Wheatland CountyAlberta

TownGrade

C⁻

#2,235 of 2,556

The town has 10,150 residents and lies in Alberta. Its census division is Division No. 5.

1 place within 19 kmMap →

Photo: R. Sieben · CC BY 3.0

Population

10,150

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

42.4

years · Alberta’s towns: 40.8

Postsecondary

50%

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 Wheatland County a good place to live?

A tough set of grades. Crime is the sore point (D−). At C− overall, Wheatland County is better than 18% of Canadian towns and ranks #411 of 473 in Alberta. Jobs & income is weaker too (C). The typical owner put their home at $448,000 in 2021: 4.5 years of the median household’s income. Health is its strong suit (A−).

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 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.

StrongestA⁻Health A⁻Hazard riskWeakestD⁻Safety

How Wheatland County grades

Each subject compares Wheatland County 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

SafetyGraded on crime per residentD⁻Open →HealthAmong the healthiest places comparedA⁻Open →Hazard riskBetter than most of the towns comparedA⁻Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workCOpen →WalkabilityMost errands need a carCOpen →Cost of livingBehind most towns comparedCOpen →SchoolsNear typical for the towns comparedC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Wheatland County stand out

The 2 things Wheatland County does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Safety

Behind 96%

of Canadian towns on safety

Its safety grade: D−.

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

4% walk, cycle or take transit

Against 8% in the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Wheatland County.

SafetySafety D⁻

The police who cover Wheatland County record more serious crime than Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 299

299Crime Severity Index

Across its police area, there are 183.5 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. The violent index for its police area came to 486, above Alberta’s towns (109) and Canadian towns (86) alike.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023268

2024296

2025333

2023–2025	Wheatland County	Alberta	Canada
Crime Severity Index	299	110	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	486	109	86
Violent crime	85.4	14.2	12
Property crime per 1,000	183.5	45	31.2

226

non-violent Crime Severity Index

53%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageWheatland County’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety299 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Wheatland County’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Wheatland County 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: the Gleichen detachment area

HealthHealth A⁻

Wheatland County’s health region counts just 7.9% of adults who smoke, below the typical Canadian town’s 12%

56%very good or excellent healthA⁻Health Grade

Measured across the Calgary Zone: health survey and life expectancy

The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 56%, ahead of the 53% for Alberta. Statistics Canada puts life expectancy at 83.0, above both Alberta’s towns (81.2) and Canadian towns (81.5). The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Wheatland County’s is long: 20 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Wheatland County56%

Alberta’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Wheatland County	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

83.0

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

20 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

7.9%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

21 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageWheatland County’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey56% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care20 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 21 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 85.0, men 80.9 Conditions and habits16% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Natural hazardsHazard risk A⁻

A flood study covers Wheatland County: 2 on the national inventory, the newest from Government of Alberta

Lowwildfire bandA⁻Hazard risk Grade

Shared with the rest of the Calgary Health Region: radon tests

Shaking is less of a worry than in most places, at $0.015 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Radon is about average around Wheatland County: 8.1% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Burn scars are few around Wheatland County, with 0.1% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.002% a year).

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

Wheatland County8.1%

Alberta’s towns7.5%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Wheatland County	Alberta	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	8.1%	7.5%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.015	$0.013	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

7.2 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageWheatland County’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Flood2 flood studies on record WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.1% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Earthquakes$0.015 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon8.1% 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 C

Commuters in Wheatland County travel further than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns, 32 min on average

4%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van94%

Walk3%

Public transit0%

Census 2021	Wheatland County	Alberta	Canada
Average trip	32 min	26 min	26 min

$99,000

median household income, 2020

34%

worked from home, May 2021

19%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageWheatland County’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment6.6% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work4% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to555 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Calgary

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

HousingCost of living C

Wheatland County is a town of owners: 84% of households own their home, above Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns

$448,000median home value, 2021CCost of living Grade

A year’s rent came to 17% of the median household income, below both Alberta’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (20%).

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

Wheatland County$448,000

Alberta$400,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Wheatland County	Alberta	Canada
Households owning their home	84%	74%	74%
Rent as a share of income	17%	20%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	17%	21%	18%
Median home value, 2021	$448,000	$400,000	$406,000

$1,200

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,360

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageWheatland County’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters84% own their home Cost of living4.5 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $448,000, against the median household income Renting$1,200 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census

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.

Climate

July highs in Wheatland County: 25.0°C, against 23.5°C in Alberta’s towns and 25.5°C in Canadian towns

25.0°CJuly afternoons

June is the wettest month, with 82 mm of rain and snow on average. Rain and melted snow add up to 412 mm a year, near Alberta’s towns (431 mm) and lower than Canadian towns (883 mm). Also worth knowing: a normal March brings 18 cm of snow, the most of any month. The frost-free season runs from 19 May to 20 September, 123 days.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−1.0°C

Spring11.2°C

Summer23.6°C

Autumn12.0°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Wheatland County	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

105 cm

of snow a year

197

days with frost a year

123

frost-free days, 19 May to 20 Sep

days with precipitation a year

Full pageWheatland County’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 25.0°C, January lows −13.7°C Rain and snow412 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow105 cm of snow a year Weather station47 km to the station · Queenstown

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

SchoolsSchools C⁺

The schools around Wheatland County answer to 5 boards

31schools within 3 kmC⁺Schools Grade

In or within 3 km of Wheatland County: 9 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and 18 schools for every grade, with 5,582 students. An elementary school stands 11 km from the centre, higher than both Alberta’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km). Of its 13 tested schools, 3 sit in the top two fifths in Alberta and 6 in the bottom two.

School	Level	Students	System
Westmount School Fourth fifth in AlbertaLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–6	Elementary · Grades K–6	355	English public
Golden Hills Learning Academy Bottom fifth in AlbertaLargest secondary schoolAll grades · Grades K–12	All grades · Grades K–12	1,160	English public
Sacred Heart Academy CatholicResults in the top fifth in AlbertaElementary · Grades K–6	Elementary · Grades K–6	300	English Catholic

See all 31 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public28

English Catholic2

Independent1

Schools within 3 km	Wheatland County	Alberta	Canada
School boards	5	3	3
Nearest elementary school	11 km	0.5 km	0.5 km
Nearest secondary school	11 km	0.7 km	1.2 km

5,582

students at the schools within 3 km, 2025/26

11 km

to the nearest secondary school

11 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageWheatland County’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The boards5 school boards · The Golden Hills School Division Every school31 schools within 3 km · 9 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and 18 schools for every grade Results3 of 13 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Alberta Language0 of 31 teach in French · 2% of schools in Alberta Questions“What schools are there in Wheatland County?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Weather

Expect November days around 4°C in Wheatland County, nights around −8°C

4°Ca normal November afternoon

Next comes December, with normal highs of −1°C and lows of −12°C. November usually brings some 15 cm of snow. The year peaks in July (25°C) and bottoms out in January (−14°C). The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Strathmore.

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

November4°C

December−1°C

January−2°C

February−1°C

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

−8°C

a normal November night

18 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageWheatland County’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 (Queenstown); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

David Bexte (Conservative Party of Canada) represents Wheatland County in Ottawa as MP for Bow River

Locally, Wheatland County is run as a municipal district.

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

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁻

Wheatland County has two public libraries, Morrin Municipal Library and Rockyford Library

Wheatland County has no library board of its own in the provincial statistics, so no visit or loan figures appear here.

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

The libraries2 Libraries Places to belong1 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

Fewer of Wheatland County’s people belong to a visible minority than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 3.4%

42.4median age

Immigrants make up 5.1% of residents, lower than both Alberta’s towns (8.9%) and Canadian towns (6.4%). Under-15s account for 19% of the population. 16% of residents have reached 65.

Wheatland CountyAlbertaCanada

AlbertaCanada

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

19%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree18%

Postsecondary qualification50%

Women and men · all residents

48.5% of Wheatland County’s residents are women

Census 2021 put women at 4,240 and men at 4,495; women are 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Wheatland County
	Wheatland County	Alberta	Canada
Under 15	19%	18%	16%
15 to 64	65%	67%	64%
65+	16%	15%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	18%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	50%	54%	56%

Full pageWheatland County’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants5% are immigrants · 3% belong to a visible minority Ages42.4 median age · 16% are 65 or over Households2,840 households · 2.6 people per household English and French3% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Outdoors

Wheatland County has 0.2% protected land within 10 km

0.2%of the land within 10 km protected

The largest is Hand Hills Ecological Reserve: 2,314 ha, 9.0 km from the edge of town. A provincial park, Midland Provincial Park, lies 11 km away. There is no national park within 100 km of the town. Count 16 protected areas within 10 km of town.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Wheatland County0.2%

Alberta’s towns0.4%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Wheatland County	Alberta	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0.2%	0.4%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	1	2	4

11 km

to Midland Provincial Park

Full pageWheatland County’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas16 protected areas within 10 km · Hand Hills Ecological Reserve National & provincial parks11 km to a provincial park · Midland Provincial Park

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

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Wheatland County

15pages on Wheatland County

The big questions

SafetyD⁻Crime Severity Index 299 Housing & costCHomes 4.5 × income Property pricesSchoolsC⁺31 schools within 3 km HealthA⁻Life expectancy 83 in its region Work & commuteC66% of adults in work Natural hazardsA⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors0.2% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 25°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 42.4 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Rosebud & District Centennial Museum and 14 more in and around Wheatland County

Sights in Wheatland County and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.

All attractions →

MuseumMuseumRosebud & District Centennial Museumin town

Theme parkThe Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site200 m outside town, to the east MuseumMuseumBlackfoot Crossing Historical Park3.8 km outside town, to the southeast MuseumMuseumEast Coulee School Museum200 m outside town, to the east MuseumMuseumArt & Safety First Exhibits500 m outside town, to the east MuseumMuseumBadlands Good People Exhibit500 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)

The Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site: Mascdman, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from around Wheatland County

2 notable people were born in Wheatland County; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.

Their page →

Matthew EricksonCanadian actor · born 1980

SykamoreCanadian country music singer-songwriter

Hu HarriesCanadian economist and politician · born in Strathmore · 1921–1986

Hugh John MacDonaldCanadian politician and judge from Albe… · born in Strathmore · 1911–1998

H S FernsCanadian historian · born in Strathmore · 1913–1992

About Wheatland County

Town in Alberta

The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Wheatland County is one census subdivision in Alberta, and TownRatings describes all of it.

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

Population: 10,150 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Alberta
Census division: Division No. 5
Census subdivision: 4805012

Wheatland County’s neighbours

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

StrathmoreWheatland County

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Wheatland County	10,150	—	C⁻	C	D⁻	A⁻
Strathmore	16,416	12	B⁻	C	B⁻	A⁺

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

Questions about Wheatland County

Who are the people of Wheatland County?

Visible minorities are 3% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 5%, and Indigenous people 5%.

What kind of homes are in Wheatland County?

90% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.6 people; 20% are one person living alone.

Has Wheatland County grown?

It lost people: 8,788 in 2016, 8,738 in 2021, 0.6% fewer, while the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 10,150.

Is Wheatland County a young town or an old one?

At 42.4, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 19% of the population and seniors 16%.

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).