $899,000 on November 1, 2026, with a typical frontage of about 65 feet.
How long do cottages take to sell in Peterborough & the Kawarthas?
Cottages that sold in the last 90 days took a median of 43 days.
Which lake in Peterborough & the Kawarthas has the most cottages for sale?
Buckhorn Lake, with 19 listed at a median of $1,125,000.
Is fall a good time to buy a cottage?
Many sellers who listed in summer and did not sell are open to offers now, before they pay another winter of carrying costs.
Asking prices and frontage are from cottage listings on Cottage Connect on November 1, 2026. Sales are totals of MLS® sales in the Peterborough & the Kawarthas region over 90 days, compared with the same window last year. Price per foot of frontage is a rough guide only.
Cottages for sale in Peterborough right now
Live listings from the area this article covers.
$11400 Monaghan Road, Peterborough0 bath · Town Ward 3Courtesy of REMAX YOUR COMMUNITY REALTY
$275,000842 Haggart Street, Peterborough0 bath · Town Ward 3Courtesy of Coldwell Banker Electric Realty
$1,149,900510 Monaghan Road, Peterborough4+2 bed · 5 bath · Otonabee Ward 1Courtesy of Flat Rate Realty Corp.
$2,238,8881234 Dafoe Drive, Peterborough0 bath · Ashburnham Ward 4Courtesy of Flat Rate Realty Corp.
$500,0001281 Brealey Drive, Peterborough0 bath · Monaghan Ward 2Courtesy of Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty
$2,500,0001293 Brealey Drive, Peterborough0 bath · Monaghan Ward 2Courtesy of Royal Lepage Proalliance Realty