A population centre, in Canadian census data, is a populated place, or a cluster of interrelated populated places, which meet the demographic characteristics of an urban area. A population centre has a population of at least 1,000 and a population density of no fewer than 400 people per square kilometre.[1]

Population centres are not the same thing as urban municipalities. For example, the city of St. Albert is legally separate from Edmonton, but they are part of the same population centre.

The term was introduced in the Canada 2011 Census; prior to that, Statistics Canada used the term urban area.[1]

As of the 2006 Census of Canada, the Province of Alberta had 107 urban areas[2] with a cumulative population of 2,699,851 and an average population of 25,232. In the 2011 census, Statistics Canada listed 109 population centres in the province.[3] This number increased to 122 in the Canada 2016 Census.

List

The below table is a list of those population centres in Alberta from the 2021 Census of Population as designated, named, and delineated by Statistics Canada.[4]

Rank Population centre[4] Size group[4] Population (2021)[4] Population (2016)[4] Change[4] Land area (km2)[4] Population density[4]
1CalgaryLarge urban1,305,550 1,240,413 +5.3%621.722,099.9/km2
2EdmontonLarge urban1,151,635 1,070,998 +7.5%627.21,836.2/km2
3Red DeerMedium99,846 99,773 +0.1%65.931,514.4/km2
4LethbridgeMedium92,563 89,309 +3.6%641,446.3/km2
5AirdrieMedium73,578 61,082 +20.5%33.032,227.6/km2
6Fort McMurrayMedium68,002 67,123 +1.3%52.171,303.5/km2
7Medicine HatMedium63,382 63,111 +0.4%53.21,191.4/km2
8Grande PrairieMedium63,172 62,382 +1.3%49.741,270.0/km2
9Spruce GroveMedium39,348 36,279 +8.5%29.761,322.2/km2
10LeducMedium33,505 29,561 +13.3%67.43496.9/km2
11CochraneMedium31,638 25,501 +24.1%23.711,334.4/km2
12LloydminsterMedium31,582 31,400 +0.6%24.431,292.8/km2
13OkotoksMedium30,214 28,833 +4.8%17.231,753.6/km2
14Fort SaskatchewanSmall26,831 23,944 +12.1%21.851,228.0/km2
15ChestermereSmall21,425 19,477 +10.0%8.992,383.2/km2
16BeaumontSmall20,779 17,396 +19.4%10.41,998.0/km2
17CamroseSmall18,454 18,520 −0.4%17.11,079.2/km2
18Stony PlainSmall17,253 16,416 +5.1%17.73973.1/km2
19Sylvan LakeSmall16,142 14,977 +7.8%10.491,538.8/km2
20BrooksSmall14,904 14,436 +3.2%12.781,166.2/km2
21High RiverSmall14,119 13,420 +5.2%10.131,393.8/km2
22StrathmoreSmall13,851 13,592 +1.9%9.461,464.2/km2
23CanmoreSmall13,268 12,021 +10.4%12.961,023.8/km2
24LacombeSmall12,835 12,740 +0.7%11.871,081.3/km2
25WetaskiwinSmall12,438 12,491 −0.4%12.111,027.1/km2
26MorinvilleSmall10,385 9,848 +5.5%11.15931.4/km2
27BlackfaldsSmall10,315 9,161 +12.6%8.931,155.1/km2
28WhitecourtSmall9,195 9,515 −3.4%10.22899.7/km2
29HintonSmall9,191 9,205 −0.2%12.97708.6/km2
30OldsSmall8,983 8,944 +0.4%9.51944.6/km2
31TaberSmall8,978 8,558 +4.9%15.69572.2/km2
32CoaldaleSmall8,592 8,153 +5.4%5.841,471.2/km2
33BanffSmall8,305 7,851 +5.8%4.082,035.5/km2
34EdsonSmall8,166 8,148 +0.2%10.7763.2/km2
35Grand CentreSmall7,514 7,256 +3.6%18.07415.8/km2
36Cold LakeSmall7,201 6,795 +6.0%5.711,261.1/km2
37PonokaSmall7,032 6,899 +1.9%5.611,253.5/km2
38InnisfailSmall7,016 6,937 +1.1%5.231,341.5/km2
39Drayton ValleySmall6,970 6,867 +1.5%7.22965.4/km2
40DevonSmall6,545 6,578 −0.5%14.26459.0/km2
41Slave LakeSmall6,542 6,155 +6.3%6.63986.7/km2
42Rocky Mountain HouseSmall6,518 6,429 +1.4%7.47872.6/km2
43DrumhellerSmall6,497 6,439 +0.9%9.48685.3/km2
44WainwrightSmall6,461 6,153 +5.0%5.081,271.9/km2
45BonnyvilleSmall6,359 5,858 +8.6%6.4993.6/km2
46St. PaulSmall5,685 5,728 −0.8%5.031,130.2/km2
47StettlerSmall5,595 5,872 −4.7%7.46750.0/km2
48RedcliffSmall5,385 5,474 −1.6%7.39728.7/km2
49VegrevilleSmall5,383 5,436 −1.0%5.051,065.9/km2
50LangdonSmall5,193 5,060 +2.6%4.321,202.1/km2
51DidsburySmall5,024 5,206 −3.5%5.43925.2/km2
52WestlockSmall4,820 4,957 −2.8%5.26916.3/km2
53Peace RiverSmall4,264 4,348 −1.9%5.06842.7/km2
54BarrheadSmall4,055 4,387 −7.6%4.73857.3/km2
55JasperSmall4,029 3,948 +2.1%1.842,189.7/km2
56RaymondSmall3,942 3,553 +10.9%3.921,005.6/km2
57CarstairsSmall3,660 3,080 +18.8%4.76768.9/km2
58CrossfieldSmall3,579 2,973 +20.4%3.99897.0/km2
59VermilionSmall3,552 3,697 −3.9%3.66970.5/km2
60CardstonSmall3,519 3,389 +3.8%3.88907.0/km2
61Pincher CreekSmall3,463 3,523 −1.7%4.06853.0/km2
62High LevelSmall3,461 2,746 +26.0%2.681,291.4/km2
63ClaresholmSmall3,434 3,424 +0.3%2.681,281.3/km2
64PenholdSmall3,359 3,210 +4.6%1.652,035.8/km2
65Fort MacleodSmall3,038 2,718 +11.8%2.281,332.5/km2
66Grande CacheSmall3,037 3,286 −7.6%3.72816.4/km2
67GibbonsSmall2,989 2,973 +0.5%4.78625.3/km2
68La CrèteSmall2,911 2,739 +6.3%3.02963.9/km2
69Three HillsSmall2,902 3,078 −5.7%3.14924.2/km2
70CoalhurstSmall2,818 2,623 +7.4%1.761,601.1/km2
71ClairmontSmall2,808 2,411 +16.5%4.16675.0/km2
72Black DiamondSmall2,574 2,552 +0.9%2.151,197.2/km2
73GrimshawSmall2,519 2,599 −3.1%4.13609.9/km2
74FairviewSmall2,427 2,598 −6.6%2.261,073.9/km2
75Turner ValleySmall2,409 2,373 +1.5%3.3730.0/km2
76MagrathSmall2,308 2,235 +3.3%2.7854.8/km2
77SexsmithSmall2,275 2,461 −7.6%1.831,243.2/km2
78RimbeySmall2,258 2,349 −3.9%3.63622.0/km2
79BeaverlodgeSmall2,251 2,440 −7.7%3.33676.0/km2
80HannaSmall2,234 2,332 −4.2%2.29975.5/km2
81Lac la BicheSmall2,138 2,294 −6.8%2.94727.2/km2
82High PrairieSmall2,065 2,264 −8.8%2.37871.3/km2
83WestlakeSmall2,040 1,363 +49.7%3.27623.9/km2
84NantonSmall1,984 1,970 +0.7%1.561,271.8/km2
85Heritage PointeSmall1,974 2,075 −4.9%4.78413.0/km2
86CalmarSmall1,883 1,986 −5.2%1.331,415.8/km2
87MilletSmall1,847 1,905 −3.0%2.18847.2/km2
88ProvostSmall1,834 1,945 −5.7%2.09877.5/km2
89Bow IslandSmall1,829 1,773 +3.2%1.31,406.9/km2
90TofieldSmall1,811 1,854 −2.3%1.221,484.4/km2
91Picture ButteSmall1,808 1,700 +6.4%1.95927.2/km2
92RedwaterSmall1,802 1,591 +13.3%2.01896.5/km2
93SundreSmall1,781 1,866 −4.6%2.37751.5/km2
94VulcanSmall1,558 1,680 −7.3%1.7916.5/km2
95SpringbrookSmall1,534 1,502 +2.1%2.19700.5/km2
96BlairmoreSmall1,522 1,545 −1.5%2.04746.1/km2
97Bon AccordSmall1,451 1,529 −5.1%2.13681.2/km2
98ColemanSmall1,441 1,475 −2.3%1.99724.1/km2
99NoblefordSmall1,438 1,278 +12.5%0.981,467.3/km2
100WembleySmall1,432 1,516 −5.5%2.2650.9/km2
101Fox CreekSmall1,426 1,730 −17.6%1.361,048.5/km2
102Elk PointSmall1,394 1,437 −3.0%2.26616.8/km2
103Two HillsSmall1,379 1,291 +6.8%1.251,103.2/km2
104LamontSmall1,328 1,347 −1.4%1.93688.1/km2
105VauxhallSmall1,286 1,222 +5.2%2.71474.5/km2
106ValleyviewSmall1,280 1,421 −9.9%1.55825.8/km2
107BowdenSmall1,275 1,240 +2.8%2.82452.1/km2
108Lancaster ParkSmall1,253 1,501 −16.5%0.921,362.0/km2
109Swan HillsSmall1,191 1,275 −6.6%2.39498.3/km2
110BassanoSmall1,186 1,201 −1.2%1.33891.7/km2
111AthabascaSmall1,181 1,250 −5.5%2.03581.8/km2
112MayerthorpeSmall1,171 1,205 −2.8%1.29907.8/km2
113LegalSmall1,164 1,251 −7.0%1.79650.3/km2
114IrricanaSmall1,135 1,160 −2.2%1.14995.6/km2
115StirlingSmall1,134 938 +20.9%2.03558.6/km2
116Alberta Beach - Val QuentinSmall1,103 1,327 −16.9%1.69652.7/km2
117Carriage Lane EstatesSmall1,094 1,008 +8.5%1.34816.4/km2
118CardiffSmall1,033 1,167 −11.5%0.981,054.1/km2
119ManningSmall1,027 1,072 −4.2%1.37749.6/km2

Retired population centres

The following is a list of communities were once designated as population centres by Statistics Canada, but were retired after their populations dropped below 1,000 people. Some of them have since surpassed the minimum population threshold of 1,000 yet have not been reintroduced as population centres.

Retired urban areas

The following is a list of communities were once designated as urban areas by Statistics Canada, but were retired after their populations dropped below 1,000 people. Some of them have since surpassed the minimum population threshold of 1,000 yet have not been reintroduced as population centres.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "From urban areas to population centres" Archived 2012-12-13 at the Wayback Machine. Statistics Canada, May 5, 2011.
  2. "2006 Census Dictionary: Table 1, Geographic units by province and territory, 2006 Census". Statistics Canada. 2007-11-14. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  3. Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and population centres, 2011 and 2006 censuses: Alberta. Statistics Canada.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and population centres". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 "Table 2: Population Counts, for Urban Areas With Census Subdivisions, 1991 – 100% Data". 1991 Census. Urban Areas, Population and Dwelling Counts. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1992.
  6. "Population and Dwelling Counts and Population Rank, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Urban Areas, 2001 Census - 100% Data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  7. "Table 14: Urban Areas With Census Subdivisions – Population, 1986". Census Canada 1986. Population and Dwelling Counts – Provinces and Territories, Alberta, Population. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1987.


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