Calgary named best city to “work and play”: study

A new national study has named Calgary the best “work and play” city in the country, recognizing it as the ideal place for individuals seeking financial advancement.

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A new national study has named Calgary the best “work and play” city in the country, recognizing it as the ideal place for individuals seeking financial advancement without compromising a high quality of life.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith praised the results on Wednesday.

“From a strong job market and thriving business community to our festivals, restaurants, parks and easy access to the Rockies, Calgary shows what the Alberta Advantage looks like in real life,” she said.

The “work and play” ranking comes from a report released last Wednesday by Tangerine in partnership with AskPolly.ai, a social listening and sentiment analysis platform.

“From March 2024 to March 2025, data was collected across more than 20 Canadian cities from anonymized social posts, discussions, and poll responses regarding financial behaviours, city life and personal fulfillment,” reads the report. “By analyzing city, professional and lifestyle sentiments and metrics (more than 50 individual elements), AskPolly.ai researchers discovered where financial aspirations and joyful living align for different professionals with different savings goals.”

Tangerine said its study differs from Statistics Canada’s Quality of Life tool by using local sentiment data through sentiment analysis, rather than an administrative, policy, and systemic lens.

The study points to Calgary’s combination of higher incomes, comparatively affordable housing, and access to both urban amenities and outdoor recreation as key drivers behind its ranking.

The study cited Calgary having a median household income of $100,000 and an average home price of $567,900, with an unemployment rate of 7.4 per cent.

“There’s a reason Ontarians and British Columbians have been stampeding to Alberta. Calgary remains one of the few bastions of affordable housing, without sacrificing salary potential,” reads the study.

It further commended Alberta as a whole for having no provincial sales tax.

A summer study conducted by Global Citizens Solutions similarly ranked Calgary as the best place to live in Canada, with Edmonton ranking third.

A separate study released in August ranked Alberta and Saskatchewan in the best fiscal position among provinces.

Last week’s study, however, had a variety of other cities listed at the top of their class in other categories. Saskatoon was deemed the best city to raise a family. Halifax ranked as the best city to buy a home, with an average home price of $559,100 — almost as high as Calgary’s, despite having a lower median income of $81,000, 19 per cent lower than Calgary’s.

Overall, the best city for a low cost of living was Winnipeg, where the average home price is only $381,500 with a median household income of $83,000.

The best city for entrepreneurship was said to be Vancouver, which has an average home price of $1,142,100 and a median household income of $90,000.

The study also uncovered national data points, such as an annual increase of 4.7 per cent in groceries and rent, a decline in the perception of health and mental health, and fewer Canadians feeling hopeful about the future and satisfied with life.

Despite the many categories, the study ranked Victoria, B.C., as the best overall city for wealth-life balance.

“Residents of Victoria report feeling highly aligned with core financial goals, including owning property, advancing in their careers and preparing for long-term financial security. When it’s easy to build net worth, your opportunities for a rich lifestyle are nearly boundless,” reads the study.

While the Tangerine report crowned Victoria as the best overall city for “wealth-life balance,” Calgary’s top ranking for work and play underscores its growing appeal as Canadians continue to migrate away from higher-cost provinces in search of opportunity.