Spruce CliffCalgary
Some 6,691 people live in this neighbourhood, in Calgary. Calgary is split into 152 neighbourhoods, and this is one.
Is Spruce Cliff a good place to live?
Spruce Cliff’s standout strength is health (A+). The trade-off is cost of living (D−). Jobs & income is weaker too (C−). Put together, the subjects come to a B+ overall, ranking #179 of 473 in Alberta. Set against the rest, it does better than 66% of Canadian towns.
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.
What makes Spruce Cliff stand out
The 3 things Spruce Cliff does most differently from other towns.
How Spruce Cliff grades
Each subject compares Spruce Cliff 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 →
Glenbow Museum and 34 more in and around Spruce Cliff
A first look at Spruce Cliff’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
MuseumGlenbow Museum3.6 km outside town, to the east · 149K visitors a year (2019)
AttractionCalgary Tower3.4 km outside town, to the southeast
CathedralSt. Mary's Cathedral3.2 km outside town, to the southeast
GardenPrince's Island Park3.2 km outside town, to the east
MuseumFort Calgary4.7 km outside town, to the east
GardenOlympic Plaza3.7 km outside town, to the eastPhotos: 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
- St. Mary's Cathedral: Dr Haggis at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Prince's Island Park: Scott5114, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Fort Calgary: Thivierr, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Olympic Plaza: Resolute, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Spruce Cliff.
Rent takes more of local pay in Spruce Cliff than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 31% of household income
30% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, higher than both Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). Owners put the median home at $600,000, above both Alberta’s towns ($400,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000). Spruce Cliff doesn’t get its own rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom figures; the ones here come from the Calgary metro area.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Spruce Cliff | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 31% | 20% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 30% | 21% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $600,000 | $400,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.
Spruce Cliff scores better for health than 97% of Canadian towns
Shared with the rest of the Calgary Zone: health survey and life expectancy
Statistics Canada puts life expectancy at 83.0, higher than both Alberta’s towns (81.2) and Canadian towns (81.5); by contrast, the region has fewer smokers than Alberta, 7.9% of adults to 11%. Still, the survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 56%, ahead of the 53% for Alberta. Closer to home, a hospital is just 1.6 km from the average resident of Spruce Cliff, nearer than the usual 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Spruce Cliff | 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
Around Spruce Cliff, 29 of 62 schools with results rank among the top fifth in Alberta
In or within 3 km of Spruce Cliff: 41 elementary schools, 17 secondary schools and 22 schools for every grade, with 27,770 students. The largest is Western Canada High School, with 2,230 students. Counting each board with a school within 3 km gives 7, higher than both Alberta’s towns (3) and Canadian towns (3). One of the 80 teaches in French, against 2% of schools in Alberta.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westgate School Second fifth in AlbertaLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–6 | Elementary · Grades K–6 | 608 | English public |
| Western Canada High SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 10–12 | Secondary · Grades 10–12 | 2,230 | English public |
| École Sainte-Marguerite-Bourgeoys FrenchTeaches in FrenchAll grades · Grades K–9 | All grades · Grades K–9 | 481 | French public |
| Altadore School Top fifth in AlbertaResults in the top fifth in AlbertaElementary · Grades K–6 | Elementary · Grades K–6 | 355 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Spruce Cliff | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 7 | 3 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
A smaller share of people aged 15 to 64 are in work in Spruce Cliff than in 77% of Canadian towns
Driving is how 79% of commuters got to work at the census. Commutes averaged 25 min, near both Alberta’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Spruce Cliff | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or van | 79% | 88% | 89% |
| Average trip | 25 min | 26 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Spruce Cliff is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by Government of Alberta
Area-wide: earthquake risk, counted over the city of Calgary
Radon is about average around Spruce Cliff: 8.1% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Seismic risk in Spruce Cliff sits near the middle: $0.023 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. For radon tests, the only official count covers all of the Calgary Health Region, Spruce Cliff included.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Spruce Cliff | 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 Spruce Cliff, less than on 82% of Canadian towns
Between the last spring frost, 21 May, and the first in autumn, 18 September, lie 119 days. Rain and snow peak in June, at 113 mm. The warmest stretch brings July afternoons of 23.5°C, near Alberta’s towns (23.5°C) and lower than Canadian towns (25.5°C). March is the snowiest month, with 24 cm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Spruce Cliff | 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))
More of Spruce Cliff belongs to a visible minority than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 37%
Children under 15 make up 16%, below Alberta’s towns (18%) and close to Canadian towns (16%). 16% of residents have reached 65.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 52.5% of Spruce Cliff
Here the census found 3,500 women and 3,170 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| Spruce Cliff | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 68% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 16% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 9.8% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 68% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Spruce Cliff runs from −8°C to 4°C
About 19 cm of snow falls in a normal November. November normally sees 16 mm of precipitation. Then December: freezing by day, −12°C at night. 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
Spruce Cliff votes in 2 federal ridings, led by Calgary Signal Hill and Calgary Centre
Spruce Cliff’s riding for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta can’t be shown, because the province’s boundary file is licensed for non-commercial use only.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Each person Calgary Library serves borrows 12.7 items, more than at 82% of Alberta’s town libraries
Calgary Library serves the whole of Calgary, so the library figures on this page are the city’s: 1,285,711 people, Spruce Cliff among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Spruce Cliff earns a B− for safety
The index for the force that serves it came to 67, about level with Canadian towns (67) and below Alberta’s towns (110). Its police area records 10.6 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 31.9 property crimes are reported each year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Spruce Cliff | 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 11 km from Spruce Cliff
74 km separate the town from Banff National Park, its nearest national park. Protected areas cover 0.6% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%. Biggest among them: Inglewood Migratory Bird Sanctuary, 111 ha, 6.9 km off. Within 10 km are 2 protected areas.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Spruce Cliff | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.6% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Spruce Cliff
Spruce Cliff’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spruce Cliff | 6,691 | — | B+ | D− | B− | A+ |
| Wildwood | 4,177 | 1.1 | A | C− | B− | A+ |
| Rosscarrock | 3,862 | 1.1 | B | D− | B− | A+ |
| West Hillhurst | 10,319 | 1.5 | A | C− | B− | A+ |
| Killarney/Glengarry | 7,935 | 1.5 | A | D | B− | A+ |
| Westgate | 3,139 | 1.8 | A− | D | B− | A+ |
| Sunalta | 4,151 | 2.3 | B+ | D− | B− | A+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
About Spruce Cliff
Neighbourhood in Calgary
No official boundary marks Spruce Cliff off from the rest of Calgary: TownRatings draws it from the census’s dissemination areas and takes its name from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 6,691 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- City
- Calgary
- Census subdivision
- 4806016
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).