Special Area No. 4Alberta

Its census division is Division No. 4. 1,171 residents make their home in this town in Alberta.

Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain

Population

1,171

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

37.6

years · Alberta’s towns: 40.8

Postsecondary

44%

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 Special Area No. 4 a good place to live?

Where it does best is schools (A). Residents’ health trails most towns (C−). Few people walk, cycle or take the bus to work (C−). Natural hazards are less of a worry than in most Canadian towns (A).

Special Area No. 4 has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.

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.

StrongestASchools AHazard risk AJobs & incomeWeakestC⁻Walkability C⁻Health

What makes Special Area No. 4 stand out

The 3 things Special Area No. 4 does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

3% unemployment

The median of Canadian towns: 10%

78% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

2.9 times household income

The middle of Canadian towns: 4.7 times

Median owner’s estimate $250,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

4% walk, cycle or take transit

The midpoint across Canadian towns is 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

How Special Area No. 4 grades

Each subject compares Special Area No. 4 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

Special Area No. 4 has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.

SchoolsNear the top of the towns comparedAOpen →Hazard riskGraded on two hazards, earthquakes and radon, with nearby wildfire counted only against itAOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the strongest comparedAOpen →WalkabilityBehind most towns comparedC⁻Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnA⁻Open →HealthResidents’ health trails most townsC⁻Open →SafetyClose to the middle of the towns comparedC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Special Area No. 4.

SchoolsSchools A

The 3 schools of Special Area No. 4: 2 elementary schools and 1 school for every grade

From the middle of town, the first elementary school is 12 km off, above Alberta’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km) alike. Its elementary schools are small, 19 students on average, against 274 in Alberta.

3schools within 3 kmASchools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Veteran Colony SchoolLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades 1–8	Elementary · Grades 1–8	25	English public
Consort School Middle fifth in AlbertaLargest secondary schoolAll grades · Grades K–12	All grades · Grades K–12	241	English public
New Brigden School Top fifth in AlbertaResults in the top fifth in AlbertaElementary · Grades 2–6	Elementary · Grades 2–6	13	English public

Schools within 3 km	Special Area No. 4	Alberta	Canada
Nearest elementary school	12 km	0.5 km	0.5 km
Nearest secondary school	12 km	0.7 km	1.2 km
School boards	2	3	3

279

students at the schools within 3 km, 2025/26

12 km

to the nearest secondary school

12 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageSpecial Area No. 4’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school3 schools within 3 km · 2 elementary schools and 1 school for every grade Results1 of 2 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Alberta Language0 of 3 teach in French · 2% of schools in Alberta The boards2 school boards · The Prairie Land School Division Questions“What schools are there in Special Area No. 4?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Natural hazardsHazard risk A

Hazard risk in Special Area No. 4 is lower than in 91% of Canadian towns

In Health Canada’s survey, 7.5% of homes tested in Special Area No. 4’s area exceeded 200 Bq/m³, close to the typical 6.6%. Earthquakes matter little: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.005 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. Behind radon tests sits data gathered across the David Thompson Regional Health Authority, with Special Area No. 4 one part of it.

Lowwildfire bandAHazard risk Grade

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

Special Area No. 47.5%

Alberta’s towns7.5%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Special Area No. 4	Alberta	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.005	$0.013	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	7.5%	7.5%	6.6%

$0.005

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

Low

wildfire band

Full pageSpecial Area No. 4’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.005 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon7.5% 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

Work & commuteJobs & income A

Working-age people in Special Area No. 4 have jobs more often than in 97% of Canadian towns

Commutes averaged 26 min, in line with Alberta’s towns (26 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).

4%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van92%

Walk4%

Census 2021	Special Area No. 4	Alberta	Canada
Average trip	26 min	26 min	26 min

$89,000

median household income, 2020

46%

worked from home, May 2021

14%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageSpecial Area No. 4’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment2.8% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work4% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to115 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Consort

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.

HousingCost of living A⁻

Renting in Special Area No. 4 costs 15% of household income, less than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns

85% of households are owner-occupiers. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 14% of households, lower than both Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).

$250,000median home value, 2021A⁻Cost of living Grade

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

Special Area No. 4$250,000

Alberta$400,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Special Area No. 4	Alberta	Canada
Rent as a share of income	15%	20%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	14%	21%	18%
Households owning their home	85%	74%	74%

$900

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$990

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageSpecial Area No. 4’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$900 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living2.9 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $250,000, against the median household income Owners and renters85% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.

HealthHealth C⁻

Special Area No. 4’s region trails the typical Canadian town by 2.4 years: life expectancy 79.1

Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the Central Zone

The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 19% of adults, above Alberta’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (17%) alike. Smoking is commoner than in the province: 15% of adults, against 11% for Alberta. Across the region, 52% of adults say their health is very good or excellent, much as in Alberta (53%). The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Special Area No. 4’s is long: 19 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.

52%very good or excellent healthC⁻Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Special Area No. 452%

Alberta’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Special Area No. 4	Alberta	Canada
Life expectancy at birth	79.1	81.2	81.5
Smokers	15%	12%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	19%	18%	17%

79.1

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

19 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

15%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

79 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageSpecial Area No. 4’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey52% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care19 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 79 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 81.7, men 76.6 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

Climate

Winter nights bite in Special Area No. 4: January lows of −18.8°C, colder than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns

In July the thermometer climbs to 23.8°C by day, about level with Alberta’s towns (23.5°C) and below Canadian towns (25.5°C). June is the wettest month, with 69 mm of rain and snow on average. ECCC’s nearest full record is at Coronation, 42 km off.

23.8°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−6.9°C

Spring8.6°C

Summer22.5°C

Autumn9.1°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Special Area No. 4	Alberta	Canada
Precipitation a year	339 mm	431 mm	883 mm
Days with frost a year	216	193	159
January night low	−18.8°C	−14.7°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	23.8°C	23.5°C	25.5°C

216

days with frost a year

days with precipitation a year

Full pageSpecial Area No. 4’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 23.8°C, January lows −18.8°C Rain and snow339 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Weather station42 km to the station · Coronation

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

Who lives here

Children make up 23% of Special Area No. 4, above Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns

The 65-and-over age group makes up 15% of residents. Immigrants make up 4.9% of residents, lower than both Alberta’s towns (8.9%) and Canadian towns (6.4%).

37.6median age

Special Area No. 4AlbertaCanada

AlbertaCanada

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

23%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree17%

Postsecondary qualification44%

Women and men · all residents

51.6% of Special Area No. 4’s residents are women

Women numbered 635 and men 595 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.

Who lives in Special Area No. 4
	Special Area No. 4	Alberta	Canada
Under 15	23%	18%	16%
15 to 64	62%	67%	64%
65+	15%	15%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	17%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	44%	54%	56%

Full pageSpecial Area No. 4’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages37.6 median age · 15% are 65 or over Households420 households · 2.7 people per household Immigrants5% are immigrants · 0% 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+

SafetySafety C⁺

Violent crime weighs less where Special Area No. 4 is policed than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 55

A best guess: the nearest detachment’s figures, since none is filed under Special Area No. 4

Violence across its police area runs at 7.7 per 1,000 residents a year. Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 70 over 2023–25, below Alberta’s towns (110) and close to Canadian towns (67). The force’s area logs 30 thefts, break-ins and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year.

70Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202382

202494

202533

2023–2025	Special Area No. 4	Alberta	Canada
Violent Crime Severity Index	55	109	86
Violent crime	7.7	14.2	12
Crime Severity Index	70	110	67
Property crime per 1,000	30	45	31.2

non-violent Crime Severity Index

41%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageSpecial Area No. 4’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety70 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Special Area No. 4’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Special Area No. 4 safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 published for the Consort detachment area, not by town

Weather

Expect November days around freezing in Special Area No. 4, nights around −11°C

Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Coronation forecast, on the Weather page. Looking ahead to December, expect highs near −7°C and lows near −17°C. Precipitation in November averages 15 mm. Normal highs peak at 24°C in July; nights bottom out at −19°C in January.

0°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November0°C

December−7°C

January−8°C

February−6°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−7°C	−18°C	30 mm
Spring	9°C	−4°C	77 mm
Summer	23°C	8°C	172 mm
Autumn	9°C	−4°C	60 mm

−11°C

a normal November night

15 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageSpecial Area No. 4’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 (Coronation); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Battle River—Crowfoot, which takes in Special Area No. 4, is held by Pierre Poilievre (Conservative Party of Canada)

33 of the 37 MPs from Alberta belong to the Conservative Party of Canada.

Full pageSpecial Area No. 4’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A⁺

Special Area No. 4’s public library is Veteran Municipal Library

The library is 18 km from the centre of Special Area No.

Full pageSpecial Area No. 4’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong6.8 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Special Area No. 4 touches Heart's Hill

National parks are all over 100 km off. Dillberry Lake Provincial Park is the closest provincial park, at 41 km. The largest is Antelope Park: 14,146 ha, 3.9 km from the edge of town.

1.8%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Special Area No. 41.8%

Alberta’s towns0.4%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Special Area No. 4	Alberta	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	1.8%	0.4%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	4	2	4

41 km

to Dillberry Lake Provincial Park

Full pageSpecial Area No. 4’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas5 protected areas within 10 km · Antelope Park National & provincial parks41 km to a provincial park · Dillberry Lake Provincial Park

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

History

Special Area No. 4 has 1 historic place on the registers

Before 1961 is when 20% of the homes went up, higher than both Alberta’s towns (4.5%) and Canadian towns (18%).

1historic place

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings1

Among them

Paradise Valley Alberta Wheat Pool Grain Elevator

20%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Special Area No. 4	Alberta	Canada
Homes built before 1961	20%	4.5%	18%

Full pageSpecial Area No. 4’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registersOne historic place inside the town Older homes20% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Special Area No. 4 have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Special Area No. 4

15pages on Special Area No. 4

The big questions

SafetyC⁺Crime Severity Index 70 Housing & costA⁻Homes 2.9 × income Property pricesSchoolsA3 schools within 3 km HealthC⁻Life expectancy 79.1 in its region Work & commuteA78% of adults in work Natural hazardsAWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors1.8% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 24°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 37.6 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Questions about Special Area No. 4

Who are the people of Special Area No. 4?

At the 2021 census, 5% were immigrants and 0% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 3% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

What kind of homes are in Special Area No. 4?

Single-detached houses make up 91% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments.

Is Special Area No. 4 growing?

No: the census counted 1,237 in 2016 and 1,236 in 2021, 0.1% fewer, against growth of 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 1,171.

About Special Area No. 4

Town in Alberta

TownRatings counts Special Area No. 4 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: 1,171 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Alberta
Census division: Division No. 4
Census subdivision: 4804020

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).