Northern Lights CountyAlberta

Northern Lights County gets a D− for health

Measured across the North Zone: health survey and life expectancy

Smoking takes in 17% of adults, age-standardised, above Alberta’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. Across the region, life runs to 78.3 years on average: women 80.9, men 76.1, in 2022/2024; what’s more, the survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 48%, behind the 53% for Alberta. For Northern Lights County itself the measure is access, and it lags: 25 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical.

Northern Lights County gets a D for hazard risk

8.9% of radon tests in the survey area came in above the guideline, above both Alberta’s towns (7.5%) and Canadian towns (6.6%). Fire is a regular visitor: 10% of the land within 25 km of Northern Lights County has burned since 1986 (0.26% a year). Shaking is less of a worry than in most places, at $0.008 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). 2 flood studies cover the town, the latest by Government of Alberta.

The police who cover Northern Lights County record more serious crime than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 120

These figures come from the closest detachment: none reports for Northern Lights County itself

The violent index for its police area came to 132, higher than both Alberta’s towns (109) and Canadian towns (86). Violence across its police area runs at 15.7 per 1,000 residents a year. Its police area records 45.3 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Nobody publishes Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 for Northern Lights County alone, so this card uses the figure for the Manning detachment area.

Renting in Northern Lights County costs 12% of household income, less than in Alberta’s towns and across Canadian towns

84% of households own their home, above both Alberta’s towns (74%) and Canadian towns (74%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 10% of households, below Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.

Winter nights bite in Northern Lights County: January lows of −20.1°C, colder than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns

In July, daytime highs in Northern Lights County average 22.7°C. There are 206 days of frost in a typical year, higher than both Alberta’s towns (193) and Canadian towns (159). Between the last spring frost, 21 May, and the first in autumn, 13 September, lie 114 days. For the wettest month, look to June: 68 mm on average.

More of Northern Lights County’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 21%

Children under 15 count for just over a fifth of the people here. 1.1% of residents belong to a visible minority, lower than both Alberta’s towns (29%) and Canadian towns (15%). The 65-and-over age group makes up 16% of residents.

The car carries 96% of commuters in Northern Lights County, more than in Alberta’s towns and across Canadian towns

Commutes averaged 26 min, near both Alberta’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).

In Northern Lights County, November normally means −3°C afternoons and −12°C nights

Then December: −8°C by day, −18°C at night. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Peace River forecast.

Northern Lights County’s MP is Chris Warkentin (Conservative Party of Canada), for Grande Prairie

Statistics Canada lists Northern Lights County as a municipal district.

The nearest public library to Northern Lights County is Manning Municipal Library, 17 km away

Its libraries report as part of a wider system, so there are no figures for Northern Lights County in particular.

Most schools around Northern Lights County score below the middle in Alberta: 5 of 6

Measured from the centre, the closest high school lies 17 km off, higher than both Alberta’s towns (0.7 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km). Its schools answer to 3 boards. In French: one of the 9 schools, where in Alberta the share is 2%. Counting a 3 km margin, Northern Lights County has 3 elementary schools, 3 secondary schools and 3 schools for every grade, for 2,223 students.

Notikewin Provincial Park begins where Northern Lights County ends

0.9% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. OpenStreetMap shows 67 unnamed beaches within 5 km.