Cold LakeAlberta
Population 17,798: a town in Alberta. Its census division is Division No. 12.
Is Cold Lake a good place to live?
Safety is its weak spot (D). Overall, Cold Lake earns a C: better than 31% of Canadian towns, and #360 of 473 in Alberta. Jobs & income is its strong suit (A). Prices are modest for what you get (A−). Schools lag (D).
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 Cold Lake grades
Each subject compares Cold Lake 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 Cold Lake stand out
The 3 things Cold Lake does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cold Lake.
Cold Lake’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 205, runs above Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns
Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 132.7 per 1,000 residents a year. Violent incidents came to 33.2 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Alberta’s towns (14.2) and Canadian towns (12).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Cold Lake | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 132.7 | 45 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 33.2 | 14.2 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 205 | 109 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Results around Cold Lake lean low: 7 of 9 schools in the lower two fifths in Alberta
4,588 students attend the 5 elementary schools, 5 secondary schools and 4 schools for every grade in or within 3 km of Cold Lake. Of the 14, one teaches in French (2% of schools in Alberta).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Star Elementary School Bottom fifth in AlbertaLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–6 | Elementary · Grades K–6 | 404 | English public |
| Assumption Junior Senior High School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 7–12 | Secondary · Grades 7–12 | 754 | English Catholic |
| École Voyageur FrenchTeaches in FrenchAll grades · Grades K–12 | All grades · Grades K–12 | 242 | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Cold Lake | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 3 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Commuters in Cold Lake have a short way to work, 21 min on average, less than in Alberta’s towns and across Canadian towns
92% of commuters took the car to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Cold Lake | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 21 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 92% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Few places are as safe from hazards as Cold Lake: it beats 86% of Canadian towns
Earthquakes matter little: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.004 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. Little of the land around Cold Lake has burned: 1.3% within 25 km since 1986, or 0.03% a year. In Health Canada’s survey, one in ten homes tested in the town’s area exceeded 200 Bq/m³, close to the typical 6.6%.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Cold Lake | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 9.6% | 7.5% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.004 | $0.013 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Data for radon tests covers the Aspen Regional Health Authority
Cold Lake’s region trails the typical Canadian town by 3.2 years: life expectancy 78.3
Measured from where Cold Lake’s residents live, a hospital is 3.5 km away, near the 3.7 km most towns see. At 17%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 11% for Alberta, and on top of that the three chronic conditions the survey tracks average just over a fifth of adults, above both Alberta’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (17%). Adults here are less upbeat about their health than the province: 48% very good or excellent, against 53% in Alberta. Figures for health survey and life expectancy are published for the North Zone as a whole, not for Cold Lake alone.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Cold Lake | 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
Home ownership in Cold Lake, 64%, runs below Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns
Rent took 15% of household income, below both Alberta’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (20%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 16% of households, below Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Cold Lake | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 15% | 20% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 64% | 74% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 16% | 21% | 18% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: one figure for all of the Cold Lake metro area
More of Cold Lake’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 15%
One in ten residents belong to a visible minority, lower than both Alberta’s towns (29%) and Canadian towns (15%). Immigrants make up nearly one in ten residents, about level with Alberta’s towns (8.9%) and above 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
48.3% of Cold Lake’s residents are women
The 2021 census counted 7,560 women and 8,100 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| Cold Lake | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 23% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 69% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 8.1% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 54% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Winter nights bite in Cold Lake: January lows of −19.6°C, colder than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns
Expect July highs of around 23.6°C in Cold Lake. Frost comes on 198 days a year, near Alberta’s towns (193) and higher than Canadian towns (159). Between the last spring frost, 19 May, and the first in autumn, 16 September, lie 119 days. A normal June brings 86 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Cold Lake | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −19.6°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 437 mm | 431 mm | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 198 | 193 | 159 |
| July afternoon high | 23.6°C | 23.5°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Cold Lake)
A normal November in Cold Lake runs from −10°C to −2°C
By December, a normal day reaches −9°C and a night falls to −17°C. About 23 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Over the year, July is warmest at 24°C by day and January coldest at −20°C by night. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Cold Lake forecast.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −8°C | −18°C | 46 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | −3°C | 92 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 10°C | 217 mm |
| Autumn | 8°C | −2°C | 82 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Cold Lake); the forecast is on the Weather page
A 23,761-vote win for Laila Goodridge made Fort McMurray—Cold Lake safer in 2021 than 97% of ridings
Cold Lake is a city by Statistics Canada’s count of municipalities.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Fewer visits per person served than 78% of Alberta’s town libraries: Cold Lake Library counts 2.2
The 14,961 people Cold Lake Library serves have 2 branches to choose from.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Cold Lake Provincial Park is 0.9 km from Cold Lake
The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. Within 10 km are 3 protected areas. OpenStreetMap shows one beach within 5 km, without a name.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Cold Lake | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 1.7% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Cold Lake’s past, on the record: 6 historic places
Go back to 1953 and you reach Hangar 2, the oldest of them.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
| Heritage | Cold Lake | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 9.7% | 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 Cold Lake
Cold Lake Air Force Museum and 6 more in and around Cold Lake
The best-known places to visit in and around Cold Lake come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
Famous people from Cold Lake
8 notable people were born in Cold Lake.
Photo credits
David Shand: Panini, Public domain · Garry Howatt: New York Islanders, Public domain · Doug Hicks: Chicago Blackhawks / NHL, Public domain · Bonnie McFarlane: Lisa Gansky from New York, NY, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
About Cold Lake
Town in Alberta
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Cold Lake 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
- 17,798 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 12
- Census subdivision
- 4812002
Questions about Cold Lake
How old are the people of Cold Lake?
Half its people are older than 32.4 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 23%, people 65 and over 8%.
Who are the people of Cold Lake?
At the 2021 census, 9% were immigrants and 10% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 15% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
Is Cold Lake growing?
It grew from 14,976 people in 2016 to 15,661 in 2021, up 4.6%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 17,798.
What kind of homes are in Cold Lake?
27% of households are one person, and the average is 2.5.
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).