CardstonAlberta
Some 3,863 people live in this town, in Alberta. It is part of Division No. 3, a census division.
Is Cardston a good place to live?
The weak point is safety (C−). At C overall, Cardston is better than a third of Canadian towns and ranks #343 of 473 in Alberta. It also trails on cost of living (C+). Getting around on foot or by bus is easy (B+). Elsewhere it is close to typical: C+ for schools, B for health and B− for hazard risk.
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 Cardston grades
Each subject compares Cardston 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 Cardston stand out
The one thing Cardston does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cardston.
The force covering Cardston records more serious violence than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns, at 124
The Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 numbers here cover the Cardston detachment area
Violent incidents in its police area came to 24.9 per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Alberta’s towns (14.2) and Canadian towns (12). For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 48 property crimes are reported each year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Cardston | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 24.9 | 14.2 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 48 | 45 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 124 | 109 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 108 | 110 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Commuters in Cardston have a short way to work, 18 min on average, less than in Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns
The car took 92% of commuters, about level with Canadian towns (89%) and above Alberta’s towns (88%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Cardston | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 18 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 92% | 88% | 89% |
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.
Only 13% of households in Cardston spend 30% or more of their income on shelter, against 18% in the typical Canadian town
Owners put the median home at $280,000, below Alberta’s towns ($400,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000) alike. A year’s rent came to nearly a fifth of the median household income, below both Alberta’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Cardston | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 13% | 21% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $280,000 | $400,000 | $406,000 |
| Rent as a share of income | 19% | 20% | 20% |
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.
Winters are mild in Cardston: January nights hold at −10.9°C, above Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns
Snow totals 257 cm over the year, above Alberta’s towns (127 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. Expect July highs of around 24.0°C in Cardston. A normal April brings 55 cm of snow, the most of any month. Also worth knowing: rain and snow peak in June, at 108 mm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Cardston | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 257 cm | 127 cm | 141 cm |
| January night low | −10.9°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 534 mm | 431 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 24.0°C | 23.5°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Carway)
2 of Cardston’s 3 tested schools score in the lower two fifths in Alberta
1,473 students attend the 2 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 2 schools for every grade in or within 3 km of Cardston.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardston Elementary SchoolLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–5 | Elementary · Grades K–5 | 460 | English public |
| Cardston High School Middle fifth in AlbertaLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 473 | English public |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
More of Cardston’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 16%
Visible minorities make up 6% of the population, lower than both Alberta’s towns (29%) and Canadian towns (15%). Immigrants make up one in ten residents, higher than both Alberta’s towns (8.9%) and Canadian towns (6.4%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
51.5% of Cardston’s residents are women
Of the 2021 count, 1,920 were women and 1,805 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Cardston | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 23% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 51% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 26% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 16% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 51% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
People in Cardston’s health region live to 78.7 on average, 2.8 years short of the typical Canadian town
Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the South Zone
On average 19% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, above both Alberta’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (17%). In the health survey, 52% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, close to Alberta’s 53%. Closer to home, a hospital is just 1.0 km from the average resident of Cardston, nearer than the usual 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Cardston | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.7 | 81.2 | 81.5 |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 52% | 51% | 52% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
A normal November in Cardston runs from −6°C to 5°C
A normal December brings highs of freezing, lows of −10°C. November usually brings some 32 cm of snow. Expect about 31 mm of rain and snow over November. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Cardston.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 1°C | −11°C | 76 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | −2°C | 172 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 7°C | 181 mm |
| Autumn | 11°C | −1°C | 106 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Carway); the forecast is on the Weather page
In 2021, Glen Motz carried Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner by 24,832 votes, a margin wider than 96% of Canada’s ridings
No provincial riding is named for Cardston: the only boundary file for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta forbids commercial reuse.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
More loans per person served than 94% of Alberta’s town libraries: Jim & Mary Kearl Library of Cardston lends 16
Jim & Mary Kearl Library of Cardston has one location for the 3,909 people it serves.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Flood mapping exists for Cardston: 1 on record, latest by Government of Alberta
Radon tests for the Chinook Regional Health Authority
Earthquake risk in Cardston is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.034 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. Radon around Cardston is ordinary for Canada: nearly a tenth of tested homes over the guideline (6.6% typical). Burn scars are few around Cardston, with 0.1% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.001% a year).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Cardston | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8.9% | 7.5% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.034 | $0.013 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
A national park 26 km from Cardston: Waterton Lakes National Park
There is one protected area within 10 km. 6.4 km from town is Woolford Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. Within 10 km of the town, 0.1% of the land is protected, against 2.3% around a typical Canadian town.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Cardston | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.1% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Cardston’s 1 historic place is a top designation
29% of its homes were built before 1961, higher than both Alberta’s towns (4.5%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Cardston | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 29% | 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 Cardston
Remington Carriage Museum and 2 more in and around Cardston
Sights in Cardston and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
Famous people from Cardston
17 notable people were born in Cardston.
Photo credits
Fay Wray: Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · George Woolf: Unidentified photographer, Public domain · Solon Earl Low: Solon_Earl_Low.jpg : Library and Archives of Canada, Arthur Roy derivative work: Connormah, Public domain · Frederick Davis Shaw: Arthur Roy, Public domain
About Cardston
Town in Alberta
Statistics Canada treats Cardston as a single census subdivision in Alberta, and TownRatings keeps to that line.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 3,863 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 3
- Census subdivision
- 4803004
Cardston’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardston | 3,863 | — | C | C+ | C− | B |
| Cardston County | 4,938 | 9 | C | B+ | C− | C+ |
| Blood 148 | 4,404 | 17 | — | — | D− | C+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Cardston
Who are the people of Cardston?
At the 2021 census, 10% were immigrants and 6% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 16% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
Is Cardston a young town or an old one?
The median resident is 40.8 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 23% are under 15 and 26% are 65 or over.
What kind of homes are in Cardston?
Single-detached houses make up 85% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 23% of households are one person, and the average is 2.8.
Has Cardston grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 3,585 to 3,724 residents (up 3.9%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 3,863.
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).