DrumhellerAlberta
This town in Alberta has a population of 8,439. It is part of Division No. 5, a census division.
Is Drumheller a good place to live?
Crime runs high (C−). Drumheller grades C overall, better than 29% of Canadian towns. It ranks #369 of 473 in Alberta. Buying in is costly (C+). Hazard risk is its strong suit (A). The rest of its grades are middling: 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 Drumheller grades
Each subject compares Drumheller 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 Drumheller stand out
The 2 things Drumheller does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Drumheller.
For hazard risk, Drumheller gets an A
Radon around Drumheller is ordinary for Canada: 7.5% of tested homes over the guideline (6.6% typical). Flood mapping exists: a study by Government of Alberta. Shaking is less of a worry than in most places, at $0.008 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Drumheller | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.008 | $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 · Radon tests: one figure for all of the David Thompson Regional Health Authority
For safety, Drumheller gets a C−
Per 1,000 residents, 19.6 violent crimes are recorded each year. Its violent severity index came to 102, lower than Alberta’s towns (109) yet higher than Canadian towns (86). Property crime accounts for 36.7 incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Drumheller | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 19.6 | 14.2 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 36.7 | 45 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Summer runs warm in Drumheller: July highs of 26.3°C, above Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns
Snowfall adds up to 105 cm a year, lower than both Alberta’s towns (127 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Midwinter nights in Drumheller bottom out at −17.6°C on average. Most of the snow comes in March, about 18 cm. A normal June brings 82 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Drumheller | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 26.3°C | 23.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 412 mm | 431 mm | 883 mm |
| January night low | −17.6°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 195 | 193 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Drumheller East)
At 3.4 times local income, homes in Drumheller cost less than in the typical Canadian town (4.7)
The median home value was $250,000, lower than both Alberta’s towns ($400,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000). Households that own their home make up 71%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Drumheller | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $250,000 | $400,000 | $406,000 |
| Households owning their home | 71% | 74% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 19% | 20% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 20% | 21% | 18% |
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.
People in Drumheller’s 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
For Drumheller itself the measure is access: 2.8 km to the nearest hospital, much like the typical 3.7 km. The survey counts 15% of adults as smokers, higher than both Alberta’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (12%). About as many adults call their health very good or excellent here as across Alberta, 52% against 53%.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Drumheller | 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
Expect November days around 3°C in Drumheller, nights around −10°C
The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Drumheller. Next comes December, with normal highs of −4°C and lows of −16°C. Expect around 15 cm of snow in November. November normally sees 18 mm of precipitation.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −4°C | −17°C | 42 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | −2°C | 115 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 10°C | 187 mm |
| Autumn | 12°C | −2°C | 68 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Drumheller East); the forecast is on the Weather page
Battle River—Crowfoot, which takes in Drumheller, is held by Pierre Poilievre (Conservative Party of Canada)
The Conservative Party of Canada has 33 of the 37 MPs elected in Alberta.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Drumheller’s public library is Three Hills Municipal Library
A single building, Three Hills Municipal Library, serves 7,982 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Trips to work from Drumheller are shorter than from Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 16 min on average
Driving is how 91% of commuters got to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Drumheller | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 16 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 91% | 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.
Most schools around Drumheller score below the middle in Alberta: 2 of 3
The 3 km around Drumheller counts 1 elementary school, 2 secondary schools and 1 school for every grade, 1,234 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greentree School Fourth fifth in AlbertaLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–6 | Elementary · Grades K–6 | 342 | English public |
| St. Anthony's School CatholicLargest secondary schoolAll grades · Grades K–12 | All grades · Grades K–12 | 453 | English Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Drumheller | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Drumheller skews older, with 21% of residents 65 or over, more than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns
Children under 15 count for 14% of the people here. Visible minorities make up 12% of the population, lower than both Alberta’s towns (29%) and Canadian towns (15%).
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 46.6% of Drumheller
In 2021 there were 3,685 women to 4,225 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.
| Drumheller | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 65% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 21% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 19% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 48% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A provincial park at Drumheller’s edge: Midland Provincial Park
Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 1% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town. The largest is Tolman Badlands Heritage Rangeland Natural Area: 5,762 ha, 6.9 km from the edge of town. CPCAD lists 5 protected areas within 10 km. There is no national park within 100 km of the town.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Drumheller | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 1% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 3 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Canada’s registers list 1 historic place in Drumheller
Homes from before 1961 make up 28% of the stock, higher than both Alberta’s towns (4.5%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
| Heritage | Drumheller | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 28% | 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 Drumheller
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology and 18 more in and around Drumheller
What there is to see in Drumheller and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
MuseumRoyal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontologyin town · 400K visitors a year
AttractionWorld's Largest Dinosaurin town
Theme parkThe Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Sitein townMuseumMuseumEast Coulee School Museumin townMuseumMuseumArt & Safety First Exhibitsin townMuseumMuseumBadlands Good People Exhibitin townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology: Mack Male from Edmonton, AB, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- World's Largest Dinosaur: Prakashsubbarao at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- The Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site: Mascdman, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Drumheller
12 notable people were born in Drumheller.
Photo credits
Don Campbell: Unknown author, Public domain · Jackie Pement: BC NDP History Group, CC BY 2.0 · Karen Sanford: BC NDP History Group, CC BY 2.0
About Drumheller
Town in Alberta
Statistics Canada treats Drumheller 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
- 8,439 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 5
- Census subdivision
- 4805026
Questions about Drumheller
What kind of homes are in Drumheller?
Mostly 76% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.2 people on average, and 37% have just one.
Is Drumheller growing?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it fell from 7,982 to 7,909 residents (0.9% down; Canadian towns’ median grew 4.1%); Statistics Canada now estimates 8,439.
How old are the people of Drumheller?
The median resident is 44 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 14% are under 15 and 21% are 65 or over.
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).