MelvilleSaskatchewan
In Saskatchewan, this town has 4,547 residents. It is part of Division No. 5, a census division.
Is Melville a good place to live?
A town of contrasts. Crime is the sore point (C−). Its strongest is walkability (A). All told, that adds up to a C+ overall and a rank of #61 of 102 in Saskatchewan. Set against the rest, it does better than 38% of Canadian towns. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B for jobs & income 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 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.
How Melville grades
Each subject compares Melville 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 →
What makes Melville stand out
The 3 things Melville does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Melville.
The violent severity index where Melville is policed is 145 (Saskatchewan’s towns: 154; Canadian towns: 86)
Violent incidents in its police area came to 17.3 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Saskatchewan’s towns (15.2) and Canadian towns (12). Across its police area, there are 38.8 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Melville | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 104 | 119 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 145 | 154 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 17.3 | 15.2 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 38.8 | 48.4 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: one figure for all of the Melville detachment area
20% of adults smoke in the health region around Melville, against 12% for the typical Canadian town
The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Melville is well placed: 1.5 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical. Expected years of life at birth: 78.6, below Saskatchewan’s towns (80.2) and Canadian towns (81.5) alike. Across the region, 49% of adults say their health is very good or excellent, much as in Saskatchewan (49%). Melville doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the South East health region.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Melville | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 20% | 8.6% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.6 | 80.2 | 81.5 |
| Very good or excellent health | 49% | 49% | 52% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
For cost of living, Melville gets a B+
16% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below Saskatchewan’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. The owner-occupied share of households is 71%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Melville | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 19% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 16% | 17% | 18% |
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.
Summers stay cool in Melville: July afternoons reach 24.4°C, below Saskatchewan’s towns and Canadian towns
Snow totals 120 cm over the year, above Saskatchewan’s towns (91 cm) but below Canadian towns (141 cm). In January, overnight lows in Melville settle at −20.9°C. A normal December brings 27 cm of snow, the most of any month. The most precipitation falls in June: 90 mm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Melville | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −20.9°C | −20.7°C | −13.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 448 mm | 383 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 24.4°C | 25.0°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 200 | 203 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Yorkton)
Household incomes in Melville trail those of 66% of Canadian towns
The average trip to work took 18 min, about level with Saskatchewan’s towns (18 min) and below Canadian towns (26 min). 89% of commuters took the car to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Melville | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 18 min | 18 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 89% | 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.
High radon around Melville: 25% of homes tested in the area exceed 200 Bq/m³
Shared with the rest of the Sunrise RHA: radon tests
Earthquakes matter little: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.008 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory for Melville.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Melville | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 25% | 9.1% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.008 | $0.006 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
In Melville, November normally means −1°C afternoons and −10°C nights
Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Melville forecast, on the Weather page. Snow is normal by November, about 20 cm over the month. Looking ahead to December, expect highs near −9°C and lows near −18°C.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −9°C | −19°C | 44 mm |
| Spring | 8°C | −4°C | 86 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 11°C | 233 mm |
| Autumn | 9°C | −2°C | 86 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Yorkton); the forecast is on the Weather page
Cathay Wagantall took Yorkton—Melville in 2021 by 19,555 votes, more than the margin in 97% of ridings
Locally, Melville is run as a city.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Melville’s public library is Melville Public Library
It stands 0.3 km from the centre of Melville.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Crooked Lake Provincial Park, 33 km away, is the closest provincial park to Melville
Parks and reserves take up 5.2% of the ground within 10 km, higher than both Saskatchewan’s towns (1.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). Within 100 km there is no national park. CPCAD lists 13 protected areas within 10 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Melville | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 5.2% | 1.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Fewer of Melville’s people belong to a visible minority than in Saskatchewan’s towns or Canadian towns: 7%
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 8.8% of residents, lower than Saskatchewan’s towns (11%) yet higher than Canadian towns (2.8%). Immigrants make up 6.3% of residents, about level with Canadian towns (6.4%) and below Saskatchewan’s towns (7.4%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 52.2% of Melville
By the 2021 count the town had 2,345 women and 2,145 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.
| Melville | Saskatchewan | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 59% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 26% | 16% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 21% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 43% | 52% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Saskatchewan and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
In and around Melville, 6 schools: 5 elementary schools and 1 secondary school
The schools around it answer to 2 boards, close to Saskatchewan’s towns (2) and below Canadian towns (3).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davison SchoolIn MelvilleElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Melville Comprehensive SchoolIn MelvilleSecondary | Secondary | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Melville | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Statistics Canada’s Open Database of Educational Facilities · Towns in Saskatchewan aren’t in the schools rankings: the province publishes no results school by school.
Before 1961: 38% of the homes in Melville
Go back to 1908 and you reach Canadian National Railways Station, Melville, Saskatchewan, the oldest of them. Inside the town the registers count 2 historic places; one is a top designation. Counted by designation, there are a heritage railway station.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
| Heritage | Melville | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 38% | 17% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Melville
Melville Railway Museum and 2 more in and around Melville
A first look at Melville’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
Famous people from Melville
27 notable people were born in Melville.
Photo credits
Sid Abel: The Windsor Daily Star, Public domain · Jarret Stoll: Wendy ; Cropped by Tricia Hall, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Shaun Heshka: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Todd McLellan: Robrovsky, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tyler Redenbach: Tuomas Vitikainen, CC BY-SA 3.0
About Melville
Town in Saskatchewan
TownRatings counts Melville as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in Saskatchewan; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 4,547 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Saskatchewan
- Census division
- Division No. 5
- Census subdivision
- 4705074
Questions about Melville
Is Melville a young town or an old one?
The typical resident is 45.2 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 26% of the population and under-15s at 16%.
Who are the people of Melville?
At the 2021 census, 6% were immigrants and 7% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 9% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Melville?
78% 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 2.1 people; 39% are one person living alone.
Has Melville grown?
No: the census counted 4,562 in 2016 and 4,493 in 2021, 1.5% fewer, against growth of 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 4,547.
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).