Big Lakes CountyAlberta
A town of 5,106 in Alberta. The population fell 11% between 2016 and 2021.
Is Big Lakes County a good place to live?
More weak spots than strong ones. Where it falls short is schools (D−). Cost of living is its strong suit (B+). All told, that adds up to a D− overall, behind almost every Canadian town. In the ranking it comes #472 of 473 in Alberta. It lags on health as well (D−). Police record more crime here than in most towns (D).
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. Wildfire lowers this town's Hazard risk Grade: a high share of the land around it has burned in the last 40 years.
How Big Lakes County grades
Each subject compares Big Lakes County 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 Big Lakes County stand out
The 3 things Big Lakes County does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Big Lakes County.
Big Lakes County’s schools mostly sit under the middle in Alberta, 7 of the 7 with results
Its schools answer to 4 boards. An elementary school stands 21 km from the centre, above Alberta’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km) alike. The 3 km around Big Lakes County counts 2 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools and 4 schools for every grade, 1,648 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Prairie Elementary School Bottom fifth in AlbertaLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–6 | Elementary · Grades K–6 | 256 | English public |
| St. Andrew's School CatholicLargest secondary schoolAll grades · Grades K–12 | All grades · Grades K–12 | 398 | English Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Big Lakes County | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest elementary school | 21 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
| Nearest secondary school | 21 km | 0.7 km | 1.2 km |
| School boards | 4 | 3 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Big Lakes County earns a D− for health
Life expectancy at birth in the region is 78.3 years, lower than both Alberta’s towns (81.2) and Canadian towns (81.5). At 17%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 11% for Alberta. The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Big Lakes County live 53 km from a hospital on average, and 100% of them more than 30 km. Across the region, 48% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; Alberta as a whole reaches 53%.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Big Lakes County | 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 · Health survey and life expectancy published for the North Zone, not by town
Big Lakes County earns a D− for hazard risk
Measured across the Peace Country Health: radon tests
Earthquakes matter little: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.012 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. Radon is about average around Big Lakes County: nearly a tenth of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Wildfire is a real hazard of the town: 14% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, 0.35% a year, in the high band.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Big Lakes County | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8.9% | 7.5% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.012 | $0.013 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
For the force that serves Big Lakes County, the Crime Severity Index is 167, above Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns
The force’s area logs 67.4 thefts, break-ins and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. Its police area recorded 35.9 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above both Alberta’s towns (14.2) and Canadian towns (12). Figures for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 are published for the Faust detachment area as a whole, not for Big Lakes County alone.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Big Lakes County | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 35.9 | 14.2 | 12 |
| Crime Severity Index | 167 | 110 | 67 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 67.4 | 45 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 179 | 109 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Fewer of Big Lakes County’s 15-to-64s are in work than in 91% of Canadian towns
Driving is how 96% of commuters got to work at the census. The average trip to work took 23 min, below both Alberta’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Big Lakes County | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or van | 96% | 88% | 89% |
| Average trip | 23 min | 26 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.
At 3 times local income, homes in Big Lakes County cost less than in the typical Canadian town (4.7)
13% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. Home ownership covers nearly four in five households.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Big Lakes County | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 13% | 21% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 16% | 20% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $226,000 | $400,000 | $406,000 |
| Households owning their home | 79% | 74% | 74% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.
Big Lakes County has cooler summers than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: July highs of 21.8°C
Between the last spring frost, 26 May, and the first in autumn, 16 September, lie 112 days. Expect January lows of around −18.2°C in Big Lakes County. Some 93 cm of snow falls in a typical year, below both Alberta’s towns (127 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). January is the snowiest month, with 20 cm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Big Lakes County | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 21.8°C | 23.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 422 mm | 431 mm | 883 mm |
| January night low | −18.2°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 202 | 193 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Slave Lake)
A normal November in Big Lakes County runs from −10°C to −1°C
A normal November brings 19 mm of rain and snow. Then December: −7°C by day, −17°C at night. Over the year, July is warmest at 22°C by day and January coldest at −18°C by night. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Slave Lake forecast.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −7°C | −17°C | 48 mm |
| Spring | 8°C | −4°C | 77 mm |
| Summer | 21°C | 10°C | 209 mm |
| Autumn | 8°C | −2°C | 89 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Slave Lake); the forecast is on the Weather page
In 2021, Arnold Viersen carried Peace River—Westlock by 23,467 votes, a margin wider than 95% of Canada’s ridings
Statistics Canada lists Big Lakes County as a municipal district.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Kinuso Library lends 0.6 items per person served, fewer than all but a few of Alberta’s town libraries
Kinuso Library serves 4,103 people from a single building.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Big Lakes County borders Hilliard's Bay Provincial Park
20 protected areas lie within 10 km. National parks are all over 100 km off. Also worth knowing: for a swim, Joussard Beach is the nearest of 12 beaches within 5 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Big Lakes County | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 8 | 2 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 1.8% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
More of Big Lakes County’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 43%
19% of residents are 65 or over, higher than Alberta’s towns (15%) and near Canadian towns (19%). Children under 15 make up 18% of residents.
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 50.2% of Big Lakes County
By the 2021 count the town had 2,500 women and 2,485 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.
| Big Lakes County | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 62% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 19% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 33% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 40% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A younger housing stock: 91% of Big Lakes County’s homes are from 1961 on
| Heritage | Big Lakes County | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 9.2% | 4.5% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Big Lakes County
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and 2 more in and around Big Lakes County
What there is to see in Big Lakes County and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
CathedralCathedral of St. John the Baptist2.9 km outside town, to the northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Cathedral of St. John the Baptist: Jbebeau at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Big Lakes County
Town in Alberta
Big Lakes County 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
- 5,106 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 17
- Census subdivision
- 4817027
Questions about Big Lakes County
Who are the people of Big Lakes County?
Visible minorities are 3% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 5%, and Indigenous people 43%.
Is Big Lakes County growing?
No: the census counted 5,625 in 2016 and 4,986 in 2021, 11.4% fewer, against growth of 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 5,106.
What kind of homes are in Big Lakes County?
Mostly 77% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.5 people on average, and 27% have just one.
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).