BarrheadAlberta
This town in Alberta has a population of 4,768. It is part of Division No. 13, a census division.
Is Barrhead a good place to live?
A town of contrasts. Residents’ health trails most towns (C−). Barrhead’s overall grade, C, puts it better than 27% of Canadian towns. Its place in the ranking is #374 of 473 in Alberta. Housing is expensive (C). Walking, cycling and public transport work well here (A). The rest of its grades are middling: B for schools and C+ for jobs & income.
This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. Safety is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.
How Barrhead grades
Each subject compares Barrhead with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Barrhead stand out
The 3 things Barrhead does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Barrhead.
Expect 78.3 years of life in the region around Barrhead, 3.2 under the typical Canadian town
Smoking is commoner than in the province: 17% of adults, against 11% for Alberta. On average just over a fifth of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, above Alberta’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (17%) alike. The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 48%, behind the 53% for Alberta. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Barrhead is well placed: 0.7 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical. Barrhead shares its health survey and life expectancy numbers with the rest of the North Zone.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Barrhead | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Smokers | 17% | 12% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.3 | 81.2 | 81.5 |
| Very good or excellent health | 48% | 51% | 52% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Fewer households own their home in Barrhead than in Alberta’s towns or across Canadian towns: 65%
24% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, higher than both Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). The median home value was $250,000, below Alberta’s towns ($400,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000) alike.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Barrhead | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 24% | 21% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 65% | 74% | 74% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $250,000 | $400,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.
Barrhead is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by Government of Alberta
Earthquakes matter little: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.013 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. Radon is about average around Barrhead: 9.6% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Figures for radon tests are published for the Aspen Regional Health Authority as a whole, not for Barrhead alone.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Barrhead | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 9.6% | 7.5% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.013 | $0.013 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
For safety, Barrhead gets a C
Source area for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: the Barrhead detachment area
The index for the force that serves it came to 82, between Alberta’s towns (110) and Canadian towns (67). Across its police area, there are 36.5 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Violent crime in the area its police cover: 14.9 per 1,000 people a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Barrhead | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 82 | 110 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 74 | 109 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 36.5 | 45 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Barrhead has colder winters than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −19.0°C
In July the thermometer climbs to 23.5°C by day, close to Alberta’s towns (23.5°C) and below Canadian towns (25.5°C). Frost usually lifts by 1 June and returns around 1 September: 91 days without it. Snow peaks in January: 29 cm in a normal year. The most precipitation falls in July: 86 mm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Barrhead | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days with frost a year | 216 | 193 | 159 |
| January night low | −19.0°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 466 mm | 431 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 23.5°C | 23.5°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Campsie)
Trips to work from Barrhead are shorter than from Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 18 min on average
The car took 86% of commuters, near both Alberta’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Barrhead | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 18 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 86% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
3 schools in and around Barrhead: 1 elementary school and 2 secondary schools
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrhead Elementary School Fourth fifth in AlbertaLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–6 | Elementary · Grades K–6 | 599 | English public |
| Barrhead Composite High School Middle fifth in AlbertaLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 7–12 | Secondary · Grades 7–12 | 671 | English public |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
In Barrhead, November normally means freezing afternoons and −11°C nights
Rain and snow over a typical November come to 25 mm. Into December, the normals move to −6°C and −18°C. A typical November adds 24 cm of snow. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Barrhead forecast, on the Weather page.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −5°C | −18°C | 60 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | −4°C | 95 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 8°C | 227 mm |
| Autumn | 9°C | −4°C | 84 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Campsie); the forecast is on the Weather page
Peace River—Westlock, which takes in Barrhead, is held by Arnold Viersen (Conservative Party of Canada)
Locally, Barrhead is run as a town.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Barrhead’s public library is Barrhead Public Library
Barrhead Public Library serves 10,867 people, more than Barrhead alone, so its figures cover the wider area.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
More of Barrhead’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 7.8%
Visible minorities make up 13% of the population, below Alberta’s towns (29%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 53.1% of Barrhead
Of the 2021 count, 2,295 were women and 2,025 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Barrhead | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 53% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 30% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 23% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 47% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Fort Assiniboine Sandhills Wildland Provincial Park, 23 km away, is the closest provincial park to Barrhead
One protected area is close by. The nearest national park is more than 100 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Barrhead | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Barrhead
Famous people from Barrhead
9 notable people were born in Barrhead.
Photo credits
Melissa Lotholz: Republic of Korea, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Doug Horner: Doug_Horner.jpg : Dave Cournoyer derivative work: Connormah, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Janis Irwin: MontonEd88, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Arnold Viersen: Scaredmonkey54, CC BY-SA 4.0
About Barrhead
Town in Alberta
Barrhead is a municipality in Alberta, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 4,768 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 13
- Census subdivision
- 4813019
Barrhead’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrhead | 4,768 | — | C | C | C | C− |
| Barrhead County No. 11 | 6,186 | 8.5 | C− | B− | C | D |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Barrhead
How old are the people of Barrhead?
47.6 is the median age, 45.2 the median among Canadian towns; 30% of residents are 65 or over and 17% under 15.
What kind of homes are in Barrhead?
Mostly 69% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.2 people on average, and 37% have just one.
Is Barrhead growing?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it fell from 4,579 to 4,320 residents (5.7% down; Canadian towns’ median grew 4.1%); Statistics Canada now estimates 4,768.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).