Working poor in Calgary doubled to 5.6 percent as housing costs soar

The share of working Calgarians living below the poverty line has doubled over three years, according to a report from Vibrant Communities Calgary. Between 2020 and 2023, the percentage of working poor rose from 2.76 percent to 5.6 percent—people earning income from employment yet still unable to cover basic costs.

Vibrant Communities defines working poor as families of four earning less than $57,909 annually, or single individuals earning below $28,954. The organization found that median rents have surged 44 percent since 2021, pushing Calgary Housing's Affordable Housing waitlist to 7,739 households by June 2026.

The living wage for Calgary climbed to $26.50 per hour in 2024-2025, up 42.5 percent from $18.60 in 2018. Alberta's minimum wage remains at $15—the lowest in Canada and $11 below what Vibrant Communities calculates as livable. Dani DeBoise, the organization's executive director, said the gap reflects a fundamental problem: "Their income just simply isn't keeping pace with the cost of basic needs."

Transit costs rose 11 percent since 2023, reaching $4 per trip in 2026. Demand at the Calgary Food Bank reached 200,000 emergency hampers between September 2024 and August 2025, up from 173,300 the year before. Nearly two-thirds of food bank clients earn an average wage of $19.30 per hour.