Home to over 1 million people of varying cultural backgrounds, Edmonton, Alberta's capital city is North America's northernmost city with a population of its size. Edmonton is a great city to live, study, work, and play.
Living in Edmonton provides great value for money with lower monthly rent than Calgary, another major city in Alberta. While, oil and gas is the key industry, there are other great working opportunities in education, police services, health & medical, and government.
Looking to make the move to Alberta's capital? Follow along for a breakdown of everything from cost of living, transportation, weather, best schools, and best neighbourhoods Edmonton has to offer.
Cost of Living
Living in Edmonton is generally less expensive and has its perks when it comes to rental pricing. Rent is on average 4.9 per cent lower than in Calgary, another major city in Alberta.
Rent in Edmonton is affordable, as two-bedroom rental apartments typically range from $800 to $2,000 a month, depending on location and size. Multifamily dwellings like two- and three-bedroom homes, like Delton Townhomes can be rented for about $1,400 a month or more, where many families reside in a bustling family-oriented community.
Work in Edmonton
Edmonton offers many opportunities for work across a variety of different sectors. It is most known for its oil and gas industry, due to its access to the world's third largest proven oil reserves and Alberta's natural gas deposits. It's also home to many of Alberta's top employers across other disciplines, like education, police services, health & medical, and government.
Lenita Manor is a great place to live in Queen Mary Park, a great community to live in if you work at the Royal Alexandra Hospital due to its proximity.
Edmonton's latest growing industry is its tech sector, which has seen a 26 per cent increase in jobs since 2014, ranking 10th for tech talent, compared to other Canadian cities, according to the CBRE.
Recreation
Edmonton is known as Canada's Festival City, and for good reason. The festivities never seem to stop, with over 50 festivals scheduled each year. From craft beer, to film, to theatre, there is something for everyone. Did you know? Edmonton is home to North America's largest and oldest fringe festival, the Edmonton Fringe Festival.
Edmonton is known to go big. Alberta's capital is also home to the largest mall in North America. The West Edmonton Mall features over 800 stores, two hotels, nine attractions, and over 100 dining venues. It also employs more than 24,000 workers. If you're employed at the West Edmonton Mall, the Jasper Place community, with buildings like Normandy and Cloverdale, is a great place to live close to work.
Edmontonians are truly passionate about their hockey. The Edmonton Oilers 18,500 capacity venue, Rogers Place, is also host to other events including concerts. If hockey is not your sport, the city is also home to the Edmonton Eskimo's Canadian Football League franchise, and FC Edmonton, a soccer team founded in 2010, now part of the recently founded Canadian Premier League since 2019.
Edmonton will also play host to FIFA World Cup 2026 matches at Commonwealth Stadium, in a first for the competition that will feature games played in Canada, the United States, and Mexico as joint host countries.
Experience beautiful views and outdoor activities just four hours west of Edmonton in Jasper National Park. Enjoy watersports, hiking, walking, biking, climbing and much more in the summer. If you're into snow sports, look no further than Marmot Basin, an alpine ski resort located in Jasper National Park. Edmonton is also home to three smaller ski areas, Rabbit Hill Snow Resort, Sunridge Ski Area, and Snow Valley Ski Area, all open throughout the winter.
Schools
Edmonton is home to some of the best post-secondary institutions in Canada. Amongst many specialized post-secondary institutions, three highly rated schools, MacEwan University, NAIT, and the University of Alberta, obtain admissions from around the world.
MacEwan University offers more than 65 programs focused on a collaborative learning model. The University of Alberta is one of Canada's top universities known for its public research, and reputation in humanities, sciences, creative arts, business engineering, and health sciences.
NAIT, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, is a polytechnic and applied sciences institute, utilizing hands-on learning and technical training so graduates have the skills they need to enter the workplace immediately.
Travel to all these institutions is easy with Edmonton's LRT, therefore living nearby an LRT station will allow for stress-free commutes. As a student resident of Avenue Living Communities, you can save up to $100 per month on rent, and sign shorter leases that fits your time in education. If you're a student of NAIT the communities of Westwood and Eastwood are a perfect fit. While living in Queen Mary Park or Central McDougall is perfect for students of MacEwan University.
Weather
If you love the sun, Edmonton is the city for you. Relax on your balcony and spend time in all the great parks Edmonton has to offer. Kinnaird Park is particularly beautiful, which is located moments away from our Linda Manor property.
Alberta is known as Canada's sunniest province, with Edmonton ranking as Canada's second sunniest city, just behind Calgary. On average, Edmonton experiences 325 sunny days per year. It also enjoys a dry climate, with little to no humidity.
Although the sun is always shining, that doesn't mean it is always warm. Edmonton has cold winters, with an average low of –11 to –17 C in winter. Snowfall greater than 1 cm occurs for about 141 days each year. However, with fun winter events like snowshoeing at Elk Island National Park, skiing in Jasper National Park, and winter festivals like Deep Freeze: A Byzantine Winter Festival, you'll hardly notice the cold while you're enjoying the snow.
Demographics
Many new Canadians make the move to Edmonton, accounting for 30 per cent of residents.
Alberta's capital has seen annual change of 2.49 per cent in population since 2015. It is currently estimated 1.4 million people live in Edmonton, with a projected growth of 1.6 million by 2025. Now is the time to make your move.
Neighbourhoods
There are 375 neighbourhoods in Edmonton to choose from. Which neighbourhoods would be best suited for you?
Jasper Place is a historic neighbourhood that merged with Edmonton in 1964. It's particularly good for those who are employed at the West Edmonton Mall.
For those employed at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Queen Mary Park is best suited for a walking commute in as little as 10 minutes. This neighbourhood, along with Central McDougall, is also suited for students due to its proximity to MacEwan University, but also students of NAIT, as the Kingsway/Royal Alex LRT station is a short walk away.
Properties in Cromdale are great for those wanting outdoor adventure just outside the front door, as this community backs onto Kinnaird Park and is steps away from amazing trails along the North Saskatchewan River.
If you want to live outside of the central neighbourhoods in Edmonton, Avenue Living Communities has rental opportunities in Terrace Heights, Kenilworth, and Sherwood Park, all east of Edmonton.
If Edmonton is the city for your next rental, view all of our properties in the city and find the one that suites you.