Picture ButteAlberta

2,380 residents make their home in this town in Alberta. It sits within the Lethbridge census metropolitan area.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Tracklan2 · CC0

Population

2,380

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · Alberta’s towns: 40.8

Postsecondary

35%

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 Picture Butte a good place to live?

Picture Butte is a safe place by the numbers (A). Its lowest grade is for schools (C−). Homes are dear (C−). Its other grades sit near the middle: B for health and B for hazard risk.

An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Picture Butte has its subject grades alone.

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. 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.

StrongestASafety A⁻Jobs & incomeWeakestC⁻Schools C⁻Cost of living

What makes Picture Butte stand out

The 3 things Picture Butte does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

4% unemployment

Of the labour force, against 10% for the median of Canadian towns

61% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

Immigrants

Who lives here

18% are immigrants

Half of Canadian towns are above 6%, half below

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

35% have a postsecondary qualification

Compare 56% for the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

How Picture Butte grades

Each subject compares Picture Butte 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

An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Picture Butte has its subject grades alone.

SafetyAmong the best of the towns comparedAOpen →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentA⁻Open →SchoolsSchools trail most of those comparedC⁻Open →Cost of livingBelow the middle of the towns comparedC⁻Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carB⁺Open →Hazard riskNear typical for the towns comparedBOpen →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areBOpen →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Picture Butte.

SafetySafety A

The police who cover Picture Butte record less serious crime than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 36

Shared with the rest of the Picture Butte 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 5.2 per 1,000 residents a year, below Alberta’s towns (14.2) and Canadian towns (12) alike. Property crime in the area its police cover: 15.2 per 1,000 people a year.

36Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202347

202434

202526

2023–2025	Picture Butte	Alberta	Canada
Crime Severity Index	36	110	67
Property crime per 1,000	15.2	45	31.2
Violent Crime Severity Index	34	109	86
Violent crime	5.2	14.2	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

27%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pagePicture Butte’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety36 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Picture Butte’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Picture Butte safe?”

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

Work & commuteJobs & income A⁻

Commuters in Picture Butte have a short way to work, 18 min on average, less than in Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns

91% of commuters drove, near both Alberta’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).

5%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van91%

Walk5%

Census 2021	Picture Butte	Alberta	Canada
Average trip	18 min	26 min	26 min
Car or van	91%	88%	89%

$81,000

median household income, 2020

11%

worked from home, May 2021

38%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pagePicture Butte’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment3.5% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work5% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to155 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Lethbridge County

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.

SchoolsSchools C⁻

Most schools around Picture Butte score below the middle in Alberta: 2 of 3

Counting a 3 km margin, Picture Butte has 1 elementary school, 1 secondary school and 1 school for every grade, for 452 students.

3schools within 3 kmC⁻Schools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Dorothy Dalgliesh School Fourth fifth in AlbertaLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–6	Elementary · Grades K–6	115	English public
St. Catherine's School CatholicLargest secondary schoolAll grades · Grades K–9	All grades · Grades K–9	181	English Catholic

See all 3 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public2

English Catholic1

Schools within 3 km	Picture Butte	Alberta	Canada
School boards	2	3	3

452

students at the schools within 3 km, 2025/26

0.4 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pagePicture Butte’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results0 of 3 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Alberta Every school3 schools within 3 km · 1 elementary school, 1 secondary school and 1 school for every grade Language0 of 3 teach in French · 2% of schools in Alberta The boards2 school boards · The Palliser School Division Questions“What schools are there in Picture Butte?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

HousingCost of living C⁻

Buying in Picture Butte takes 3.4 years of household income for the median home, fewer than the 4.7 typical across Canada

Area-wide: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, counted over the Lethbridge metro area

Home ownership covers four in five households. The median home value was $274,000, lower than both Alberta’s towns ($400,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000).

$274,000median home value, 2021C⁻Cost of living Grade

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

Picture Butte$274,000

Alberta$400,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Picture Butte	Alberta	Canada
Rent as a share of income	24%	20%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	16%	21%	18%
Median home value, 2021	$274,000	$400,000	$406,000
Households owning their home	80%	74%	74%

$1,593

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,210

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pagePicture Butte’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Cost of living3.4 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $274,000, against the median household income Renting$1,593 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Owners and renters80% own their home

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.

Who lives here

A town of families: 26% of people in Picture Butte are under 15, more than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns

9.6% of residents belong to a visible minority, below Alberta’s towns (29%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. Over-65s are 17% of the population.

32median age

Picture ButteAlbertaCanada

AlbertaCanada

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

26%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree29%

Postsecondary qualification35%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 49.7% of Picture Butte

Census 2021 put women at 960 and men at 970; women are 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Picture Butte
	Picture Butte	Alberta	Canada
Under 15	26%	18%	16%
15 to 64	57%	67%	64%
65+	17%	15%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	29%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	35%	54%	56%

Full pagePicture Butte’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages32 median age · 17% are 65 or over Households690 households · 2.7 people per household Immigrants18% are immigrants · 10% belong to a visible minority English and French1% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Climate

Picture Butte has warmer summers than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: July afternoons reach 26.3°C

A normal January night drops to −12.1°C, above Alberta’s towns (−14.7°C) and Canadian towns (−13.5°C) alike. March is the snowiest month, with 18 cm on average. The most precipitation falls in June: 93 mm in a normal year. Between the last spring frost, 21 May, and the first in autumn, 17 September, lie 118 days.

26.3°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter0.8°C

Spring12.4°C

Summer24.8°C

Autumn13.3°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Picture Butte	Alberta	Canada
July afternoon high	26.3°C	23.5°C	25.5°C
Precipitation a year	373 mm	431 mm	883 mm
Snowfall a year	108 cm	127 cm	141 cm
January night low	−12.1°C	−14.7°C	−13.5°C

108 cm

of snow a year

175

days with frost a year

118

frost-free days, 21 May to 17 Sep

days with precipitation a year

Full pagePicture Butte’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 26.3°C, January lows −12.1°C Rain and snow373 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow108 cm of snow a year Weather station27 km to the station · Lethbridge

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Lethbridge)

Natural hazardsHazard risk B

Hazards in Picture Butte: wildfire low, radon over the guideline in 8.9% of tested homes

Little of the land around Picture Butte has burned: 0.9% within 25 km since 1986, or 0.02% a year. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town. For radon tests, the only official count covers all of the Chinook Regional Health Authority, Picture Butte included.

Lowwildfire bandBHazard risk Grade

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Picture Butte8.9%

Alberta’s towns7.5%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Picture Butte	Alberta	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	8.9%	7.5%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.023	$0.013	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

19 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pagePicture Butte’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon8.9% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.9% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.023 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

HealthHealth B

Lives run shorter around Picture Butte: 78.7 years, 2.8 below the typical Canadian town’s region

Health survey and life expectancy for the South Zone

Self-rated health is ordinary for Alberta: 52% of the region’s adults say very good or excellent, the province 53%. Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect 19% of the region’s adults on average, above both Alberta’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (17%). For Picture Butte itself the measure is access, and it scores well: 0.7 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical.

52%very good or excellent healthBHealth Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Picture Butte52%

Alberta’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Picture Butte	Alberta	Canada
Life expectancy at birth	78.7	81.2	81.5
Chronic conditions (average share)	19%	18%	17%
Very good or excellent health	52%	51%	52%

78.7

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

0.7 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

16 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pagePicture Butte’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey52% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care0.7 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 16 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 80.6, men 76.8 Conditions and habits19% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

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

Weather

What November brings in Picture Butte: −7°C at night, 6°C by day

In November, the normal is 16 mm of rain and snow. Then December: 1°C by day, −11°C at night. Also worth knowing: over the year, July is warmest at 26°C by day and January coldest at −12°C by night. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Lethbridge forecast.

6°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November6°C

December1°C

January0°C

February2°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	1°C	−11°C	33 mm
Spring	12°C	−1°C	102 mm
Summer	25°C	9°C	165 mm
Autumn	13°C	−1°C	73 mm

−7°C

a normal November night

16 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pagePicture Butte’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 (Lethbridge); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Picture Butte’s MP is Rachael Thomas (Conservative Party of Canada), for Lethbridge

The Conservative Party of Canada has 33 of the 37 MPs elected in Alberta.

Full pagePicture Butte’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itTown

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B

At 32 loans per person served, Picture Butte Library lends more than all but a few of Alberta’s town libraries

Picture Butte Library has one location for the 1,810 people it serves.

Full pagePicture Butte’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

A year at the library2.8 visits per person served The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong5 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

The nearest provincial park to Picture Butte is Willow Creek Provincial Park, 74 km away

Within 10 km of the town, 1.3% of the land is protected, against 2.3% around a typical Canadian town. No national park lies within 100 km.

1.3%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Picture Butte1.3%

Alberta’s towns0.4%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Picture Butte	Alberta	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	0	2	4
Protected land within 10 km	1.3%	0.4%	2.3%

74 km

to Willow Creek Provincial Park

Full pagePicture Butte’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas1 protected area within 10 km National & provincial parks74 km to a provincial park · Willow Creek Provincial Park

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

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Picture Butte

15pages on Picture Butte

The big questions

SafetyACrime Severity Index 36 Housing & costC⁻Homes 3.4 × income Property pricesSchoolsC⁻3 schools within 3 km HealthBLife expectancy 78.7 in its region Work & commuteA⁻61% of adults in work Natural hazardsBWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors1.3% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 26°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 32 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Picture Butte’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

Lethbridge CountyCoalhurstPicture Butte

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Picture Butte	2,380	—	—	C⁻	A	B
Lethbridge County	10,988	3.8	C⁻	C⁻	C⁻	C⁺
Coalhurst	3,244	18	B⁺	C⁺	A	B⁻

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Picture Butte

What kind of homes are in Picture Butte?

Mostly 81% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.7 people on average, and 25% have just one.

Has Picture Butte grown?

It added people: 1,810 in 2016, 1,930 in 2021, 6.6% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 2,380.

Is Picture Butte a young town or an old one?

Half its people are older than 32 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 26%, people 65 and over 17%.

About Picture Butte

Town in Alberta

Every figure TownRatings gives for Picture Butte 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: 2,380 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Alberta
Census division: Division No. 2
Metro area: Lethbridge
Census subdivision: 4802018

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).