Buying · 16 cities · salary for a fourplex 2026
One page per city, same math: the minimum household income to buy and live in the median fourplex, with 50% of the 3 rents counted, next to the triplex and the median house, in 2026.
Across the 16 cities tracked, the median fourplex ($714,125 at the median) takes a gross household income of $102,200 at the median to buy and live in with the 10% minimum down payment, because CMHC lets lenders add up to 50% of the other 3 units' rents to income (median rent $1,600 a month per unit). Without the rents, you would need $152,900; with a stricter lender that also counts taxes and heating, $123,300. The median house ($471,272) takes $107,600 and the median triplex ($602,332) $92,250. The fourplex takes less income than the house in 6 of 16 cities and less than the triplex in 4; its 3 rents cover the whole real mortgage payment in 14 cities. Math: 6.09% stress test, 39% GDS, 25 years, no other debts. Source: Centris (Matrix) for prices and rents, CMHC for the rule, compiled November 6, 2026.
The 16 cities, from the most accessible fourplex to the most demanding
Minimum gross household income for the owner-occupied median fourplex, without the rents and then under the CMHC rule, next to the triplex and the median house (below zero, the fourplex takes less income than the house).
| City | Median fourplex | Median rent | Income without rents | Income with rents (CMHC) | Triplex income | House income | Fourplex minus house |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joliette | $455,000 | $1,455 a month | $98,600 | $57,600 | $104,700 | $105,100 | -$47,500 |
| Saguenay | $542,623 | $1,600 a month | $117,800 | $72,000 | $39,400 | $84,200 | -$12,200 |
| Saint-Hyacinthe | $639,000 | $1,600 a month | $137,200 | $88,900 | $84,200 | $115,500 | -$26,600 |
| Granby | $639,000 | $1,520 a month | $137,200 | $90,300 | $85,800 | $105,700 | -$15,400 |
| Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu | $661,000 | $1,620 a month | $141,800 | $92,600 | $114,100 | $130,200 | -$37,600 |
| Sorel-Tracy | $685,000 | $1,500 a month | $146,800 | $99,200 | $77,700 | $90,000 | +$9,200 |
| Quebec City | $725,000 | $1,800 a month | $155,200 | $101,100 | $96,400 | $109,500 | -$8,400 |
| Trois-Rivières | $700,000 | $1,500 a month | $150,000 | $101,900 | $74,300 | $94,000 | +$7,900 |
| Drummondville | $703,250 | $1,500 a month | $150,600 | $102,500 | $83,300 | $98,400 | +$4,100 |
| Lévis | $750,000 | $1,663 a month | $160,500 | $108,200 | $64,100 | $100,700 | +$7,500 |
| Gatineau | $776,000 | $1,700 a month | $165,900 | $112,300 | $117,700 | $111,700 | +$600 |
| Saint-Jérôme | $860,000 | $1,495 a month | $183,500 | $131,500 | $112,300 | $124,000 | +$7,500 |
| Sherbrooke | $888,000 | $1,400 a month | $189,400 | $138,400 | $88,100 | $104,800 | +$33,600 |
| Laval | $1,000,000 | $1,834 a month | $212,900 | $151,200 | $157,000 | $141,500 | +$9,700 |
| Longueuil | $1,022,503 | $1,768 a month | $219,300 | $158,200 | $144,600 | $135,500 | +$22,700 |
| Montreal | $1,085,000 | $1,750 a month | $230,800 | $168,400 | $150,700 | $167,900 | +$500 |
What the table says
With 50% of the 3 rents counted as CMHC allows, the owner-occupied fourplex takes a median income of $102,200, close to the median house ($107,600), for a building that costs $242,853 more at the median. It takes less income than the house in 6 of 16 cities. It is most accessible in Joliette ($57,600 of household income, on only 5 sales) and most demanding in Montreal ($168,400). It takes more income than the triplex in 12 cities, but each unit costs less: $178,531 per door at the median, versus $200,777 for the triplex. The rents take $50,100 off the required income at the median, and the 3 rents cover the whole real mortgage payment in 14 of 16 cities (before taxes, insurance and upkeep).
How to read the table
Rule: for an owner-occupied 3 or 4 unit building, CMHC lets lenders add up to 50% of gross rents to household income (versus 100% for a duplex), and the property's taxes and heating may be left out of the calculation. Assumptions: Centris median prices of fourplexes, triplexes and single-family houses (January to September 2026); minimum down payment of 10% for the fourplex and the triplex (5% of the first $500,000 and 10% of the rest for the house) with the CMHC premium added to the loan; 25 years; stress test at the higher of 5.25% or the rate plus 2 points, i.e. 6.09% for a 4.09% rate; gross debt service (GDS) ratio of at most 39%; no other debts (car, cards, student loans); all 3 units rented all year at the median rent of Centris leases signed over 12 months in the city; house: taxes estimated at 1% of the price and heating at $1,200 a year counted. Lenders and insurers do not all apply the same rule, and your other debts reduce your capacity. The cash is broken down in how much money to buy a plex; the triplex in what salary to buy a triplex and the duplex in what salary to buy a duplex.
Frequently asked questions
What salary to buy a fourplex in Quebec?
At the median of the 16 cities, about $102,200 of gross household income for the owner-occupied median fourplex with the 10% minimum down payment, 50% of the 3 rents counted. The median house takes $107,600.
Why stop at 4 units?
Up to 4 units, an owner-occupied building is financed as a residential property, with a 10% minimum down payment and CMHC homeowner mortgage loan insurance. From 5 units, it is a commercial building (multi-unit loan), financed under other rules.
My city is not listed?
We publish the 16 cities where enough fourplexes sell for a median price, with published rents. A team broker can run the same math for any area.
Our proof, not our promises
The Loaa & Manseur team, led by Lotfi Manseur and Loaa Al Daow, is the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 of large residential teams according to the official RE/MAX ranking, computed on actual transactions. Its Google profile counts more than 220 reviews with a 4.9 rating. Its offices are at 55 avenue de l'Équinoxe in Brossard, one bridge from the island, and every broker's licence can be checked in the OACIQ public register. Three things to verify yourself before calling us, and to demand of any other broker.
Also available in French: version française de ce guide.
Published September 7, 2026 by the Loaa & Manseur team, the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 according to the official RE/MAX ranking. Tell us about your project.