Calgary Housing in October 2026: Apartments vs Detached Homes

Calgary's October 2026 market did not slow evenly. The citywide benchmark price was $564,200, down 0.35% from last year, but that average hides a split. Detached and semi-detached prices held up, while apartments and row homes carry more supply and softer prices. Districts differ sharply too.

Is Calgary's housing market crashing?

No. The Terryberry Real Estate Group's read is that Calgary is not crashing. It is repricing the bottom half of the market while the top half barely moves. Those are two different jobs, and they call for two different strategies.

The headline numbers can look alarming. October sales fell 15.27% to 1,592, and year-to-date sales are down nearly 11%. The citywide benchmark of $564,200 is technically accurate, but it averages a market that no longer behaves like one market.

How did each type of home do in October?

Detached and semi-detached homes held up best, while row homes and apartments carried the weakness. Here is how each type looked.

• Detached: 847 sales, down 16%. The benchmark was $735,100, down 0.7%. Supply was 3.34 months, and 56% of new listings turned into a sale.
• Semi-detached: 184 sales. The benchmark rose 0.8% to $685,200, with 3.0 months of supply.
• Row homes: 241 sales and 1,069 units in inventory. Supply was 4.44 months, and the benchmark was $407,500, down 5.1%.
• Apartments: 320 sales, down 22%, with 1,691 units available and 5.28 months of supply. The benchmark was $288,800, which is 7.9% below last year and roughly 15% below the peak set in August 2024.

CREB chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie said supply choice across the new, rental and resale markets has taken pressure off prices, with most of the downward pressure in the oversupplied higher-density segments.

Are buyers still interested in buying a home?

Yes, though many have lowered their expectations. A Century 21 Canada study conducted by Ipsos, released Nov 3, found 79% of Canadians still say homeownership matters. It also found 23% say they are likely to buy within a year, up from 19% in the spring.

Of those likely buyers, 55% would be first-timers. Their expected purchase price is $655,725, down $21,000 from the spring. Nearly half said falling prices made them more optimistic, and another 41% are waiting to see if prices fall further.

Our read is that buyers have moved their expectations down a price tier, while much of the resale market has not moved its asking price. That gap is what 5.28 months of apartment supply looks like in the data.

Who has the leverage right now, buyers or sellers?

It depends on the type of home. Buyer leverage is concentrated in apartments and row homes, and it is weakest in detached and semi-detached homes.

For sellers in the higher-density segments, the comparable sale that matters is the last three that closed, not last spring. On the investor side, 39% of this year's starts are rental, unabsorbed completions are up 42%, and rents are easing, according to the CMHC figures covered below.

What did the weekly market snapshot show?

Sales and prices rose slightly, but days on market and price reductions show a market that still rewards accurate pricing. Here are the figures for the week.

The figures cover October 29 - November 5, 2026. The data source is Pillar Nine Matrix MLS.

A rise in sales and average price can look like a turnaround, but the fine print matters: 46 days on market, 599 price reductions, and only 14.8% of sales at or above list. The better news is that collapsed deals fell 20.9% to 53, which suggests agreed prices are holding. Sellers are being rewarded for accurate pricing, not optimism. Buyers have real selection, but well-priced homes still move.

How do Calgary home prices differ by district?

The West and City Centre are still showing gains, while the East and North East are down more than 5%. Here are the benchmark prices and year-over-year changes by district.

If you own in the East or North East, your competition is not the city average. It is the house two doors down with the same floor plan and a more honest number. Price against your district, not the headline.

What does a Calgary starter home look like in this market?

One example the team featured is a 1978 half duplex in Dalhousie, priced at $489,000, which is well under the citywide benchmark of $564,200. It has 750 square feet above grade plus a finished basement, three bedrooms and two baths.

The compromises match what buyers told researchers they would accept: it is smaller than a detached home, older than new, and has no garage. In return there is no condo fee, a newer roof and R-C2 zoning. It is a walk to Dalhousie Station, with U of C, Foothills and SAIT a short ride away. You can see the listing photos and price.

What city news could affect Calgary homeowners?

Will Calgary water bills go up?

Council has endorsed a direction that points that way. Council voted 9 to 6 on Oct 27 to endorse the 2027 to 2030 utility direction. Average annual increases are 19.9% for drinking water, 15.2% for wastewater and 5.8% for stormwater.

A typical household bill moves from $119.21 a month to $206.94 by 2030. Final rates still need ratification in the budget talks starting Nov 23.

What are Calgary police asking for?

The Calgary Police Service is asking for more money, and council has to decide whether to provide it. The request is $132.2 million more in operating funding across 2027 to 2030, up 19%, plus $191 million in capital and 309 net new officers.

Mayor Farkas called the request reasonable and acknowledged it will take "some level of spending or a tax increase."

What is happening with transit in north Calgary?

Councillors pushed the city toward the $511 million curbside MAX Green BRT option instead of a $2.087 billion dedicated transitway. One councillor said plainly that Green Line north is "dead."

No funding was approved, and administration reports back by Q3 2027. Transit access is a property value variable, so the direction matters for the north side.

Is new construction changing?

Yes, it is shifting toward multi-family. CMHC's September numbers show 2,535 Calgary starts, up 12% year over year, but all of the gain came from multi-family, which jumped 57% to 1,758 units.

Detached starts fell nearly 40%, semi-detached 44% and row 8%, and year-to-date starts are down 16%. Rental now accounts for 39% of starts, and completed but unabsorbed units are up 42% from a year ago. More rentals on the way is good news for tenants and a headwind for anyone selling a condo.

Common questions

Is Calgary's housing market crashing?

Not according to the October figures. The citywide benchmark was $564,200, down 0.35% from last year, and the weakness sits mostly in apartments and row homes while detached and semi-detached prices held up.

Where are Calgary home prices falling the most?

By district, the East is down 6.2% and the North East is down 5.7% year over year. By property type, the apartment benchmark of $288,800 is 7.9% below last year, and the row home benchmark of $407,500 is down 5.1%.

Are Calgary's new water rates final?

No. Council voted 9 to 6 on Oct 27 to endorse the 2027 to 2030 utility direction, but final rates still need ratification in the budget talks starting Nov 23.

Last updated November 5, 2026. Written by the Terryberry Real Estate Group, REAL Broker, in Calgary.

Email contact@terryberrygroup.com with questions, or to talk with us about your own plans. For the weekly market read, see the YYC Housing Pulse at https://www.yychousingpulse.com.