Willow Creek No. 26Alberta

The town, home to 6,225 people, lies in Alberta. Its population rose 9% from 2016 to 2021.

1 place within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Kiwibirdman · CC BY 3.0

Population

6,225

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

41.6

years · Alberta’s towns: 40.8

Postsecondary

49%

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%

TownGrade

C⁻

#2,263 of 2,556

Is Willow Creek No. 26 a good place to live?

A town with more to fix than most. Willow Creek No. 26’s overall grade of C− puts it better than 17% of Canadian towns, #413 of 473 in Alberta. Police record more crime here than in most towns (C). Prices are high against local incomes (C). Also worth knowing: households here earn well (B). Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for walkability and C+ for hazard risk.

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.

WeakestCSafety

What makes Willow Creek No. 26 stand out

The one thing Willow Creek No. 26 does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

3% unemployment

Of the labour force, against 10% for the median of Canadian towns

69% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

How Willow Creek No. 26 grades

Each subject compares Willow Creek No. 26 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

SafetyWeaker than most of the towns comparedCOpen →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnCOpen →SchoolsSchools trail most of those comparedCOpen →HealthBelow the middle of the towns comparedC⁺Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workBOpen →Hazard riskGraded on two hazards, earthquakes and radon, with nearby wildfire counted only against itC⁺Open →WalkabilityAbout average among the towns comparedB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

Nearby attractions

Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump and 38 more in and around Willow Creek No. 26

Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near Willow Creek No. 26, the best known first.

All attractions →

MuseumMuseumHead Smashed In Buffalo Jumpin town

MuseumBar U Ranch3.1 km outside town, to the north

MuseumCanadian Grain Elevator Discovery Centre600 m outside town, to the north

National historic site · Parks CanadaPrivy, Building 283.7 km outside town, to the north

National historic site · Parks CanadaForeman’s House3.7 km outside town, to the north

National historic site · Parks CanadaFeed Mill3.7 km outside town, to the north

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · ODCAF · federal and Québec heritage registers · CPCAD

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (5)

Bar U Ranch: Traveler100, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Centre: Cody Kapcsos, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Privy, Building 28: Jeffery J. Nichols, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Foreman’s House: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Feed Mill: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Willow Creek No. 26.

SafetySafety C

Violent crime weighs less where Willow Creek No. 26 is policed than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 68

A best guess: the nearest detachment’s figures, since none is filed under Willow Creek No. 26 · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 for the Claresholm detachment area

The index for the force that serves it came to 91, lower than Alberta’s towns (110) yet higher than Canadian towns (67). For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 48.2 property crimes are reported each year.

91Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202384

202499

202590

2023–2025	Willow Creek No. 26	Alberta	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	48.2	45	31.2
Violent Crime Severity Index	68	109	86
Crime Severity Index	91	110	67

101

non-violent Crime Severity Index

21%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageWillow Creek No. 26’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety91 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Willow Creek No. 26’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Willow Creek No. 26 safe?”

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

HousingCost of living C

Most households in Willow Creek No. 26 own their home: 84%, more than in Alberta’s towns or across Canadian towns

Rent took 18% of household income, lower than both Alberta’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (20%). The median home value was $360,000, below both Alberta’s towns ($400,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000).

$360,000median home value, 2021CCost of living Grade

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

Willow Creek No. 26$360,000

Alberta$400,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Willow Creek No. 26	Alberta	Canada
Households owning their home	84%	74%	74%
Rent as a share of income	18%	20%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	20%	21%	18%

$1,000

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,230

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageWillow Creek No. 26’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, $360,000, against the median household income Renting$1,000 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.

SchoolsSchools C

Results around Willow Creek No. 26 lean low: 7 of 10 schools in the lower two fifths in Alberta

The schools around it answer to 5 boards, above Alberta’s towns (3) and Canadian towns (3) alike. Its elementary schools are small, 137 students on average, against 274 in Alberta. In or within 3 km of Willow Creek No. 26: 7 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools and 15 schools for every grade, with 3,280 students.

24schools within 3 kmCSchools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
West Meadow Elementary School Fourth fifth in AlbertaLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades K–6	Elementary · Grades K–6	318	English public
Calvin Christian School IndependentLargest secondary schoolAll grades · Grades K–12	All grades · Grades K–12	818	Independent
A B Daley Community School Top fifth in AlbertaResults in the top fifth in AlbertaElementary · Grades K–6	Elementary · Grades K–6	182	English public

See all 24 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public21

Independent2

English Catholic1

Schools within 3 km	Willow Creek No. 26	Alberta	Canada
School boards	5	3	3
Nearest elementary school	8.9 km	0.5 km	0.5 km
Nearest secondary school	8.9 km	0.7 km	1.2 km

3,280

students at the schools within 3 km, 2025/26

8.9 km

to the nearest secondary school

8.9 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageWillow Creek No. 26’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results3 of 10 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Alberta Every school24 schools within 3 km · 7 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools and 15 schools for every grade Language0 of 24 teach in French · 2% of schools in Alberta The boards5 school boards · The Livingstone Range School Division Questions“What schools are there in Willow Creek No. 26?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

HealthHealth C⁺

Willow Creek No. 26’s region trails the typical Canadian town by 2.8 years: life expectancy 78.7

Shared with the rest of the South Zone: health survey and life expectancy

The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 52%; Alberta as a whole is at 53%. The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 19% of adults, above both Alberta’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (17%). For Willow Creek No. 26 itself the measure is access, and it lags: 17 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical.

52%very good or excellent healthC⁺Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Willow Creek No. 2652%

Alberta’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Willow Creek No. 26	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

17 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

38 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageWillow Creek No. 26’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey52% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care17 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 38 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

Work & commuteJobs & income B

Willow Creek No. 26 has fewer jobs than residents in work: 0.4 for each

The car took 93% of commuters, higher than both Alberta’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%). The average trip to work takes 24 min.

6%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van93%

Walk6%

Public transit1%

Census 2021	Willow Creek No. 26	Alberta	Canada
Car or van	93%	88%	89%
Average trip	24 min	26 min	26 min

$81,000

median household income, 2020

38%

worked from home, May 2021

11%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageWillow Creek No. 26’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment3.4% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work6% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to345 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Fort Macleod

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

Climate

July afternoons in Willow Creek No. 26 reach 25.2°C (Alberta towns 23.5°C, Canadian towns 25.5°C)

Snow totals 111 cm over the year, lower than both Alberta’s towns (127 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). The frost-free season runs from 25 May to 13 September, 110 days. The most precipitation falls in June: 93 mm in a normal year. Most of the snow comes in March, about 22 cm.

25.2°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter1.0°C

Spring11.6°C

Summer23.7°C

Autumn12.8°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Willow Creek No. 26	Alberta	Canada
Precipitation a year	428 mm	431 mm	883 mm
July afternoon high	25.2°C	23.5°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	191	193	159
Snowfall a year	111 cm	127 cm	141 cm

111 cm

of snow a year

191

days with frost a year

110

frost-free days, 25 May to 13 Sep

days with precipitation a year

Full pageWillow Creek No. 26’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 25.2°C, January lows −13.2°C Rain and snow428 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow111 cm of snow a year Weather station8.1 km to the station · Claresholm

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

Willow Creek No. 26 is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by Government of Alberta

8.9% of radon tests in the survey area came in above the guideline, above Alberta’s towns (7.5%) and Canadian towns (6.6%) alike. For earthquakes Willow Creek No. 26 is middling, $0.038 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. Some 4.1% of the land within 25 km of Willow Creek No. 26 has burned since 1986; at 0.10% a year that is moderate, not high.

Moderatewildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

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

Willow Creek No. 268.9%

Alberta’s towns7.5%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Willow Creek No. 26	Alberta	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	8.9%	7.5%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.038	$0.013	$0.030

$0.038

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

Moderate

wildfire band

0.2 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageWillow Creek No. 26’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

FloodOne flood study on record WildfireModerate wildfire band · 4.1% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Earthquakes$0.038 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon8.9% 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 · Radon tests: one figure for all of the Chinook Regional Health Authority

Weather

Expect November days around 5°C in Willow Creek No. 26, nights around −8°C

Expect around 16 cm of snow in November. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 18 mm. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Willow Creek (Provincial Park).

5°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November5°C

December1°C

January0°C

February2°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	1°C	−13°C	44 mm
Spring	12°C	−2°C	123 mm
Summer	24°C	8°C	182 mm
Autumn	13°C	−2°C	80 mm

−8°C

a normal November night

18 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageWillow Creek No. 26’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 (Claresholm); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Foothills gave John Barlow a 37,339-vote lead in 2021, bigger than in 98% of ridings

For federal votes, Willow Creek No.

Full pageWillow Creek No. 26’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itMunicipal District

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B

Willow Creek No. 26 Library Board, M.D. of logs 0.1 visits per person served, fewer than all but a few of Alberta’s town libraries

Willow Creek No.

Full pageWillow Creek No. 26’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

Fewer of Willow Creek No. 26’s people belong to a visible minority than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 1.7%

21% are under 15, above Alberta’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (16%) alike. Over-65s are 21% of the population.

41.6median age

Willow Creek No. 26AlbertaCanada

AlbertaCanada

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

21%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree17%

Postsecondary qualification49%

Women and men · all residents

50.4% of Willow Creek No. 26’s residents are women

The 2021 census counted 3,065 women and 3,020 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Willow Creek No. 26
	Willow Creek No. 26	Alberta	Canada
Under 15	21%	18%	16%
15 to 64	58%	67%	64%
65+	21%	15%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	17%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	49%	54%	56%

Full pageWillow Creek No. 26’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants8% are immigrants · 2% belong to a visible minority Ages41.6 median age · 21% are 65 or over Households1,880 households · 2.6 people per household English and French2% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Outdoors

Willow Creek No. 26 borders Willow Creek Provincial Park

For a national park, Waterton Lakes National Park is 34 km away. The protected share within 10 km is 1.5%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%. 1.6 km out lies the largest, Pekisko Heritage Rangeland, at 34,409 ha.

1.5%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Willow Creek No. 261.5%

Alberta’s towns0.4%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Willow Creek No. 26	Alberta	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	1.5%	0.4%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	5	2	4

34 km

to Waterton Lakes National Park

At the edge

to Willow Creek Provincial Park

Full pageWillow Creek No. 26’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas13 protected areas within 10 km · Pekisko Heritage Rangeland National & provincial parks34 km to a national park · Waterton Lakes National Park

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

History

Willow Creek No. 26: 1 historic place on Canada’s heritage registers

27% of its homes were built before 1961, above Alberta’s towns (4.5%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.

1historic place

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings1

Among them

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

27%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Willow Creek No. 26	Alberta	Canada
Homes built before 1961	27%	4.5%	18%

Full pageWillow Creek No. 26’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registersOne historic place inside the town Older homes27% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Willow Creek No. 26 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 Willow Creek No. 26

15pages on Willow Creek No. 26

The big questions

SafetyCCrime Severity Index 91 Housing & costCHomes 4.5 × income Property pricesSchoolsC24 schools within 3 km HealthC⁺Life expectancy 78.7 in its region Work & commuteB69% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: moderate

Out and about

Outdoors1.5% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 25°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 41.6 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from around Willow Creek No. 26

No notable person born in Willow Creek No. 26 is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

Diana ThorneycroftCanadian artist · born in Claresholm · born 1956

Ted MenziesCanadian politician · born in Claresholm · born 1952

Bernie SparkesCanadian male curler · born in Claresholm · born 1940

Gerald StrangAmerican composer · born in Claresholm · 1908–1983

Jim PowersCanadian ice hockey player · born in Claresholm · 1936–2026

Gerry MercierCanadian politician · born in Claresholm · born 1942

Willow Creek No. 26’s neighbours

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

ClaresholmWillow Creek No. 26

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Willow Creek No. 26	6,225	—	C⁻	C	C	C⁺
Claresholm	4,242	10	C⁺	C	C	A⁺

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

Questions about Willow Creek No. 26

Has Willow Creek No. 26 grown?

It added people: 5,575 in 2016, 6,081 in 2021, 9.1% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 6,225.

Who are the people of Willow Creek No. 26?

Visible minorities are 2% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 8%, and Indigenous people 4%.

What kind of homes are in Willow Creek No. 26?

Single-detached houses make up 94% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 22% of households are one person, and the average is 2.6.

How old are the people of Willow Creek No. 26?

The median resident is 41.6 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 21% are under 15 and 21% are 65 or over.

About Willow Creek No. 26

Town in Alberta

For Willow Creek No. 26, 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: 6,225 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Alberta
Census division: Division No. 3
Census subdivision: 4803018

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).