Calgarians report improved quality of life, but survey shows many still left behind

The Calgary Foundation has released its annual quality of life survey. Kevin Green reports.

While a new survey suggests Calgarians feel their quality of life is improving, that optimism is not shared equally across the population.

The Calgary Foundation’s 2025 Quality of Life Report shows a growing majority of residents feel better about their lives compared to last year.

Sixty-six per cent rated their quality of life as good or excellent, up five points from 2024.

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Nearly nine in 10 said Calgary is a good place to live, while a majority reported stronger feelings of belonging in their communities.

Taylor Barrie, vice-president of communications at the Calgary Foundation, says the overall picture looks brighter but the gaps are clear.

“Calgarians have told us that their quality of life is on the rise, that they’re feeling a stronger sense of belonging to community, that they think Calgary is a great place to live,” he said.

“It’s when you sort of peel back that surface layer, that’s when you start to see the gaps,” she said.

Uneven optimism

The sense of improvement is not evenly distributed.

The survey showed men were more likely than women to report higher quality of life, and people living with disabilities were least likely to feel positive about their situation.

Youth concerns

Young people emerged as a group with the greatest unease about the future.

Thirty-five per cent of respondents aged 18 to 24 said they expect to leave Calgary in the next five years, compared with just six per cent of seniors.

Sophia Marsco, 22, said many of her friends are already looking elsewhere.

“A lot of my friends say that they don’t want to live here. Some have already moved,” she said.

Others expressed frustration with costs and safety.

“I feel like everything’s really expensive,” said Alexis Rono, 20. “Public transport in Calgary, I find, is not great.”

Housing pressures

Housing affordability is another key stressor.

Despite average advertised two-bedroom rents falling 7.2 per cent year-over-year, seven in 10 renters reported their own rent went up in the past year.

One in five said they missed at least one payment, and two-thirds reported having to cut back elsewhere in their budgets to keep a roof over their heads.

Barrie says the mismatch between reported market rents and lived experience is stark.

“We’ve been told that rents are on the decline, but many Calgarians have said in their experience that they have experienced an increase in rent,” she said.

The dream of home ownership remains out of reach for many.

Nearly three-quarters of renters said they want to own a home one day, but fewer than half believe they will achieve it.

The cost of a down payment and income stability were cited as the biggest barriers.

Food insecurity

Food security remains a growing challenge.

Twenty-eight per cent of Calgarians used community food services in the past year, up from 20 per cent in 2024.

Among residents aged 18 to 34, the rate rose to 44 per cent.

Melissa, CEO of the Calgary Food Bank, said the numbers reflect what her organization is facing every day.

“We are certainly seeing those year-over-year increases in demand for emergency food support in the community,” she said. “We’re now supporting 800 families every day with emergency food support.”

From added that working families are increasingly showing up at the food bank.

“Our fastest growing demographic is working poor. These are folks who, for all intents and purposes, are doing everything right … And at the end of the month, that grocery line (in their budget), there’s just not enough left,” she said.

Neighbourhood and downtown safety

Safety perceptions vary widely across demographics, neighbourhoods and time of day.

Men reported feeling safer than women, and people with disabilities consistently reported lower levels of confidence in their safety close to home.

Confidence drops sharply in the city’s core at night.

Overall, only 27 per cent of Calgarians said they feel safe downtown after dark.

The divides were clear along gender and age lines: 41 per cent of men reported feeling safe downtown at night compared with just 13 per cent of women.

Among younger residents, only 17 per cent of those aged 18 to 24 said they feel safe downtown, and the number fell further to seven per cent among seniors.

Dylan Field, 23, said even as a large muscular man he avoids downtown at night.

“I’m 220 (lb), I’m six feet, I teach martial arts. Once that sun sets, I don’t like being outside at all on my own in downtown Calgary,” said Field “It’s really, really sketchy.”

Dakota Lawson, a nursing student, says she avoids the core entirely.

“I won’t go downtown. I even work at a public place, and I’ve been attacked there as well. And that’s broad daylight in a public setting,” she said. “So being downtown in the dark, alone in a group or with other people, it’s nerve-wracking for me.”

Inclusion, mental health and contribution

Experiences of racism and discrimination are shaping residents’ sense of belonging.

Sixty-nine per cent of Calgarians agreed that racism exists in the city, and one in three said they sometimes feel out of place or unsafe because of their identity.

Alexis Rono, 20, said being Black shapes her perception of safety downtown.

“I may be feeling a bit self conscious, like, ‘Oh, maybe somebody has like, a prejudice,’ or, they feel certain way if they see me,” she said.

Despite overall gains in happiness, loneliness and mental health remain pressing concerns. Twenty-two per cent of residents said they feel lonelier now than during the pandemic, rising to 41 per cent among young adults.

The foundation says financial stress continues to weigh heavily, alongside worries about housing and health.

Barrie says the data points to the groups most at risk.

“For those who are newcomers, for those who are unemployed, for those who are racialized, for those who live with a disability – they’re going to face bigger barriers,” she said.

Even with those struggles, civic pride remains strong. Ninety-one per cent of respondents said they are proud to be Canadian and 87 per cent said they are proud to be Calgarian.

Moving forward

The Calgary Foundation says the report underscores the need to strengthen inclusion in the city’s recovery.

“A stronger Calgary is one where every person feels they belong and where no one is left behind,” wrote Calgary Foundation CEO Eva Friesen in the report summary.

The findings are based on responses from 1,000 Calgarians, with a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The poll was conducted in May 2025.