Cold Lake Profile

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

National Rank:275 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Cold Lake Population

Total Population (2021)

15,661

Total Population (2016)

14,976

Population Growth

+4.6% (+685)

Growth Rank

#356 of 688Same geo level

Male

51.7%8,100

Female

48.3%7,560

Male-to-Female Ratio

1.071

Average Age

33.9

Median Age

32.4

Age Rank

#14 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

1,190(7.6%)

5–9

1,265(8.1%)

10–14

1,135(7.2%)

15–19

885(5.7%)

20–24

1,045(6.7%)

25–29

1,465(9.4%)

30–34

1,695(10.8%)

35–39

1,440(9.2%)

40–44

1,110(7.1%)

45–49

815(5.2%)

50–54

695(4.4%)

55–59

900(5.7%)

60–64

750(4.8%)

65–69

450(2.9%)

70–74

305(1.9%)

75–79

200(1.3%)

80–84

155(1.0%)

85+

160(1.0%)

Cold Lake Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.5

Total Private Dwellings

6,767

Occupied Private Dwellings

6,114

Size Distribution

1 Person

1,640 (26.8%)

2 Persons

2,025 (33.1%)

3 Persons

990 (16.2%)

4 Persons

905 (14.8%)

5+ Persons

555 (9.1%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

1,790(29.3%)

Couples without children

1,490(24.4%)

One-parent families

535(8.7%)

One-person households

1,635(26.7%)

Multigenerational

100(1.6%)

Multiple-family

30(0.5%)

Cold Lake Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$98,800After tax

Median Household Income

$90,000After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$53,750After tax

Median Individual Income

$48,000After tax

Income Rank

#120 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

88.6%

Employment Income

78.4%

Government Transfers

11.5%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

770(6.9%)

$10k–$20k

800(7.1%)

$20k–$30k

1,215(10.8%)

$30k–$40k

1,290(11.5%)

$40k–$50k

1,100(9.8%)

$50k–$60k

990(8.8%)

$60k–$70k

930(8.3%)

$70k–$80k

1,175(10.5%)

$80k–$90k

640(5.7%)

$90k–$100k

510(4.5%)

$100k+

1,820(16.2%)

Cold Lake Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

68.4%

Unemployment Rate

7.8%

Total Labour Force

8,740

Employed

8,055

Unemployed

685

Not in Labour Force

3,035

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

6.6%

Children (0–17)

9.5%

Adults (18–64)

5.5%

Seniors (65+)

6.2%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.2900 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.255

Cold Lake 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

11,775

No certificate, diploma or degree

1,790 (15.2%)

High school diploma or equivalency

3,580 (30.4%)

Postsecondary credential

6,405 (54.4%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

1,495 (12.7%)80.8% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

225 (1.9%)12.2% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

30 (0.3%)1.6% 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

1,790(15.2%)

High school diploma or equivalency

3,580(30.4%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

1,395(11.8%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

2,990(25.4%)

University certificate below bachelor

170(1.4%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

1,850(15.7%)

Cold Lake 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

6.8%

545 people

Share of 8,055 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

545(6.8%)

Usual place of work

5,780(71.8%)

No fixed workplace address

1,730(21.5%)

Worked outside Canada

0(0.0%)

Cold Lake 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

8,740

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

15(0.2%)

Business, finance and administration

970(11.1%)

Natural and applied sciences

615(7.0%)

Health

575(6.6%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

1,880(21.5%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

140(1.6%)

Sales and service

1,925(22.0%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

1,580(18.1%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

485(5.5%)

Manufacturing and utilities

420(4.8%)

Cold Lake 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

8,740

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

20(0.2%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

1,120(12.8%)

Utilities

40(0.5%)

Construction

615(7.0%)

Manufacturing

95(1.1%)

Wholesale trade

75(0.9%)

Retail trade

985(11.3%)

Transportation and warehousing

240(2.7%)

Information and cultural industries

75(0.9%)

Finance and insurance

140(1.6%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

85(1.0%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

290(3.3%)

Management of companies and enterprises

0(0.0%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

385(4.4%)

Educational services

535(6.1%)

Health care and social assistance

850(9.7%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

115(1.3%)

Accommodation and food services

465(5.3%)

Other services (except public administration)

305(3.5%)

Public administration

2,185(25.0%)

Cold Lake Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

13,610 (87.5%)

French Only

40 (0.3%)

English & French

1,870 (12.0%)

Neither

30 (0.2%)

Mother Tongue

English

13,280 (85.4%)

French

755 (4.9%)

Non-official languages

1,120 (7.2%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

13,280(85.4%)

French

755(4.9%)

Tagalog

345(2.2%)

Spanish

75(0.5%)

Arabic

55(0.4%)

Gujarati

35(0.2%)

Polish

30(0.2%)

Russian

30(0.2%)

Mandarin

20(0.1%)

Cantonese

20(0.1%)

Cold Lake Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

4,015(65.7%)

Semi-detached

650(10.6%)

Row house

270(4.4%)

Duplex

45(0.7%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

855(14.0%)

Movable

275(4.5%)

Community snapshot

About Cold Lake

Cold Lake is a city in northeastern Alberta on the south shore of Cold Lake, one of the province’s largest lakes, beside 4 Wing Cold Lake (CFB Cold Lake). Military aviation, lake recreation, and a service role for surrounding lakeland communities shape the place. Highways 28 and 55 meet near the city. About 15,000 people live in Cold Lake.

Known for

City on the south shore of Cold Lake
4 Wing Cold Lake / CFB Cold Lake air force base
Lakeland recreation and marina life
Northeastern Alberta regional service centre
Military aviation and Cold Lake Air Show heritage

See & do

Cold Lake marina and waterfront
Boat slips, beaches, and big-lake views.
Kinosoo Beach
Popular sandy beach in the city.
Cold Lake Provincial Park (nearby)
Camping, trails, and shoreline north of town.
Downtown commercial streets
Shops and services for residents and base families.
Energy Centre / community recreation
Municipal aquatics and sports facilities.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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