YorktonSaskatchewan
It is a town of 17,543 residents in Saskatchewan. Its census division is Division No. 9.
Is Yorkton a good place to live?
More weak spots than strong ones. Police record more crime here than in most towns (D). Also worth knowing: jobs and pay hold up well (A−). Owners valued their homes at a median $250,000 in 2021, which is 3.3 years of the typical household’s pay. It is easy to get around without a car (B+). All told, that adds up to a C− overall and a rank of #90 of 102 in Saskatchewan. That leaves it better than 18% of Canadian towns.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
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 Yorkton stand out
The 2 things Yorkton does most differently from other towns.
How Yorkton grades
Each subject compares Yorkton 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 Yorkton.
Violent crime weighs more on Yorkton than on Saskatchewan’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 185
Violent incidents came to 36.1 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Saskatchewan’s towns (15.2) and Canadian towns (12). Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 99.6 per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Yorkton | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 99.6 | 48.4 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 36.1 | 15.2 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 185 | 154 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Commuters in Yorkton have a short way to work, 15 min on average, less than in Saskatchewan’s towns and Canadian towns
The car carried 93% of commuters at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Yorkton | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 15 min | 18 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 93% | 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.
Yorkton is graded a C− for health
Measured across the South East health region: health survey and life expectancy
Women in the region live to 80.8 and men to 76.5, 78.6 years taken together (2022/2024). At 20%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 13% for Saskatchewan. The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 49%; Saskatchewan as a whole is at 49%. Closer to home, a hospital is just 1.8 km from the average resident of Yorkton, nearer than the usual 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Yorkton | 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
Yorkton has cooler summers than Saskatchewan’s towns or Canadian towns: July highs of 24.4°C
On a January night, the temperature in Yorkton falls to about −20.9°C. A normal year brings 448 mm of precipitation, above Saskatchewan’s towns (383 mm) but below Canadian towns (883 mm). The frost-free season runs from 20 May to 18 September, 120 days. Rain and snow peak in June, at 90 mm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Yorkton | 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)
The median home in Yorkton costs just 3.3 years of household income, against 4.7 in the typical Canadian town
Owners make up 70% of households. Rent took nearly a fifth of household income, in line with Saskatchewan’s towns (19%) and Canadian towns (20%). For rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, the only official count covers all of the Yorkton metro area, Yorkton included.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Yorkton | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $250,000 | $324,000 | $406,000 |
| Households owning their home | 70% | 71% | 74% |
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.
More of Yorkton’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Saskatchewan’s towns or Canadian towns: 13%
People 65 and over make up 21% of the town, above Saskatchewan’s towns (16%) and Canadian towns (19%) alike. Under 15: 18% of residents.
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 51.8% of Yorkton
By the 2021 count the town had 8,435 women and 7,845 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.
| Yorkton | Saskatchewan | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 61% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 21% | 16% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 20% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 45% | 52% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Saskatchewan and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Yorkton runs from −10°C to −1°C
A normal December brings highs of −9°C, lows of −18°C. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Yorkton.
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
Yorkton’s riding for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan isn’t shown: the province’s boundary file states no licence, so it can’t be reused.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Yorkton has no public library of its own; the nearest is Melville Public Library, 39 km away
Without open library statistics in Saskatchewan, the page names Yorkton’s libraries but shows no visits or loans.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
25% of homes tested in Yorkton’s area are above the radon guideline
Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Sunrise RHA
Flood mapping exists: 2 studies, most recently by Water Security Agency. Shaking is less of a worry than in most places, at $0.007 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Yorkton | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 25% | 9.1% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.007 | $0.006 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park, 27 km away, is the closest provincial park to Yorkton
Biggest among them: Fish and Wildlife Development Fund, 126,136 ha, 5.2 km off. Parks and reserves take up 6.4% of the ground within 10 km, above both Saskatchewan’s towns (1.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). Riding Mountain National Park is the closest national park, 94 km from town.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Yorkton | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 6.4% | 1.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 4 | 2 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
The 11 schools of Yorkton: 8 elementary schools and 3 secondary schools
Schooling here is split between 2 boards, about level with Saskatchewan’s towns (2) and below Canadian towns (3).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia SchoolIn YorktonElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Dreambuilders High SchoolIn YorktonSecondary | Secondary | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Yorkton | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Statistics Canada’s Open Database of Educational Facilities · Schools grade in Saskatchewan: none (the province publishes no results school by school).
The registers record 1 historic place in Yorkton
Older housing, built before 1961, accounts for 26% of homes, above both Saskatchewan’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
- Yorkton Armoury 1939
| Heritage | Yorkton | Saskatchewan | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 26% | 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 Yorkton
Famous people from Yorkton
42 notable people were born in Yorkton.
Photo credits
Jared Bednar: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Kaedan Korczak: The Kip, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Matt Zaba: AUT,_EBEL,EC_VSV_vs._UPC_Vienna_Capitals_(10655597743).jpg : Alex Micheu Photography from VILLACH, Austria derivative work: Xgeorg, CC BY-SA 2.0
Yorkton’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yorkton | 17,543 | — | C− | C+ | D | C− |
| Orkney No. 244 | 1,957 | 13 | — | B | B | D |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Yorkton
What kind of homes are in Yorkton?
Single-detached houses make up 71% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 34% of households are one person, and the average is 2.3.
Has Yorkton grown?
It lost people: 16,343 in 2016, 16,280 in 2021, 0.4% fewer, while the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 17,543.
How old are the people of Yorkton?
At 41.2, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 18% of the population and seniors 21%.
About Yorkton
Town in Saskatchewan
For Yorkton, TownRatings uses Statistics Canada’s census-subdivision boundary in Saskatchewan, 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
- 17,543 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Saskatchewan
- Census division
- Division No. 9
- Census subdivision
- 4709012
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).