Calgary's growth between 2011 and 2019 was extraordinarily concentrated.The ten fastest-growing communities added 73,116 residents between them.
The fastest-growing community grew more than fourteenfold.Mahogany went from 788 residents in 2011 to 11,748 in 2019.
Established communities were losing population at the same time.62 of 182 communities recorded a lower population in 2019 than in 2011, even as the city as a whole grew.
Calgary stopped counting in 2019.The City discontinued its annual civic census after 2019, so this is the most recent community-level population record available from that source.

The Local Read

This is the data behind something buyers feel but cannot always name: two communities can be ten minutes apart and be at completely different points in their life. The new ones on the edge doubled and doubled again, and they are still absorbing that — which is exactly why they carry more listings and take longer to sell today. The established ones lost people quietly, mostly because the children grew up and left, and those are the areas where a family moving in now gets a bigger lot and a shorter commute than the price suggests.

— Crystal Tost, REALTOR®, Calgary real estate since 1997

Growth

The fastest-growing Calgary communities

Population change between the 2011 and 2019 civic censuses, for communities with at least 500 residents at the start.

Calgary communities by population growth, 2011–2019.
Community	Population 2011	Population 2019	Change	Dwellings 2019
Mahogany	788	11,748	+1391%	4,321
Walden	594	6,194	+943%	2,328
Skyview Ranch	1,803	11,664	+547%	4,007
Sage Hill	1,425	7,884	+453%	3,098
Auburn Bay	5,769	17,547	+204%	6,026
Evanston	5,889	17,566	+198%	5,561
Sherwood	2,109	6,235	+196%	2,068
Aspen Woods	4,520	9,396	+108%	3,060
Chinatown	1,269	2,441	+92%	1,989
Copperfield	7,162	13,769	+92%	4,969
Cranston	10,831	19,850	+83%	7,065
New Brighton	7,314	13,079	+79%	4,320
Silverado	4,337	7,615	+76%	2,583
Saddle Ridge	13,388	22,114	+65%	6,076
Manchester	669	1,025	+53%	659

Decline

The communities that lost population

Population decline in an established community usually reflects household composition rather than abandonment: the same houses hold fewer people as children move out. It is a signal about the stage of a neighbourhood's life, not its desirability.

Calgary communities with the largest population decline, 2011–2019.
Community	Population 2011	Population 2019	Change	Dwellings 2019
Altadore	8,907	6,903	-22%	3,214
Greenview	1,956	1,676	-14%	1,120
Southview	2,063	1,805	-13%	837
Sundance	10,623	9,721	-8%	3,424
Britannia	746	685	-8%	313
Macewan Glen	5,138	4,754	-7%	1,786
Scenic Acres	8,710	8,064	-7%	2,928
Deer Run	5,390	5,014	-7%	2,111
Hawkwood	9,898	9,215	-7%	3,334
Elboya	1,747	1,639	-6%	771
Hamptons	7,843	7,373	-6%	2,478
Riverbend	9,749	9,205	-6%	3,474

How this was made

Methodology

Data source: City of Calgary Open Data, historical community populations from the civic census. Compiled by CalgaryListings Group.
Period: Records run from 1968 to 2019. The comparison here uses 2011 to 2019.
Why it ends in 2019: The City of Calgary discontinued its annual civic census after 2019. No later community-level count from that source exists. Federal census data is collected on a different basis and is not spliced onto this series.
Minimum size: Communities with fewer than 500 residents at the start of the period are excluded, because percentage changes on very small bases are misleading.
Limitations: Civic census counts are point-in-time and communities are occasionally re-bounded, which can affect comparability over long periods. Population change is not a proxy for house prices and is not presented as one.

Cite this data

Free to cite and quote. Attribution appreciated, no link required.

Report: Calgary Community Growth
Reporting period: 2011–2019
Underlying source: City of Calgary civic census records
URL: https://www.calgarylistings.com/calgary-community-growth/

Suggested attribution:

CalgaryListings Group analysis of City of Calgary civic census records, Calgary Community Growth (2011–2019).
https://www.calgarylistings.com/calgary-community-growth/

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