SunnysideCalgary
The neighbourhood, home to 2,976 people, lies in Calgary. It is one of 152 neighbourhoods of Calgary.
Is Sunnyside a good place to live?
People here tend to be in good health (A+). Add walkability to its strengths (A+). The trade-off is cost of living (D−). Put together, the subjects come to an A− overall, ranking #117 of 473 in Alberta. Set against the rest, it does better than three quarters of Canadian towns. The rest of its grades are middling: B− for safety and B for jobs & income.
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 Sunnyside stand out
The 3 things Sunnyside does most differently from other towns.
How Sunnyside grades
Each subject compares Sunnyside 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 42 more in and around Sunnyside
Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near Sunnyside, the best known first.
MuseumGlenbow Museum900 m outside town, to the south · 149K visitors a year (2019)
AttractionCalgary Tower900 m outside town, to the south
ZooCalgary Zoo2.2 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumTelus Spark Science Centre2.7 km outside town, to the southeast · 380K visitors a year
GardenPrince's Island Park200 m outside town, to the southeast
CathedralSt. Mary's Cathedral1.7 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
- Calgary Zoo: Qyd, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Telus Spark Science Centre: CharlesAPhillips63, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sunnyside.
Renting in Sunnyside eats 31% of household income, more than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns
The median home value was $572,000, above both Alberta’s towns ($400,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 33% of households, above both Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). Sunnyside shares its rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom numbers with the rest of the Calgary metro area.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Sunnyside | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 31% | 20% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 33% | 21% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $572,000 | $400,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.
Health in Sunnyside beats 97% of Canadian towns
Measured across the Calgary Zone: health survey and life expectancy
In the health survey, 56% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, more than Alberta’s 53%. On average 16% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, below Alberta’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (17%) alike. A baby born in the region can expect 83.0 years, 85.0 for a girl and 80.9 for a boy (2022/2024). The region has fewer smokers than Alberta, 7.9% of adults to 11%.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Sunnyside | 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
7 boards run the schools in and around Sunnyside
Within 3 km of Sunnyside are 27 elementary schools, 17 secondary schools and 20 schools for every grade, teaching 30,755 students. Results lean high: 23 of 41 in the top two fifths in Alberta. The Gilbertine Academy is the biggest, at 6,218 students. One of the 64 teaches in French, against 2% of schools in Alberta.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| King George SchoolLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–5 | Elementary · Grades K–5 | 650 | English public |
| The Gilbertine Academy CatholicLargest secondary schoolAll grades · Grades K–12 | All grades · Grades K–12 | 6,218 | Independent |
| 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 | Sunnyside | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 5 | 3 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Flood mapping exists for Sunnyside: 1 on record, latest by Government of Alberta
Area-wide: earthquake risk, counted over the city of Calgary
Sunnyside’s survey area, 8.1% over the radon guideline, is close to the typical town’s 6.6%. NRCan expects $0.023 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings here, near the typical $0.030. For radon tests, the only official count covers all of the Calgary Health Region, Sunnyside included.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Sunnyside | 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
Working-age people in Sunnyside have jobs more often than in 80% of Canadian towns
Commutes averaged 24 min, below both Alberta’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Sunnyside | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 24 min | 26 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.
Dry weather: only 445 mm of rain and snow a year falls on Sunnyside, less than on 82% of Canadian towns
July afternoons in Sunnyside average 23.5°C. The thermometer drops below freezing on 193 days a year, about level with Alberta’s towns (193) and above Canadian towns (159). June is the wettest month, with 113 mm of rain and snow on average. Snow peaks in March: 24 cm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Sunnyside | 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))
21% of Sunnyside’s residents belong to a visible minority (Alberta’s towns: 29%; Canadian towns: 15%)
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 4% of residents, below Alberta’s towns (4.6%) but above 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
50.8% of Sunnyside’s residents are women
In 2021 there were 1,515 women to 1,465 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.
| Sunnyside | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 10% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 80% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 9.1% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 5.2% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 77% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Expect November days around 4°C in Sunnyside, nights around −8°C
By December, a normal day reaches freezing and a night falls to −12°C. About 19 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 16 mm. 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
Corey Hogan (Liberal Party of Canada) holds Calgary Confederation, the riding that includes Sunnyside
Across Alberta, 33 of the 37 MPs sit with the Conservative Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
At 12.7 loans per person served, Calgary Library lends more than 82% of Alberta’s town libraries
The library figures on this page are Calgary’s: Calgary Library serves all 1,285,711 people of the city, Sunnyside among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Sunnyside is graded a B− for safety
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). Violent crime in the area its police cover: 10.6 per 1,000 people a year. Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 31.9 per 1,000 residents a year where it is policed. Behind Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 sits data gathered across the Calgary service area, with Sunnyside one part of it.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Sunnyside | 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
Fish Creek Provincial Park is 13 km from Sunnyside
Inglewood Migratory Bird Sanctuary (111 ha) is the biggest, 3.9 km from town. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 0.4% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town. The closest of Canada’s national parks is Banff National Park, at 78 km. 2 protected areas lie within 10 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Sunnyside | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.4% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Sunnyside’s past, on the record: 1 historic place
Before 1961 is when 24% of the homes went up, above both Alberta’s towns (4.5%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Sunnyside | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 24% | 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 Sunnyside
Sunnyside’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyside | 2,976 | — | A− | D− | B− | A+ |
| Rosedale | 2,507 | 0.6 | A− | D | B− | A+ |
| Eau Claire | 3,733 | 0.7 | A− | D | B− | A+ |
| Downtown Commercial Core | 9,286 | 0.9 | B | D | B− | A+ |
| Downtown West End | 2,796 | 1.2 | A− | D | B− | A+ |
| Hillhurst | 8,435 | 1.3 | A− | D | B− | A+ |
| Crescent Heights | 6,411 | 1.4 | B+ | D− | B− | A+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Sunnyside
Is Sunnyside a young town or an old one?
35.1 is the median age, 45.2 the median among Canadian towns; 9% of residents are 65 or over and 10% under 15.
About Sunnyside
Neighbourhood in Calgary
Sunnyside 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
- 2,976 (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).