Varsity is a NW community that wraps around the north and west sides of the University of Calgary. Development started in 1963 and carried on through the 1970s, and the community is now home to about 12,040 people across 5,805 properties. Crowchild Trail forms the north and east edges, 32 Avenue NW runs along the south side against the U of C campus, and the Bow River sets the west edge, with Silver Springs and Bowness on the other side of the water. Market Mall sits inside Varsity Village on the north side, and the U of C Research Park takes up the easternmost part of the community. Average assessed value here is $685K, up 18% year-over-year — well above the citywide 15.2% swing. Varsity is one of Calgary’s 219 community profiles.
What the data says
Property Values
Average assessed value of $685K — below the city average of $732K.
Value Trend
Property values grew 18% year-over-year, outpacing the city average.
Lower Disorder Rate
30.6 events per 1,000 residents — below the city average of 53.5. A relatively quiet community.
Established Community
23.6% of residents are 65+, indicating a mature, established neighbourhood.
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Property Values in Varsity
| Year | Year-End Assessment Roll | Properties | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $537,297 | 5,799 | — |
| 2024 | $593,640 | 5,808 | +10.5% |
| 2025 | $700,218 | 5,702 | +18% |
Why two numbers?
Assessment-roll averages in Varsity have climbed 30.3% over the last 3 years, from $537,297 in the 2023 roll to $700,218 in the 2025 roll. The Average Property Assessment in the snapshot above ($685K) is drawn from the live current-year assessment feed, which uses a broader aggregation than the year-specific rolls in the table — small differences between the two are normal.
Building Activity in Varsity
Community Safety in Varsity
In 2024, Varsity recorded 368 disorder events — 30.6 events per 1,000 residents, below the city average of 53.5.
| Year | Events | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 538 | — |
| 2023 | 487 | -9.5% |
| 2024 | 347 | -28.7% |
| New methodology & data source (see note below) | ||
| 2024 | 368 | — |
| 2025† | 289 | — |
CPS revised how disorder events are counted in 2024 and moved to a new data source. Pre-2024 numbers reflect the older definition and aren't directly comparable to 2024-onward.
† Partial year — coverage limited to months published by CPS to date.
Who Lives in Varsity
The 2021 census counted 12,040 residents across 5,813 residential properties, making Varsity one of the higher-population inner-NW communities. The mix of housing supports a mix of people. Long-time owners who bought in the 1960s and 70s are still here — many aged in place through retirement — and they share the community with mid-career move-up buyers who came in during the two-storey rebuild wave. The 20-to-39 group is well represented too, partly because the University of Calgary is right next door and employs a lot of people, and partly because the townhomes and apartments around Varsity Acres and Varsity Estates offer entry-level options that pure-detached NW communities don't. Families with kids show up in the detached homes on the interior blocks and in the semi-detached infill that keeps arriving. Renters make up a larger share here than in a strictly detached-only NW peer — the multi-family pockets pull that number up. The interior blocks are denser than most Calgary suburbs from this era. For a similar community across Crowchild Trail, the Brentwood profile is the closest match.
Traffic cameras near Varsity
Live images from City of Calgary traffic cameras within ~4 km of Varsity. Each camera refreshes every 30 seconds — click any pin to see the latest view.
Living in Varsity
At street level, Varsity feels like a mature NW suburb that’s been quietly rebuilding itself for a while. The original 1960s and 70s bungalows and split-levels are still the backbone of the interior blocks, but the assessment roll’s average year built is 1982, and that number keeps climbing as infill fills in. Two-storey replacements sit next to original bungalows, and semi-detached pairs are showing up on lots that used to hold a single house. The community splits informally into three pockets that feel different from each other. Varsity Estates on the west side runs to larger detached homes closer to the river. Varsity Acres near Market Mall carries more of a mixed-housing feel, with detached homes alongside apartments and townhomes. The interior blocks in the middle are the classic postwar Calgary streetscape — mature trees, wide sidewalks, front-drive garages. Red Line CTrain service reaches the eastern edge of Varsity Estates. The two closest stations are one stop east across Crowchild Trail and one stop south on the U of C campus. Most people drive, though — Crowchild Trail is the daily route into the core. The University of Calgary just across 32 Avenue NW shapes the community’s daily rhythm. U of C staff commute in through the south edge, students filter through the adjacent blocks year-round, and the academic employment base is a steady source of buyers for the detached homes — a lot of Varsity’s move-up turnover tracks university hiring cycles rather than the broader Calgary market. Winters here catch the Chinook winds off the foothills earlier than the inner-city communities do, which makes a small difference in February when the sun angle shifts fast and driveways clear a day or two ahead of neighbourhoods further east. For the closest match across Crowchild Trail on the east, the Brentwood profile covers a similar postwar NW community.
Things to do in Varsity
The community’s biggest draws are Market Mall, the U of C Research Park, and Bowmont Natural Park along the river. Market Mall is one of Calgary’s major regional interior malls, and it pulls shoppers from across the NW quadrant — department stores, specialty retail, and everyday services. The U of C Research Park in the eastern end of Varsity is an employment hub with research tenants tied to the main campus just across 32 Avenue NW. Bowmont Natural Park runs along the Bow River on the west edge and gives residents pathway access and a river-valley feel rather than the manicured-lawn look of a typical suburban park. Schools inside Varsity include F.E. Osborne Junior High, Jerry Potts Elementary, Marion Carson Elementary, and Varsity Acres Bilingual Elementary under the Calgary Board of Education, along with St. Vincent de Paul under the Calgary Catholic School District. That’s a full elementary and junior-high catchment inside the community, which not every established NW neighbourhood can claim. Buyers typically compare Varsity against Brentwood across Crowchild Trail or Bowness across the Bow River to the west.
The Varsity real-estate read
Varsity’s average assessed value of $685K sits about 11% below the citywide average of $732K. That mid-band NW number reflects the range of housing here — original bungalows, two-storey rebuilds, semi-detached infill, and multi-family homes all averaged together. The 18% year-over-year climb is well above the citywide 15.2%, and that gap is doing real work. Steady demand from U of C staff and students, ongoing infill that keeps refreshing the community’s housing, and Varsity’s proximity to Market Mall and the river have all pushed values here ahead of the broader Calgary trend over the last cycle. Building activity backs that up: 279 new-construction permits since 2024 alongside 20 demolition permits mark Varsity as an active teardown-and-rebuild community, which is typical of the inner-NW ring. The Property Values section above breaks down what homes cost across the 5,805 properties. On safety, Varsity records 30.6 disorder events per 1,000 residents against a citywide baseline of 53.5 — well below the city number, and one of the quieter communities in the NW quadrant. Buyers weighing Varsity typically also look at Bowness across the Bow River or North Haven further east along the postwar NW ring.
Common Questions About Varsity
Why are there two average values on this page?
The page shows two related but distinct figures because they come from two different official City of Calgary datasets with different aggregation methods. The Average Property Assessment (in the snapshot at the top of the page and in the "vs Calgary Average" card) is drawn from the City's live current-year assessment feed, using a broad aggregation across all residential parcels. The Year-End Assessment Roll figures in the Property Values chart and table below come from a separate dataset that captures each year's official year-end roll, using a narrower per-year methodology. Both are official data — the small difference between them is normal and reflects the different aggregation windows. For an at-a-glance current value, use the Average Property Assessment; for authoritative year-over-year trends, use the Assessment Roll.
What's the average house price in Varsity?
The average assessed value in Varsity is $685K, about 11% below the citywide average of $732K. Homes here run from original 1960s bungalows and split-levels through mid-cycle two-storey rebuilds and current-era semi-detached infill. The mix pulls the average into the mid-band NW range.
How is the Varsity real estate market?
Varsity's assessed values rose 18% year-over-year, well above the citywide 15.2% swing. Building activity is meaningful for an established community — 42 new-construction permits since 2024 alongside 20 demolition permits mark it as an active teardown-and-rebuild pocket in the inner NW.
Is Varsity a good place to live?
Varsity carries mid-band NW pricing, Red Line CTrain service at the Varsity Estates edge, Market Mall inside Varsity Village as a regional retail draw, and a full elementary and junior-high catchment. The University of Calgary sits directly across 32 Avenue NW on the south side.
Is Varsity safe?
Varsity records 30.6 disorder events per 1,000 residents, well below Calgary's citywide baseline of 53.5 per 1,000 — one of the quieter communities in the inner NW on the disorder data. The Safety section above shows the current Calgary Police Service counts and how Varsity compares with the citywide baseline.
What is Varsity known for?
Varsity is best known for Market Mall inside Varsity Village on the north side, the U of C Research Park in the eastern part of the community, and the University of Calgary campus directly across 32 Avenue NW. Development started in 1963, and the community wraps around the U of C.
Businesses in Varsity
Community Association
Varsity
The Varsity represents the residents of Varsity. Community associations organize local events, advocate for neighbourhood improvements, and connect residents.
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