CharleswoodCalgary
The neighbourhood has 5,642 residents and lies in Calgary. Of Calgary’s 152 neighbourhoods, this is one.
Is Charleswood a good place to live?
Plenty to like here, at a price. Health is a strength (A+). Overall, Charleswood earns an A, better than 87% of Canadian towns. It ranks #28 of 473 in Alberta. Buying in is costly (C−).
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety less sure: this is the whole city's figure, because the city doesn't publish open neighbourhood crime rates. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.
How Charleswood grades
Each subject compares Charleswood with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Charleswood stand out
The 3 things Charleswood does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Charleswood.
Charleswood gets an A+ for health
Adults here are more upbeat about their health than the province: 56% very good or excellent, against 53% in Alberta. Smoking takes in 7.9% of adults, age-standardised, below both Alberta’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (12%). The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Charleswood live 3.1 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km. The region’s 2022/2024 life expectancy is 83.0, with women at 85.0 and men at 80.9.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Charleswood | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 56% | 51% | 52% |
| Smokers | 7.9% | 12% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 83.0 | 81.2 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Health survey and life expectancy: the Calgary Zone
Charleswood has 21 of its 49 tested schools in the top fifth in Alberta
Within 3 km of Charleswood are 42 elementary schools, 15 secondary schools and 16 schools for every grade, teaching 33,776 students. The largest is St. Francis High School, with 2,210 students. Counting each board with a school within 3 km gives 5, above Alberta’s towns (3) and Canadian towns (3) alike. In French: 2 of the 73 schools, where in Alberta the share is 2%.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brentwood School Top fifth in AlbertaLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–6 | Elementary · Grades K–6 | 816 | English public |
| St. Francis High School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 10–12 | Secondary · Grades 10–12 | 2,210 | English Catholic |
| École de la Rose sauvage FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 7–12 | Secondary · Grades 7–12 | 402 | French public |
| Balmoral School Top fifth in AlbertaResults in the top fifth in AlbertaAll grades · Grades 5–9 | All grades · Grades 5–9 | 556 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Charleswood | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 5 | 3 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Commuters in Charleswood have a short way to work, 22 min on average, less than in Alberta’s towns and across Canadian towns
By car: that was how 78% of commuters travelled at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Charleswood | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or van | 78% | 88% | 89% |
| Average trip | 22 min | 26 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.
Measured against local pay, Charleswood costs more to live in than 82% of Canadian towns
The median home value was $600,000, higher than both Alberta’s towns ($400,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 18% of households, lower than Alberta’s towns (21%) and near Canadian towns (18%). For rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, the only official count covers all of the Calgary metro area, Charleswood included.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Charleswood | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $600,000 | $400,000 | $406,000 |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 18% | 21% | 18% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.
Hazards in Charleswood: wildfire low, radon over the guideline in 8.1% of tested homes
Shared with the rest of the Calgary Health Region: radon tests
Earthquake risk in Charleswood is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.023 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. The national flood inventory has no study of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Charleswood | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8.1% | 7.5% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.023 | $0.013 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Earthquake risk published for the city of Calgary, not by town
Charleswood is drier than 82% of Canadian towns: 445 mm of rain and snow a year
The thermometer drops below freezing on 193 days a year, near Alberta’s towns (193) and higher than Canadian towns (159). For the wettest month, look to June: 113 mm on average. March is the snowiest month, with 24 cm on average. Summer highs in Charleswood reach 23.5°C in July.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Charleswood | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation a year | 445 mm | 431 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 23.5°C | 23.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 193 | 193 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Calgary (Airport))
2,295 households and a median age of 42.3: who lives in Charleswood
People 65 and over make up 18% of the town, about level with Canadian towns (19%) and above Alberta’s towns (15%). Children under 15 make up 17% of residents.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
49.3% of Charleswood’s residents are women
Here the census found 2,785 women and 2,865 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| Charleswood | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 65% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 18% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 6.4% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 73% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Charleswood in November: highs near 4°C, lows near −8°C
About 19 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Looking ahead to December, expect highs near freezing and lows near −12°C. Precipitation in November averages 16 mm. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Calgary (Olympic Park) forecast, on the Weather page.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −1°C | −12°C | 34 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | −2°C | 108 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 9°C | 232 mm |
| Autumn | 11°C | −1°C | 71 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Calgary (Airport)); the forecast is on the Weather page
Charleswood’s MP is Corey Hogan (Liberal Party of Canada), for Calgary Confederation
Charleswood has no council of its own: it is a neighbourhood of Calgary, run by the city council.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
More loans per person served than 82% of Alberta’s town libraries: Calgary Library lends 12.7
Charleswood is served by Calgary Library, the library of all of Calgary, so the figures here are the city’s, for 1,285,711 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Charleswood gets a B− for safety
Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over the Calgary service area
Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 67 over 2023–25, lower than Alberta’s towns (110) and near Canadian towns (67). For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 10.6 violent incidents are reported each year. The force’s area logs 31.9 thefts, break-ins and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Charleswood | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 67 | 110 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 79 | 109 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 31.9 | 45 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 10.6 | 14.2 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
The nearest provincial park, Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, is 13 km from Charleswood
2 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. For a national park, Banff National Park is 74 km away. Protected areas cover 0.3% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%. The largest named area nearby is Inglewood Migratory Bird Sanctuary, 111 ha, 7.1 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Charleswood | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.3% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Charleswood keeps its older homes: 34% from before 1961
| Heritage | Charleswood | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 34% | 4.5% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Charleswood
Glenbow Museum and 21 more in and around Charleswood
Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near Charleswood, the best known first.
MuseumGlenbow Museum4.1 km outside town, to the south · 149K visitors a year (2019)
AttractionCalgary Tower4.1 km outside town, to the south
GardenPrince's Island Park2.8 km outside town, to the south
CathedralSt. Mary's Cathedral4.7 km outside town, to the south
MuseumFort Calgary4.9 km outside town, to the southeast
GardenOlympic Plaza4.1 km outside town, to the southPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Glenbow Museum: Darthrussel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Calgary Tower: Qyd, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Prince's Island Park: Scott5114, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- St. Mary's Cathedral: Dr Haggis at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fort Calgary: Thivierr, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Olympic Plaza: Resolute, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Charleswood
Neighbourhood in Calgary
Charleswood is one of Calgary’s neighbourhoods, which TownRatings draws from census dissemination areas and names from the city’s own map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 5,642 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- City
- Calgary
- Census subdivision
- 4806016
Charleswood’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleswood | 5,642 | — | A | C− | B− | A+ |
| Banff Trail | 4,175 | 1.5 | B | D− | B− | A+ |
| Brentwood | 7,369 | 1.6 | B+ | D | B− | A+ |
| Capitol Hill | 6,135 | 2 | B | D− | B− | A+ |
| University Heights | 4,031 | 2.4 | B | D− | B− | A+ |
| Mount Pleasant | 9,224 | 2.8 | A− | D | B− | A+ |
| Thorncliffe | 15,570 | 3 | B | D | B− | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).