Aerial view of Lac La Biche, Alberta, taken from a Thomas Cook Airlines Airbus A330 en-route from Edmonton to London Gatwick

Lac la Biche CountyAlberta

TownGrade

#2,495 of 2,556

It shrank by 8% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses. The town has 8,580 residents and lies in Alberta.

Photo: SempreVolando · CC BY 3.0

Population

8,580

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

41.6

years · Alberta’s towns: 40.8

Postsecondary

49%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Lac la Biche County a good place to live?

Lac la Biche County’s weakest subject is safety (D−). With a D overall, Lac la Biche County is better than 5% of Canadian towns and ranks #462 of 473 in Alberta. A median home here was worth $400,000 at the census, or 4.2 times what the middle household earns in a year. Jobs & income is where it shines (B+). Health is weaker too (D).

Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.

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 is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestAHazard riskWeakestD⁻Safety DHealth

How Lac la Biche County grades

Each subject compares Lac la Biche 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 grading works

SafetyCrime runs among the highest comparedD⁻Open →HealthIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →Hazard riskBased on earthquake losses and radon in homes; a high wildfire risk can pull it downAOpen →SchoolsSchools are among the weakest comparedC⁻Open →Jobs & incomeAhead of most towns comparedB⁺Open →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesCOpen →WalkabilityNear typical for the towns comparedC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Lac la Biche County stand out

The 3 things Lac la Biche County does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Safety

Behind 96%

of Canadian towns on safety

Its safety grade: D−.

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

4% walk, cycle or take transit

Where the typical figure for Canadian towns is 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Health

Behind 89%

of Canadian towns on health

Its health grade: D.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Lac la Biche County.

SafetySafety D⁻

Violent crime weighs more where Lac la Biche County is policed than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 359

296Crime Severity Index

The force’s area logs 51.5 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 296 over 2023–25, higher than both Alberta’s towns (110) and Canadian towns (67). Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 104.3 per 1,000 residents a year where it is policed. Lac la Biche County doesn’t get its own Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures; the ones here come from the Lac La Biche detachment area.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023300

2024306

2025282

2023–2025	Lac la Biche County	Alberta	Canada
Crime Severity Index	296	110	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	359	109	86
Violent crime	51.5	14.2	12
Property crime per 1,000	104.3	45	31.2

274

non-violent Crime Severity Index

42%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageLac la Biche County’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety296 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Lac la Biche County’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Lac la Biche County safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

HealthHealth D

Lac la Biche County earns a D for health

48%very good or excellent healthDHealth Grade

Across the region, 48% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; Alberta as a whole reaches 53%. At 17%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 11% for Alberta. Life expectancy at birth in the region is 78.3 years, below both Alberta’s towns (81.2) and Canadian towns (81.5). What sets Lac la Biche County apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 11 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical). For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the North Zone, Lac la Biche County included.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Lac la Biche County48%

Alberta’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Lac la Biche County	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%

78.3

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

11 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

17%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

11 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageLac la Biche County’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey48% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting careA pharmacy 11 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 80.9, men 76.1 Conditions and habits21% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Natural hazardsHazard risk A

Few places are as safe from hazards as Lac la Biche County: it beats 86% of Canadian towns

Lowwildfire bandAHazard risk Grade

Burn scars are few around Lac la Biche County, with 0.9% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.02% a year). Radon is about average around Lac la Biche County: 9.6% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% 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

Lac la Biche County9.6%

Alberta’s towns7.5%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Lac la Biche County	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

$0.004

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Low

wildfire band

2.6 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageLac la Biche County’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.9% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.004 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon9.6% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Radon tests: one figure for all of the Aspen Regional Health Authority

SchoolsSchools C⁻

Teaching in French: 2 of Lac la Biche County’s 7 schools

7schools within 3 kmC⁻Schools Grade

3 boards run its schools. Results lean low: 3 of 4 in the lower two fifths in Alberta. Counting a 3 km margin, Lac la Biche County has 3 elementary schools, 3 secondary schools and 1 school for every grade, for 1,435 students.

School	Level	Students	System
Aurora Middle School Fourth fifth in AlbertaLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades 4–8	Elementary · Grades 4–8	389	English public
J A Williams High School Bottom fifth in AlbertaLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	459	English public
École Beauséjour FrenchTeaches in FrenchAll grades · Grades K–12	All grades · Grades K–12	110	French public

See all 7 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public4

French public2

Other1

Schools within 3 km	Lac la Biche County	Alberta	Canada
School boards	2	3	3

1,435

students at the schools within 3 km, 2025/26

0.6 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageLac la Biche County’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Language2 of 7 teach in French · 2% of schools in Alberta Every school7 schools within 3 km · 3 elementary schools, 3 secondary schools and 1 school for every grade Results1 of 4 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Alberta The boards3 school boards · The Northern Lights School Division Questions“What schools are there in Lac la Biche County?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁺

Lac la Biche County’s household incomes are higher than in 81% of Canadian towns

4%walk, cycle or take transit

The commute to work averages 23 min.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van94%

Walk2%

Public transit2%

Census 2021	Lac la Biche County	Alberta	Canada
Average trip	23 min	26 min	26 min

$95,000

median household income, 2020

15%

worked from home, May 2021

86%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageLac la Biche County’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment11% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work4% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to105 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Wood Buffalo

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.

HousingCost of living C

Rent takes less of local pay in Lac la Biche County than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 18% of household income

$400,000median home value, 2021CCost of living Grade

Shelter took 30% or more of income for 16% of households, below both Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). Home ownership covers 78% of households.

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Lac la Biche County$400,000

Alberta$400,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Lac la Biche County	Alberta	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	16%	21%	18%
Rent as a share of income	18%	20%	20%
Households owning their home	78%	74%	74%

$1,180

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$940

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageLac la Biche County’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$1,180 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living4.2 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $400,000, against the median household income Owners and renters78% own their home

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.

Climate

Lac la Biche County has colder winters than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −19.1°C

23.1°CJuly afternoons

The frost-free season runs from 22 May to 17 September, 118 days. Frost comes on 202 days a year, close to Alberta’s towns (193) and above Canadian towns (159). Summer highs in Lac la Biche County reach 23.1°C in July.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−7.1°C

Spring8.7°C

Summer21.9°C

Autumn7.8°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Lac la Biche County	Alberta	Canada
January night low	−19.1°C	−14.7°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	23.1°C	23.5°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	202	193	159
Precipitation a year	437 mm	431 mm	883 mm

202

days with frost a year

118

frost-free days, 22 May to 17 Sep

days with precipitation a year

Full pageLac la Biche County’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 23.1°C, January lows −19.1°C Rain and snow437 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Weather station2.2 km to the station · Lac la Biche

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Lac la Biche)

Weather

A normal November in Lac la Biche County runs from −10°C to −1°C

−1°Ca normal November afternoon

A normal December brings highs of −7°C, lows of −17°C. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Lac La Biche.

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November−1°C

December−7°C

January−9°C

February−5°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−7°C	−18°C	46 mm
Spring	9°C	−4°C	92 mm
Summer	22°C	10°C	217 mm
Autumn	8°C	−2°C	82 mm

−10°C

a normal November night

19 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageLac la Biche County’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Lac la Biche); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

In 2021, Laila Goodridge carried Fort McMurray—Cold Lake by 23,761 votes, a margin wider than 97% of Canada’s ridings

Lac la Biche County is a specialized municipality by Statistics Canada’s count of municipalities.

Full pageLac la Biche County’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁺

Stuart MacPherson Public Library logs 2.1 visits per person served, fewer than 80% of Alberta’s town libraries

Stuart MacPherson Public Library serves 9,636 people from 2 branches.

Full pageLac la Biche County’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong3.6 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

More of Lac la Biche County’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 25%

41.6median age

19% are under 15, close to Alberta’s towns (18%) and above Canadian towns (16%). Retirement age and beyond: 18% of residents are 65 or older.

Lac la Biche CountyAlbertaCanada

AlbertaCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

18%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree23%

Postsecondary qualification49%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 49.6% of Lac la Biche County

3,810 women and 3,865 men at the 2021 census; across Canada, women are 50.9%.

Who lives in Lac la Biche County
	Lac la Biche County	Alberta	Canada
Under 15	19%	18%	16%
15 to 64	64%	67%	64%
65+	18%	15%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	23%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	49%	54%	56%

Full pageLac la Biche County’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants10% are immigrants · 11% belong to a visible minority Ages41.6 median age · 18% are 65 or over Households2,950 households · 2.6 people per household English and French12% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Outdoors

A provincial park at Lac la Biche County’s edge: Lakeland Provincial Park

5.8%of the land within 10 km protected

Of the country within 10 km, 5.8% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%. Elk Island National Park is the closest national park, 88 km from town. 16 protected areas lie within 10 km. Swimmers have 4 beaches within 5 km, Boardwalk Beach the nearest.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Lac la Biche County5.8%

Alberta’s towns0.4%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Lac la Biche County	Alberta	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	5.8%	0.4%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	8	2	4

88 km

to Elk Island National Park

At the edge

to Lakeland Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageLac la Biche County’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas16 protected areas within 10 km · Dillon River Wildland Provincial Park National & provincial parks88 km to a national park · Elk Island National Park

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

History

2 historic places in Lac la Biche County, one of them a top designation

2historic places

Before 1961 is when 7.8% of the homes went up, higher than Alberta’s towns (4.5%) yet lower than Canadian towns (18%). Its oldest building on the record is Notre Dame des Victoires / Lac La Biche Mission, from 1924. The list takes in a provincial or municipal listing.

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations1

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings1

Among them

1924

oldest construction date on the record

7.8%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Lac la Biche County	Alberta	Canada
Homes built before 1961	7.8%	4.5%	18%

Full pageLac la Biche County’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers2 historic places inside the town Highest designations1 top designation · Notre Dame des Victoires / Lac La Biche Mission Older homes7.8% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Lac la Biche County have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Lac la Biche County

15pages on Lac la Biche County

The big questions

SafetyD⁻Crime Severity Index 296 Housing & costCHomes 4.2 × income Property pricesSchoolsC⁻7 schools within 3 km HealthDLife expectancy 78.3 in its region Work & commuteB⁺58% of adults in work Natural hazardsAWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors5.8% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 23°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 41.6 History2 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Lac La Biche Mission and 2 more in and around Lac la Biche County

From museums to parks and historic sites: Lac la Biche County’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.

All attractions →

MuseumLac La Biche Missionin town MuseumMuseumLac La Biche Regional Museum And Discovery Centrein town MuseumMuseumPlamondon And District Museumin town

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (1)

Lac La Biche Mission: Grapher78, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from Lac la Biche County

13 notable people were born in Lac la Biche County.

See all 13 →

Raymond LemieuxCanadian chemist · 1920–2000

Travis MilneCanadian actor · born 1986

Darren ReidCanadian ice hockey player · born 1983

Patrick LaForgeCanadian businessman · born 1952

Darrel SuttonCanadian curler · 1947–2018

Frank FaneCanadian politician · 1897–1980

Photo credits

Raymond Lemieux: Hyperyoda1065, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Travis Milne: nickon, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Darren Reid: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Patrick LaForge: Mack Male, CC BY-SA 2.0

About Lac la Biche County

Town in Alberta

Statistics Canada treats Lac la Biche County 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: 8,580 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Alberta
Census division: Division No. 12
Census subdivision: 4812037

Questions about Lac la Biche County

Who are the people of Lac la Biche County?

Visible minorities are 11% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 10%, and Indigenous people 25%.

What kind of homes are in Lac la Biche County?

79% 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 2.6 people; 24% are one person living alone.

Has Lac la Biche County grown?

No: the census counted 8,330 in 2016 and 7,673 in 2021, 7.9% fewer, against growth of 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 8,580.

Is Lac la Biche County a young town or an old one?

The median resident is 41.6 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 19% 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).