SouthwoodCalgary
In Calgary, this neighbourhood has 6,092 residents. Of Calgary’s 152 neighbourhoods, this is one.
Is Southwood a good place to live?
The picture is mixed. Southwood grades B overall, better than 65% of Canadian towns. Its place in the ranking is #190 of 473 in Alberta. On health it is strong (A+). Add walkability to its strengths (A+). Housing is expensive (D). Work and incomes lag (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 Southwood grades
Each subject compares Southwood 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 Southwood stand out
The 3 things Southwood does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Southwood.
Southwood’s grade for health: an A+
Closer to home, a hospital sits 3.9 km from the average resident of Southwood, about the norm of 3.7 km. By their own account, 56% of adults here are in very good or excellent health, above Alberta’s towns (51%) and Canadian towns (52%) alike. On top of that, women in the region live to 85.0 and men to 80.9, 83.0 years taken together (2022/2024). The region has fewer smokers than Alberta, 7.9% of adults to 11%. For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the Calgary Zone, Southwood included.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Southwood | 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
Renting in Southwood eats 28% of household income, more than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns
24% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, above both Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). Home ownership covers 56% of households.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Southwood | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 28% | 20% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 56% | 74% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 24% | 21% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $448,000 | $400,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: one figure for all of the Calgary metro area
Schools in Southwood: 4 boards, side by side
26,075 students attend the 34 elementary schools, 8 secondary schools and 16 schools for every grade in or within 3 km of Southwood. The largest is Lord Beaverbrook High School, with 2,059 students. Results are mixed: 19 of 38 schools above the middle in Alberta, 13 below it. Of the 58, 2 teach in French (2% of schools in Alberta).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Middle School Campus Top fifth in AlbertaLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades 5–8 | Elementary · Grades 5–8 | 728 | Other |
| Lord Beaverbrook High SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 10–12 | Secondary · Grades 10–12 | 2,059 | English public |
| École de la Source FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades K–6 | Elementary · Grades K–6 | 212 | French public |
| Andrew Sibbald School Top fifth in AlbertaResults in the top fifth in AlbertaElementary · Grades K–5 | Elementary · Grades K–5 | 310 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Southwood | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Working-age people in Southwood have jobs less often than in 78% of Canadian towns
Commutes averaged 27 min, near both Alberta’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Southwood | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 27 min | 26 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Southwood’s hazards at a glance: a low wildfire record and 8.1% of area homes over the radon guideline
Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Calgary Health Region
For earthquakes Southwood is middling, $0.023 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. The national flood inventory has no study of the town. Figures for earthquake risk are published for the city of Calgary as a whole, not for Southwood alone.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Southwood | 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
Dry weather: only 445 mm of rain and snow a year falls on Southwood, less than on 82% of Canadian towns
Between the last spring frost, 21 May, and the first in autumn, 18 September, lie 119 days. A normal June brings 113 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. The warmest stretch brings July afternoons of 23.5°C, close to Alberta’s towns (23.5°C) and below Canadian towns (25.5°C). Most of the snow comes in March, about 24 cm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Southwood | 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))
Southwood has fewer older residents than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 14% are 65 or over
16% are under 15, about level with Canadian towns (16%) and below Alberta’s towns (18%). Visible minorities make up 28% of the population, close to Alberta’s towns (29%) and above Canadian towns (15%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
50.1% of Southwood’s residents are women
In 2021 there were 3,055 women to 3,045 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.
| Southwood | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 71% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 14% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 54% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
What November brings in Southwood: −8°C at night, 4°C by day
About 19 cm of snow falls in a normal November. By December, a normal day reaches freezing and a night falls to −12°C. A normal November brings 16 mm of rain and snow. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Calgary forecast.
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
Shuvaloy Majumdar (Conservative Party of Canada) represents Southwood in Ottawa as MP for Calgary Heritage
The Conservative Party of Canada has 33 of the 37 MPs elected in Alberta.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
More loans per person served than 82% of Alberta’s town libraries: Calgary Public Library lends 12.7
The library figures on this page are Calgary’s: Calgary Public Library serves all 1,285,711 people of the city, Southwood among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Southwood’s grade for safety: a B−
Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 67 over 2023–25, about level with Canadian towns (67) and below Alberta’s towns (110). Violence across its police area runs at 10.6 per 1,000 residents a year. Property crime in the area its police cover: 31.9 per 1,000 people a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Southwood | 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 · Area behind the Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures: the Calgary service area
Fish Creek Provincial Park is 1.5 km from Southwood
The nearest national park is Banff National Park, 81 km away. Of the land within 10 km, 4% has protected status, above both Alberta’s towns (0.4%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). CPCAD lists 3 protected areas within 10 km. Within 5 km lie 8 beaches, unnamed on the map.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Southwood | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 4% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 3 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Southwood
Heritage Park Historical Village and 9 more in and around Southwood
Sights in Southwood and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
MuseumHeritage Park Historical Village2.4 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumGasoline Alley2 km outside town, to the northArt galleryArt galleryTaytayski Gallery & Studio3.8 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumTsuut'ina Culture Museum4.4 km outside town, to the westArt galleryArt galleryDean Miller Fine Arts Gallery4.6 km outside town, to the northeastHeritage railwayHeritage railwayCP 7019 and caboose1.5 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Heritage Park Historical Village: Qyd, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
About Southwood
Neighbourhood in Calgary
Statistics Canada counts Calgary as one municipality, so TownRatings builds Southwood and its other neighbourhoods from census dissemination areas, named from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 6,092 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- City
- Calgary
- Census subdivision
- 4806016
Southwood’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwood | 6,092 | — | B | D | B− | A+ |
| Canyon Meadows | 6,751 | 1.3 | A− | C− | B− | A |
| Braeside | 5,706 | 1.5 | B+ | D | B− | A+ |
| Haysboro | 7,222 | 2 | B+ | D− | B− | A+ |
| Woodlands | 5,391 | 2.2 | B+ | D | B− | A |
| Palliser | 4,987 | 2.2 | B+ | D− | B− | A+ |
| Willow Park | 6,891 | 2.5 | A− | C− | 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).