Trust in The City reaches highest level since 2018 as resident confidence grows

CALGARY – The City’s 2026 Fall Research Results are now available to the public, prior to the presentation to City Council on October 27, 2026.

The results suggest Calgarians are becoming more positive about life in Calgary and more confident in municipal government, while continuing to hold high expectations for infrastructure, safety and future growth. Quality of life, satisfaction with City services, trust in The City and perceptions of value for tax dollars all increased compared with fall 2025.

“One of the clearest findings in this year’s research is growing confidence in Calgary’s future and in The City of Calgary as its municipal government,” says Chief Administrative Officer David Duckworth. “That confidence is also reflected nationally, with Calgary outperforming comparable Canadian municipalities on key measures including quality of life, service satisfaction, trust and value for tax dollars. But greater confidence also comes with high expectations. Our responsibility is to turn that optimism into action and keep delivering for Calgarians as our city grows.”

Confidence in Calgary is improving

This year's research shows improvement across several key indicators that reflect how Calgarians feel about Calgary and municipal government.

·         77 per cent rate their quality of life as good, up from 71 per cent last year.

·         73 per cent are satisfied with City services, up from 67 per cent in fall 2025.

·         49 per cent say they receive good value for their municipal tax dollars, up from 42 per cent in fall 2025.

·         56 per cent trust The City, up from 47 per cent last year and the highest level recorded since 2018.

Trust and service satisfaction continue to rise

Trust and satisfaction showed some of the strongest gains in this year's research.

Since last fall, trust in The City increased by nine per cent (47 per cent), while dissatisfaction declined from 24 per cent to 16 per cent. Service satisfaction also improved significantly, reaching its highest level since 2019.

The findings suggest that trust grows when residents feel The City is running Calgary well, responding to community needs and working collaboratively. Perceptions of value for tax dollars are strongest when residents are satisfied with City services and believe public funds are being spent responsibly.

Calgarians continue to prioritize transportation, infrastructure and safety

While residents are expressing growing confidence in Calgary and municipal government, they continue to identify several issues they want The City to prioritize.

·         Traffic and roads remain the most frequently identified priority at 36 per cent.

·         Crime, safety and policing ranks second at 23 per cent.

·         Homelessness, poverty and affordable housing follows at 18 per cent.

·         Transit remains among the top priorities at 15 per cent.

The research also found increased mentions of pedestrian safety, water infrastructure and aggressive driving compared with previous surveys.

This year's findings suggest confidence is growing, while Calgarians remain focused on the issues that matter to them. The results suggest strong support for infrastructure investment, with 82 per cent of Calgarians agreeing now is a good time for The City to invest in new projects like roads, public transportation and local facilities. Residents recognize progress while continuing to expect visible improvements in the services and infrastructure that support Calgary's future.

Calgary outperforms other major Canadian cities

National Municipal Benchmarking results show Calgary scores above comparable municipalities on several key measures.

Compared with national benchmarks, Calgary scores:

·         8 per cent higher on quality of life

·         7 per cent higher on service satisfaction

·         12 per cent higher on trust

·         6 per cent higher on value for tax dollars

These results provide important context as many of the pressures affecting Calgarians, including affordability, growth and economic uncertainty, are also affecting municipalities across Canada.

Research helps measure Calgarians’ priorities and perceptions

The results of this representative, third-party survey, together with additional research, provide City Council with insights into Calgarians’ views on a range of issues, including quality of life, City services and Calgary’s future.

As one of the only cities in Canada to conduct biannual surveys on government performance and public sentiment, The City’s public research results also help provide ongoing accountability and transparency to Calgarians, while identifying strengths and opportunities for improvement.

The 2026 Fall Survey of Calgarians was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs from August 4, 2026 to August 28, 2026 with 2,500 Calgarians, via telephone. The survey was conducted using numbers from both cell phones (70 per cent) and landlines (30 per cent) to obtain a random and statistically representative sample of Calgarians with a margin of error ± 2.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The 2026 Fall Survey of Calgarians report as well as other research can be found at calgary.ca/insights.  The fall survey presentation will be available on October 27.

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