Looking to relocate to a smaller city with a big heart? You might want to consider Red Deer. This thriving, mid-size city is located in central Alberta, just a short drive from Edmonton and Calgary. With a population of just over 100K, Red Deer is the third-biggest city in the province and offers all the metropolitan amenities with a more relaxed pace of life. If you’ve been looking at homes for sale in Alberta and Red Deer has caught your attention, here are just eight of the many reasons to relocate to Red Deer:
The Convenient Location
Located around an hour’s drive from both Calgary and Edmonton, Red Deer is the perfect place to call home for those who want to enjoy all Alberta offers but don’t want to live in the hustle and bustle. The Queen Elizabeth II (QE II) Highway, Alberta’s most trafficked highway, cuts through the region, creating the “Red Deer Corridor,” taking visitors and locals to several locations in the Red Deer area and the surrounding rural communities in a breeze.
If you relocate to Red Deer, AB, you’ll move to a great base camp to explore Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. Just a short drive away, you can find world-class skiing, hiking, and camping in nature reserves and national parks, as well as endless water-based recreation on the neighbouring Sylvan Lake and Gull Lake. In addition, some of Alberta’s cutest small towns will be just minutes away, including Sylvan Lake, Innisfail, Canmore, Penhold, and Smoky Lake.
Diverse Economy And Employment Options
Red Deer is a great place to live and work, with plenty of opportunities in key industries such as construction, healthcare, oil & gas extraction, manufacturing, and mining. With such a diverse range of employment options available, relocating to Red Deer is an excellent choice when looking to start or develop your career.
As the city continues to grow, new residential, industrial, and commercial developments create opportunities for employment in the construction industry. However, Red Deer’s thriving economy is tied to the expansive manufacturing industry. In fact, a great deal of the materials used in Alberta’s booming oil & gas industry are made right here in Red Deer. A few of the global and national companies that operate in Red Deer are Shell, Imperial Oil, TC Energy, Suncor, and Husky Energy.
Additional employment opportunities are available in accommodation and food services, educational services, and healthcare. In the healthcare sector the planned $193 million expansion of the Red Deer Regional Hospital will increase capacity in the local healthcare sector and encourage city growth. It will also align with the city’s thriving construction industry providing more jobs for those who decide to relocate to Red Deer. The hospital expansion is set to be completed sometime between 2030 and 2031.
Ample Entrepreneurial Opportunities
If you’re looking to start a business, Red Deer should be high on your list of options. The city is well-known for being entrepreneurial and boasts competition with other large cities in Alberta and Western Canada.
Red Deer is perfect for businesses of any size or type, whether you’re looking to expand, relocate to Red Deer, or start from scratch. The central Alberta area offers ample opportunities for professional, retail, and industrial endeavours. Here are some of the reasons to relocate to Red Deer for entrepreneurs:
- Red Deer is located near many major transportation routes. The main one, Highway 2, provides convenient access to over 81% of the 4.4 million Alberta residents in a two-hour drive or less.
- Red Deer is along Alberta’s busiest transportation corridor, just over 1,000 kilometres from Vancouver, 1,500 kilometres from Prince Rupert, 150 kilometres from Edmonton and Calgary, and 400 kilometres north of the Carway Border Crossing to the U.S.
- Red Deer has diverse transportation links, including roads, railways, and airports. The Red Deer Regional Airport now has a Fixed Base Operator providing unrivalled customer service for Private and Charter traffic.
- Red Deer’s business environment offers countless advantages for businesses of all sizes, helping them to compete in local, national, and global markets. Advantages include:
- No business taxes (over property taxes)
- No tax on machinery or equipment.
- No capital tax
- No payroll tax
- Provincial corporate income tax is 8%, and the small business rate is 2%.
Red Deer Has An Affordable Housing Market
The Red Deer, AB real estate market is one of the most affordable in the province. The average home in Red Deer is priced a little under $321K, more than $100K less than Alberta’s average home price of $431K. Real estate in Red Deer is also less expensive than in neighbouring cities like Calgary and Edmonton (see our table below for details).
Homebuyers looking to relocate to Red Deer will appreciate not only its affordability but also how stable the market is. Red Deer is a great place to buy a first home or an investment property because housing prices have been rising slowly but steadily there over the past few years. The low inventory and high demand are direct causes the market has stayed in good condition.
As of 2022, the number of days a Red Deer house is on the market has increased by a small margin from previous months and is currently at 50 days. This is still an improvement from last year, where the average days on the market was 61 days. If you’re interested in purchasing a new home for sale in Red Deer, AB, there are plenty of options for buyers at all price points in this city.
The most expensive house in Red Deer costs around $1.5M, while the least expensive property sells for around $33K. The housing stock in Red Deer ranges from entry-level bungalows and cozy downtown condos to new construction townhomes and Tudor-style mansions on massive lots.
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COMPARISON CHART |
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|
City |
Average Home Price | Detached Home | Townhouse | Condo |
|
Red Deer |
$320,941 |
$376,165 |
$184,763 |
$173,027 |
|
Calgary |
$509,576 |
$655,584 |
$356,323 |
$297,374 |
|
Edmonton |
$381,451 |
$462,858 |
$372,027 |
$224,252 |
Source: WOWA.CA
Red Deer Is An Inexpensive Place To Live
One of the best reasons to relocate to Red Deer is how cost-effective the city is. According to recent Numbeo data, consumer prices in the city are 10.81% lower than in Edmonton (including rent) –making it a great choice for budget-minded individuals and families. The cost of living in Red Deer (including rent) is also 18.07% cheaper than in Calgary, Alberta’s most populated city.
Numbeo also determined that Red Deer has a great local purchasing power index of 102. The purchasing power is determined by calculating the amount a person living in the city, making the average salary, can afford to purchase. The average family income in Red Deer after taxes was $91,000 in 2020. These numbers make Red Deer the third-best city to live in all of Canada second to Calgary and North Vancouver.
There Are Neighbourhoods For Every Lifestyle
Red Deer is made up of many neighbourhoods, each with their own atmosphere and benefits. The Red Deer River runs through the city, dividing it into North and South Red Deer. Gaetz Avenue is recognized as the line that divides the east and west quadrants of Red Deer. If you’ve been surfing listings and are planning to relocate to Red Deer at some point, here’s a quick overview of some of the best neighbourhoods and suburban communities nearby:
Downtown Red Deer
Perfect for those wanting to get around mostly on foot and have a lively, urban lifestyle. The heart of Red Deer is a fantastic spot for centralized condo living, great shopping, dining and entertainment, and outdoor recreation in the neighbouring Rotary Recreation Park.
Highland Green And Riverside Meadows
These two adjacent neighbourhoods in North Red Deer are filled with suburban charm, mature trees, family-oriented amenities, great schools, and recreation centres. If you’re looking to live in a relaxed environment but still be within reach of outdoor adventures, then look no further than homes along the Red Deer River.
South Hill And West Park
Just south of the downtown area, these neighbourhoods are divided by scenic Waskasoo Creek. South Hill and West Park are situated close to top-rated schooling options (including the Red Deer Polytechnic), the Red Deer Golf and Country Club, and the Red Deer Regional Hospital. If you work in healthcare and want to relocate to Red Deer, you might find a home here that’s close to your workplace.
The Red Deer Suburbs
In need of a quiet place to raise a family or enjoy retirement in peace? Just a short drive from Red Deer, you’ll find many charming nearby suburbs dotting the landscape of this picturesque central Alberta region. The Red Deer suburbs provide residents with convenience to daily needs like grocery stores, schools, and parks, with cheaper housing prices than downtown Red Deer. Some of the best suburbs of Red Deer are:
Red Deer Provides High-Quality, Diverse Education
Families and individuals looking to relocate to Red Deer have many academic options for their children or themselves, whether they want to attend public school, a private institution, francophone classes, or post-secondary schooling. You’ll have no trouble finding the perfect learning environment within city limits, or in any of the nearby towns and villages. Regarding public education, the Red Deer Public School District has:
- Sixteen elementary schools
- Seven middle schools
- Three high schools
- Three alternative schools
- Several Catholic schools
- French Immersion and Spanish Bilingual programs
Red Deer offers many post-secondary learning and career development opportunities as well. Red Deer Polytechnic allows residents to further their education and achieve their career goals with over 80 programs to choose from.The range of programs include career certificate and diploma programs, skilled trade apprenticeships, university degrees, continuing education courses, academic upgrading programs, and literacy initiatives.
Also located in Red Deer is Red Deer College, an academic institution that provides 100 courses including degrees, diplomas, and skilled trades programs. This college is known for its support of key industries in Red Deer. The CDI College campus in Red Deer offers specialisations in fields such as art and design, business, and healthcare. In addition, a variety of diplomas and certificates are offered at Academy of Learning Career College, some of which include graphic design, healthcare, hospitality technology, accounting, and business disciplines.
There are also several universities near Red Deer:
- University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
- University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta
- Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta
- MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta
Red Deer Is A Haven For Outdoor Lovers
Red Deer is a playground for those who love spending time outdoors, with a multitude of activities to choose from throughout the year. Come explore the phenomenal trails by the Red Deer River and its tributaries Waskasoo Creek and Piper Creek. You’ll also be near one of the most popular community parks in town: Kin Kanyon. In the summer, fish at Bower Ponds, and in winter, go ice skating. For bird watching lovers, the Gaetz Lakes Migratory Bird Sanctuary provides 300 acres of trails, gardens, and boardwalks.
Relocating to Red Deer and looking for a place to take the family and your dog? Three Mile Bend is perfect, with off-leash dog walking areas and beautiful views. If you’re looking to get some fresh air, Discovery Canyon has trails, shaded picnic areas, a playground for the kiddos, and even a lazy river waterpark right next to the Red Deer River to beat the summer heat.
Nestled between the Rocky Mountains and the Canadian prairies, Red Deer is also a preferred starting point for exploring the great outdoors. If you don’t mind an adventure outside the city, three national parks are fairly close to Red Deer offering endless opportunities for hiking, camping, wildlife watching, and more:
- Waterton Lakes National Park
- Banff National Park
- Jasper National Park Of Canada
Reasons To Relocate To Red Deer, Alberta
Although it is a smaller city, Red Deer has many hidden charms and opportunities. With a low cost of living and plenty of activities to enjoy, it is easy to see why this city would be appealing to anyone looking for a new place to call home in central Alberta. When you’re ready to relocate to Red Deer, AB, or to the best suburbs near Red Deer, reach out to a local real estate agent who will help you find the home that matches your needs.
