Revealed: The Best and Worst Cities in Canada for Curly Hair

Curly hair care isn’t just about products, it’s also about place. From sky-high humidity to hard water and a lack of curl-friendly salons, your city’s environment might be helping or hurting your hair more than you think.

To find out where in Canada curls thrive (and where frizz takes over), we ranked 18 major cities using three key factors: humidity levels, water hardness, and access to curl specialists and salons.

The results? Regina topped the list for curl-friendly living, while Quebec City ranked dead last. Explore the full list below and find out how your city stacks up.

Top 5 Most Curl-Friendly Canadian Cities

These cities offer the best combination of dry or moderate climates and easy access to specialized curl stylists.

Rank City Salons / 100k Climate Rank Key Climate Pros
1 Regina 4.23 4 The Gold Standard: Highest salon density in Canada combined with a dry, curl-friendly climate.
2 Saskatoon 2.14 3 Highly Balanced: Great climate (Rank 3) and the 3rd highest salon density.
3 Edmonton 1.4 2 Reliable: Very dry climate (Rank 2) and respectable salon access.
4 Calgary 0.85 1 Climate King: The best environment for curls in Canada, though salon density is lower than the top three.
5 Victoria 1.5 5 Coastal Winner: Best climate of the coastal cities with solid salon access.

5 Least Curl-Friendly Cities

These cities are difficult for curls due to either extreme environmental moisture (which can cause frizz) and/or a severe lack of specialised salons.

Rank City Salons / 100k Climate Rank Key Climate Pros
1 St. John’s 0 18 The Worst: Zero specialized salons combined with the one of the most humid, rainy climates in Canada.
2 Brampton 0.77 15 Frizz Risk: Low salon access combined with a humid summer climate that kills curl definition.
3 Winnipeg 0.8 17 Inconsistent: One of the worst climates for curls (extreme shifts in weather) and very few salons per capita.
4 Quebec City 0.18 10 Stylist Desert: While the climate is moderate, there is almost no professional support for curly hair.
5 Toronto 1.14 11 Crowded & Humid: Despite a high total number of salons, the massive population means long waits or competition for cuts, and the humidity is a constant battle.

What became clear to us as we did this research is that big cities are severely lacking in stylists who specialize in curly cuts and styling. Eastern Canada has more people, more humidity, and larger cities, but fewer curl specialists overall. Western Canada has smaller cities, hard water, and a drier climate, but more curl specialists for the size of the population.

Extreme dryness, humidity, and hard water can be difficult to deal with when you have curls. The effect of your environment can be reduced with simple changes to your routine and expert advice. Having access to curl specialists in your area is extremely helpful and improves curl confidence.

We hope this data encourages more curl specialists to open in areas that are lacking in curly salons so that all Canadian curlies can embrace and love their natural hair.

- Samantha Cross, Curl Expert at Curl Warehouse 

 

How the Data Was Collected

  • To find Canada’s most and least curl-friendly cities, we looked at two factors: access to curl-specialist salons and environmental conditions that affect textured hair.
  • Salon access was measured using the DevaCurl Salon Finder and the Rezo Stylist Locator to identify salons with certified curl-specialist training. Searches were run within a 10-mile radius from each city centre, counting only DevaCurl-Inspired, certified curl-specialist, or Rezo-certified locations. Totals were calculated per 100,000 residents using the latest population data. This is not to say other curl specialists don’t exist in the same cities, however independently trained stylist information is not as readily available. We used the measure of DevaCurl and Rezo stylists to indicate how common curl specialists are in an area.
  • Environmental data came from Climate.Top (humidity, precipitation, temperature) and AquaTell’s Water Hardness Directory, plus municipal/government water reports where needed.
  • Cities were ranked on a combined score reflecting salon availability, humidity, water hardness, and precipitation -offering a full picture of where curls thrive and where they face the toughest challenges.

Why It Matters

Your city’s environment plays a bigger role in your hair routine than you might think. This data-driven guide is the first of its kind in Canada, helping curl-conscious consumers better understand how local conditions affect their hair health.