BlackfaldsAlberta
Its population rose 12% from 2016 to 2021. Home to 12,258 people, this town lies in Alberta.
Is Blackfalds a good place to live?
Blackfalds’s weakest is health (C). Police record less crime here than in most towns (B+). Overall, that makes a B−, good for #271 of 473 in Alberta. That leaves it better than 48% of Canadian towns. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for schools and B 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. 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 Blackfalds grades
Each subject compares Blackfalds 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 Blackfalds stand out
The 3 things Blackfalds does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Blackfalds.
A flood study covers Blackfalds: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Government of Alberta
In Health Canada’s survey, 7.5% of homes tested in Blackfalds’ area exceeded 200 Bq/m³, close to the typical 6.6%. Shaking is about as much of a worry in Blackfalds as in most places, at $0.018 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Blackfalds | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.018 | $0.013 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 7.5% | 7.5% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Data for radon tests covers the David Thompson Regional Health Authority
Younger than 98% of Canadian towns: half of Blackfalds is under 31.8
6.5% of residents have an Indigenous identity, higher than both Alberta’s towns (4.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). Visible minorities make up 6.7% 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
49.9% of Blackfalds’ residents are women
Women numbered 5,225 and men 5,245 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.
| Blackfalds | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 27% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 67% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 6.2% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 51% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Summers stay cool in Blackfalds: July afternoons reach 22.9°C, below Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns
Gardeners get 112 frost-free days, from 22 May to 12 September. Frosty days number 212 in a normal year, above both Alberta’s towns (193) and Canadian towns (159). In January, overnight lows in Blackfalds settle at −17.6°C.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Blackfalds | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 22.9°C | 23.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 212 | 193 | 159 |
| January night low | −17.6°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 483 mm | 431 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Red Deer)
Violent crime weighs less on Blackfalds than on Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 49
Property crime ran at 25.8 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, below Alberta’s towns (45) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike. Police recorded 12.8 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, between Alberta’s towns (14.2) and Canadian towns (12).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Blackfalds | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 49 | 109 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 25.8 | 45 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
People in Blackfalds’ health region live to 79.1 on average, 2.4 years short of the typical Canadian town
Measured across the Central Zone: health survey and life expectancy
About as many adults call their health very good or excellent here as across Alberta, 52% against 53%. The survey counts 15% of adults as smokers, above Alberta’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Blackfalds’ is long: 9.2 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Blackfalds | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.1 | 81.2 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Blackfalds is graded a C for cost of living
78% of households own their home, close to both Alberta’s towns (74%) and Canadian towns (74%). A year’s rent came to 21% of the median household income, about level with Canadian towns (20%) and above Alberta’s towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Blackfalds | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 78% | 74% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 21% | 20% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 19% | 21% | 18% |
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.
Household incomes in Blackfalds top those of 89% of Canadian towns
Commutes averaged 26 min, close to both Alberta’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Blackfalds | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 26 min | 26 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Blackfalds in November: highs near 1°C, lows near −11°C
The month after, December, normally sees −4°C afternoons and −16°C nights. November usually brings some 20 cm of snow. Expect about 17 mm of rain and snow over November. ECCC’s forecast for Lacombe is on the Weather page, hour by hour.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −5°C | −17°C | 42 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | −4°C | 106 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 8°C | 258 mm |
| Autumn | 10°C | −4°C | 77 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Red Deer); the forecast is on the Weather page
Blaine Calkins (Conservative Party of Canada) holds Ponoka—Didsbury, the riding that includes Blackfalds
From Alberta come 37 MPs, 33 of them with the Conservative Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Servus Credit Union Public Library - Blackfalds Library is Blackfalds’s public library
A single building, Servus Credit Union Public Library - Blackfalds Library, serves 10,125 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Results around Blackfalds lean low: 2 of 3 schools in the lower two fifths in Alberta
Taken together, Blackfalds and its 3 km edge hold 4 elementary schools and 1 school for every grade for 1,551 students. Its elementary schools are big ones, 386 students on average, against 274 in Alberta.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Ridge Elementary CampusLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–3 | Elementary · Grades K–3 | 484 | English public |
| Bentley Colony SchoolLargest secondary schoolAll grades · Grades 4–9 | All grades · Grades 4–9 | 7 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Blackfalds | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 2 km | 0.7 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Little of the land around Blackfalds is protected: 0.6% within 10 km
National parks are all over 100 km off. 70 km from town is Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Blackfalds | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.6% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Blackfalds
Famous people from around Blackfalds
No notable person born in Blackfalds is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Roland Michener: Uncropped version from the St. Thomas Times-Journal (via Elgin County Archives ), CC BY 2.0 · Chris Mason: Sean Russell, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mellisa Hollingsworth: Robert Thivierge ( Thivierr ), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Steven Elm: Bloemmie29, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Zina Kocher: Mef.ellingen, CC BY-SA 4.0
About Blackfalds
Town in Alberta
TownRatings counts Blackfalds as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in Alberta; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 12,258 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 8
- Census subdivision
- 4808029
Blackfalds’ neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackfalds | 12,258 | — | B− | C | B+ | C |
| Lacombe County | 11,072 | 7.3 | C− | C | C− | C |
| Lacombe | 14,733 | 11 | B− | C | B− | C+ |
| Red Deer | 115,409 | 13 | C | C− | D | C+ |
| Bentley | 1,153 | 19 | — | A | B− | B− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Blackfalds
Is Blackfalds growing?
It grew from 9,328 people in 2016 to 10,470 in 2021, up 12.2%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 12,258.
How old are the people of Blackfalds?
Its median age is 31.8, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 27% of residents; over-65s, 6%.
Who are the people of Blackfalds?
Visible minorities are 7% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 7%, and Indigenous people 7%.
What kind of homes are in Blackfalds?
Mostly 72% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.8 people on average, and 18% 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).