Overlook view of Oldman Reservoir with Mountain Backdrop - panoramio

Pincher Creek No. 9Alberta

TownGrade

#2,460 of 2,556

3,176 people call this town in Alberta home. It is part of Division No. 3, a census division.

1 place within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Tiado · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

3,176

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

49.6

years · Alberta’s towns: 40.8

Postsecondary

57%

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 Pincher Creek No. 9 a good place to live?

More weak spots than strong ones. Pupils here do less well than most (C−). With a D overall, Pincher Creek No. 9 is better than 8% of Canadian towns and ranks #455 of 473 in Alberta. The typical owner put their home at $400,000 in 2021: 5.1 years of the median household’s income. Its best grade is for jobs & income (B).

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 less sure: no police service names this town, so its crime figure is the nearest police detachment's, shared with a wider area. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

WeakestC⁻Schools

How Pincher Creek No. 9 grades

Each subject compares Pincher Creek No. 9 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

SchoolsSchools are among the weakest comparedC⁻Open →Cost of livingBehind most towns comparedCOpen →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentCOpen →WalkabilityMost errands need a carCOpen →HealthBelow the middle of the towns comparedC⁺Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workBOpen →Hazard riskGraded on earthquake risk and radon, with high wildfire risk able to lower itC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Pincher Creek No. 9 stand out

The one thing Pincher Creek No. 9 does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

26% are 65 or over

Next to 19%, the median among Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Pincher Creek No. 9.

SchoolsSchools C⁻

Pincher Creek No. 9 is graded a C− for schools

6schools within 3 kmC⁻Schools Grade

The nearest secondary school is 13 km away, above Alberta’s towns (0.7 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km) alike. An elementary school stands 12 km from the centre, above both Alberta’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km).

School	Level	Students	System
Canyon Elementary School Middle fifth in AlbertaLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–6	Elementary · Grades K–6	272	English public
Matthew Halton High School Fourth fifth in AlbertaLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 7–12	Secondary · Grades 7–12	248	English public

See all 6 schools →

Schools within 3 km	Pincher Creek No. 9	Alberta	Canada
Nearest elementary school	12 km	0.5 km	0.5 km
Nearest secondary school	13 km	0.7 km	1.2 km

839

students at the schools within 3 km, 2025/26

13 km

to the nearest secondary school

12 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pagePincher Creek No. 9’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school6 schools within 3 km · 1 elementary school, 2 secondary schools and 3 schools for every grade Results0 of 4 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Alberta Language0 of 6 teach in French · 2% of schools in Alberta Questions“What schools are there in Pincher Creek No. 9?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

HousingCost of living C

Most households in Pincher Creek No. 9 own their home: 87%, more than in Alberta’s towns or across Canadian towns

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

Shelter took 30% or more of income for 13% of households, below Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.

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

Pincher Creek No. 9$400,000

Alberta$400,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Pincher Creek No. 9	Alberta	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	13%	21%	18%
Households owning their home	87%	74%	74%
Rent as a share of income	18%	20%	20%

$1,000

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$760

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pagePincher Creek No. 9’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters87% own their home Cost of living5.1 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $400,000, against the median household income Renting$1,000 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census

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.

SafetySafety C

Pincher Creek No. 9 is graded a C for safety

85Crime Severity Index

No police detachment reports under Pincher Creek No. 9’s name, so these are the nearest detachment’s figures, not the town’s own

The index for the force that serves it came to 85, lower than Alberta’s towns (110) yet higher than Canadian towns (67). Where it is policed, 17.6 violent incidents per 1,000 residents are recorded each year. Across its police area, there are 37.5 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 Pincher Creek No. 9 alone, so this card uses the figure for the Pincher Creek detachment area.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023117

202476

202560

2023–2025	Pincher Creek No. 9	Alberta	Canada
Violent crime	17.6	14.2	12
Crime Severity Index	85	110	67
Property crime per 1,000	37.5	45	31.2
Violent Crime Severity Index	85	109	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

39%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pagePincher Creek No. 9’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety85 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Pincher Creek No. 9’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Pincher Creek No. 9 safe?”

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

Climate

Pincher Creek No. 9 has milder winters than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −10.4°C

24.2°CJuly afternoons

The thermometer drops below freezing on 172 days a year, between Alberta’s towns (193) and Canadian towns (159). Between the last spring frost, 24 May, and the first in autumn, 12 September, lie 110 days. For the wettest month, look to June: 116 mm on average. December is the snowiest month, with 60 cm on average.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−0.1°C

Spring10.1°C

Summer22.6°C

Autumn11.2°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Pincher Creek No. 9	Alberta	Canada
Snowfall a year	280 cm	127 cm	141 cm
January night low	−10.4°C	−14.7°C	−13.5°C
Precipitation a year	550 mm	431 mm	883 mm
July afternoon high	24.2°C	23.5°C	25.5°C

280 cm

of snow a year

172

days with frost a year

110

frost-free days, 24 May to 12 Sep

days with precipitation a year

Full pagePincher Creek No. 9’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 24.2°C, January lows −10.4°C Rain and snow550 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow280 cm of snow a year Weather station12 km to the station · Pincher Creek

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

HealthHealth C⁺

Lives run shorter around Pincher Creek No. 9: 78.7 years, 2.8 below the typical Canadian town’s region

52%very good or excellent healthC⁺Health Grade

Across the region, 52% of adults say their health is very good or excellent, much as in Alberta (53%). Chronic conditions run at 19% of adults, age-standardised, higher than both Alberta’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (17%). Closer to home, a hospital is 17 km from the average resident of Pincher Creek No. 9, further than the usual 3.7 km.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Pincher Creek No. 952%

Alberta’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Pincher Creek No. 9	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

17 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

16 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pagePincher Creek No. 9’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey52% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care17 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 · Health survey and life expectancy: one figure for all of the South Zone

Work & commuteJobs & income B

With 0.2 jobs for each resident in work, most of Pincher Creek No. 9 commutes out

5%walk, cycle or take transit

91% of commuters drove, close to both Alberta’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%). Workers spend 27 min getting to work, on average.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van91%

Walk5%

Census 2021	Pincher Creek No. 9	Alberta	Canada
Car or van	91%	88%	89%
Average trip	27 min	26 min	26 min

$78,500

median household income, 2020

36%

worked from home, May 2021

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pagePincher Creek No. 9’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment6.7% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work5% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to505 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Pincher Creek

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

Flood mapping exists for Pincher Creek No. 9: 1 on record, latest by Government of Alberta

Moderatewildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

Shared with the rest of the Chinook Regional Health Authority: radon tests

Earthquake risk in Pincher Creek No. 9 is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.039 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. In Health Canada’s survey, 8.9% of homes tested in the town’s area exceeded 200 Bq/m³, close to the typical 6.6%. Wildfire is a moderate presence around Pincher Creek No. 9: 7.9% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, 0.22% a year, short of the band that counts against Risk.

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

Pincher Creek No. 98.9%

Alberta’s towns7.5%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Pincher Creek No. 9	Alberta	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	8.9%	7.5%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.039	$0.013	$0.030

$0.039

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

Moderate

wildfire band

4.9 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pagePincher Creek No. 9’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

FloodOne flood study on record WildfireModerate wildfire band · 7.9% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Earthquakes$0.039 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon8.9% 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

Outdoors

Waterton Lakes National Park reaches Pincher Creek No. 9

32%of the land within 10 km protected

74 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. Protected areas cover 32% of the land within 10 km, higher than both Alberta’s towns (0.4%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). Some protected land is inside the town: 30% of its area. For walks, 11 named routes run within 2 km, such as the GDT ewm and GDT ewj.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Pincher Creek No. 932%

Alberta’s towns0.4%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Pincher Creek No. 9	Alberta	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	32%	0.4%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	11	2	4

At the edge

to Waterton Lakes National Park

At the edge

to Beauvais Lake Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pagePincher Creek No. 9’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas74 protected areas within 10 km · Castle Wildland Provincial Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a national park · Waterton Lakes National Park Footpaths & routes11 named routes · GDT ewm

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

Who lives here

Fewer of Pincher Creek No. 9’s people belong to a visible minority than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 1%

49.6median age

8.4% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, lower than Alberta’s towns (8.9%) yet higher than Canadian towns (6.4%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 4.5% of residents, near Alberta’s towns (4.6%) and higher than Canadian towns (2.8%).

Pincher Creek No. 9AlbertaCanada

AlbertaCanada

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

26%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree13%

Postsecondary qualification57%

Women and men · all residents

49.5% of Pincher Creek No. 9’s residents are women

Here the census found 1,635 men and 1,600 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.

Who lives in Pincher Creek No. 9
	Pincher Creek No. 9	Alberta	Canada
Under 15	16%	18%	16%
15 to 64	58%	67%	64%
65+	26%	15%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	13%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	57%	54%	56%

Full pagePincher Creek No. 9’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants8% are immigrants · 1% belong to a visible minority Ages49.6 median age · 26% are 65 or over Households1,290 households · 2.3 people per household English and French5% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Weather

In Pincher Creek No. 9, November normally means 4°C afternoons and −5°C nights

4°Ca normal November afternoon

Expect about 25 mm of rain and snow over November. By December, a normal day reaches −1°C and a night falls to −10°C. A typical November adds 47 cm of snow. Across the year, normals run from −10°C nights in January to 24°C afternoons in August.

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

November4°C

December−1°C

January0°C

February1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	0°C	−10°C	65 mm
Spring	10°C	−2°C	145 mm
Summer	23°C	8°C	213 mm
Autumn	11°C	0°C	128 mm

−5°C

a normal November night

25 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pagePincher Creek No. 9’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 August, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Pincher Creek); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

John Barlow took Foothills in 2021 by 37,339 votes, more than the margin in 98% of ridings

Pincher Creek No.

Full pagePincher Creek No. 9’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itMunicipal District

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A

No public library stands in Pincher Creek No. 9: the closest, Pincher Creek Library, is 14 km away

After it comes Crowsnest Pass Municipal Library (Crowsnest Pass), 31 km away.

Full pagePincher Creek No. 9’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Pincher Creek No. 9

15pages on Pincher Creek No. 9

The big questions

SafetyCCrime Severity Index 85 Housing & costCHomes 5.1 × income Property pricesSchoolsC⁻6 schools within 3 km HealthC⁺Life expectancy 78.7 in its region Work & commuteB62% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: moderate

Out and about

Outdoors32% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 24°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 49.6 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Heritage Acres Farm Museum and 3 more in and around Pincher Creek No. 9

Sights in Pincher Creek No. 9 and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.

All attractions →

MuseumHeritage Acres Farm Museumin town Ski hillSki hillCastle Mountain Resortin town Art galleryArt galleryLebel Art Gallery800 m outside town, to the east MuseumMuseumKootenai Brown Museum900 m outside town, to the east

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

Photo credits (1)

Heritage Acres Farm Museum: Cody Kapcsos, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from around Pincher Creek No. 9

No notable person born in Pincher Creek No. 9 is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

Beverley McLachlin17th Chief Justice of Canada · born in Pincher Creek · born 1943

Darcy WakalukCanadian ice hockey player · born in Pincher Creek · born 1966

Lionel FournierCanadian athletics competitor · born in Pincher Creek · 1917–1993

Alan TaylorVolleyball player · born in Pincher Creek · born 1950

Ernest SandsAmerican politician · born in Pincher Creek · 1922–2012

Matthew HaltonCanadian journalist · born in Pincher Creek · 1904–1956

Photo credits

Beverley McLachlin: Gervásio Baptista/ABr, CC BY 3.0 · Matthew Halton: BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives from Canada, CC BY 2.0

About Pincher Creek No. 9

Town in Alberta

TownRatings counts Pincher Creek No. 9 as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in Alberta; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 3,176 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Alberta
Census division: Division No. 3
Census subdivision: 4803011

Pincher Creek No. 9’s neighbours

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

Pincher CreekPincher Creek No. 9

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Pincher Creek No. 9	3,176	—	D	C	C	C⁺
Pincher Creek	3,890	13	C	C	C	B

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

Questions about Pincher Creek No. 9

Has Pincher Creek No. 9 grown?

Yes: the census counted 2,965 in 2016 and 3,240 in 2021, a rise of 9.3%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 3,176.

Who are the people of Pincher Creek No. 9?

Visible minorities are 1% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 8%, and Indigenous people 5%.

What kind of homes are in Pincher Creek No. 9?

Single-detached houses make up 95% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 27% of households are one person, and the average is 2.3.

How old are the people of Pincher Creek No. 9?

Half its people are older than 49.6 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 16%, people 65 and over 26%.

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).