Fort SmithNorthwest Territories

It shrank by 12% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses. The town, home to 2,484 people, lies in the Northwest Territories.

Photo: awmcphee · CC0

Population

2,484

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

38.4

years · Canadian towns: 45.2

Postsecondary

59%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

14%

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Fort Smith a good place to live?

The local economy does well (A+). It also does well on cost of living (A−). Crime is the sore point (D−). Hazard risk is higher than most (D−). Health lags (D−).

An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Fort Smith has its subject grades alone.

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. No School Grade: this province doesn't publish comparable results school by school. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread. Wildfire lowers this town's Hazard risk Grade: a high share of the land around it has burned in the last 40 years.

StrongestA⁺Jobs & income A⁻Walkability A⁻Cost of livingWeakestD⁻Hazard risk D⁻Safety

How Fort Smith grades

Each subject compares Fort Smith 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

An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Fort Smith has its subject grades alone.

Hazard riskGraded on two hazards, earthquakes and radon, with nearby wildfire counted only against itD⁻Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the strongest comparedA⁺Open →SafetyNear the bottom of the towns comparedD⁻Open →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areD⁻Open →WalkabilityAmong the easiest places to get around without a carA⁻Open →Cost of livingNear the top of the towns comparedA⁻Open →

SchoolsNo schools grade in the Northwest Territories: the province publishes no results school by school.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Fort Smith stand out

The 3 things Fort Smith does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

2.2 times household income

The middle of Canadian towns: 4.7 times

Median owner’s estimate $262,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Hazard risk

Behind 99%

of Canadian towns on hazard risk

Its hazard risk grade: D−.

Jobs & income

Better than 99%

of Canadian towns on jobs & income

Its jobs & income grade: A+.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Fort Smith.

Natural hazardsHazard risk D⁻

Hazard risk in Fort Smith is higher than in almost every Canadian town

Highwildfire bandD⁻Hazard risk Grade

Earthquakes matter little: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.004 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. Fire is a regular visitor: 31% of the land within 25 km of Fort Smith has burned since 1986 (0.82% a year). In Health Canada’s survey, 5.4% of homes tested in the town’s area exceeded 200 Bq/m³, close to the typical 6.6%.

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

Fort Smith5.4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Fort Smith	Northwest Territories	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.004	–	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	5.4%	–	6.6%

$0.004

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

High

wildfire band

1.2 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageFort Smith’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireHigh wildfire band · 31% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.004 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon5.4% 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 A⁺

Commuters in Fort Smith have a short way to work, 11 min on average, less than in Canadian towns

14%walk, cycle or take transit

The car took 81% of commuters, below Canadian towns (89%).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van81%

Walk12%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Fort Smith	Northwest Territories	Canada
Average trip	11 min	–	26 min
Car or van	81%	–	89%

$120,000

median household income, 2020

worked from home, May 2021

96%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageFort Smith’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment7.4% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work14% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to20 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Region 6, Unorganized

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.

SafetySafety D⁻

For the force that serves Fort Smith, the Crime Severity Index is 383, above Canadian towns

383Crime Severity Index

Its police area recorded 96.3 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, higher than Canadian towns (12). The force’s area logs 175.6 thefts, break-ins and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023284

2024431

2025433

2023–2025	Fort Smith	Northwest Territories	Canada
Crime Severity Index	383	–	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	458	–	86
Violent crime	96.3	–	12
Property crime per 1,000	175.6	–	31.2

356

non-violent Crime Severity Index

37%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageFort Smith’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety383 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Fort Smith’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Fort Smith safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Area behind the Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures: the Fort Smith detachment area

HealthHealth D⁻

Fort Smith scores below 97% of Canadian towns for health

43%very good or excellent healthD⁻Health Grade

Self-rated health is ordinary for the Northwest Territories: 43% of the region’s adults say very good or excellent, the province 43%. A child born in the region can expect 76.4 years, lower than Canadian towns (81.5). What sets Fort Smith apart within its region is distance: 231 km to a hospital on average, over 30 km for 100% of residents. Fort Smith doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the Northwest Territories health region.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Fort Smith43%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Fort Smith	Northwest Territories	Canada
Smokers	25%	–	12%
Life expectancy at birth	76.4	–	81.5
Very good or excellent health	43%	–	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	17%	–	17%

76.4

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

231 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

25%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.5 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageFort Smith’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey43% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care231 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.5 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 79.4, men 73.9 Conditions and habits17% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

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

HousingCost of living A⁻

Fewer households own their home in Fort Smith than in Canadian towns: 63%

$262,000median home value, 2021A⁻Cost of living Grade

A year’s rent came to 17% of the median household income, lower than Canadian towns (20%). Nearly one in ten households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below Canadian towns (18%).

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

Fort Smith$262,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Fort Smith	Northwest Territories	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	9%	–	18%
Households owning their home	63%	–	74%
Rent as a share of income	17%	–	20%

$1,200

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,160

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageFort Smith’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters63% own their home Cost of living2.2 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $262,000, 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 · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.

Climate

Winter nights bite in Fort Smith: January lows of −26.2°C, colder than Canadian towns

23.6°CJuly afternoons

A normal July brings 59 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. Frosty days number 220 in a normal year, above Canadian towns (159). Between the last spring frost, 1 June, and the first in autumn, 8 September, lie 98 days. July afternoons in Fort Smith average 23.6°C.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−15.0°C

Spring5.1°C

Summer22.1°C

Autumn3.8°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Fort Smith	Northwest Territories	Canada
January night low	−26.2°C	–	−13.5°C
Precipitation a year	360 mm	–	883 mm
Days with frost a year	220	–	159
July afternoon high	23.6°C	–	25.5°C

220

days with frost a year

frost-free days, 1 Jun to 8 Sep

days with precipitation a year

Full pageFort Smith’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 23.6°C, January lows −26.2°C Rain and snow360 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow142 cm of snow a year Weather station3.5 km to the station · Fort Smith

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

Who lives here

More of Fort Smith’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Canadian towns: 63%

38.4median age

Over-65s are 15% of the population. Visible minorities make up 5% of the population, below Canadian towns (15%). Children under 15 count for 20% of the people here.

Fort SmithNorthwest TerritoriesCanada

Northwest TerritoriesCanada

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

20%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree22%

Postsecondary qualification59%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 47.9% of Fort Smith

Census 2021 put women at 1,075 and men at 1,170; women are 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Fort Smith
	Fort Smith	Northwest Territories	Canada
Under 15	20%	–	16%
15 to 64	66%	–	64%
65+	15%	–	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	22%	–	16%
Postsecondary qualification	59%	–	56%

Full pageFort Smith’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants5% belong to a visible minority Ages38.4 median age · 15% are 65 or over Households880 households · 2.5 people per household English and French8% speak both · 0.2% speak French but not English

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

Schools

The 2 schools of Fort Smith: 1 elementary school and 1 secondary school

2schools within 3 km

School	Level	Students	System
Joseph Burr Tyrrell SchoolIn Fort SmithElementary	Elementary	–	English public
P.W. Kaeser High SchoolIn Fort SmithSecondary	Secondary	–	English public

0.6 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageFort Smith’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school2 schools within 3 km · 1 elementary school and 1 secondary school Language0 of 2 teach in French · 4% of schools in the Northwest Territories Questions“What schools are there in Fort Smith?”

Statistics Canada’s Open Database of Educational Facilities · The schools grade is given only where results are open; in the Northwest Territories, the province publishes no results school by school.

Weather

A normal November in Fort Smith runs from −14°C to −7°C

−7°Ca normal November afternoon

For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Fort Smith forecast. Then December: −15°C by day, −23°C at night. Snow is normal by November, about 29 cm over the month. November normally sees 22 mm of precipitation.

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

November−7°C

December−15°C

January−17°C

February−13°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−15°C	−24°C	47 mm
Spring	5°C	−8°C	56 mm
Summer	22°C	10°C	163 mm
Autumn	4°C	−5°C	95 mm

−14°C

a normal November night

22 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageFort Smith’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 (Fort Smith); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Rebecca Alty (Liberal Party of Canada) represents Fort Smith in Ottawa as MP for Northwest Territories

From the Northwest Territories come 1 MPs, 1 of them with the Liberal Party of Canada.

Full pageFort Smith’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itTown

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic life

Mary Kaeser Library is Fort Smith’s public library

It stands 0.7 km from the centre of Fort Smith.

Full pageFort Smith’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong4 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Wood Buffalo National Park is 5.1 km from Fort Smith

5.2%of the land within 10 km protected

One named trail is close: the Thebacha Trail. Within 10 km of the town, 5.2% of the land is protected, against 2.3% around a typical Canadian town. The closest provincial park is Kazan Wildland Provincial Park, 51 km from the edge of town.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Fort Smith5.2%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Fort Smith	Northwest Territories	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	5.2%	–	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	1	–	4

5.1 km

to Wood Buffalo National Park

51 km

to Kazan Wildland Provincial Park

Full pageFort Smith’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas1 protected area within 10 km · Wood Buffalo National Park National & provincial parks5.1 km to a national park · Wood Buffalo National Park Footpaths & routes1 named route · Thebacha Trail

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

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Fort Smith

15pages on Fort Smith

The big questions

SafetyD⁻Crime Severity Index 383 Housing & costA⁻Homes 2.2 × income Property pricesSchools2 schools within 3 km HealthD⁻Life expectancy 76.4 in its region Work & commuteA⁺63% of adults in work Natural hazardsD⁻Wildfire band: high

Out and about

Outdoors5.2% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 24°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 38.4 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Famous people from Fort Smith

4 notable people were born in Fort Smith.

See all 4 →

Mark Carney24th prime minister of Canada since 2025 · born 1965

Dennis BevingtonCanadian politician · born 1953

Tony WhitfordCanadian politician · 1941–2024

Jeannie Marie-JewellCanadian politician · born 1961

About Fort Smith

Town in Northwest Territories

Fort Smith is a municipality in the Northwest Territories, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.

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

Population: 2,484 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Northwest Territories
Census division: Region 5
Metro area: Territories (outside CAs, N.W.T.) / Territoires (à l'extérieur des AR, T.N.-O.)
Census subdivision: 6105001

Questions about Fort Smith

Is Fort Smith growing?

It went from 2,542 people in 2016 to 2,248 in 2021, down 11.6%, while the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 2,484.

What kind of homes are in Fort Smith?

Single-detached houses make up 77% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 26% of households are one person, and the average is 2.5.

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).