Mount Royal, Saskatoon: Best for First-Time Buyers and Investors Wanting an Established West-Side Setting

Mount Royal is an established west-side Saskatoon neighbourhood that tends to suit first-time buyers and investors looking for in-area schools and a mixed housing stock built mostly before 1980.

Mount Royal at a Glance

Mount Royal is an established neighbourhood in west-central Saskatoon, within Ward 4. It may be a strong fit for first-time buyers and investors who want an established setting, in-area schools, and a wider housing mix than many newer subdivisions. It may be less suitable for buyers who want new construction or a neighbourhood with a uniformly high owner-occupied, single-family profile.

According to the City of Saskatoon’s combined Neighbourhood Profiles document, Mount Royal had a 2025 population of 5,742 and a 61.0 percent homeownership rate. The same profile shows a 2024 dwelling mix of 58 percent single-family dwellings, 15 percent two-unit dwellings, and 27 percent multi-unit housing.

Quick Facts

Category	Mount Royal Details
Area of Saskatoon	West-central Saskatoon, within Ward 4
Population	5,742, City of Saskatoon Neighbourhood Profiles, 2025
Homeownership Rate	61.0 percent owned, 39 percent rented (2021 Census)
Average Household Size	2.4
Main Housing Types	Single-family homes, two-unit housing, low-rise apartment condos, semi-detached homes
Dwelling Mix	58 percent single-family, 15 percent two-unit, 27 percent multi-unit housing (2024)
Neighbourhood Area	198.2 hectares, or 489.7 acres, at 10.3 dwelling units per hectare
Main Parks	Mount Royal Park, Sifton Park, Riversdale Kiwanis Park
Park Space	11.3 hectares, or 27.9 acres, according to the City profile
Schools in the Area	Howard Coad School, Mount Royal Collegiate, St. Gerard School, St. Maria Goretti Community School, and Royal West Campus
Nearby Amenities	22nd Street West, Circle Drive access, Mount Royal Park, and west-side services
Transit and Road Access	Route 5, Confederation/City Centre, serving Rusholme Road and Avenue P; access via Circle Drive and 22nd Street West
Buyer Fit	First-time buyers, investors, and buyers wanting an established west-side setting with a mixed housing stock

The City profile includes time-sensitive real estate sales data showing average sale prices by property type in Mount Royal. These figures should be treated as historical context, not a current pricing guarantee.

Where Is Mount Royal in Saskatoon?

Mount Royal sits in west-central Saskatoon, within Municipal Ward 4. Wikipedia places the neighbourhood on Saskatoon’s west side within the Confederation Suburban Development Area, generally bounded by 22nd Street West to the south and 31st Street West to the north.

For buyers, the location offers access to Circle Drive for cross-city travel and 22nd Street West for local trips toward downtown and the Confederation area. Rusholme Road runs through the neighbourhood and connects toward Mount Royal Collegiate and the Confederation commercial area.

Mount Royal has an established, mixed-density feel rather than a uniform suburban one. It combines detached homes with two-unit housing and apartment-style buildings, along with several schools and parks spread through the area. That mix is part of the appeal for some buyers, but it also means conditions can vary from block to block.

What Is Mount Royal Known For?

Mount Royal is known for being an established west-side neighbourhood with a mixed housing stock, multiple schools, and a long-standing residential character dating back to the mid-twentieth century. The City profile’s age-of-dwelling data shows 44 percent of housing built before 1960 and another 44 percent from 1961 to 1980, meaning the large majority of homes in the neighbourhood predate 1980.

Wikipedia notes that Mount Royal Collegiate, located on Rusholme Road, opened in 1960 as one of two Saskatoon west-side public high schools and has built a reputation around its Practical and Applied Arts offerings, including a High School Carpentry Apprenticeship Program in which students build a home as part of the residential construction curriculum.

The neighbourhood is also known for its school density relative to its size. Five schools, spanning Saskatoon Public Schools and Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, serve Mount Royal directly, which is more in-area school coverage than many established Saskatoon neighbourhoods.

Who Is Mount Royal a Good Fit For?

Mount Royal fits buyers who want an established, mixed-housing setting rather than a uniformly detached, owner-occupied neighbourhood. With a homeownership rate of 61.0 percent and a 27 percent multi-unit dwelling share, the neighbourhood sits between higher-rental, high-density areas and the more uniformly owner-occupied newer suburbs.

Mount Royal can work for families and first-time buyers who value in-area schools. The City’s neighbourhood enrolment data lists Howard Coad School and Mount Royal Collegiate, both Saskatoon Public Schools facilities, along with St. Gerard School and St. Maria Goretti, both Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools facilities, all serving the neighbourhood directly.

Mount Royal may be a better fit for buyers comfortable with an older housing stock, since the City profile shows 88 percent of dwellings built before 1980. It may be less suitable for buyers who want new construction or a neighbourhood with a higher share of newer-built, owner-occupied detached homes.

Schools And Childcare

Howard Coad School, a Saskatoon Public Schools facility at 431 Avenue T North, serves the neighbourhood. The City’s profile lists 2024 enrolment at 326 students, up from 311 in 2023 and 292 in 2022.

Mount Royal Collegiate, a Saskatoon Public Schools facility at 2220 Rusholme Road, serves as the area’s secondary school. The City’s profile lists 2024 enrolment at 863 students, up from 847 in 2023 and 582 in 2022. The school offers Practical and Applied Arts programming, including a High School Carpentry Apprenticeship Program, along with English as an Additional Language and Functional Life Skills programs, per the Saskatoon Public Schools website.

St. Gerard School, a Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools facility at 205 Montreal Avenue North, serves the neighbourhood. The City’s profile lists 2024 enrolment at 358 students, down from 392 in both 2022 and 2023.

St. Maria Goretti Community School, a Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools facility at 301 Avenue Q North, also serves the area. The City’s profile lists 2024 enrolment at 219 students, up from 187 in both 2022 and 2023.

Royal West Campus, a Saskatoon Public Schools facility, is listed in the City’s enrolment data with 142 students in 2022, though the profile shows the figure as not available for 2023 and 2024. Buyers should confirm current programming directly with Saskatoon Public Schools, since adult and continuing-education programming at this campus has changed locations in recent years.

Families should confirm current attendance boundaries, busing, and program availability directly with Saskatoon Public Schools or Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, since boundaries and programs can change and were not independently confirmed beyond what the City’s enrolment data shows.

Parks And Outdoor Space

Mount Royal has 11.3 hectares, or 27.9 acres, of total park space according to the City’s 2025 profile. The named parks include Mount Royal Park at 3.2 hectares, classified as a district park, Sifton Park at 6.2 hectares, classified as a neighbourhood park, and Riversdale Kiwanis Park at 1.9 hectares, classified as a special-use park.

The City profile also reports a population-per-park-area figure of 508.8 people per hectare, which buyers can use to compare Mount Royal’s relative park access against other established Saskatoon neighbourhoods.

Daily errands are supported by proximity to the Confederation area along 22nd Street West, with Circle Drive providing access to other parts of the city for shopping not available locally.

Housing Types And Price Reality

Mount Royal has a more mixed dwelling profile than many established Saskatoon neighbourhoods, totalling 2,032 dwellings in 2024, for 58 percent single-family, 15 percent two-unit, and 27 percent multi-unit housing.

The age of housing skews older. The City’s 2021 Census age-of-dwelling data shows 44 percent of dwellings built before 1960 and 44 percent from 1961 to 1980, with smaller shares of 4 percent from 1981 to 1990, 3 percent from 1991 to 2000, and 1 percent in several subsequent five-year periods. For buyers, that means mechanical systems, roofing, windows, and sewer lines are likely approaching or past typical service-life ranges on many properties, so inspections matter more than in newer subdivisions.

The City’s 2024 real estate sales data shows 98 single-family dwelling sales at an average price of $283,524 and 3 semi-detached sales at an average price of $425,000. No condo townhouse, high-rise apartment condo, low-rise apartment condo, or semi-detached-two-titles sales were recorded that year. These figures are historical context from the City profile, not a current pricing guarantee, and buyers should review current comparable sales before making decisions.

Housing affordability data in the same City profile shows a median multiple of 3.04 in 2024 for Mount Royal, compared with 3.96 for Saskatoon overall. The City profile notes that a median multiple of 3.0 or under is rated as affordable, which places Mount Royal close to that threshold and below the city average. Average owner’s major payments were reported at $1,216 and average gross rent at $1,000 in the 2021 Census data cited in the profile.

The sale price is rarely the whole story. For a clear breakdown of the cash a Saskatoon purchase requires, it is worth reviewing before you book showings.

Buying in Mount Royal

Mount Royal is worth considering if you want an established, mixed-housing west-side neighbourhood with in-area schools and pricing below the Saskatoon median multiple average. The City’s housing data shows a tenure profile with 61.0 percent owned and 39 percent rented in 2021.

Buyers should pay attention to the exact street and proximity to Circle Drive, 22nd Street West, and Rusholme Road. A home near a park or school may carry a different feel than a property closer to busier roads or higher-density housing.

Best Fit for Buyers Who Want:

• An established west-side neighbourhood with a mixed housing mix
• Five in-area schools, including a Catholic option
• Pricing near or below the Saskatoon median multiple average
• Reasonable access to Circle Drive and 22nd Street West

May Not Be the Best Fit for Buyers Who Need:

• New construction or a modern building envelope
• A uniformly high owner-occupied, single-family profile
• Minimal exposure to two-unit or multi-unit housing nearby
• A quieter setting away from busier roads throughout the entire area

Selling in Mount Royal

Sellers in Mount Royal need to understand what buyers are comparing against. A buyer may also be looking at Westmount, Confederation Park, or Kelsey Woodlawn, depending on budget and whether they prioritize a similar established feel or a different price point. That means the listing should make the home’s exact fit clear, including proximity to Mount Royal Park, Sifton Park, or the schools.

For single-family homes, which the City profile shows as the leading 2024 sales category by both volume and price, buyers will likely focus on mechanical updates, roof and window age, sewer line condition, and any renovation history given the housing stock’s concentration before 1980. Sellers should be careful not to overstate the property. In Mount Royal, honest positioning works better, particularly around the home’s exact age and any original-condition systems that may be approaching the end of their service life.

Location within the neighbourhood matters. Homes near the parks or schools may need to be positioned differently than homes near Circle Drive or Rusholme Road.

Investor Notes for Mount Royal

Mount Royal has a larger two-unit and multi-unit housing presence than some established Saskatoon neighbourhoods, with a 27 percent multi-unit dwelling share and a 15 percent two-unit share in 2024. That gives investors a wider pool of apartment-style and two-unit properties to evaluate than in neighbourhoods dominated almost entirely by detached homes, though the 2024 sales data recorded no apartment condo or low-rise condo sales that year, so current pricing for those property types should be confirmed directly.

Potential investor options may include two-unit properties, semi-detached homes, and single-family homes with suite potential. Investors should not assume every basement can legally or safely become a suite. Zoning, permits, ceiling height, egress, parking, fire separation, electrical capacity, and building-code requirements must all be confirmed with the City of Saskatoon before relying on any rental income assumptions.

The City profile’s average gross rent figure of $1,000 is 2021 Census data and should be treated as historical context rather than a current market rate. The 39 percent rental share recorded in 2021 supports the idea that rental demand is already part of the neighbourhood’s housing pattern.

Commute And Daily Convenience

Mount Royal has access to Circle Drive and 22nd Street West, giving residents routes across the city. The City’s mode-of-travel data from the 2021 Census shows that driving a car, truck, or van is by far the most common way residents get to work, followed by smaller shares riding as a passenger, taking transit, and walking.

Saskatoon Transit’s official Route 5 schedule, Confederation/City Centre, lists Rusholme Road and Avenue P as stops serving the neighbourhood, with service to Confederation Terminal and the City Centre area. Transit details should be confirmed by address using Saskatoon Transit’s official routes and schedules page, since route information and timing can change.

For buyers who commute toward downtown or the Confederation area, Route 5’s connection may be convenient, but drive and transit patterns should be tested during actual commute times.

Winter driving, snow clearing, and parking may vary by property. Buyers should confirm parking details when viewing homes, particularly in the older sections of the neighbourhood.

Safety And Neighbourhood Perception

No independently verified, current crime statistics for Mount Royal are cited here, none were available from an official source as part of this draft. Mount Royal is an older west-side Saskatoon neighbourhood that has been part of broader public conversation about safety perception on the west side, and buyers researching the area online may encounter unverified claims. This guide does not repeat those claims. What can be said directly from City sources is that Mount Royal is an established, mixed-density neighbourhood with a housing stock concentrated before 1980, a tenure mix of owned and rented housing, and a Civic voter turnout of 18 percent in 2024, the same as the citywide figure reported for that year. Buyers who weigh safety perception heavily should walk the specific blocks they are considering at different times of day rather than judging the neighbourhood as a whole, and can request current crime statistics from the Saskatoon Police Service directly.

Pros and Cons of Living in Mount Royal

Pros	Cons
Established west-side location with access to Circle Drive and 22nd Street West	Most of the housing stock dates from before 1980, which raises maintenance considerations
Mixed housing mix at 58 percent single-family, 15 percent two-unit, and 27 percent multi-unit	Lower homeownership rate than many suburban family neighbourhoods
Five in-area schools, including a Catholic option	Public conversation about safety perception on the west side, with no official crime data confirmed in this draft
Median multiple of 3.04, near the City’s affordability threshold	Limited new construction or modern building envelopes
Named parks, including Mount Royal Park and Sifton Park	Buyers need to confirm school programs and boundaries directly
Direct transit access via Route 5, Confederation/City Centre	Secondary considerations like suite legality and rental competition require direct verification

Compared To Nearby Areas

• Westmount borders Mount Royal to the east and offers a similarly established west-side setting for buyers comparing housing mix and pricing.
• Confederation Park sits nearby and offers a comparable established feel with its own dwelling mix and proximity to the Confederation commercial area.
• Kelsey Woodlawn, also on the west side, offers a broadly similar established housing stock for buyers weighing park space and exact pricing.
• Pleasant Hill, south of Mount Royal, offers a comparable older housing stock with its own tenure and dwelling mix profile.
• Newer west-end developments offer buyers a modern building envelope rather than an established pre-1980s housing stock.

Best Fit By Buyer Type

Mount Royal is worth considering if you want an established, mixed-housing west-side neighbourhood with in-area schools and pricing near or below the Saskatoon median multiple average. It may not be the right fit if you want new construction or a uniformly high owner-occupied, single-family profile.

For many buyers, the decision comes down to property condition, exact street and proximity to major roads, comfort with an older housing stock, and whether the established setting and school access outweigh the trade-offs of fewer newer-construction options.