Red Deer Profile

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

National Rank:56 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Red Deer Population

Total Population (2021)

100,844

Total Population (2016)

100,418

Population Growth

+0.4% (+426)

Growth Rank

#557 of 688Same geo level

Male

49.4%49,800

Female

50.6%51,050

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.976

Average Age

39.4

Median Age

38.8

Age Rank

#113 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

5,405(5.4%)

5–9

6,350(6.3%)

10–14

6,610(6.6%)

15–19

6,175(6.1%)

20–24

6,075(6.0%)

25–29

6,475(6.4%)

30–34

7,500(7.4%)

35–39

7,905(7.8%)

40–44

7,515(7.5%)

45–49

6,520(6.5%)

50–54

6,025(6.0%)

55–59

6,505(6.5%)

60–64

6,600(6.5%)

65–69

5,330(5.3%)

70–74

3,865(3.8%)

75–79

2,475(2.5%)

80–84

1,795(1.8%)

85+

1,725(1.7%)

Red Deer Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.4

Total Private Dwellings

43,404

Occupied Private Dwellings

40,512

Size Distribution

1 Person

11,685 (28.8%)

2 Persons

14,065 (34.7%)

3 Persons

5,950 (14.7%)

4 Persons

5,425 (13.4%)

5+ Persons

3,385 (8.4%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

9,950(24.6%)

Couples without children

9,855(24.3%)

One-parent families

3,895(9.6%)

One-person households

11,685(28.8%)

Multigenerational

855(2.1%)

Multiple-family

220(0.5%)

Red Deer Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$87,300After tax

Median Household Income

$75,000After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$46,560After tax

Median Individual Income

$38,800After tax

Income Rank

#334 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

81.8%

Employment Income

66.2%

Government Transfers

18.2%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

5,455(7.2%)

$10k–$20k

6,985(9.2%)

$20k–$30k

12,640(16.6%)

$30k–$40k

10,165(13.4%)

$40k–$50k

9,030(11.9%)

$50k–$60k

7,270(9.6%)

$60k–$70k

5,615(7.4%)

$70k–$80k

4,260(5.6%)

$80k–$90k

3,275(4.3%)

$90k–$100k

2,775(3.6%)

$100k+

8,585(11.3%)

Red Deer Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

58.7%

Unemployment Rate

12.3%

Total Labour Force

53,410

Employed

46,830

Unemployed

6,580

Not in Labour Force

26,300

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

9.8%

Children (0–17)

11.8%

Adults (18–64)

8.8%

Seniors (65+)

10.8%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3210 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.283

Red Deer 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

79,715

No certificate, diploma or degree

12,965 (16.3%)

High school diploma or equivalency

25,680 (32.2%)

Postsecondary credential

41,070 (51.5%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

10,360 (13.0%)73.7% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

2,100 (2.6%)14.9% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

520 (0.7%)3.7% 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

12,965(16.3%)

High school diploma or equivalency

25,680(32.2%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

8,025(10.1%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

16,690(20.9%)

University certificate below bachelor

2,300(2.9%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

14,055(17.6%)

Red Deer 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

13.0%

6,105 people

Share of 46,835 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

6,105(13.0%)

Usual place of work

33,195(70.9%)

No fixed workplace address

7,425(15.9%)

Worked outside Canada

105(0.2%)

Red Deer 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

53,415

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

325(0.6%)

Business, finance and administration

7,500(14.0%)

Natural and applied sciences

2,695(5.0%)

Health

5,465(10.2%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

5,705(10.7%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

905(1.7%)

Sales and service

14,525(27.2%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

9,690(18.1%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

1,980(3.7%)

Manufacturing and utilities

2,940(5.5%)

Red Deer 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

53,415

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

510(1.0%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

2,940(5.5%)

Utilities

220(0.4%)

Construction

4,625(8.7%)

Manufacturing

4,145(7.8%)

Wholesale trade

1,435(2.7%)

Retail trade

7,395(13.8%)

Transportation and warehousing

2,085(3.9%)

Information and cultural industries

390(0.7%)

Finance and insurance

1,360(2.5%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

715(1.3%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

2,615(4.9%)

Management of companies and enterprises

45(0.1%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

1,970(3.7%)

Educational services

3,160(5.9%)

Health care and social assistance

8,495(15.9%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

970(1.8%)

Accommodation and food services

3,775(7.1%)

Other services (except public administration)

2,640(4.9%)

Public administration

2,220(4.2%)

Red Deer Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

92,500 (93.9%)

French Only

35 (0.0%)

English & French

5,270 (5.3%)

Neither

725 (0.7%)

Mother Tongue

English

80,525 (81.7%)

French

1,160 (1.2%)

Non-official languages

13,790 (14.0%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

80,525(81.7%)

Tagalog

4,000(4.1%)

Spanish

1,770(1.8%)

French

1,160(1.2%)

Arabic

745(0.8%)

Cantonese

400(0.4%)

Russian

365(0.4%)

Punjabi

340(0.3%)

Mandarin

270(0.3%)

Korean

260(0.3%)

Red Deer Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

21,520(53.1%)

Semi-detached

3,275(8.1%)

Row house

4,075(10.1%)

Duplex

1,475(3.6%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

8,500(21.0%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

595(1.5%)

Other attached

30(0.1%)

Movable

1,045(2.6%)

Housing · Red Deer (CMA), Alta.

These figures are published for Red Deer (CMA), Alta., a census metropolitan area, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Red Deer alone. Shares are calculated on this site from the published household counts in tables 98-10-0252-01 and 98-10-0253-01.

Tenure

Private households

40,500

Owner households

26,255 (64.8%)

Renter households

14,245 (35.2%)

Owners with a mortgage

17,150 (65.3%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

9,110 (34.7%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

1,275 (9.0%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

12,970 (91.0%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$1,300All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,412All households, 2021

Owners, median

$1,500

Renters, median

$1,160

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,900

Owners without a mortgage, median

$604

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

8,615 (21.3%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

3,690 (14.1%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

4,920 (34.5%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

150 (0.4%)

Monthly shelter cost

Published household counts by shelter-cost band. Census counts are randomly rounded, so the bands can differ slightly from the household total.

Less than $500

3,065(7.6%)

$500 to $749

5,720(14.1%)

$750 to $999

5,590(13.8%)

$1,000 to $1,249

4,785(11.8%)

$1,250 to $1,499

4,595(11.3%)

$1,500 to $1,999

8,365(20.7%)

$2,000 to $2,499

5,085(12.6%)

$2,500 to $2,999

1,920(4.7%)

$3,000 and over

1,375(3.4%)

Shelter cost is the census monthly amount. For owners it includes mortgage payments, property taxes and condominium fees, along with electricity, heat, water and other municipal services. For renters it includes rent and those utility payments when the tenant pays them. Current consumer prices are a separate series on the cost-of-living page. Data sources.

Community snapshot

About Red Deer

Red Deer sits on the Red Deer River in central Alberta, roughly halfway between Calgary and Edmonton on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway. It is a regional service and energy-sector city with a long connected park system along Waskasoo Creek. The surrounding county remains agricultural. About 101,000 people live in Red Deer.

Known for

Midway stop on the Calgary–Edmonton corridor
Waskasoo Creek park system
Regional oilfield and construction services
Westerner Park exhibition grounds
Alberta Sports Hall of Fame

See & do

Kerry Wood Nature Centre and Gaetz Lakes
Sanctuary and interpretive centre in the Waskasoo parks.
Heritage Ranch
River-valley park with trails and a historic ranch setting.
Alberta Sports Hall of Fame
Provincial sports museum at Westerner Park.
Downtown riverside
City centre along the Red Deer River and creek trails.
Canyon Ski Resort
Ski hill in the river valley just east of the city.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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