CoalhurstAlberta
Between 2016 and 2021, its population grew by 8%. Some 3,244 people live in this town, in Alberta.
Is Coalhurst a good place to live?
Police record less crime here than in most towns (A). What counts against it is cost of living (C+). It lags on walkability as well (C+). The overall grade lands at B+, #184 of 473 in Alberta. Set against the rest, it does better than 65% of Canadian towns. Its other grades sit near the middle: B for schools, B− for health, B for jobs & income and B− for hazard risk.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety less sure: no police service names this town, so its crime figure is the nearest police detachment's, shared with a wider area. 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 Coalhurst grades
Each subject compares Coalhurst 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 Coalhurst stand out
The 3 things Coalhurst does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Coalhurst.
Crime runs lighter where Coalhurst is policed than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns, at an index of 36
A best guess: the nearest detachment’s figures, since none is filed under Coalhurst · Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over the Picture Butte detachment area
The violent index for its police area came to 34, lower than both Alberta’s towns (109) and Canadian towns (86). The force’s area logs 5.2 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 15.2 per 1,000 residents a year where it is policed.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Coalhurst | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 36 | 110 | 67 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 15.2 | 45 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 34 | 109 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 5.2 | 14.2 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Fewer of Coalhurst’s people belong to a visible minority than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 3.8%
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 7.8% of residents, above both Alberta’s towns (4.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). 6.4% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, lower than Alberta’s towns (8.9%) and near 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
49.7% of Coalhurst’s residents are women
Here the census found 1,445 men and 1,425 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Coalhurst | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 25% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 64% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 11% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 16% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 48% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Summer runs warm in Coalhurst: July highs of 26.3°C, above Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns
Snow totals 108 cm over the year, below both Alberta’s towns (127 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Gardeners get 118 frost-free days, from 21 May to 17 September. Midwinter nights in Coalhurst bottom out at −12.1°C on average. Most of the snow comes in March, about 18 cm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Coalhurst | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 26.3°C | 23.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 373 mm | 431 mm | 883 mm |
| Snowfall a year | 108 cm | 127 cm | 141 cm |
| January night low | −12.1°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Lethbridge)
Most households in Coalhurst own their home: 81%, more than in Alberta’s towns and across Canadian towns
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 17% of households, lower than both Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Coalhurst | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 81% | 74% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 17% | 21% | 18% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates. · Not measured by town: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom (the Lethbridge metro area)
Coalhurst has fewer jobs than residents in work: 0.6 for each
The average trip to work takes 24 min.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Coalhurst | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 24 min | 26 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.
2 schools serve Coalhurst, 1 elementary school and 1 secondary school
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coalhurst Elementary School Middle fifth in AlbertaLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–6 | Elementary · Grades K–6 | 302 | English public |
| Coalhurst High School Fourth fifth in AlbertaLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 7–12 | Secondary · Grades 7–12 | 212 | English public |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
In Coalhurst, November normally means 6°C afternoons and −7°C nights
July brings the warmest days, 26°C; January the coldest nights, −12°C. December follows at 1°C by day and −11°C by night. Snowfall in a normal November: 16 cm. ECCC’s forecast for Lethbridge is on the Weather page, hour by hour.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 1°C | −11°C | 33 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | −1°C | 102 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 9°C | 165 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | −1°C | 73 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Lethbridge); the forecast is on the Weather page
Lethbridge, which takes in Coalhurst, is held by Rachael Thomas (Conservative Party of Canada)
33 of the 37 MPs from Alberta belong to the Conservative Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
The nearest public library to Coalhurst is Lethbridge Public Library - Crossings Branch, 7.6 km away
After it comes Lethbridge Public Library - Main Branch (Lethbridge), 8.6 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Coalhurst’s region trails the typical Canadian town by 2.8 years: life expectancy 78.7
Shared with the rest of the South Zone: health survey and life expectancy
The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Coalhurst’s is long: 9.8 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical. Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect 19% of the region’s adults on average, above both Alberta’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (17%). The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 52%; Alberta as a whole is at 53%.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Coalhurst | 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
Coalhurst’s hazards at a glance: a moderate wildfire record and 8.9% of area homes over the radon guideline
Source area for radon tests: the Chinook Regional Health Authority
Seismic risk in Coalhurst sits near the middle: $0.029 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. The burn rate around Coalhurst is 0.08% a year (3.1% of the land within 25 km since 1986), a moderate band. No flood study for Coalhurst is on the national inventory.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Coalhurst | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8.9% | 7.5% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.029 | $0.013 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Woolford Provincial Park, 64 km away, is the closest provincial park to Coalhurst
For a national park, Waterton Lakes National Park is 90 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Coalhurst | 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 Coalhurst
Famous people from around Coalhurst
One notable person was born in Coalhurst; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Conrad Bain: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Public domain · Duncan Regehr: Super Festivals from Ft. Lauderdale, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Rob Klinkhammer: Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0
About Coalhurst
Town in Alberta
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Coalhurst is one census subdivision in Alberta, and TownRatings describes all of it.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 3,244 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 2
- Metro area
- Lethbridge
- Census subdivision
- 4802013
Coalhurst’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coalhurst | 3,244 | — | B+ | C+ | A | B− |
| Lethbridge | 113,671 | 8.5 | C+ | C− | D | B− |
| Lethbridge County | 10,988 | 15 | C− | C− | C− | C+ |
| Nobleford | 1,694 | 18 | — | C | A | C+ |
| Picture Butte | 2,380 | 18 | — | C− | A | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Coalhurst
Who are the people of Coalhurst?
4% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 8% have an Indigenous identity and 6% are immigrants.
How old are the people of Coalhurst?
Its median age is 32, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 25% of residents; over-65s, 11%.
What kind of homes are in Coalhurst?
Mostly 76% 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.
Has Coalhurst grown?
It grew from 2,668 people in 2016 to 2,869 in 2021, up 7.5%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 3,244.
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).