VulcanAlberta
1,922 residents make their home in this town in Alberta. Between 2016 and 2021, its population shrank by 8%.
Is Vulcan a good place to live?
Health is a strength (A+). At $250,000, the median home value in 2021 came to 3.7 times local household income. Where it falls short is jobs & income (C+).
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Vulcan 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 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.
How Vulcan grades
Each subject compares Vulcan with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Vulcan has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Vulcan stand out
The 3 things Vulcan does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Vulcan.
Few places match Vulcan for health: it beats almost every Canadian town
People in the region live to 83.0 on average: 85.0 for women and 80.9 for men in 2022/2024. On average 16% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, below both Alberta’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (17%). Across the region, 56% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; Alberta as a whole manages 53%. The region has fewer smokers than Alberta, 7.9% of adults to 11%. Behind health survey and life expectancy sits data gathered across the Calgary Zone, with Vulcan one part of it.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Vulcan | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 56% | 51% | 52% |
| Smokers | 7.9% | 12% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 83.0 | 81.2 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Fewer of Vulcan’s people belong to a visible minority than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 5.2%
1.2% of residents have an Indigenous identity, below Alberta’s towns (4.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%) alike. Immigrants make up 7.3% of residents, below Alberta’s towns (8.9%) but above Canadian towns (6.4%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
52.5% of Vulcan’s residents are women
Of the 2021 count, 930 were women and 840 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Vulcan | Alberta | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 46% | 67% | 64% |
| 65+ | 43% | 15% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 46% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Alberta and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Hazards in Vulcan: wildfire low, radon over the guideline in 8.1% of tested homes
For earthquakes Vulcan is middling, $0.025 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. The national flood inventory has no study of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Vulcan | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8.1% | 7.5% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.025 | $0.013 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Not measured by town: radon tests (the Calgary Health Region)
Results around Vulcan split both ways in Alberta: 1 of 3 schools high, 1 low
585 students attend the 1 elementary school, 2 secondary schools and 1 school for every grade in or within 3 km of Vulcan.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vulcan Prairieview Elementary School Top fifth in AlbertaLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–6 | Elementary · Grades K–6 | 196 | English public |
| County Central High School Middle fifth in AlbertaLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 7–12 | Secondary · Grades 7–12 | 217 | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Vulcan | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26
Commuters in Vulcan have a short way to work, 19 min on average, less than in Alberta’s towns and across Canadian towns
The car took 85% of commuters, near Alberta’s towns (88%) and lower than Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Vulcan | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 19 min | 26 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 85% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
July afternoons in Vulcan reach 25.0°C (Alberta towns 23.5°C, Canadian towns 25.5°C)
Rain and snow peak in June, at 82 mm. Counting rain and snow alike, 412 mm falls in a year, close to Alberta’s towns (431 mm) and below Canadian towns (883 mm). Most of the snow comes in March, about 18 cm. The frost-free season runs from 19 May to 20 September, 123 days.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Vulcan | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation a year | 412 mm | 431 mm | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 197 | 193 | 159 |
| July afternoon high | 25.0°C | 23.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 105 cm | 127 cm | 141 cm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Queenstown)
Expect November days around 4°C in Vulcan, nights around −8°C
The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Stavely. Next comes December, with normal highs of −1°C and lows of −12°C. Expect around 15 cm of snow in November. November normally sees 18 mm of precipitation.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −1°C | −13°C | 42 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | −2°C | 115 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 9°C | 187 mm |
| Autumn | 12°C | −2°C | 68 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Queenstown); the forecast is on the Weather page
Vulcan’s MP is John Barlow (Conservative Party of Canada), for Foothills
From Alberta come 37 MPs, 33 of them with the Conservative Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
For civic life grade, Vulcan gets an A
Vulcan Municipal Library serves 1,917 people from a single building.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
None of the land within 10 km of Vulcan is protected
A provincial park, Willow Creek Provincial Park, lies 46 km away. No national park lies within 100 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Vulcan | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Vulcan has just 11% of households spending at least 30% of income on shelter, where the typical Canadian town has 18%
Owners make up 83% of households, above Alberta’s towns (74%) and Canadian towns (74%) alike. A year’s rent came to 17% of the median household income, below Alberta’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (20%) alike.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Vulcan | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 11% | 21% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 20% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 83% | 74% | 74% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $250,000 | $400,000 | $406,000 |
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.
Violent crime weighs less where Vulcan is policed than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 54
Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 64 over 2023–25, lower than Alberta’s towns (110) and near Canadian towns (67). Property crime in the area its police cover: 27.7 per 1,000 people a year. The force’s area logs 11.5 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Vulcan doesn’t get its own Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures; the ones here come from the Vulcan detachment area.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Vulcan | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 54 | 109 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 64 | 110 | 67 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 27.7 | 45 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Everything we know about Vulcan
Famous people from Vulcan
3 notable people were born in Vulcan.
About Vulcan
Town in Alberta
TownRatings counts Vulcan 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
- 1,922 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Alberta
- Census division
- Division No. 5
- Census subdivision
- 4805006
Vulcan’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vulcan | 1,922 | — | — | B− | B− | A+ |
| Vulcan County | 4,465 | 6.2 | B+ | B+ | B− | A− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Vulcan
How old are the people of Vulcan?
The median resident is 60.8 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 11% are under 15 and 43% are 65 or over.
Who are the people of Vulcan?
At the 2021 census, 7% were immigrants and 5% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 1% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Vulcan?
Single-detached houses make up 77% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 33% of households are one person, and the average is 2.
Has Vulcan grown?
It lost people: 1,917 in 2016, 1,769 in 2021, 7.7% fewer, while the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 1,922.
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).