Yellowhead CountyAlberta

Yellowhead County gets a D− for health

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

Statistics Canada puts life expectancy at 78.3, lower than both Alberta’s towns (81.2) and Canadian towns (81.5). Smoking is commoner than in the province: 17% of adults, against 11% for Alberta. What sets Yellowhead County apart within its region is distance: 27 km to a hospital on average, over 30 km for 47% of residents. Across the region, 48% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; Alberta as a whole reaches 53%.

Crime runs heavier where Yellowhead County is policed than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns, at an index of 120

Where it is policed, thefts, break-ins and damage came to 50.3 per 1,000 a year, above Alberta’s towns (45) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike. For violence alone, its police area’s index was 99, between Alberta’s towns (109) and Canadian towns (86).

Most schools around Yellowhead County score below the middle in Alberta: 11 of 14

They come under 4 school boards. Young children have 17 km to the nearest elementary school, above Alberta’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km) alike. Counting a 3 km margin, Yellowhead County has 9 elementary schools, 6 secondary schools and 4 schools for every grade, for 4,751 students.

Summers stay cool in Yellowhead County: July afternoons reach 22.2°C, below Alberta’s towns and Canadian towns

On a January night, the temperature in Yellowhead County falls to about −17.0°C. There are 218 days of frost in a typical year, above Alberta’s towns (193) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Gardeners get 91 frost-free days, from 4 June to 4 September. Most of the snow comes in January, about 35 cm.

The boundary of Jasper National Park runs along Yellowhead County

Protected areas open to the public, within 10 km of the town: 26, above both Alberta’s towns (2) and Canadian towns (4). Just over a tenth of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). 11 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name. One named trail is close: the Whitehorse Creek Trails.

Flood mapping exists for Yellowhead County: 1 on record, latest by Government of Alberta

In Health Canada’s survey, one in ten homes tested in Yellowhead County’s area exceeded 200 Bq/m³, close to the typical 6.6%. Earthquakes matter little: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.015 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. Some 6.2% of the land within 25 km of Yellowhead County has burned since 1986; at 0.16% a year that is moderate, not high.

Trips to work from Yellowhead County take longer than from Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 29 min on average

Yellowhead County in November: highs near 1°C, lows near −11°C

Snowfall in a normal November: 25 cm. December follows at −4°C by day and −16°C by night. Precipitation in November averages 21 mm. ECCC’s forecast for Edson is on the Weather page, hour by hour.

Yellowhead County spends more per resident than 91% of Alberta’s municipalities do

Locally, Yellowhead County is run as a municipal district.

Yellowhead County Library lends 2.6 items per person served, fewer than 88% of Alberta’s town libraries

From 3 branches, Yellowhead County Library serves 10,995 people.

Yellowhead County’s rents take 15% of what the median household earns in a year, below the 20% typical across Canada

86% of households own their home, higher than both Alberta’s towns (74%) and Canadian towns (74%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 14% of households, below both Alberta’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).

Fewer of Yellowhead County’s people belong to a visible minority than in Alberta’s towns or Canadian towns: 1.8%

19% are under 15, above Alberta’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (16%) alike. Over-65s are nearly a fifth of the population.