life in calgary is good, according to majority of respondents in city survey
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the city says 76 per cent of survey respondents rated their quality of life in calgary as 'good' — 10 per cent higher than residents surveyed in comparable municipalities.
brent calver/postmedia file
despite a year of turbulence that has seen water main breaks, a heated municipal election and a repeal of a controversial residential zoning policy, calgarians have maintained their level of trust in city hall.
the results of the latest citizen satisfaction survey, released this week, showed respondents’ trust in city hall went up two percentage points since last year to 54 per cent.
calgarians also appear more satisfied with life in the city than residents in other canadian municipalities, the results show.
for instance, 76 per cent of respondents rated their quality of life in calgary as good — 10 per cent higher than residents surveyed in comparable municipalities.
similarly, 62 per cent said they were satisfied with municipal services and felt they received good value for their tax dollars, both measures coming in five points above the benchmark.
calgarians also reported higher levels of trust in city hall, with results 11 per cent above those in other municipalities.
“we’re leading other major cities in trust and value for tax dollars by listening to calgarians and focusing on what matters most to them,” david duckworth, the city’s chief administrative officer, said in a news release wednesday.
“these results show we’re moving in the right direction and that our focus areas are making a real difference for calgarians. at the same time, they highlight opportunities to keep improving — raising our performance, strengthening result, and, with council’s support, continuing this upward momentum.”
calgary cao david duckworth speaks to media during intermission for a special council meeting at city hall on wednesday, jan. 7, 2026.
brent calver/postmedia
the findings show an upward trend in overall satisfaction with city life and services, in keeping with results from last year’s survey, where then-mayor jyoti gondek described the poll results, particularly the rebound in trust for city politicians as encouraging.
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survey results since 2018 saw trust in the city take a steep dive in spring 2024, when only 38 per cent of those polled said they trusted their city hall politicians. in the two years since, there has been a significant uptick, with 52 per cent polling the same in 2025.
residents still perceive calgary as a great place to live and work, with three‑quarters (74 per cent) saying it is a great place to make a life and around two thirds (68 per cent) saying it is a great place to make a living. that’s respectively four and five percentage points lower than recorded in 2023, where 78 per cent of calgarians said the same for both.
calgarians rated roads, traffic and safety among their top priorities for local leaders to address.
two-fifths of residents polled identified traffic and roads as a key concern, with 21 per cent identifying crime, safety and policing as issues to address.
only 11 per cent of calgarians prioritized homelessness, poverty and affordable housing as priorities, down eight per cent from survey results last spring.
investment in water infrastructure was a top priority with 63 per cent polling in favour, even if it required higher utility rates, and 53 per cent in favour if it meant cutting other services. investment in city infrastructure ranked as the next priority, with most calgarians in favour of increased investment at the cost of higher taxes or reduced spending on other city services.
a section of damaged bearspaw south feeder main pipe is loaded onto a trailer on monday, jan. 5, 2026.
gavin young/postmedia
majority of calgarians polled appeared satisfied with the overall level of quality of municipal services offered, with results remaining consistent over the past three years. this year, only 11 per cent reported feeling dissatisfied with city services, a decrease of three per cent from last spring.
research results also showed that calgarians felt more positive about their experience and accessibility to city services. majority of calgarians reported that they found services easy to access, reliable and helpful in supporting quality of life.
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for instance, 72 per cent polled found city services easy to use and access, while 70 per cent stated that services were available when needed. sixty-nine per cent of residents stated that services were reliable while 65 per cent stated that the city consistently delivered good services.
fifty-one per cent of calgarians felt that concerns were addressed in a timely manner.
calgarians showed an increasing preference to maintain services at current level, with 57 per cent stating they favoured tax increases, while 37 per cent preferred to cut services to avoid tax increases. out of those who favoured increasing taxes, majority supported moderate, inflation-level increases to maintain current services.
overall, calgarians appear “cautiously optimistic: about the city’s economic future, with 60 per cent rating the economy as good and 54 per cent stating that they believe the city is on the right track to improve in a decade from now.
the report is set to be presented to the executive committee on may 5, and the full findings and report will be available at calgary.ca/insights.
the city’s 2026 spring survey was conducted by ipsos public affairs from feb. 17 to march 16, polling 2,500 calgarians via telephone, with a margin of error is plus or minus two per cent, 19 times out of 20.
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