Lethbridge is a Canadian city located in the province of Alberta. With a population of a little over 100,000 people, it’s a small town. The surrounding Canadian Rocky Mountains influence the city’s sunny summers, moderate winters, and windy climate.
The city of Lethbridge is home to a healthy cultural heritage and a combination of commercial, financial, transportation, and industrial activities. This provides a lot of activities and employment opportunities for its residents and fun for visitors.
Here are some pros and cons for you if you are thinking of moving to Lethbridge, Alberta.
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Pros
1. Low cost of living
It is considerably cheaper to live in Lethbridge than to live in Calgary, a neighboring city. According to research, about $2,000 average monthly salary here is more than enough to cover monthly expenses for an average person.
This means that an average person with an average job will have no problem financing a healthy life. Also, some malls and supermarkets readily provide everything you will ever need.
2. Affordable housing
Lethbridge is a considerably affordable place to live. Reasonable home prices are contributing factors to families moving there.
In comparison to other cities, good Lethbridge homes cost half the price. In Lethbridge, a single-income family can own a reasonably large home.
Lethbridge was also recently ranked 6th on the top places to invest in real estate in Alberta by the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN).
3. Good education
Lethbridge is home to five high schools, four middle schools, fourteen elementary schools, and two colleges (the University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College).
If you are moving to Lethbridge with your children, you will have plenty of options on what schools they attend.
With its cutting-edge educational and research facilities, seven faculties, and schools, the Lethbridge Campus provides a wide choice of undergraduate and graduate programs for all sorts of students. At Lethbridge College, over 60 certifications, diplomas, applied degrees, and apprenticeships are available, with many of them being nationally recognized and certified.
The University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College had a combined enrolment of 14,820 students in the 2015–2016 academic year, accounting for 20% of the city’s population.
4. It’s easy to get around.
Most of the places you will visit in Lethbridge are close to the neighborhood and might even be within walking distance. Your workplace, schools, hospitals, grocery shops, banks, ATMs, and so on are near you.
If you are driving, it will take you about 15 minutes to get anywhere in the city. On a day with ‘traffic,’ it will take you 20 minutes.
There are also bike paths and walking paths around and through the entire city, if you prefer to get some exercise. There is also a transit system in place that works well.
5. Lots of recreational activities
In Lethbridge, you are always a reasonable distance away from something fun or relaxing. There are so many things to do and enjoy:
● The performing arts center of the University of Lethbridge hosts concerts, productions, conferences, etc.
● The Rocky Mountains and the beautiful Waterton Lake National Park.
● The beautiful Banff National Park.
● The internationally recognized Southern Alberta Art Gallery.
● Lethbridge also has a symphony orchestra, various local theatre groups, and a 500-seat theatre.
● The Castle Mountain ski resort.
The residents of Lethbridge enjoy many recreational facilities like the many play areas and public parks, swimming pools (including one that meets Olympic standards), soccer-playing grounds, golf courses, baseball fields, ice rinks, curling rinks, a rock climbing facility and so much more.
6. Abundant job opportunities
Lethbridge is booming with work opportunities. Many factories and large companies that employ at least a hundred workers have made Lethbridge and its environment their home.
This means that there is work and money to be made if you are interested in making it.
There is a little bit of all kinds of industry in Lethbridge: oil & gas, cattle/beef, agriculture, wind energy, budding solar projects, commercial work, finance, transportation, industrial, and the university and college.
7. Low Tax Rate
Residents of Lethbridge enjoy the Alberta advantage. This means that they do not pay any municipal tax or payroll tax, and they are the only province in Canada that does not pay any provincial sales tax.
The people of Alberta, and as an extension, Lethbridge, pay a provincial personal income tax at the flat rate of 10%, the lowest in the whole of Canada.
Cons
1. Not-so-great weather
It’s expected that Lethbridge will have a windy forecast. Lethbridge has a windy climate, warm summers, and mild winters because of its proximity to the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
The warm season typically lasts about four months, from June through September, with an average daily temperature of 22 degrees Celsius. The over 320 days of daylight per year make Lethbridge one of Canada’s sunniest cities.
From November to March, it gets freezing, with the weather averaging 5 degrees celsius daily.
Warm winds usually blow off the mountains in the winter, carrying with them mild temperatures and clearing any snow that gets in their way.
Then there is the issue of the wind. It can get really windy, and really dry in the summer.
It’s not windy every day, but when it does get windy, you might find yourself wishing you were somewhere else. Many residents and visitors complain about the wind, so we don’t think you will enjoy that very much.
2. High crime rate
Unfortunately, crime is not a foreign concept in Lethbridge. The city had the highest crime severity index among major cities in Canada with a CSI (Crime Severity Index) of 141.8 as of 2019, higher than the national average of 79.5. Neighboring cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver ranked safer with CSIs of 54.2, 58, and 95.4, respectively.
Although crimes like property crimes, fraud, and theft run rampant in the city, the city officials and residents insist that it is a safe place to live and do business.