Alberta has provincial legislation allowing its municipalities to conduct municipal censuses between April 1 and June 30 inclusive.[1][2] Municipalities choose to conduct their own censuses for multiple reasons such as to better inform municipal service planning and provision, to capitalize on per capita based grant funding from higher levels of government, or to simply update their populations since the last federal census.[3]
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 Distribution of Alberta's 269 urban municipalities as of August 31, 2013 | ||
Alberta had 358 municipalities between April 1 and June 30, 2013,[b] down from 359 during the same three-month period in 2012.[c] At least 40 of these municipalities (11.2%) conducted a municipal census in 2013. Alberta Municipal Affairs recognized those conducted by 38 of these municipalities.[6] By municipal status, it recognized those conducted by 8 of Alberta's 17 cities, 16 of 108 towns, 5 of 94 villages, 1 of 51 summer villages and 8 of 64 municipal districts.[6][d] In addition to those recognized by Municipal Affairs, censuses were conducted by the Town of Swan Hills and the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16.[7][8]
Some municipalities achieved population milestones as a result of their 2013 censuses. The cities of Lethbridge and Lloydminster surpassed the 90,000 and the 30,000 marks respectively. Furthermore, the Alberta and Saskatchewan portions of Lloydminster exceeded the 20,000 and 10,000 milestones respectively as well. Okotoks, Alberta's largest town, surpassed 25,000 residents, while the Town of Whitecourt became eligible for city status by eclipsing 10,000 people. The Town of Blackfalds and the Municipal District of Taber each surpassed the 7,000-mark and the Town of Wainwright grew beyond 6,000.
Municipal census results
The following summarizes the results of the numerous municipal censuses conducted in 2013.
| 2013 municipal census summary | 2011 federal census comparison | Previous municipal census comparison | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipality | Status[6] | Census date[6] | 2013 pop.[6] | 2011 pop.[9] | Absolute growth | Absolute change | Annual growth rate | Prev. pop. [10][11][12][13] | Prev. census year [10][11][12][13] | Absolute growth | Annual growth rate |
| Airdrie | City | April 1, 2013 | 49,560 | 42,564 | 6,996 | 16.4% | 7.9% | 45,711 | 2012 | 3,849 | 8.4% |
| Beaumont | Town | May 1, 2013 | 14,916 | 13,284 | 1,632 | 12.3% | 6.0% | 13,977 | 2012 | 939 | 6.7% |
| MD of Big Lakes | Municipal district | May 15, 2013 | 3,861 | 4,194 | −333 | -7.9% | −4.1% | 4,181 | 2002 | −320 | −0.7% |
| Blackfalds | Town | May 4, 2013 | 7,275 | 6,300 | 975 | 15.5% | 7.5% | 6,767 | 2012 | 508 | 7.5% |
| Calgary | City | April 1, 2013 | 1,156,686[14][e] | 1,096,833 | 59,853 | 5.5% | 2.7% | 1,120,225 | 2012 | 36,461 | 3.3% |
| Carmangay | Village | May 15, 2013 | 262 | 367 | −105 | -28.6% | −15.5% | 273 | 2010 | −11 | −1.4% |
| Chestermere | Town | April 1, 2013 | 15,762 | 14,824 | 938 | 6.3% | 3.1% | 15,352 | 2012 | 410 | 2.7% |
| Coaldale | Town | April 1, 2013 | 7,526 | 7,493 | 33 | 0.4% | 0.2% | 6,943 | 2009 | 583 | 1.6% |
| Coalhurst | Town | May 21, 2013 | 2,301 | 1,963 | 338 | 17.2% | 8.3% | 2,269 | 2012 | 32 | 1.4% |
| Cochrane | Town | April 1, 2013 | 18,750 | 17,580 | 1,170 | 6.7% | 3.3% | 15,424 | 2009 | 3,326 | 5.0% |
| Fort Saskatchewan | City | April 15, 2013 | 21,795 | 19,051 | 2,744 | 14.4% | 7.0% | 20,475 | 2012 | 1,320 | 6.4% |
| Fox Creek | Town | May 13, 2013 | 2,112 | 1,969 | 143 | 7.3% | 3.6% | 2,257 | 1995 | −145 | −0.4% |
| MD of Greenview No. 16 | Municipal district | May 13, 2013[16] | 5,242[8][f] | 5,299 | −57 | -1.1% | −0.5% | 5,516 | 2000 | −274 | −0.4% |
| Kitscoty | Village | May 1, 2013 | 967 | 846 | 121 | 14.3% | 6.9% | 892 | 2011 | 75 | 4.1% |
| Lac La Biche County | Municipal district | May 15, 2013 | 9,094 | 8,402 | 692 | 8.2% | 4.0% | ||||
| Leduc | City | April 29, 2013 | 27,241 | 24,279 | 2,962 | 12.2% | 5.9% | 25,482 | 2012 | 1,759 | 6.9% |
| Lethbridge | City | April 1, 2013 | 90,417 | 83,517 | 6,900 | 8.3% | 4.0% | 89,074 | 2012 | 1,343 | 1.5% |
| Lloydminster | City | April 1, 2013 | 31,483 | 27,804 | 3,679 | 13.2% | 6.4% | 26,502 | 2009 | 4,981 | 4.4% |
| Lougheed | Village | April 24, 2013 | 273 | 233 | 40 | 17.2% | 8.2% | 254 | 2010 | 19 | 2.4% |
| Magrath | Town | May 1, 2013 | 2,376 | 2,217 | 159 | 7.2% | 3.5% | 2,302 | 2010 | 74 | 1.1% |
| Marwayne | Village | May 31, 2013 | 667 | 612 | 55 | 9% | 4.4% | 569 | 2007 | 98 | 2.7% |
| Northern Sunrise County | Municipal district | March 5, 2013[a] | 1,933 | 1,791 | 142 | 7.9% | 3.9% | 2,133 | 2011 | −200 | −4.8% |
| Okotoks | Town | May 8, 2013 | 26,319 | 24,511 | 1,808 | 7.4% | 3.6% | 24,962 | 2012 | 1,357 | 5.4% |
| Olds | Town | April 3, 2013 | 8,511 | 8,235 | 276 | 3.4% | 1.7% | 6,703 | 2005 | 1,808 | 3.0% |
| MD of Opportunity No. 17 | Municipal district | April 1, 2013 | 3,061 | 3,074 | −13 | -0.4% | −0.2% | 3,259 | 2007 | −198 | −1.0% |
| Pincher Creek | Town | April 1, 2013 | 3,619 | 3,685 | −66 | -1.8% | −0.9% | 3,712 | 2008 | −93 | −0.5% |
| Point Alison | Summer village | June 28, 2013 | 10 | 15 | −5 | -33.3% | −18.4% | 6 | 2010 | 4 | 18.6% |
| MD of Ranchland No. 66 | Municipal district | June 21, 2013 | 104 | 79 | 25 | 31.6% | 14.7% | ||||
| Raymond | Town | May 15, 2013 | 3,982 | 3,743 | 239 | 6.4% | 3.1% | 3,891 | 2012 | 91 | 1.2% |
| Red Deer | City | April 1, 2013 | 97,109 | 90,564 | 6,545 | 7.2% | 3.6% | 91,877 | 2011 | 5,232 | 2.8% |
| Rocky View County | Municipal district | May 1, 2013 | 38,055 | 35,754[g] | 2,301 | 6.4% | 3.2% | 34,597 | 2006 | 3,458 | 1.4% |
| Spruce Grove | City | April 12, 2013 | 27,875[h] | 26,171 | 1,704 | 6.5% | 3.2% | 24,646 | 2010 | 3,229 | 4.2% |
| Starland County | Municipal district | April 8, 2013 | 2,071 | 2,057 | 14 | 0.7% | 0.3% | ||||
| Stirling | Village | May 13, 2013 | 1,147 | 1,090 | 57 | 5.2% | 2.6% | 1,157 | 2010 | −10 | −0.3% |
| Swan Hills | Town | [i] | 1,465 | 1,858 | 2008 | ||||||
| Sylvan Lake | Town | April 19, 2013 | 13,015 | 12,327 | 688 | 5.6% | 2.8% | 11,115 | 2008 | 1,900 | 3.2% |
| MD of Taber | Municipal district | May 15, 2013 | 7,116 | 6,851 | 265 | 3.9% | 1.9% | 6,714 | 2008 | 402 | 1.2% |
| Valleyview | Town | June 1, 2013 | 1,972 | 1,761 | 211 | 12% | 5.8% | 1,884 | 2007 | 88 | 0.8% |
| Wainwright | Town | May 1, 2013 | 6,289 | 5,925 | 364 | 6.1% | 3.0% | 5,775 | 2008 | 514 | 1.7% |
| Whitecourt | Town | May 1, 2013 | 10,574 | 9,605 | 969 | 10.1% | 4.9% | 9,202 | 2008 | 1,372 | 2.8% |
Breakdowns
Lloydminster
The following is a breakdown of the results of the City of Lloydminster's 2013 municipal census by provincial component.
| 2013 municipal census summary | 2011 federal census comparison | 2009 municipal census comparison | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provincial component | 2013 pop.[6] | Prov. percent | 2011 pop. [9][19] | Prov. percent | Absolute growth | Absolute change | Annual growth rate | 2009 pop. [20] | Prov. percent | Absolute growth | Absolute change | Annual growth rate |
| Alberta portion | 20,011 | 64% | 18,032 | 65% | 1,979 | 11% | 5.3% | 17,402 | 66% | 2,609 | 15% | 3.6% |
| Saskatchewan portion | 11,472 | 36% | 9,772 | 35% | 1,700 | 17.4% | 8.3% | 9,100 | 34% | 2,372 | 26.1% | 6.0% |
| Total Lloydminster | 31,483 | 100% | 27,804 | 100% | 3,679 | 13.2% | 6.4% | 26,502 | 100% | 4,981 | 18.8% | 4.4% |
Hamlets
The following is a list of hamlet populations determined by 2013 municipal censuses conducted by three municipalities.
| 2013 municipal census summary | Previous census comparison | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamlet | Municipality | 2013 population [21][22][23] | Previous population [21][22][24][25] | Previous census year [21][22][24] | Absolute growth | Annual growth rate |
| Bragg Creek | Rocky View County | 454 | 454 | 2006 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Cochrane Lake | Rocky View County | 792 | 243 | 2006 | 549 | 18.4% |
| Conrich | Rocky View County | 26 | 26 | 2006 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Dalemead | Rocky View County | 27 | 31 | 2006 | −4 | −2.0% |
| Dalroy | Rocky View County | 50 | 43 | 2006 | 7 | 2.2% |
| Enchant | MD of Taber | 289 | 205 | 2008 | 84 | 7.1% |
| Grassy Lake | MD of Taber | 778 | 596 | 2008 | 182 | 5.5% |
| Hays | MD of Taber | 163 | 140 | 2008 | 23 | 3.1% |
| Indus | Rocky View County | 36 | 47 | 2006 | −11 | −3.7% |
| Johnson's Addition | MD of Taber | 115 | 101 | 2008 | 14 | 2.6% |
| Kathyrn | Rocky View County | 20 | 14 | 2006 | 6 | 5.2% |
| Keoma | Rocky View County | 85 | 67 | 2006 | 18 | 3.5% |
| Lac La Biche | Lac La Biche County | 2,895 | 2,520 | 2011 | 375 | 7.2% |
| Langdon | Rocky View County | 4,897 | 2,617 | 2006 | 2,280 | 9.4% |
| Madden | Rocky View County | 21 | 21 | 2006 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Plamondon | Lac La Biche County | 344 | 345 | 2011 | −1 | −0.1% |
| Purple Springs | MD of Taber | 41 | 34 | 2008 | 7 | 3.8% |
Shadow population counts
Alberta Municipal Affairs defines shadow population as "temporary residents of a municipality who are employed by an industrial or commercial establishment in the municipality for a minimum of 30 days within a municipal census year."[3] Numerous municipalities conducted shadow population counts at the same time as their municipal censuses in 2013. The following presents the results of those municipalities that conducted shadow population counts and compares them with their municipal census results.
| Municipality | Status[6] | Municipal census population[6] | Shadow population[6] | Combined population[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lac La Biche County | Municipal district | 9,094 | 3,126 | 12,220 |
| Northern Sunrise County | Municipal district | 1,933 | 592 | 2,525 |