StirlingAlberta

The town has 1,350 residents and lies in Alberta. Its census division is Division No. 2.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Hero122 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

1,350

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

32.4

years · Alberta’s towns: 40.8

Postsecondary

51%

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 Stirling a good place to live?

Stirling’s strongest is schools (A+). Homes are dear (C−). Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for health, B− for walkability and B for hazard risk. Jobs & income is weaker too (C).

With fewer than 2,500 residents, Stirling gets subject grades but no overall one among Canadian towns.

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.

StrongestA⁺Schools ASafetyWeakestC⁻Cost of living

How Stirling grades

Each subject compares Stirling 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

With fewer than 2,500 residents, Stirling gets subject grades but no overall one among Canadian towns.

SchoolsSchools rank among the strongest comparedA⁺Open →SafetyAmong the best of the towns comparedAOpen →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesC⁻Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work trail most townsCOpen →Hazard riskBased on seismic risk and radon tests, lowered where wildfire runs highBOpen →HealthNear typical for the towns comparedB⁻Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Stirling stand out

The 3 things Stirling does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

2% walk, cycle or take transit

Canadian towns centre on 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Schools

Better than 99%

of Canadian towns on schools

Its schools grade: A+.

Population growth, 2016 to 2021

Growth

+19% more people than in 2016

Against 4% in the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2016 and 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Stirling.

SchoolsSchools A⁺

One school serves Stirling: Stirling School

1school within 3 kmA⁺Schools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Stirling School Top fifth in AlbertaLargest secondary schoolAll grades · Grades K–12	All grades · Grades K–12	319	English public

319

students at the schools within 3 km, 2025/26

0.2 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageStirling’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school1 school for every grade Results1 of 1 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Alberta Language0 of 1 teach in French · 2% of schools in Alberta Questions“What schools are there in Stirling?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

SafetySafety A

Crime runs lighter where Stirling is policed than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns, at an index of 37

37Crime Severity Index

A best guess: the nearest detachment’s figures, since none is filed under Stirling · The Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 numbers here cover the Raymond detachment area

Where it is policed, 8.5 violent incidents per 1,000 residents are recorded each year. For violence alone, its police area’s index was 46, lower than both Alberta’s towns (109) and Canadian towns (86). On top of that, its police area records 15.3 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202339

202437

202535

2023–2025	Stirling	Alberta	Canada
Crime Severity Index	37	110	67
Property crime per 1,000	15.3	45	31.2
Violent Crime Severity Index	46	109	86
Violent crime	8.5	14.2	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

32%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageStirling’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety37 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Stirling’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Stirling safe?”

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

HousingCost of living C⁻

In Stirling, a home and getting around cost 35% of the median household’s income; the typical Canadian town spends 29%

$308,000median home value, 2021C⁻Cost of living Grade

16% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below both Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). Owners make up 87% of households.

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

Stirling$308,000

Alberta$400,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Stirling	Alberta	Canada
Households owning their home	87%	74%	74%
Rent as a share of income	23%	20%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	16%	21%	18%
Median home value, 2021	$308,000	$400,000	$406,000

$1,400

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,410

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageStirling’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Cost of living3.6 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $308,000, against the median household income Renting$1,400 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Owners and renters87% 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.

Work & commuteJobs & income C

Stirling has fewer jobs than residents in work: 0.3 for each

2%walk, cycle or take transit

The average trip to work takes 29 min.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van98%

Walk2%

Census 2021	Stirling	Alberta	Canada
Average trip	29 min	26 min	26 min

$85,000

median household income, 2020

worked from home, May 2021

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageStirling’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment8.9% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work2% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to175 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Lethbridge

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

Who lives here

Children make up 27% of Stirling, above Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns

32.4median age

Those 65 and older account for 14% of residents. Visible minorities make up 1.3% of the population, below Alberta’s towns (29%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike.

StirlingAlbertaCanada

AlbertaCanada

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

27%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree18%

Postsecondary qualification51%

Women and men · all residents

48.3% of Stirling’s residents are women

The 2021 census counted 565 women and 605 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Stirling
	Stirling	Alberta	Canada
Under 15	27%	18%	16%
15 to 64	59%	67%	64%
65+	14%	15%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	18%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	51%	54%	56%

Full pageStirling’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages32.4 median age · 14% are 65 or over Households360 households · 3.2 people per household Immigrants8% are immigrants · 1% belong to a visible minority English and French3% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Climate

Summer runs warm in Stirling: July highs of 26.3°C, above Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns

26.3°CJuly afternoons

Snowfall adds up to 108 cm a year, below Alberta’s towns (127 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. Expect January lows of around −12.1°C in Stirling. The frost-free season runs from 21 May to 17 September, 118 days. A normal June brings 93 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter0.8°C

Spring12.4°C

Summer24.8°C

Autumn13.3°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Stirling	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 pageStirling’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 station25 km to the station · Lethbridge

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk B

Stirling’s hazards at a glance: a low wildfire record and 8.9% of area homes over the radon guideline

Lowwildfire bandBHazard risk Grade

Earthquake risk in Stirling is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.023 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. The national flood inventory has no study of the town.

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

Stirling8.9%

Alberta’s towns7.5%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Stirling	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

Full pageStirling’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon8.9% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km 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 · Area behind the radon tests figures: the Chinook Regional Health Authority

Weather

In Stirling, November normally means 6°C afternoons and −7°C nights

6°Ca normal November afternoon

The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Lethbridge. A normal December brings highs of 1°C, lows of −11°C. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 16 mm. At the extremes, July afternoons reach 26°C and January nights −12°C.

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 pageStirling’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

Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner gave Glen Motz a 24,832-vote lead in 2021, bigger than in 96% of ridings

Glen Motz (Conservative Party of Canada) is the MP for Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Stirling.

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

Who runs itVillage

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A⁻

Stirling Library draws 5.6 visits per person served, ahead of 76% of Alberta’s town libraries

Stirling Library has one location for the 1,269 people it serves.

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

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong2.2 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

HealthHealth B⁻

Expect 78.7 years of life in the region around Stirling, 2.8 under the typical Canadian town

52%very good or excellent healthB⁻Health Grade

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

In the health survey, 52% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, close to Alberta’s 53%. The average trip from home to a hospital is 10 km, above both Alberta’s towns (3.1 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km).

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Stirling52%

Alberta’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Stirling	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

10 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

11 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageStirling’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey52% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care10 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 11 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

Outdoors

The nearest provincial park to Stirling is Woolford Provincial Park, 58 km away

0%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Stirling0%

Alberta’s towns0.4%

Canadian towns2.3%

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

94 km

to Waterton Lakes National Park

58 km

to Woolford Provincial Park

Full pageStirling’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas0 protected areas within 10 km National & provincial parks94 km to a national park · Waterton Lakes National Park

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

History

Heritage in Stirling: 2 historic places, one of the highest rank

2historic places

Among the places are a provincial or municipal listing. Its oldest building on the record is Stirling Agricultural Village, from 1890. Before 1961 is when 18% of the homes went up, above Alberta’s towns (4.5%) and close to Canadian towns (18%).

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations1

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings1

Among them

Stirling Agricultural Village 1890
Michelsen Farmstead 1912

1890

oldest construction date on the record

18%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Stirling	Alberta	Canada
Homes built before 1961	18%	4.5%	18%

Full pageStirling’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers2 historic places inside the town Highest designations1 top designation · Stirling Agricultural Village Older homesCanadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Stirling 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 Stirling

15pages on Stirling

The big questions

SafetyACrime Severity Index 37 Housing & costC⁻Homes 3.6 × income Property pricesSchoolsA⁺One school within 3 km HealthB⁻Life expectancy 78.7 in its region Work & commuteC59% of adults in work Natural hazardsBWildfire band: low

Out and about

OutdoorsAttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 26°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 32.4 History2 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from around Stirling

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

How we find them →

Phil TollestrupCanadian basketball player · born in Raymond · born 1949

W. Cleon SkousenEx FBI agent, conservative United State… · born in Raymond · 1913–2006

Brock RalphPlayer of American and Canadian football · born in Raymond · born 1980

Dale StevensonCanadian football player · born in Raymond · born 1987

Douglas MillerCanadian politician · born in Raymond · 1904–1982

Jimmy RalphProfessional Canadian football wide rec… · born in Raymond · born 1992

Photo credits

Jimmy Ralph: Cmm3, CC BY-SA 4.0

About Stirling

Town in Alberta

For Stirling, TownRatings uses Statistics Canada’s census-subdivision boundary in Alberta, and every figure on its pages covers that whole area.

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

Population: 1,350 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Alberta
Census division: Division No. 2
Census subdivision: 4802009

Stirling’s neighbours

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

RaymondWarner County No. 5Stirling

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Stirling	1,350	—	—	C⁻	A	B⁻
Raymond	4,594	11	A	B⁻	A	B
Warner County No. 5	4,533	13	B⁺	B⁻	A	C⁺

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

Questions about Stirling

Has Stirling grown?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 978 to 1,164 residents (up 19%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 1,350.

Who are the people of Stirling?

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 Stirling?

Single-detached houses make up 94% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 15% of households are one person, and the average is 3.2.

Is Stirling a young town or an old one?

At 32.4, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns.

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).