Positive perceptions of Calgary’s economy and the city as a place to live, work and do business have risen dramatically despite ongoing economic uncertainty, according to research conducted by Stone-Olafson.
The survey asked business leaders and employed individuals in Toronto/Mississauga, Kitchener/Waterloo, Vancouver, Seattle, Silicon Valley and Denver about their impressions of Calgary.
Rising confidence in Calgary’s economy and opportunities
Those who think Calgary has a diverse economy increased 22 per cent from last year, while those who see Calgary as a place to build a career increased 20 per cent and those who view Calgary as a good place to do business increased 11 per cent.
Overall favourability of Calgary rose 10 per cent, driven by positive perceptions of quality of life, economy, culture and community with respondents seeing Calgary as a vibrant, optimistic and innovative city.
Calgary gaining ground as a top relocation destination
Calgary is also the most favoured destination for American talent to relocate to in Canada and tied for second with Toronto among Canadian talent. Vancouver remains the top choice for Canadian talent.
Overall, 73 per cent of respondents in Canada and the U.S. said they would consider a move to Calgary compared to 54 per cent last year.
“This research backs up what we’ve known for years — Calgary is great place to build a business or start a career,” said Brad Parry, President and CEO of Calgary Economic Development and CEO of Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund.
“Everything from our economy to our arts and culture scene and quality of life are diverse, dynamic and world class. We’ve been telling this story for years and now we see it increasingly resonating with external audiences.”
Targeted marketing campaign strengthens Calgary’s brand across North America
In 2025, Calgary Economic Development launched a marketing campaign under Calgary’s new civic brand — Blue Sky City.
Stone-Olafson also conducted research to determine the effectiveness of the campaign and found that three-quarters of respondents agree it created a positive impression of the city. Additionally, 95 per cent of those who saw the ads in market had a favourable impression of Calgary versus 79 per cent who did not see any ads.
“Typically, perceptions of Calgary have been much more subdued due to lack of familiarity and negatively impacted by economic or geopolitical news,” said Mathew Stone, Partner at Stone-Olafson.
“To see positive perceptions increase amid global economic and trade uncertainty indicates that Calgary’s brand and messaging are cutting through the noise and resonating with target audiences.”
“While these are great results and show we are well-positioned for continued economic growth, we need to remain top of mind for companies, capital and talent,” said Parry.
“We remain in a highly competitive landscape and we need to keep telling our story to reinforce these perceptions.”
Stone-Olafson has been commissioned by Calgary Economic Development to conduct this research since 2014. This year’s online survey was completed by 728 employed individuals and 348 business leaders from November 17 to November 25. Since this is a non-random sample, a margin of error is not possible; however, an approximate margin of error associated with a random sample of this size is +/- 2.99 per cent.