Four Alberta cities rank in the national top 10 as best for renters
If you’re looking for your next place to call home in Alberta, several communities across the province stand out in The Globe and Mail‘s latest ranking of Canada’s 100 best cities for renters.
The list includes four Alberta cities in the top 10. The Globe and Mail and Rentals.ca ranked 243 Canadian cities based on affordability, rental availability, market stability and livability, narrowing it down to 100 municipalities. The ranking prioritizes places where local wages are high compared to rents.
Renters can then personalize the results by income, preferred home size and postal code.
“Renters have more choice and more bargaining power than they’ve had since the pandemic, and the cities topping this list are the ones where rents never got too far ahead of local incomes,” said Shaun Hildebrand, chief economist at Rentals.ca, told The Globe and Mail.
“But it’s a supply story, and it won’t last. Construction starts are falling, the seasonal upswing that follows the school calendar has already started, and population growth will pick back up after recent policy cuts, so the window won’t stay open long.”
Camrose leads Alberta
City of Camrose, Alta./Facebook
Camrose was the highest-ranking Alberta municipality, placing second nationally. Its average rent was $1,289, down 2.5 per cent from last year, and the city scored particularly well for rental availability (6th). The city is also home to the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus, making its rental market especially relevant to students preparing for the fall semester.
Calgary placed sixth overall. With an average rent of $1,930, down 5.8 per cent year-over-year, Alberta’s largest city placed second nationally for rent availability but ranked low when it came to stability (154th) and livability (129th).
Leduc followed close behind in seventh place. Its average rent was $1,650, a 0.5 per cent decline over last year. The city placed 42nd for affordability, 39th for availability, and 64th for livability.
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo ranked ninth. Its average rent was $1,293 after falling 10.3 per cent year-over-year. The municipality ranked 12th for affordability and 20th for availability. It placed 56th for stability but finished near the bottom for livability, ranking 223rd among the 243 communities assessed.
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More Alberta communities make the list
Several other Alberta communities landed within the national top 50:
- Airdrie: 12th
- Medicine Hat: 15th
- Red Deer: 16th
- Lethbridge: 17th
- Okotoks: 19th
- Spruce Grove: 21st
- Cochrane: 32nd
- Edmonton: 49th
Beaumont placed 55th, followed by Fort Saskatchewan at 62nd, St. Albert at 74th, Grande Prairie at 81st, and Strathcona County at 92nd.
Regina named Canada’s best city for renters
Russ Heinl/Shutterstock
Regina topped the national ranking, while Saskatoon placed third and Lloydminster, which straddles the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, came fourth.
Yellowknife ranked fifth, supported by strong affordability and stability scores relative to its median income. Its average rent was $2,134, up 2.6 per cent from the previous year. The Northwest Territories capital placed 52nd for availability and 98th for livability.
Winnipeg ranked eighth, while London, Ont., completed the top 10.
You can view the full ranking on the Globe and Mail‘s website.