Fort McMurrayin Wood Buffalo, Alberta
Home to 81,611 people, this town lies in Alberta. It is part of the Wood Buffalo metro area.
Is Fort McMurray a good place to live?
What it saves you on housing, it gives back elsewhere. Its weakest subject is hazard risk (D−). At C− overall, Fort McMurray ranks #395 of 473 in Alberta. On that grade it does better than just over a fifth of Canadian towns. Health lags (D). Where it does best is cost of living (A). It also trails on safety (D). The rest of its grades are middling: B− for jobs & income and B− for walkability.
Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread. Wildfire lowers this town's Hazard risk Grade: a high share of the land around it has burned in the last 40 years. Walkability leaves out transit here: in a mining or oil town the census counts the work buses to the sites as public transit.
What makes Fort McMurray stand out
The 3 things Fort McMurray does most differently from other towns.
How Fort McMurray grades
Each subject compares Fort McMurray 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 →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Fort McMurray.
On hazards, Fort McMurray comes out behind almost every Canadian town
Fewer homes than usual carry radon here, 0.7% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. At 1.11% of the land burned each year (42% within 25 km since 1986), Fort McMurray is in the very high wildfire band. Flood mapping exists: a study by Government of Alberta. Earthquakes matter little: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.003 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. Figures for radon tests are published for the Northern Lights Health Region as a whole, not for Fort McMurray alone.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Fort McMurray | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 0.7% | 7.5% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.003 | $0.013 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Renting in Fort McMurray costs 10% of household income, less than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns
Owners make up two thirds of households. 13% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. For rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, the only official count covers all of the Wood Buffalo metro area, Fort McMurray included.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Fort McMurray | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 10% | 20% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 13% | 21% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 67% | 74% | 74% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $472,000 | $400,000 | $406,000 |
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.
Health in Fort McMurray trails 86% of Canadian towns
Residents have 9.1 km to cover to reach a hospital, above both Alberta’s towns (3.1 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km). The region has more smokers than Alberta, 17% of adults to 11%. Even so, in the health survey, 48% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, fewer than Alberta’s 53%. Lives in the region last 78.3 years on average (2022/2024): 80.9 for women, 76.1 for men. Nobody publishes health survey and life expectancy for Fort McMurray alone, so this card uses the figure for the North Zone.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Fort McMurray | 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
Fort McMurray gets a D for safety
The violent crime rate is 20.6 per 1,000 residents a year. Property crime ran at 86.9 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above both Alberta’s towns (45) and Canadian towns (31.2).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Fort McMurray | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 86.9 | 45 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 20.6 | 14.2 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 118 | 109 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Fort McMurray’s schools come under 6 different boards
One of the 33 teaches in French, against 2% of schools in Alberta. Results lean low: 17 of 29 in the lower two fifths in Alberta. The Catholic boards run 11 of its 33 schools, against 18% in Alberta. École McTavish Public High School is the biggest, at 1,766 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Martha Catholic School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–6 | Elementary · Grades K–6 | 662 | English Catholic |
| École McTavish Public High School Middle fifth in AlbertaLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 7–12 | Secondary · Grades 7–12 | 1,766 | English public |
| École Boréale FrenchTeaches in FrenchAll grades · Grades K–12 | All grades · Grades K–12 | 168 | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Fort McMurray | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 6 | 3 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Fort McMurray has colder winters than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −22.3°C
Rain and melted snow add up to 405 mm a year, below both Alberta’s towns (431 mm) and Canadian towns (883 mm). The frost-free season runs from 29 May to 7 September, 100 days. The warmest afternoons come in July, at around 23.9°C in Fort McMurray. Most of the snow comes in January, about 20 cm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Fort McMurray | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −22.3°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 211 | 193 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 405 mm | 431 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 23.9°C | 23.5°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Fort McMurray)
More of Fort McMurray’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 11%
27% of residents belong to a visible minority, lower than Alberta’s towns (29%) yet higher than 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 47.3% of Fort McMurray
Here the census found 38,100 men and 34,225 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Fort McMurray | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 23% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 73% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 4.3% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 12% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 58% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Wood Buffalo National Park begins at the edge of Fort McMurray
Protected areas cover just over a third of the land within 10 km, above both Alberta’s towns (0.4%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). CPCAD lists 21 protected areas within 10 km. Within its own boundary, 35% of the town is protected. Also worth knowing: the Thebacha Trail is the one mapped walking route close by.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Fort McMurray | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 34% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 20 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
What November brings in Fort McMurray: −12°C at night, −3°C by day
November normally sees 17 mm of precipitation. Snowfall in a normal November: 18 cm. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Fort McMurray.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −10°C | −21°C | 42 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | −5°C | 64 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 9°C | 211 mm |
| Autumn | 7°C | −4°C | 87 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Fort McMurray); 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
The riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) covering Fort McMurray is Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, and Laila Goodridge (Conservative Party of Canada) represents it in the House of Commons.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
At 2.7 loans per person served, Wood Buffalo Library lends less than 87% of Alberta’s town libraries
Wood Buffalo Library serves 111,687 people from 2 branches.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Fewer commuters in Fort McMurray drive than in Alberta’s towns or across Canadian towns: 68%
The average trip to work took 33 min, above both Alberta’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Fort McMurray | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or van | 68% | 88% | 89% |
| Average trip | 33 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.
Back to 1788 in Fort McMurray, with Fort Chipewyan
Homes from before 1961 make up 1.3% of the stock, below Alberta’s towns (4.5%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. All told the heritage lists hold 4 historic places within the town, and one sits in the top tier. Designations here include 3 provincial or municipal listings.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
| Heritage | Fort McMurray | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 1.3% | 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
Heritage Village and 6 more in and around Fort McMurray
What there is to see in Fort McMurray and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
Everything we know about Fort McMurray
Famous people from Fort McMurray
22 notable people were born in Fort McMurray.
Photo credits
Nolan Pratt: U.S. Navy, Public domain · Scottie Upshall: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Brooke Voigt: LG전자, CC BY 2.0 · Shannon-Ogbani Abeda: SilverJayPhotography, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Scott Lehman: Franklin Park Library from Franklin Park, United States, CC BY 2.0 · Colin Murphy: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Questions about Fort McMurray
How old are the people of Fort McMurray?
Its median age is 34.4, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 23% of residents; over-65s, 4%.
What kind of homes are in Fort McMurray?
Single-detached houses make up 48% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 3% are in high-rise apartments. 22% of households are one person, and the average is 2.8.
Is Fort McMurray growing?
It added people: 71,594 in 2016, 72,326 in 2021, 1% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 81,611.
About Fort McMurray
Town in Alberta
Every figure TownRatings gives for Fort McMurray covers the municipality as Statistics Canada maps it, one census subdivision in Alberta.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 81,611 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 16
- Metro area
- Wood Buffalo
- Census subdivision
- 4816037
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).