SunaltaCalgary
It is one of the 152 neighbourhoods that make up Calgary. 4,151 people live in this neighbourhood in Calgary.
Is Sunalta a good place to live?
Sunalta does the important things well, at a cost. Health is where it shines (A+). Schools are a strength too (A+). Buying in is costly (D−). Overall, that makes a B+, good for #171 of 473 in Alberta. Nationally, it does better than two thirds 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.
How Sunalta grades
Each subject compares Sunalta 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 Sunalta stand out
The 3 things Sunalta does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sunalta.
Renting in Sunalta eats 34% of household income, more than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns
Owners put the median home at $532,000, above Alberta’s towns ($400,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000) alike. Shelter took 30% or more of income for nearly a third of households, above both Alberta’s towns (21%) and 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, Sunalta included.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Sunalta | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 34% | 20% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 32% | 21% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $532,000 | $400,000 | $406,000 |
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.
For health, Sunalta is ahead of 98% of Canadian towns
Smokers make up 7.9% of the region’s adults, lower than both Alberta’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (12%). Across the region, 56% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; Alberta as a whole manages 53%. Women in the region live to 85.0 and men to 80.9, 83.0 years taken together (2022/2024). Measured from where Sunalta’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 0.9 km away, under the typical 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Sunalta | 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 · Data for health survey and life expectancy covers the Calgary Zone
Around Sunalta, 24 of 51 schools with results rank among the top fifth in Alberta
Outside the public system: 21 of 74 schools, where in Alberta it is 14%. Western Canada High School is the biggest, at 2,230 students. Schooling here is split between 6 boards, higher than both Alberta’s towns (3) and Canadian towns (3). Of the 74, one teaches in French (2% of schools in Alberta).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| King George SchoolLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–5 | Elementary · Grades K–5 | 650 | 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 | Sunalta | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 6 | 3 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Household incomes in Sunalta are lower than in 71% of Canadian towns
The commute to work averages 27 min.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Sunalta | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 27 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.
Sunalta is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by Government of Alberta
Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Calgary Health Region
Radon around Sunalta is ordinary for Canada: nearly a tenth of tested homes over the guideline (6.6% typical). Seismic risk in Sunalta sits near the middle: $0.023 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Sunalta | 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: one figure for all of the city of Calgary
Dry weather: only 445 mm of rain and snow a year falls on Sunalta, less than on 82% of Canadian towns
Summer highs in Sunalta reach 23.5°C in July. Frosty days number 193 in a normal year, close to Alberta’s towns (193) and above Canadian towns (159). For the wettest month, look to June: 113 mm on average. Frost usually lifts by 21 May and returns around 18 September: 119 days without it.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Sunalta | 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))
A median age of 34.8: Sunalta is younger than nine in ten Canadian towns
Visible minorities make up 32% of the population, above Alberta’s towns (29%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. 3.3% of residents have an Indigenous identity, lower than Alberta’s towns (4.6%) yet higher than Canadian towns (2.8%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
48.7% of Sunalta’s residents are women
2,125 men and 2,015 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.
| Sunalta | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 81% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 7.5% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 8.7% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 69% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Sunalta runs from −8°C to 4°C
Over the year, July is warmest at 24°C by day and January coldest at −14°C by night. Looking ahead to December, expect highs near freezing and lows near −12°C. A normal November brings 16 mm of rain and snow. A typical November adds 19 cm of snow.
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
Sunalta sends Greg McLean (Conservative Party of Canada) to the Commons from Calgary Centre
Because the Legislative Assembly of Alberta’s boundaries come with non-commercial terms, this page doesn’t say which riding Sunalta is in.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Calgary Library lends 12.7 items per person served, more than four in five Alberta’s town libraries
The library figures on this page are Calgary’s: Calgary Library serves all 1,285,711 people of the city, Sunalta among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Sunalta earns a B− for safety
Measured across the Calgary service area: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000
The index for the force that serves it came to 67, below Alberta’s towns (110) and close to Canadian towns (67). For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 10.6 violent incidents are reported each year. Across its police area, there are 31.9 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Sunalta | 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, Fish Creek Provincial Park, is 11 km from Sunalta
One beach is mapped within 5 km: Trout Beach. The largest is Inglewood Migratory Bird Sanctuary: 111 ha, 5.7 km from the edge of town. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 0.6% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town. For a national park, Banff National Park is 77 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Sunalta | 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 Sunalta
Truck Contemporary Art and 44 more in and around Sunalta
Sights in Sunalta and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
MuseumGlenbow Museum2.3 km outside town, to the east · 149K visitors a year (2019)
AttractionCalgary Tower2.2 km outside town, to the east
ZooCalgary Zoo4.3 km outside town, to the east
MuseumTelus Spark Science Centre4.9 km outside town, to the east · 380K visitors a year
CathedralSt. Mary's Cathedral2 km outside town, to the southeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Glenbow Museum: Darthrussel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Calgary Tower: Qyd, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Calgary Zoo: Qyd, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Telus Spark Science Centre: CharlesAPhillips63, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St. Mary's Cathedral: Dr Haggis at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Sunalta
Neighbourhood in Calgary
The edges of Sunalta follow census dissemination areas, which TownRatings groups into Calgary’s neighbourhoods; the name comes from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 4,151 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- City
- Calgary
- Census subdivision
- 4806016
Sunalta’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunalta | 4,151 | — | B+ | D− | B− | A+ |
| Bankview | 5,610 | 0.8 | B+ | D | B− | A+ |
| Lower Mount Royal | 3,136 | 1.2 | B+ | D | B− | A+ |
| South Calgary | 4,412 | 1.3 | A− | D | B− | A+ |
| Downtown West End | 2,796 | 1.4 | A− | D | B− | A+ |
| Upper Mount Royal | 2,758 | 1.5 | A+ | B− | B− | A+ |
| Richmond | 4,811 | 1.5 | A | C− | B− | A+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Sunalta
Is Sunalta a young town or an old one?
The typical resident is 34.8 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 8% of the population and under-15s at 12%.
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).