1. CHESTERMERE
Chestermere is a laidback lakeside community 20 minutes east of Calgary, perfect for outdoor recreation enthusiasts, nature lovers, and those wanting everyday to feel like a vacation. You'll find metropolitan convenience combined with a peaceful suburban lifestyle all set in the rolling hills.
The city has a population of 24,649, a majority of residents being between the ages of 40-60, with children being second to that. The area attracts many young families due to the new infrastructure, small-town atmosphere, and relaxed friendly vibe.
Chestermere Lake is 4.8km long, with tranquil promenades, 3 parks, and 2 beaches along its shores. Some of these parks feature playgrounds, fire pits, beach volleyball courts, basketball courts, tennis courts, and even bathroom facilities. It makes for a fantastic place to spend a hot summer day by the water, enjoying a BBQ picnic, or for some swimming, fishing, boating, kayaking, paddle boarding, or windsurfing. In the winter, people love to shovel off rinks for ice skating and hockey, and some even take part in snowmobiling on the lake as well.
Other outdoor amenities include a skate park, bike, golf course, and campgrounds.There are also bike lanes, which makes it easy to bike from one side of the city to the other and options for public transit within the city.
Another reason people choose to settle in Chestermere, is because there is next to no nightlife, which creates a super safe and quaint area with never a ton of traffic. One thing about Chestermere is lacking though, is post secondary facilities. For shopping, there will be grocery stores and local businesses, but for your bigger one stop shops you'll probably have to go into the city.
The real estate in the area is heavily dominated by large detached homes, with fewer townhomes and duplexes, and only 1 area with condos, both apartment and stacked. You’ll see all kinds of styles here, a lot being new custom homes with stunning modern finishes and that higher price tag. Those backing onto the lake start at over 1 million to the mid 2 million dollar range, with a handful going over 3 million dollars.
Detached homes in other areas start in the mid $400s and go up into the $900s, with a wide variety in that market, duplexes from the low $400s to the low $500s, townhomes from the mid $200s to the low $400s, and condos from the high $100s to the low $300s.
2. COCHRANE
35 minutes northwest of Calgary, sitting on the bow river at the base of a large steep hill, you’ll find Cochrane. With a population of 34,724 and quickly growing, its recognized as one of the safety places to live in the county and almost completely shuts down at night.
Built on western heritage charm and hospitality, there are many local shops and businesses that promote intimate conversations. People move here to be close to the mountains and for opportunities like hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, hang gliding, and rafting.
Lots of residents work in the local natural resource industries like lumber, manufacturing, and agriculture, or commute from Calgary. It's a good to note though, that because of the way the city is set up, there is pretty bad traffic congestion around typical rush hour times.
The style of homes here is more country and cabin like, but there is still lots of new construction, especially when it comes to newer condos that retirees love. Detached homes start in the mid $400s and will take you above that 1 million mark for those higher end homes. Townhomes and duplexes are between the $400s to $500s and apartments start around $150 to the $300s.
3. OKOTOKS
Okotoks is a prairie town, 30 minutes south of Calgary, with a population of 31,959. There's a very open feeling here, with views of the Rocky Mountains. The Sheep River also runs through the town, which is perfect for good tube float or some swimming in the warmer months.
The town is very family friendly, with amazing schools, and recreation programs. Some of the school programs are rated some of the highest in the province. You'll also find more career opportunities compared to the other places we mentioned, a majority being in oil and gas.
One thing Okotoks does very well is putting on festivals and events throughout the year. This really brings people together and some annual events people look forward to all year. Overall you can expect a very innovative and caring environment.
Of all the towns/cities we're talking about, there is the most potential for an extended commute, climbing to over an hour to downtown when it's really busy. For amenities, there will be everything you will need on a day to day basis, with even bigger box stores like a Costco, Walmart, and even clothing retail stores.
Okotoks includes lots of variety when it comes to neighbourhoods. There are up and coming neighbourhoods at the edges of the city and many older properties too. For condos the prices are in the $150k-$350k range, townhomes will be in the low $200s up to mid $500S, duplexes anywhere from the low $400,000s all the way to the $700,000s, and detached are $400,000 to 1.5 million dollars.
4. AIRDRIE
Airdrie is the biggest of the 4, with almost double the population at 80,222 people. In addition, its also the closest to Calgary being 10 minutes edge to edge. With a growing population, comes more amenities. There won't be much you're missing in the city besides night life, as there's multiple shopping areas, a Costco, and Cross Iron Mills Mall just outside of city limits.
It's a great place for entrepreneurs and business owners, because of the tight community and supportive push by residents to shop local. In terms of demographics, it is noticeably the most diverse of the towns/cities mentioned, with a ton of families, and people who work with north actually or in trade industries.
Check out my YouTube video below where I go over everything in this blog post and subscribe to my channel if you want to see more Airdrie related content!
- Brad Walker
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