Meadow LakeSaskatchewan
Population 5,667: a town in Saskatchewan. It lies in Division No. 17.
Is Meadow Lake a good place to live?
Police record more crime here than in most towns (D−). Residents’ health trails most towns (C). Also worth knowing: fewer journeys need a car (A). The local economy does well (B+). Owners valued their homes at a median $276,000 in 2021, which is 3.2 years of the typical household’s pay. All told, that adds up to a C+ overall and a rank of #58 of 102 in Saskatchewan. Set against the rest, it does better than just over two fifths of Canadian towns.
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. 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.
What makes Meadow Lake stand out
The 3 things Meadow Lake does most differently from other towns.
How Meadow Lake grades
Each subject compares Meadow Lake 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 TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Meadow Lake.
Violent crime weighs more on Meadow Lake than on Saskatchewan’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 395
Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 146.8 per 1,000 residents a year. Violent incidents came to 58.9 per 1,000 residents a year, above Saskatchewan’s towns (15.2) and Canadian towns (12) alike.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Meadow Lake | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 395 | 154 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 58.9 | 15.2 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 146.8 | 48.4 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Meadow Lake’s hazards at a glance: a moderate wildfire record and 11% of area homes over the radon guideline
Seismic risk runs low: $0.004 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. The burn rate around Meadow Lake is 0.06% a year (2.4% of the land within 25 km since 1986), a moderate band. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Meadow Lake | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 11% | 9.1% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.004 | $0.006 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Radon tests: the Prairie North RHA
Trips to work from Meadow Lake are shorter than from Saskatchewan’s towns or Canadian towns: 15 min on average
Driving is how 87% of commuters got to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Meadow Lake | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 15 min | 18 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 87% | 91% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Meadow Lake’s region trails the typical Canadian town by 4.9 years: life expectancy 76.6
Area-wide: health survey and life expectancy, counted over the North Central West health region
Homes here are 0.6 km from a hospital on average, below Saskatchewan’s towns (2.2 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km) alike. The region has more smokers than Saskatchewan, 17% of adults to 13%. Across the region, 46% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; Saskatchewan as a whole reaches 49%.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Meadow Lake | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 76.6 | 80.2 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 17% | 8.6% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 46% | 49% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
More of Meadow Lake’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Saskatchewan’s towns or Canadian towns: 49%
11% of residents belong to a visible minority, lower than both Saskatchewan’s towns (16%) and Canadian towns (15%). Immigrants make up 7.4% of residents, close to Saskatchewan’s towns (7.4%) and above Canadian towns (6.4%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
51.2% of Meadow Lake’s residents are women
The 2021 census counted 2,725 women and 2,600 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| Meadow Lake | Saskatchewan | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 25% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 63% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 13% | 16% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 23% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 47% | 52% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Saskatchewan and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Winter nights bite in Meadow Lake: January lows of −22.8°C, colder than Saskatchewan’s towns or Canadian towns
Most of the snow comes in December, about 24 cm. Frosty days number 217 in a normal year, higher than both Saskatchewan’s towns (203) and Canadian towns (159). Between the last spring frost, 30 May, and the first in autumn, 4 September, lie 97 days. Meadow Lake sees July afternoons of 23.7°C on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Meadow Lake | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −22.8°C | −20.7°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 23.7°C | 25.0°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 217 | 203 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 407 mm | 383 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Meadow Lake)
Rent takes less of local pay in Meadow Lake than in Saskatchewan’s towns or Canadian towns: 16% of household income
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 14% of households, below both Saskatchewan’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Meadow Lake | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 16% | 19% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $276,000 | $324,000 | $406,000 |
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.
What November brings in Meadow Lake: −12°C at night, −2°C by day
By December, a normal day reaches −9°C and a night falls to −20°C. About 22 cm of snow falls in a normal November. In November, the normal is 17 mm of rain and snow. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Meadow Lake forecast.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −9°C | −21°C | 43 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | −5°C | 75 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 8°C | 213 mm |
| Autumn | 8°C | −4°C | 76 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Meadow Lake); the forecast is on the Weather page
Rosemarie Falk (Conservative Party of Canada) holds Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, the riding that includes Meadow Lake
Of the 14 Commons seats from Saskatchewan, the Conservative Party of Canada holds 13.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
No public library is mapped in or near Meadow Lake
Without open library statistics in Saskatchewan, the page names Meadow Lake’s libraries but shows no visits or loans.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Fish and Wildlife Development Fund reaches Meadow Lake
Within 100 km there is no national park. A provincial park, Meadow Lake Provincial Park, lies 28 km away. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 0.7% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Meadow Lake | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.7% | 1.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 3 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
7 schools serve Meadow Lake, 4 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools and 1 school for every grade
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Middle SchoolIn Meadow LakeElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Carpenter High SchoolIn Meadow LakeSecondary | Secondary | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Meadow Lake | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Statistics Canada’s Open Database of Educational Facilities · Source note: the province publishes no results school by school, so there’s no schools grade in Saskatchewan.
Everything we know about Meadow Lake
Famous people from Meadow Lake
13 notable people were born in Meadow Lake.
Photo credits
Dwight King: Sarah Connors, CC BY 2.0 · Jeff Friesen: JamesTeterenko, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blake Comeau: Resolute, CC BY-SA 3.0 · D. J. King: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Jeremy Yablonski: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Jon Mirasty: Leech44, CC BY 3.0
Meadow Lake’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meadow Lake | 5,667 | — | C+ | B | D− | C |
| Meadow Lake No. 588 | 2,712 | 17 | C− | B | D | D |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Meadow Lake
How old are the people of Meadow Lake?
Half its people are older than 32.8 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 25%, people 65 and over 13%.
Is Meadow Lake growing?
No: the census counted 5,344 in 2016 and 5,322 in 2021, 0.4% fewer, against growth of 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 5,667.
What kind of homes are in Meadow Lake?
68% 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 2.7 people; 26% are one person living alone.
About Meadow Lake
Town in Saskatchewan
TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Meadow Lake is one municipality in Saskatchewan, figures and all.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 5,667 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Saskatchewan
- Census division
- Division No. 17
- Census subdivision
- 4717052
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).