LacombeAlberta
In Alberta, this town has 14,733 residents. It is part of Division No. 8, a census division.
Is Lacombe a good place to live?
School results are strong (B). Overall, Lacombe earns a B−: better than 54% of Canadian towns, and #233 of 473 in Alberta. Add walkability to its strengths (B+). Also worth knowing: prices are high against local incomes (C). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for safety, C+ for health and B for jobs & income.
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 Lacombe grades
Each subject compares Lacombe 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 Lacombe stand out
The one thing Lacombe does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Lacombe.
Lacombe is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by Government of Alberta
About as many homes carry radon around Lacombe as elsewhere, 7.5% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Seismic risk in Lacombe sits near the middle: $0.016 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Lacombe | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.016 | $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 · Area behind the radon tests figures: the David Thompson Regional Health Authority
Half the owned homes in Lacombe are worth more than $340,000, half less
72% of households own their home, near both Alberta’s towns (74%) and Canadian towns (74%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 20% of households, between Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). For rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, the only official count covers all of the Lacombe metro area, Lacombe included.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Lacombe | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $340,000 | $400,000 | $406,000 |
| Households owning their home | 72% | 74% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 20% | 21% | 18% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.
Summers stay cool in Lacombe: July afternoons reach 22.9°C, below Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns
The most precipitation falls in June: 98 mm in a normal year. Frosty days number 212 in a normal year, higher than both Alberta’s towns (193) and Canadian towns (159). Lacombe sees January nights of −17.6°C on average. Gardeners get 112 frost-free days, from 22 May to 12 September.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Lacombe | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 22.9°C | 23.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 212 | 193 | 159 |
| January night low | −17.6°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 483 mm | 431 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Red Deer)
Independent schools are common around Lacombe: 4 of 11
Of its 7 tested schools, 2 sit in the top two fifths in Alberta and 3 in the bottom two. In or within 3 km of Lacombe: 3 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and 4 schools for every grade, with 4,063 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecole James S. McCormick SchoolLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–3 | Elementary · Grades K–3 | 411 | English public |
| Ecole Secondaire Lacombe Composite High SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 10–12 | Secondary · Grades 10–12 | 779 | English public |
| Lacombe Christian School IndependentResults in the top fifth in AlbertaAll grades · Grades K–9 | All grades · Grades K–9 | 466 | Independent |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Lacombe | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Trips to work from Lacombe are shorter than from Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 22 min on average
93% of commuters drove to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Lacombe | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 22 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 93% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Lacombe’s region trails the typical Canadian town by 2.4 years: life expectancy 79.1
Smoking takes in 15% of adults, age-standardised, above Alberta’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. About as many adults call their health very good or excellent here as across Alberta, 52% against 53%. What sets Lacombe apart within its region is a short trip to hospital, 1.8 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Lacombe | 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 · Data for health survey and life expectancy covers the Central Zone
Children make up 20% of Lacombe, above Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns
Visible minorities make up 11% of the population, lower than both Alberta’s towns (29%) and Canadian towns (15%). Over-65s are 19% of the population.
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 52.1% of Lacombe
Of the 2021 count, 6,975 were women and 6,420 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Lacombe | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 62% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 19% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 53% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Lacombe runs from −11°C to 1°C
December follows at −4°C by day and −16°C by night. Precipitation in November averages 17 mm. Expect around 20 cm of snow in November. ECCC’s forecast for Lacombe is on the Weather page, hour by hour.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −5°C | −17°C | 42 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | −4°C | 106 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 8°C | 258 mm |
| Autumn | 10°C | −4°C | 77 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Red Deer); the forecast is on the Weather page
Lacombe sends Blaine Calkins (Conservative Party of Canada) to the Commons from Ponoka—Didsbury
No provincial riding is named for Lacombe: the only boundary file for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta forbids commercial reuse.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Rochester Public Library draws 1.2 visits per person served, behind 87% of Alberta’s town libraries
Rochester Public Library serves 13,985 people from a single building.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Violent crime weighs less on Lacombe than on Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 48
Police recorded 9.2 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, below Alberta’s towns (14.2) and Canadian towns (12) alike. Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 26.1 per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Lacombe | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 48 | 109 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 26.1 | 45 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 9.2 | 14.2 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Lacombe has 0.5% protected land within 10 km
Biggest among them: J.J. Collett Natural Area, 257 ha, 6.6 km off. For a provincial park, Pigeon Lake Provincial Park lies 63 km off. Within 100 km there is no national park.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Lacombe | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.5% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
2 historic places on the heritage registers in Lacombe
At the 2021 census, just over one in ten homes dated from before 1961, higher than Alberta’s towns (4.5%) yet lower than Canadian towns (18%). The earliest construction date, 1904, belongs to Flatiron Building.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Lacombe | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 11% | 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 Lacombe
Lacombe Blacksmith Shop Museum and 2 more in and around Lacombe
From museums to parks and historic sites: Lacombe’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
MuseumLacombe Blacksmith Shop Museumin townMuseumMuseumMichener House Museum and Archivesin townTheme parkTheme parkKraay Family Farms2.9 km outside town, to the westPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Lacombe Blacksmith Shop Museum: Jeffery J. Nichols, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Lacombe
21 notable people were born in Lacombe.
Photo credits
Roland Michener: Uncropped version from the St. Thomas Times-Journal (via Elgin County Archives ), CC BY 2.0 · Mellisa Hollingsworth: Robert Thivierge ( Thivierr ), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Alan Davies: George Quasha, CC BY 3.0 · Maureen Kubinec: Connormah, CC BY-SA 3.0
About Lacombe
Town in Alberta
Every figure TownRatings gives for Lacombe 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
- 14,733 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 8
- Census subdivision
- 4808031
Lacombe’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lacombe | 14,733 | — | B− | C | B− | C+ |
| Lacombe County | 11,072 | 4.2 | C− | C | C− | C |
| Blackfalds | 12,258 | 11 | B− | C | B+ | C |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Lacombe
Is Lacombe growing?
It added people: 13,057 in 2016, 13,396 in 2021, 2.6% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 14,733.
How old are the people of Lacombe?
The median resident is 39.6 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 20% are under 15 and 19% are 65 or over.
What kind of homes are in Lacombe?
Mostly 63% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.5 people on average, and 26% have just one.
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).