Kneehill CountyAlberta
Its census division is Division No. 5. Some 5,129 people live in this town, in Alberta.
Is Kneehill County a good place to live?
Overall, Kneehill County earns a C, better than 32% of Canadian towns. The ranking puts it #353 of 473 in Alberta. Its weakest subject is safety (C−). Floods and other hazards weigh less here (A−). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B for cost of living, B− for schools, B for jobs & income and C+ for walkability.
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 Kneehill County grades
Each subject compares Kneehill County 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 Kneehill County stand out
The one thing Kneehill County does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Kneehill County.
Kneehill County gets a C− for safety
These figures come from the closest detachment: none reports for Kneehill County itself · Measured across the Three Hills detachment area: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000
Violent incidents in its police area came to 19.6 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Alberta’s towns (14.2) and Canadian towns (12). The force’s area logs 36.4 thefts, break-ins and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Kneehill County | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 19.6 | 14.2 | 12 |
| Crime Severity Index | 111 | 110 | 67 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 36.4 | 45 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Flood mapping exists for Kneehill County: 2 on record, latest by Government of Alberta
Source area for radon tests: the David Thompson Regional Health Authority
Radon is about average around Kneehill County: 7.5% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Shaking is less of a worry than in most places, at $0.014 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Kneehill County | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.014 | $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
Kneehill County’s region trails the typical Canadian town by 2.4 years: life expectancy 79.1
The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the Central Zone
In the health survey, 52% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, close to Alberta’s 53%. Smoking takes in 15% of adults, age-standardised, higher than both Alberta’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (12%). For Kneehill County itself the measure is access, and it lags: 17 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Kneehill County | 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
Summer runs warm in Kneehill County: July highs of 26.3°C, above Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns
Rain and snow peak in June, at 98 mm. Winter lows average −17.6°C in January, below Alberta’s towns (−14.7°C) and Canadian towns (−13.5°C) alike. A normal March brings 23 cm of snow, the most of any month. Gardeners get 128 frost-free days, from 14 May to 21 September.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Kneehill County | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 26.3°C | 23.5°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −17.6°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 483 mm | 431 mm | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 195 | 193 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Drumheller East)
Kneehill County gets a B for jobs & income
Commutes averaged 27 min, above both Alberta’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min). 91% of commuters drove to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Kneehill County | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 27 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.
Rent takes less of local pay in Kneehill County than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 16% of household income
The owner-occupied share of households is 86%. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 18% of households, below Alberta’s towns (21%) and close to Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Kneehill County | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 86% | 74% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 16% | 20% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 18% | 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.
Kneehill County in November: highs near 3°C, lows near −10°C
December follows at −4°C by day and −16°C by night. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 17 mm. Expect around 20 cm of snow in November. The year peaks in July (26°C) and bottoms out in January (−18°C).
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 | 106 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 10°C | 258 mm |
| Autumn | 12°C | −2°C | 77 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Drumheller East); the forecast is on the Weather page
Pierre Poilievre (Conservative Party of Canada) represents Kneehill County in Ottawa as MP for Battle River—Crowfoot
Across Alberta, 33 of the 37 MPs sit with the Conservative Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Kneehill County’s public library works from 3 branches
Among them: Acme Library, Carbon Municipal Library and Carbon Public Library.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Children make up 20% of Kneehill County, above Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns
1.7% of residents belong to a visible minority, below Alberta’s towns (29%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. Retirement age and beyond: 18% of residents are 65 or older.
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 49.4% of Kneehill County
Census 2021 put women at 2,470 and men at 2,525; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| Kneehill County | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 62% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 18% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 22% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 47% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Kneehill County borders Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park
Count 26 protected areas within 10 km of town. Within 100 km there is no national park. 1.3% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%).
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Kneehill County | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 1.3% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 3 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Schools in Kneehill County: 3 boards, side by side
Of its 10 tested schools, 2 sit in the top two fifths in Alberta and 5 in the bottom two. In or within 3 km of Kneehill County: 2 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools and 9 schools for every grade, with 2,902 students.
| 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 |
| Prairie Christian Academy Top fifth in AlbertaResults in the top fifth in AlbertaAll grades · Grades K–12 | All grades · Grades K–12 | 344 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Kneehill County | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Everything we know about Kneehill County
Torrington Gopher Hole Museum and 15 more in and around Kneehill County
From museums to parks and historic sites: Kneehill County’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
MuseumTorrington Gopher Hole Museumin town
MuseumRoyal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology1.1 km outside town, to the southeast · 400K visitors a year
AttractionWorld's Largest Dinosaur2.5 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumGopher Hole Museum and Gift Shopin townMuseumMuseumKneehill Historical Museum300 m outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumTrochu & District Museum600 m outside town, to the northeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Torrington Gopher Hole Museum: JamesPFisherIII, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- 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
Famous people from Kneehill County
6 notable people were born in Kneehill County.
About Kneehill County
Town in Alberta
Kneehill County is a municipality in Alberta, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 5,129 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 5
- Census subdivision
- 4805041
Kneehill County’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kneehill County | 5,129 | — | C | B | C− | C |
| Three Hills | 3,502 | 2.1 | B+ | C+ | C− | C+ |
| Trochu | 1,191 | 13 | — | B− | C− | B− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Kneehill County
What kind of homes are in Kneehill County?
Single-detached houses make up 84% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 20% of households are one person, and the average is 2.5.
Is Kneehill County growing?
It lost people: 5,001 in 2016, 4,992 in 2021, 0.2% fewer, while the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 5,129.
How old are the people of Kneehill County?
The median resident is 41.6 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 20% are under 15 and 18% 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).