Quality of life, trust, and satisfaction down in Calgary: report

A growing number of Calgarians feel their quality of life has decreased over the last two years, according to new data from the City.

The survey is done twice a year and asks residents about pressing issues, trust, satisfaction, taxes, and more.

When asked what the most important issue in the community is that leaders should be focusing on, the majority of Calgarians (35 per cent) said infrastructure, traffic and roads. Other issues that are top-of-mind include the economy, poverty and affordable housing, water supply and water infrastructure, and zoning and growth.

The city says water and infrastructure as well as zoning and growth are new priorities to Calgarians’ issue agenda in the bi-annual survey. The city says this is tied to the Bearspaw South Feedermain break and discussions on development and rezoning.

Key indicators down significantly

Echoing the results of the latest Calgary Foundation’s Quality of Life Report, quality of life and other key measures have decreased among Calgarians since the end of the pandemic. The city says 66 per cent of Calgarians say their quality of life is good, an all-time low.

Trust in the City of Calgary is also down. Just over 40 per cent of Calgarians say they have trust in the City, five per cent lower than the same time last year.

Satisfaction with the quality and level of services provided by the city is at 63 per cent, down six per cent from last fall’s data.

Some improvements seen

Perceptions of safety, transit and housing, saw decreases in issue prioritization. The city says this is due, in part, to new investments made by council in the last two years.

While quality of life has decreased, Calgarians’ perceptions of Calgary being a great place to build a life and make a living are stable compared to the spring, at 70 per cent and 63 per cent, respectively.

Calgarians are also more optimistic about the future of the economy, with 57 per cent rating the current economy as good, a jump of nine per cent from March of this year.

Residents continue to question the value they receive for their tax dollars and are less likely to trust council and administration to make decisions that reflect their priorities, compared to municipalities of a similar size across the country.

The city says 43 per cent of Calgarians agree they receive good value for tax dollars, seven per cent lower than this time last year.

While quality of life perception in Calgary continues to decrease from previous surveys, the City says Calgarians generally express higher or on par satisfaction with the quality of life and other measures compared to the municipal norm — an average of Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Montreal.

Furthermore, Calgary continues to be one of the most affordable cities in Canada for property tax when comparing the median single residential property and remains one of the most livable cities in the world, according to international rankings and reports, the city says.