Clearwater County Profile

Explore population, households, income, employment, education, commute, occupation, industry, languages, and dwellings for Clearwater County. Compare trends since 2016 and dig into the full profile below.

National Rank:354 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Clearwater County Population

Total Population (2021)

11,865

Total Population (2016)

11,947

Population Growth

-0.7% (-82)

Growth Rank

#608 of 688Same geo level

Male

51.4%6,095

Female

48.6%5,770

Male-to-Female Ratio

1.056

Average Age

43.2

Median Age

46.4

Age Rank

#351 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

645(5.4%)

5–9

700(5.9%)

10–14

735(6.2%)

15–19

680(5.7%)

20–24

450(3.8%)

25–29

525(4.4%)

30–34

675(5.7%)

35–39

695(5.9%)

40–44

640(5.4%)

45–49

750(6.3%)

50–54

800(6.7%)

55–59

1,085(9.1%)

60–64

1,110(9.4%)

65–69

860(7.2%)

70–74

675(5.7%)

75–79

475(4.0%)

80–84

235(2.0%)

85+

135(1.1%)

Clearwater County Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.4

Total Private Dwellings

5,605

Occupied Private Dwellings

4,817

Size Distribution

1 Person

1,070 (22.2%)

2 Persons

2,180 (45.3%)

3 Persons

600 (12.5%)

4 Persons

570 (11.8%)

5+ Persons

395 (8.2%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

1,265(26.3%)

Couples without children

1,925(40.0%)

One-parent families

255(5.3%)

One-person households

1,070(22.2%)

Multigenerational

55(1.1%)

Multiple-family

15(0.3%)

Clearwater County Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$83,600After tax

Median Household Income

$73,500After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$43,280After tax

Median Individual Income

$34,400After tax

Income Rank

#369 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

81.2%

Employment Income

63.3%

Government Transfers

18.8%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

1,015(10.9%)

$10k–$20k

1,230(13.2%)

$20k–$30k

1,580(16.9%)

$30k–$40k

1,085(11.6%)

$40k–$50k

915(9.8%)

$50k–$60k

690(7.4%)

$60k–$70k

545(5.8%)

$70k–$80k

435(4.7%)

$80k–$90k

360(3.9%)

$90k–$100k

335(3.6%)

$100k+

1,135(12.2%)

Clearwater County Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

58.5%

Unemployment Rate

12.6%

Total Labour Force

6,480

Employed

5,660

Unemployed

815

Not in Labour Force

3,205

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

12.8%

Children (0–17)

13.5%

Adults (18–64)

12.0%

Seniors (65+)

14.6%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3470 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.304

Clearwater County Education

Highest certificate, diploma or degree for the population aged 15 and over, Census 2021. The highest-credential groups are mutually exclusive. Bachelor's degree, master's degree, and medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine sit inside “bachelor's degree or higher” and are not extra slices of the population. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Highest credential

Population aged 15 and over

9,680

No certificate, diploma or degree

2,045 (21.1%)

High school diploma or equivalency

3,170 (32.7%)

Postsecondary credential

4,460 (46.1%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

705 (7.3%)74.6% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

145 (1.5%)15.3% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

30 (0.3%)3.2% of bachelor's or higher

Those credentials are published parts of bachelor's degree or higher. They do not add up to that count. Earned doctorates and other university credentials above the bachelor level stay inside the published total and are not separate columns in this extract.

Share of the population aged 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree

2,045(21.1%)

High school diploma or equivalency

3,170(32.7%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

1,520(15.7%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

1,780(18.4%)

University certificate below bachelor

215(2.2%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

945(9.8%)

Clearwater County Commute

Place of work for the employed labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Worked at home is the census count of people who worked at home, shown as a share of that employed labour force. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Worked at home

26.1%

1,475 people

Share of 5,660 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

1,475(26.1%)

Usual place of work

3,050(53.9%)

No fixed workplace address

1,130(20.0%)

Worked outside Canada

0(0.0%)

Clearwater County Occupation

Broad category for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021, using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Legislative and senior management is broad category 0, not every job with “manager” in the title. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

6,475

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

30(0.5%)

Business, finance and administration

800(12.4%)

Natural and applied sciences

245(3.8%)

Health

300(4.6%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

545(8.4%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

100(1.5%)

Sales and service

1,020(15.8%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

1,600(24.7%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

1,400(21.6%)

Manufacturing and utilities

300(4.6%)

Clearwater County Industry

Industry sector for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

6,475

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

1,145(17.7%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

845(13.1%)

Utilities

30(0.5%)

Construction

775(12.0%)

Manufacturing

195(3.0%)

Wholesale trade

180(2.8%)

Retail trade

550(8.5%)

Transportation and warehousing

245(3.8%)

Information and cultural industries

60(0.9%)

Finance and insurance

70(1.1%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

80(1.2%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

285(4.4%)

Management of companies and enterprises

10(0.2%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

175(2.7%)

Educational services

320(4.9%)

Health care and social assistance

445(6.9%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

135(2.1%)

Accommodation and food services

220(3.4%)

Other services (except public administration)

350(5.4%)

Public administration

240(3.7%)

Clearwater County Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

11,510 (97.0%)

English & French

355 (3.0%)

Neither

5 (0.0%)

Mother Tongue

English

11,305 (95.3%)

French

110 (0.9%)

Non-official languages

370 (3.1%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

11,305(95.3%)

French

110(0.9%)

German

65(0.5%)

Polish

15(0.1%)

Tagalog

5(0.0%)

Spanish

5(0.0%)

Vietnamese

5(0.0%)

Russian

5(0.0%)

Clearwater County Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

3,705(76.9%)

Semi-detached

20(0.4%)

Row house

5(0.1%)

Other attached

25(0.5%)

Movable

1,065(22.1%)

Community snapshot

About Clearwater County

Clearwater County is a municipal district in west-central Alberta between Rocky Mountain House and the foothills toward Banff country—not a city. Ranchland, oil and gas lease roads, and mountain approaches along the North Saskatchewan and Clearwater rivers define a vast rural territory. About 12,000 people live in Clearwater County.

Known for

Municipal district, not a city
Surrounds Rocky Mountain House as the main service town
North Saskatchewan and Clearwater river country
Foothills ranchland and energy lease roads
Gateway toward David Thompson Highway mountain approaches

See & do

Approaches to Rocky Mountain House (separate town)
Historic park and service hub used by county residents.
David Thompson Highway corridor
Scenic drives toward Abraham Lake and the mountains.
North Saskatchewan River valley
Fishing and riverside countryside west of the plains.
Ranch and foothill backroads
Open range and forest edges across the MD.
Clearwater River country
Remote river valleys in the western county.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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Data sources → Census profiles, housing tables, and consumer prices