DuchessAlberta
It is a town of 1,045 residents in Alberta. It is part of Division No. 2, a census division.
Is Duchess a good place to live?
Police record less crime here than in most towns (A−). The local economy is weaker than most (C). Hazard risk is lower than in most Canadian towns (A). Health is weaker too (C+).
Duchess has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.
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 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 Duchess grades
Each subject compares Duchess with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Duchess has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Duchess stand out
The 3 things Duchess does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Duchess.
Hazard risk in Duchess is lower than in 87% of Canadian towns
Radon around Duchess is ordinary for Canada: 4.4% of tested homes over the guideline (6.6% typical). Earthquakes matter little: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.015 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Duchess | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 4.4% | 7.5% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.015 | $0.013 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Radon tests: one figure for all of the Palliser Health Region
The police who cover Duchess record less serious crime than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 40
These figures come from the closest detachment: none reports for Duchess itself
Its police area recorded 5.8 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, below Alberta’s towns (14.2) and Canadian towns (12) alike. The force’s area logs 19.4 thefts, break-ins and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Duchess | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 26 | 109 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 40 | 110 | 67 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 19.4 | 45 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 5.8 | 14.2 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Not measured by town: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 (the Brooks detachment area)
One school serves Duchess: Duchess School
From the middle of town, the first elementary school is 13 km off, above Alberta’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km) alike.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duchess School Middle fifth in AlbertaLargest secondary schoolAll grades · Grades K–12 | All grades · Grades K–12 | 250 | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Duchess | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest elementary school | 13 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
| Nearest secondary school | 13 km | 0.7 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Duchess has warmer summers than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: July afternoons reach 26.9°C
A normal March brings 18 cm of snow, the most of any month. Rain and melted snow add up to 299 mm a year, lower than both Alberta’s towns (431 mm) and Canadian towns (883 mm). The coldest nights come in January, when Duchess averages a low of −15.7°C. Frost usually lifts by 22 May and returns around 21 September: 121 days without it.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Duchess | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 26.9°C | 23.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 299 mm | 431 mm | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 195 | 193 | 159 |
| Snowfall a year | 105 cm | 127 cm | 141 cm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Brooks)
Duchess is a town of owners: 86% of households own their home, above Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns
One in ten households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. A year’s rent came to 17% of the median household income, lower than both Alberta’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Duchess | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 10% | 21% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 86% | 74% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 20% | 20% |
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.
Commuters in Duchess travel further than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns, 28 min on average
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Duchess | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 28 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.
Life expectancy around Duchess is 78.7 years, 2.8 less than for the typical Canadian town
The survey finds 52% of adults in very good or excellent health, higher than Alberta’s towns (51%) and near Canadian towns (52%). Measured from where Duchess’ residents live, the nearest hospital is 18 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Duchess | 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 · Health survey and life expectancy: the South Zone
Visible minorities make up less of Duchess than of Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 1.9%
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 9.5% of residents, above Alberta’s towns (4.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%) alike. Immigrants make up 7.6% of residents, below Alberta’s towns (8.9%) but 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
47.6% of Duchess’ residents are women
Here the census found 550 men and 500 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Duchess | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 24% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 65% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 11% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 25% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 46% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Duchess in November: highs near 4°C, lows near −9°C
Into December, the normals move to −3°C and −15°C. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Brooks forecast, on the Weather page.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −2°C | −15°C | 29 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | −2°C | 73 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 10°C | 141 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | −2°C | 57 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Brooks); the forecast is on the Weather page
David Bexte (Conservative Party of Canada) represents Duchess in Ottawa as MP for Bow River
Across Alberta, 33 of the 37 MPs sit with the Conservative Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Duchess & District Public Library draws 2.4 visits per person served, behind 76% of Alberta’s town libraries
Duchess & District Public Library has one location for the 1,085 people it serves.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Duchess has no protected land within 10 km
No national park lies within 100 km. 22 km from town is Dinosaur Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Duchess | 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 Duchess
Famous people from around Duchess
2 notable people were born in Duchess; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Ryan Peake: Jonnylondon11, CC BY 3.0 · Sherraine Schalm: Edwin Wisse, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Richard Summerbell: Ross Fraser, CC BY-SA 3.0
About Duchess
Town in Alberta
TownRatings counts Duchess 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
- 1,045 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 2
- Census subdivision
- 4802036
Duchess’ neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duchess | 1,045 | — | — | B+ | A− | C+ |
| Newell County | 7,846 | 17 | B+ | C+ | A− | C+ |
| Brooks | 17,537 | 18 | B | B− | C | B− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Duchess
Who are the people of Duchess?
At the 2021 census, 8% were immigrants and 2% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 10% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
Is Duchess a young town or an old one?
Half its people are older than 36.4 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 24%, people 65 and over 11%.
What kind of homes are in Duchess?
87% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.8 people; 17% are one person living alone.
Is Duchess growing?
No: the census counted 1,085 in 2016 and 1,053 in 2021, 2.9% fewer, against growth of 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 1,045.
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).