Photo: Mhalifu · CC BY-SA 3.0A higher share of Indigenous residents than 96% of Canadian towns, at 19%
Renter households: 41%, above just over three quarters of Canadian towns. In Peace River, 15% of residents are aged 15 to 24. More one-person households than in 61% of Canadian towns: 30%. Some 7,220 people live here, by the estimate for July 2025.
What stands out about the people of Peace River
First Nations, Métis and Inuit residents
19% of residents identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit, more than in 96% of Canadian towns; 8% are Registered or Treaty Indians. Identity & religion ↓
Fewer people than before
Peace River went from 6,842 people in 2016 to 6,619 in 2021, −3%: slower growth than in 93% of Canadian towns. Population change ↓
Younger than most towns
The middle resident of Peace River is 35.6; the typical median across Canadian towns is 42. 20% are under 15 and 12% are 65 or over. Ages ↓
A town people move to
A year before the census, 18% of residents lived elsewhere, 1.7 times the typical share; over five years, 46% moved. Immigrants & newcomers ↓
Written from the data on this page: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census.
Peace River’s population moved −3% on 2016, less than in 93% of Canadian towns
Figures are from the 2021 Census unless dated otherwise. Residents at the 2016 and 2021 censuses and the latest estimate, with the 2016–2021 change beside other towns.
Change, 2016 to 2021
Across Canada’s towns, the typical town changed +4%; across Alberta’s towns, +1%. By July 2025, the estimate had risen a further 9%.
A median age of 35.6: Peace River is younger than 88% of Canadian towns
Share of residents in each five-year band; the tick is the typical town.
Children under 15: 20% here and 16% across Canada’s towns. Here, just over one in ten residents are 65 or over.
Median age of Canadian towns of 2,500+
■ Peace River, 35.6. The typical town is 42.
Broad ages · share of residents
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split.
Above 73% of Canadian towns: 9.8% of households are one-parent families
Household types, then household sizes.
Against Alberta’s towns and Canada’s towns
People per household
Canada’s towns.
The average household has 2.5 people, against 2.4 across Canada’s towns. The benchmark for one-parent families across Canada’s towns: 8.2%.
Married residents 15 and over make up 43% in Peace River, less than in 62% of Canadian towns
Marital status of residents 15 and over, with common-law couples counted apart.
Marital status · residents 15 and over
Singles who have never married make up nearly a third of adults, beside a typical 27%. Across Canada’s towns, 46% of residents 15 and over are married. The share of common-law partners stands at 13%.
Households in single-detached houses: 62%, a lower share than 53% of Canadian towns
Houses and apartments, owners and renters, older and newer homes. Prices, rents and shelter costs are on Cost of living.
Type of home
Owners and renters · share of households
When homes were built · share of homes
Households in buildings of five or more storeys are rarer here than in 74% of Canadian towns. The benchmark for households in single-detached houses across Canada’s towns: 64%. A fifth of homes were built in 2001 or later, more than the 11% built before 1961.
Median household income here: $100,000 a year
The income year is 2020: a year of pandemic benefits such as CERB, which the figures count. Total household income: the median household, and the spread from low to high.
Households by income · share of households
Household incomes run high in Peace River: half had more than $100,000, 16% above the median across Canada’s towns ($86,000). $92,200 is the median household income across Alberta’s towns. COVID-19 benefits went to 28% of residents with an income (typical: 28%).
A higher share of residents who moved in within the year than 90% of Canadian towns, at 18%
Immigrants by continent of birth and when they arrived, citizenship, and who moved in recently.
Immigrants, by continent of birth · share of all residents; the bar runs to 30%
When immigrants arrived · share of immigrants
Citizenship and moving · share of residents
Most immigrants were born in Asia (60%) or in Europe (17%). On average, just over one in ten residents lived at another address a year earlier across Canada’s towns. Residents without Canadian citizenship are more common here than in 65% of Canadian towns. Recent arrivals are 57% of immigrants (2011 to 2021), beside 27% across Canada’s towns.
38% of residents said they have no religion, more than in 60% of Canadian towns
Visible minority and Indigenous identity, then religion.
Visible minority and Indigenous identity · all residents
Religion · all residents
Across Peace River, 15% of residents belong to a visible minority. On average, 35% of residents said they have no religion across Canada’s towns.
12% of residents speak English and French, a share 65% of Canadian towns don’t reach
English, French and the other languages people grew up with or speak at home.
Can hold a conversation in · share of all residents
Mother tongue · share of all residents
At home: English 90%, French 1.1%. The share of bilingual residents across Canada’s towns is 7.5%. Peace River has more residents whose mother tongue is French than 69% of Canadian towns, at 3.5%.
Peace River sits below 63% of Canadian towns for degree holders aged 25 to 64 (21%)
Highest certificate, diploma or degree of residents aged 25 to 64.
Highest qualification · residents 25 to 64
13% have no certificate, diploma or degree (typical: 9.5%). Measured more widely, 27% of residents 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher across Canada’s towns.
A job for 67% of residents aged 15 and over
These rates date from May 2021, during the pandemic, and run lower than a normal year’s. The census’s work rates at a glance. Jobs, industries and the commute are on Work & commute.
The employment rate of 67% is above the typical 58% across Canada’s towns.
The 5th youngest of 41 towns of 7,086 to 7,342 people
Similar-sized towns by median age; each dot is a town.
At one end is Shannon (32.4), at the other Fairwinds (61.6). Closest in median age to Peace River are Brighton (33.4), Slave Lake (34), Kincora (36.6) and Coronation Park (36.7).
Every nearby town is older than Peace River
The closest towns, coloured by how old their residents are.
| Town | People | Away | Median age | 65+ | Immigrants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peace River | 7,220 | — | 35.6 | 12% | 16% |
| Northern Sunrise County | 1,848 | 9.7 km | 41.6 | 18% | 9.4% |
| Peace No. 135 | 1,581 | 11.3 km | 44 | 19% | 4.5% |
Health, work, housing and schools
What this data can and can’t tell you
- What these tables don’t give. Not in the Census Profile: unpaid care, cars, internet access, and how each age group has changed since 2016. We also chart no ethnic origins besides visible minority and Indigenous identity.
- The census’s own words. The census takes “visible minority” from the Employment Equity Act: anyone other than Indigenous peoples who is non-white in colour or race. Indigenous identity, immigrant status and religion are what residents reported, compared here with other towns and never used as a label.
- Against Alberta’s towns and Canada’s towns. The middle of Alberta’s towns of 2,500 or more comes first, the middle of all Canadian towns second; cities as a whole and First Nations reserves stay out, and percentiles are within Canada.
Questions about Peace River’s residents
What is the median income in Peace River?
The median household in Peace River took in $100,000 in 2020, against $86,000 across Canada’s towns.
What is the population of Peace River?
Peace River had about 7,220 residents in July 2025, Statistics Canada estimates; the 2021 Census counted 6,619, 3% fewer than 2016.
What is the average age in Peace River?
A median age of 35.6, younger than 88% of Canadian towns. Children under 15 make up 20%, and people 65 and over 12%.
Is Peace River bilingual?
English and French: 12% speak both (Canada’s towns: 7.5%). English only: 88%. French only: 0.1%. French mother tongue: 3.5%.
How diverse is Peace River?
16% of residents are immigrants (Canada’s towns: 17%); 15% belong to a visible minority and 19% have an Indigenous identity.
What religion are people in Peace River?
58% are Christian and 38% have no religion; 3.4% follow another religion.
Is Peace River good for families?
Under 15: 20% (Canada’s towns: 16%). Couple families: 49% of households. One-parent families: 9.8%. Schools near Peace River are on its Schools page.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population · Statistics Canada, population estimates for 1 July 2025 (table 17-10-0155). 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).