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Sherwood Park, in Strathcona County, is a little suburb on the east side of Edmonton – according to the province of Alberta, Sherwood Park is considered as a specialized municipality, meaning the county is eligible to receive all the same grants that urban and rural municipalities would receive.
Are you wondering what it’s like living in Sherwood Park? I currently live in Sherwood Park and love it. Having lived in a few different cities myself, I understand the unsettling feeling of not really knowing where you’re moving to. So here’s a little insight into what it’s like living in Sherwood Park.
Pros of Living in Sherwood Park
Affordable Housing
In comparison to other cities in Canada, Sherwood Park is a great choice if you’re looking to get more for your money. Our housing is much more affordable than some of the other big cities in Canada. On average, a single family bungalow is around $350,000 – $450,000 – compare that to places like Vancouver and Toronto where it’s just over a million!
Taxes Are Less
Most people think that Sherwood Park taxes are more expensive than Edmonton’s, but that’s not the case! As of right now in 2021, a home with a value of $400,000 in Edmonton would cost on average about $3800 per year in taxes, and in Sherwood Park, with that same value, it would cost on average $2,900 per year. That’s quite a big difference!
Smaller Community
This is one of my favorite things about Sherwood Park – especially since I come from a small town. Sherwood Park is a much smaller community compared to the city. The current population is estimated at around 70,000 people. With a smaller community, comes a much lower crime rate than Edmonton as well.
Easy Access to the City
Even though Sherwood Park is it’s own community, sometimes you just need to head into the city. There are a few different access points that lead into the city, like Wye Road and Baseline. We’re also right on the edge of the Anthony Henday, so it’s a quick hop onto the road, and you’ll be on the other side in no time. You can expect about a 20 minute drive to the downtown core. It’s really not that far, and you’ll get to experience all the great things that Edmonton has to offer like the River Valley. If you want to learn more about what it’s like living in Edmonton, watch my other video on Pros and Cons of Edmonton.
Green Space
So many communities have beautiful green spaces to enjoy – like the Sherwood Park Heritage Wetlands for example. You can also take a daytrip to Elk Island Park, about 20 minutes away – there’s camping, canoeing, hiking, the list goes on – and you might even see some bison!
Cons of Living in Sherwood Park
No place is perfect, there are a few cons to living in Sherwood Park.
Weather
Just like anywhere in northern Alberta, there weather isn’t the greatest sometimes. We have short summers – but hot summers, ranging usually from 20 -30 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately though that means we have long winters. Our winters can get pretty cold ranging from -10 to -30 Celsius. In Sherwood Park though, there are ways you can make the winter better. We’re right next to a local ski hill, Sunridge. You can also go skating at one of the many community rinks, a local favorite is Broadmoor Lake. Or you can even make the 4 hour day trip to Jasper or Banff to the mountains.
Transit
Since we’re not in Edmonton, we don’t have access to the convenient LRT to get around the city. However, Sherwood Park does still have it’s own transit system, which includes a commuter bus to Edmonton. Depending on where you’re going on the bus to Edmonton, you can expect the bus ride to be around 40 minutes.
Higher Home Prices
Even though overall the housing is much more affordable than other cities in Canada, Sherwood Park homes are generally higher than Edmonton. For example, an average single family home still will be in the same range of $350,000 – $450,000 – but the level of finishing might be different, or it may be an older home for example.
Industrial Park
Sherwood Park is located right beside a big industrial park – an oil refinery. For some this may be a turn off. The refinery really doesn’t affect the quality of living. It actually does give a bit of a benefit – because of the large amount of taxes coming from the refinery, this helps keep taxes in Sherwood Park a little lower.
I hope this list helps in your research. Having lived in a few different cities, I really enjoy living in Sherwood Park. If you have any other questions about Sherwood Park, feel free to reach out, I’m always happy to help!
