Black DiamondAlberta
2,910 people call this town in Alberta home. Its census division is Division No. 6.
Is Black Diamond a good place to live?
Real strengths, and real weak spots. Schools lag (D). Cost of living is weaker too (C−). People here tend to be in good health (A+). The overall grade lands at B−, better than 48% of Canadian towns. It ranks #270 of 473 in Alberta.
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 Black Diamond grades
Each subject compares Black Diamond 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 Black Diamond stand out
The 3 things Black Diamond does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Black Diamond.
Black Diamond scores better for health than almost every Canadian town
For Black Diamond itself the measure is access, and it scores well: 0.7 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical. 7.9% of adults smoke, daily or now and then, below Alberta’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. On the other hand, the survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 56%, ahead of the 53% for Alberta. Across the region, life runs to 83.0 years on average: women 85.0, men 80.9, in 2022/2024. Black Diamond shares its health survey and life expectancy numbers with the rest of the Calgary Zone.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Black Diamond | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 56% | 51% | 52% |
| Smokers | 7.9% | 12% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 83.0 | 81.2 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
The 2 schools of Black Diamond: 1 elementary school and 1 secondary school
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| C Ian McLaren School Bottom fifth in AlbertaLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–6 | Elementary · Grades K–6 | 169 | English public |
| Oilfields High School Bottom fifth in AlbertaLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 7–12 | Secondary · Grades 7–12 | 418 | English public |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Crime runs lighter where Black Diamond is policed than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns, at an index of 41
Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 for the Diamond Valley detachment area
Its police area records 19.9 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. For violence alone, its police area’s index was 34, below both Alberta’s towns (109) and Canadian towns (86). Violent crime in the area its police cover: 7.2 per 1,000 people a year.
| 2023–2025 | Black Diamond | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 41 | 110 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 34 | 109 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 19.9 | 45 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 7.2 | 14.2 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Measured against local pay, Black Diamond costs more to live in than 83% of Canadian towns
Shelter took 30% or more of income for just over a fifth of households, about level with Alberta’s towns (21%) and above Canadian towns (18%). Owners put the median home at $348,000, lower than both Alberta’s towns ($400,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Black Diamond | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 83% | 74% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 21% | 21% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $348,000 | $400,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.
Trips to work from Black Diamond take longer than from Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 34 min on average
The car took 90% of commuters, close to both Alberta’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Black Diamond | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 34 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 90% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Dry weather: only 445 mm of rain and snow a year falls on Black Diamond, less than on 82% of Canadian towns
Summer highs in Black Diamond reach 23.5°C in July. March is the snowiest month, with 24 cm on average. The most precipitation falls in June: 113 mm in a normal year. The frost-free season runs from 21 May to 18 September, 119 days.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Black Diamond | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation a year | 445 mm | 431 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 23.5°C | 23.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 193 | 193 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Calgary (Airport))
A median age of 50.8: Black Diamond is older than 87% of Canadian towns
4.9% of residents belong to a visible minority, below both Alberta’s towns (29%) and Canadian towns (15%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 6.8% of residents, above both Alberta’s towns (4.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).
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 50.8% of Black Diamond
Here the census found 1,340 men and 1,385 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Black Diamond | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 54% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 30% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 52% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Black Diamond runs from −8°C to 4°C
Rain and snow over a typical November come to 16 mm. A normal December brings highs of freezing, lows of −12°C. Expect around 19 cm of snow in November. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Okotoks.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −1°C | −12°C | 34 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | −2°C | 108 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 9°C | 232 mm |
| Autumn | 11°C | −1°C | 71 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Calgary (Airport)); the forecast is on the Weather page
A 37,339-vote win for John Barlow made Foothills safer in 2021 than 98% of ridings
Black Diamond’s riding for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta can’t be shown, because the province’s boundary file is licensed for non-commercial use only.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
The nearest public library to Black Diamond is Millarville Community Library, 10 km away
After it comes Okotoks Public Library (Okotoks), 19 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Black Diamond is 15 km from Bluerock Wildland Provincial Park
Banff National Park is the closest national park, 76 km from town. 0.7% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). Biggest among them: OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland, 4,277 ha, 9.2 km off. 7 protected areas lie within 10 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Black Diamond | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.7% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 3 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Flood mapping exists for Black Diamond: 1 on record, latest by Government of Alberta
Measured across the Calgary Health Region: radon tests
Black Diamond’s survey area, 8.1% over the radon guideline, is close to the typical town’s 6.6%. Seismic risk in Black Diamond sits near the middle: $0.048 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Black Diamond | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.048 | $0.013 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8.1% | 7.5% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Everything we know about Black Diamond
Bar U Ranch and 10 more within 40 km
Nothing to visit is mapped within 5 km of Black Diamond; these are the best known within 40 km.
MuseumBar U Ranch30 km south
MuseumHeritage Park Historical Village34 km northeast
National historic site · Parks CanadaPercheron Box Stalls29 km south
National historic site · Parks CanadaSlaughter House, Building 2729 km south
National historic site · Parks CanadaHay Shed29 km south
National historic site · Parks CanadaStud Horse Barn, Building 129 km southPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Bar U Ranch: Traveler100, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Heritage Park Historical Village: Qyd, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Percheron Box Stalls: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Slaughter House, Building 27: Jeffery J. Nichols, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hay Shed: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Stud Horse Barn, Building 1: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Black Diamond
No notable person born in Black Diamond is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Jeremy Colliton: Sarah Connors, CC BY 2.0
About Black Diamond
Town in Alberta
TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Black Diamond is one municipality in Alberta, figures and all.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 2,910 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 6
- Census subdivision
- 4806011
Black Diamond’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Diamond | 2,910 | — | B− | C− | A− | A+ |
| Turner Valley | 2,784 | 3.9 | B− | D | A− | A+ |
| Foothills County | 25,789 | 19 | A | C+ | A | A |
| Okotoks | 33,482 | 19 | A+ | C+ | A− | A+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Black Diamond
How old are the people of Black Diamond?
At 50.8, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 16% of the population and seniors 30%.
Who are the people of Black Diamond?
Visible minorities are 5% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 9%, and Indigenous people 7%.
What kind of homes are in Black Diamond?
72% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.3 people; 30% are one person living alone.
Is Black Diamond growing?
It added people: 2,705 in 2016, 2,730 in 2021, 0.9% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 2,910.
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).