Trust in The City improved significantly in fall 2026, reaching its highest level in several years. More than half of Calgarians report trusting The City, and perceptions of value for tax dollars have also increased. These results suggest growing confidence in municipal government and its stewardship of public resources. While trust and value perceptions continue to have room for improvement, Calgary continues to outperform other major municipalities on both measures. 

The issues most important to Calgarians remain largely unchanged. Traffic and roads continue to be the leading priority identified by residents, followed by crime, safety and policing, and homelessness, poverty and affordable housing. Transportation and safety remain top of mind, while concerns related to water infrastructure, pedestrian safety and aggressive driving saw increased attention compared with previous years, reflecting residents' continued focus on maintaining and improving essential infrastructure and community safety. 

Quality of life in Calgary remains strong and continues to improve. Calgarians increasingly view the city as a great place to make both a life and a living, and overall satisfaction with life in Calgary remains high. Optimism about Calgary's future has also strengthened, with more residents believing the city is moving in the right direction for future generations. Despite these positive trends, residents continue to take a measured view of longer-term challenges, suggesting confidence in Calgary today is accompanied by expectations for continued progress in the years ahead. 

Satisfaction with City programs and services continues to increase, with residents expressing strong appreciation for the services they receive. Perceptions of value for tax dollars have also improved compared with last year, reflecting increased confidence in The City's performance and stewardship. Support for maintaining service levels remains strong, with many Calgarians indicating a willingness to support tax increases that would help preserve or enhance the services that matter most to them. Together, these findings suggest residents value reliable municipal services and recognize their contribution to Calgary's quality of life.

Results reveal trust in Calgary’s municipal government has seen a directional improvement since fall 2025. Although the results of this are not directly comparable to past years due to questionnaire design changes, it does appear that trust is continuing its recovery from lows seen in 2024. Calgarians’ trust in The City of Calgary is primarily driven by satisfaction with how The City is being run, perception of our programs and services, their trust of information we share with them and the authenticity of City operations to do what it says.

The most top of mind issue for Calgarians continues to be ‘traffic and roads’ and ‘crime, safety and policing.’ ‘Growth and planning,’ ‘transit’ and ‘homelessness, poverty and affordable housing’ round out the top five issues. 

Spring results show perception of quality of life has increased over the past two years, showing a steady rise in satisfaction with life in Calgary today. Perceptions of Calgary as a great place to live and work also remain strong. Calgarians are more measured in their confidence for the future, with just over half believing we are on track to be a better city in the next 10 years.

The most recent data from spring 2025 also indicates overall levels of satisfaction with services is on par with the previous year, suggesting The City's efforts to maintain service quality have been effective.  

This year’s survey updates how City services are measured to better reflect Calgarians’ priorities. It assessed public-facing service areas and introduced new dimensions of service experience, time and quality, providing deeper insight. 

Looking across City services, results show stronger performance on experience and quality, with most Calgarians finding City services easy to access, reliable and helpful in supporting quality of life. Time-related scores are lower, reflecting higher expectations around service interruptions, issue communication and how quickly concerns are addressed.

Calgarians’ perceptions of the value they receive for their tax dollar has shown directional improvement compared to the same time last year, and there is a strong preference for maintaining services. Perception of value for taxes is primarily driven by Calgarians’ view of where the city is headed in the next ten years, their assessment of City performance and quality of life.