Calgarians are reporting a lower quality of life as rising food costs squeeze household budgets, nearly a third of renters cannot afford their current rent and fewer than one in four residents feel safe downtown after dark.The Calgary Foundation’s 2026 Quality of Life Report found 58% of residents rate their quality of life as good or excellent, down from 66% in 2025 and 75% in 2020.Another 14% describe their quality of life as below average or poor, up from 10% last year and 5% in 2020.The survey of 1,000 Calgarians shows a sharp income divide. Just 37% of those earning less than $60,000 rate their quality of life as good or excellent, compared with 89% of those earning more than $200,000.Food affordability is a growing pressure point.Some 59% of Calgarians have changed their eating habits because of rising costs, while half report a decline in the quality of their diet.Among those earning less than $60,000, 73% have changed how they eat. The figure reaches 79% among residents aged 55 to 64.Meanwhile, 45% of residents often or occasionally worry about running out of food. That rises to 53% for people with children in their household and 61% for those with a long-term disability.Most residents can still cover the essentials, but financial strain remains widespread..The report found 80% can meet their basic needs, including housing, utilities, food and health care, compared with 81% last year. Financial issues are the leading source of stress, with 38% often or always experiencing stress related to their finances.Some 60% can save for the future, but that drops to 37% among those earning less than $60,000.The share able to afford gas for transportation fell to 69%, down from 81% in 2025.Housing figures show some relief, alongside persistent affordability problems.Housing-related stress dropped to 19%, compared with 28% in 2024. The share of renters who can find suitable rental options rose to 63% from 51% over the same period.Yet 31% of renters cannot afford their current rent. Among people with a long-term disability, that figure reaches 51%.While 71% of renters are interested in owning a home in the future, the report identifies down-payment affordability and mortgage-payment affordability as the biggest barriers, at 60% and 50%, respectively.Safety is another major concern.Some 69% of Calgarians are concerned about the level of safety in the city, including 76% of women and 81% of people with a long-term disability..Although 67% feel safe in their neighbourhoods after dark, only 24% feel safe downtown at night. That includes 33% of men and just 15% of women.Residents are also less optimistic about Calgary’s economic outlook for the coming year. Optimism sits at 38%, down from 42% in 2025 and 50% in 2023.Pressure on household budgets coincides with weaker charitable participation.The report found 34% of Calgarians made no charitable donation in the past year, compared with 20% in 2021 and 13% in 2020. Half did not volunteer during the past year.Despite those challenges, most residents still see Calgary as a desirable place to live.Some 86% agree the city is a good place to live, while 85% say it is a good place to raise a family.Only 17% plan to leave within five years, down from 19% last year and 30% in 2021. The foundation describes that as the lowest level recorded.Calgary Foundation president and CEO Eva Friesen framed the findings as evidence of resilience amid continued pressure.“It’s what allows us to adapt, endure, and continue building a better future together,” Friesen wrote in the report.The survey was conducted by DDL Analytics, Inc. Respondents were randomly selected based on demographic quotas. The report provides a comparison margin of error of approximately three percentage points, 19 times out of 20, for a probability sample of the same size.
