Northern Alberta population young at heart, and in age
Grande Prairie youngest community with a median age of 30.3 years
Northern Alberta population stats show a young population with Grande Prairie having the youngest population in the province, with a median age of 30 years.
While Alberta has the youngest population among the provinces, the age distribution between the various major cities varies significantly.
The general pattern in the province is for smaller communities or those cities in the southern parts of the province to have a higher median age. Cities in the northern half of the province and communities with active energy sector employment, such as Cold Lake, Lloydminster and Wood Buffalo tend to have correspondingly younger populations.
According to the latest census figures in 2011, the youngest community as measured by median age is Grande Prairie, with a median age of only 30.3 years. This compares with the provincial median age of 36.5 years. It’s more than a decade younger than Canada’s national median age of 40.6 years.
The oldest major community in the province is Camrose where the median age is 41.2 years.
The Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) of Edmonton and Calgary are all essentially at the median provincial age. The Capital Region’s median is raised by the age of the people who live in its suburban cities and towns. For example, the city of Edmonton has a median age of only 36.0 compared with 36.5 for the entire CMA. Add in the population in the satellite communities of St. Albert (40.2) and Sherwood Park (39.1) and that raises the regional median age.
However, the same effect does not appear to be a factor in Calgary, where the city of Calgary and the Calgary CMA (which includes its satellite communities) is the same at 36.4 years.
| ATB Financial
Category: Business
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