Photo: R. Sieben · CC BY 3.0Older than 99% of Canadian towns: half of Vulcan is over 60.8
Most recent wave: 67% of immigrants arrived in 2011–2021 (Canada’s towns: 27%). Fewer children under 15 than in 94% of Canadian towns: 11%. Vulcan had about 1,922 residents in July 2025, by Statistics Canada’s estimate, and 805 households at the 2021 Census. In Vulcan, a third of households are one person living alone.
What stands out about the people of Vulcan
Older than most towns
Vulcan’s median age is 60.8; the typical median across Canadian towns is 42. 43% are 65 or over, against 19% across Canada’s towns. Ages ↓
Fewer people than before
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, Vulcan went from 1,917 to 1,769 residents (−8%), slower growth than in 99% of Canadian towns. Population change ↓
Written from the data on this page: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census.
A −8% change since 2016: slower than 99% of Canadian towns
Every figure here comes from the 2021 Census unless it carries another date. How the population moved between the last two censuses, and since.
Change, 2016 to 2021
The July 2025 estimate adds another 9%. Medians for comparison: +4% across Canada’s towns; +1% across Alberta’s towns.
Vulcan sits above 99% of Canadian towns for residents aged 65 and over (43%)
Every five-year age group as a share of residents; ticks mark the typical town.
By its share of residents aged 15 to 24 (7.9%), Vulcan is below 91% of Canadian towns. Elsewhere, 19% of residents are 65 or over across Canada’s towns.
Broad ages · share of residents
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 90 men for every 100 women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
Smaller households than 90% of Canadian towns: 2 people on average
Households by family type and by the number of people in them.
Against Alberta’s towns and Canada’s towns
People per household
Canada’s towns.
By its share of one-parent families (6.2%), Vulcan is below just over four fifths of Canadian towns.
A lower share of common-law partners than 73% of Canadian towns, at 7.9%
How adults live as couples, or don’t, with common-law unions shown on their own.
Marital status · residents 15 and over
Set against 46% across Canada’s towns, 52% of residents 15 and over are married in Vulcan. The share of common-law partners across Canada’s towns is 11%.
In Vulcan, 17% of households rent their home, fewer than in 70% of Canadian towns
The kinds of homes people live in, who owns and who rents, and how old the homes are. Prices, rents and shelter costs are on Cost of living.
Type of home
Owners and renters · share of households
When homes were built · share of homes
26% of homes were built before 1961 and 24% in 2001 or later. Vulcan has more households in single-detached houses than 68% of Canadian towns, at 77%. For comparison, a quarter of households rent their home across Canada’s towns.
Half above, half below $67,500 a year in household income
Incomes here are for 2020, the year before the census, CERB and other pandemic benefits included. Income per household, before tax, with the groups it falls into.
Households by income · share of households
Vulcan’s median household took in $67,500 before tax, 22% less than the median across Canada’s towns ($86,000). Across Alberta’s towns the median is $92,200. COVID-19 benefits were paid to 17% of residents with an income, where the typical town had 28%.
Residents who moved in within the year: 12%, a higher share than 62% of Canadian towns
Birthplaces and arrival years of immigrants, citizenship and recent moves.
Immigrants, by continent of birth · share of all residents; the bar runs to 30%
When immigrants arrived · share of immigrants
Citizenship and moving · share of residents
Most immigrants were born in Europe (48%) or in Asia (22%). To put it in context, just over one in ten residents lived at another address a year earlier across Canada’s towns. Vulcan has fewer immigrants than 73% of Canadian towns, at 7.3%. Set against 5.8% across Canada’s towns, 3.3% of residents are not Canadian citizens here.
Residents with no religion: 40%, a higher share than 65% of Canadian towns
Identity and faith, in the census’s categories.
Visible minority and Indigenous identity · all residents
Religion · all residents
Against a figure of 15% across Canada’s towns, the share of visible minority residents in Vulcan comes in at 5.2%. Add to that, at 1.2%, the share of Indigenous residents is lower than in 77% of Canadian towns. Across Canada’s towns, 35% of residents said they have no religion.
93% have English as their mother tongue; 2.1% also speak French
Who can speak English and French, mother tongue, and the language spoken most at home.
Can hold a conversation in · share of all residents
Mother tongue · share of all residents
7.5% of residents speak English and French across Canada’s towns, against 2.1% in Vulcan. Locally, 0.9% of residents have French as their mother tongue.
Degree holders aged 25 to 64: 13%, a lower share than 88% of Canadian towns
Education of residents 25 to 64, by highest credential.
Highest qualification · residents 25 to 64
At the bottom of the ladder, 12% hold no certificate of any kind, against 9.5% in the typical town. For comparison, 27% of residents 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher across Canada’s towns.
Employment: 39% of residents 15 and over had a job
Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic: some of these rates are lower than in a usual year. Four labour figures from the census. Jobs, industries and the commute are on Work & commute.
39% of residents 15 and over have a job, against a typical 58% across Canada’s towns; 43% are 65 or more.
Vulcan is older than every town around it
Neighbouring places and their median ages; each name opens its page. The nearest places to Vulcan with figures are 6–48 km away.
| Town | People | Away | Median age | 65+ | Immigrants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vulcan | 1,922 | — | 60.8 | 43% | 7.3% |
| Vulcan County | 4,465 | 6.2 km | 39.2 | 17% | 9.2% |
| Nanton | 2,522 | 36.8 km | 52.8 | 31% | 11% |
| High River | 15,508 | 47.1 km | 44.8 | 25% | 19% |
| Claresholm | 4,242 | 47.8 km | 56.8 | 36% | 10% |
Health, work, housing and schools
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Against Alberta’s towns and Canada’s towns. Provincial and national yardsticks: Alberta’s towns and neighbourhoods of at least 2,500 residents, and all Canadian towns of that size. No whole city and no First Nations reserve is in either median.
- What these tables don’t give. The Census Profile has no unpaid care, cars or internet access, and no change by age since 2016; ethnic origins beyond visible minority and Indigenous identity aren’t charted here.
- The census’s own words. The census takes “visible minority” from the Employment Equity Act: anyone other than Indigenous peoples who is non-white in colour or race. Indigenous identity, immigrant status and religion are what residents reported, compared here with other towns and never used as a label.
Questions about Vulcan’s residents
What religion are people in Vulcan?
60% are Christian and 40% have no religion; 0.3% follow another religion.
Is Vulcan good for families?
Under 15: 11% (Canada’s towns: 16%). Couple families: 55% of households. One-parent families: 6.2%. Schools near Vulcan are on its Schools page.
What is the median income in Vulcan?
The median household in Vulcan took in $67,500 in 2020, against $86,000 across Canada’s towns.
What is the population of Vulcan?
Vulcan had about 1,922 residents in July 2025, Statistics Canada estimates; the 2021 Census counted 1,769, 8% fewer than 2016.
What is the average age in Vulcan?
A median age of 60.8. Children under 15 make up 11%, and people 65 and over 43%.
Is Vulcan bilingual?
2.1% of residents can speak both English and French (typical across Canada’s towns: 7.5%); 0% speak French only and 98% English only. French is the mother tongue of 0.9%.
How diverse is Vulcan?
7.3% of residents are immigrants (Canada’s towns: 17%); 5.2% belong to a visible minority and 1.2% have an Indigenous identity.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population · Statistics Canada, population estimates for 1 July 2025 (table 17-10-0155). 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).