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Population

74,730

Land Area

65.25

ha

Annual Operating Budget

$237.7M

expenses

St. Albert Population Trend

Annual population estimates sourced from BC Stats / Alberta Municipal Affairs. Used as the denominator for all per-capita metrics on this page. Learn more ↗

Annual estimates, 2016–2025

74,730+11.0% since 2016

Fiscal Trends (2021–2024)

Total revenue and total operating expenses per resident over 4 fiscal years. Shows whether the municipality's fiscal position has been improving or declining. Learn more ↗

Revenue and expense per person over 4 years

Fiscal Report Card

These metrics reflect reported financial data and do not capture local context such as major infrastructure investments, one-time grants, natural disasters, or policy decisions. Learn more

Fiscal Trajectory

Composite score (0–10) measuring the 4-year trajectory of fiscal health across revenue growth, expense control, debt reduction, and operating surplus. Higher is better. Score is relative to all municipalities in your population band. Learn more ↗
Bottom of Band

32.4

score
25.0% Band Min
84.3% Band Max
Band Avg: 50.0%
AB Avg: 50.0%

Fiscal trajectory score of 32.4 is below the band average of 50.0, indicating fiscal trends that warrant attention.

Rank 18/22 2021–2024 data
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Fiscal Balance

Operating surplus (revenues minus expenses) divided by population. Positive means the municipality took in more than it spent. Higher is better. Learn more ↗
Top of Band

$660

/ person
-35.2% Band Min
$2,115 Band Max
Band Avg: $566
AB Avg: $930

Operating surplus of $660/person is 1.2× the band average of $566. Ranks 6th of 22 in the band.

Rank 6/22 2024 data
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Tax Burden

Own-source taxation per resident — property taxes and other local levies set by the municipality. Lower is better (lighter burden on residents). Does not include provincial school taxes. Learn more ↗
Bottom of Band

$1,803

/ person
$902 Band Min
$5,800 Band Max
Band Avg: $1,666
AB Avg: $2,010

Per-person taxation of $1,803 is 8% above the band average. Residents contribute $137 more per person than typical peers.

Rank 17/22 2024 data
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Debt Load

Annual debt payments as a percentage of the provincial statutory borrowing limit. Lower is better — more room for future infrastructure borrowing. 100% = at the legal ceiling. Learn more ↗
Bottom of Band

20.9%

capacity used
0.0% Band Min
28.8% Band Max
Band Avg: 13.3%
AB Avg: 11.9%

At 20.9% of liability capacity used, borrowing room is more constrained than 5 of 22 peers in the band.

Rank 17/22 2024 data
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Revenue Resilience

Provincial and federal grants and transfers as a share of total revenue. Lower is better — the municipality is more financially self-sufficient. Note: high grant dependency may reflect dedicated capital programs, not fiscal weakness. Learn more ↗
Mid-Band

7.4%

grant dependency
2.2% Band Min
15.7% Band Max
Band Avg: 7.1%
AB Avg: 23.6%

Grant dependency of 7.4% is above the band average of 7.1%. More reliant on transfers than typical peers.

Rank 13/22 2024 data
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Service Efficiency

Total operating expenses per resident across all municipal services. Lower is better — delivering services at lower per-person cost. Smaller municipalities often have higher per-capita costs due to fixed overhead. Learn more ↗
Bottom of Band

$3,180

/ person
$1,549 Band Min
$8,399 Band Max
Band Avg: $3,007
AB Avg: $3,918

Total spending of $3,180/person is $174 above the band average of $3,007, ranking 16th of 22 in the band.

Rank 16/22 2024 data
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What's Driving These Numbers

Tax Revenue by Property Class

Tax levy collected from each property class — how the tax burden is distributed across residential, commercial, industrial, and other property owners. Year coverage varies by data availability.

How the annual municipal tax levy is split across property classes. A higher residential share means homeowners carry more of the tax burden.

Share of total municipal tax levy by property class (Commercial and Industrial combined)

Top of Band

Annual Homeowner Cost

Estimated taxes on a median-value home

A typical homeowner pays $1,812/year — 59% below the band average of $4,401.

Estimated annual property tax bill on a median-value home (all dwelling types — not single-family only). See methodology.

Learn more ↗

$1,812 / yr

$536 Band Min
$8,882 Band Max
Band Avg: $4,401
AB Avg: $4,403
9th of 22 in band
Mid-Band

Residential Tax Base

Share of assessed property value from residential

85.1% of the tax base is residential, above the band average of 77.4%. Less diversified than typical peers.

Learn more ↗

85.1%

16.4% Band Min
93.6% Band Max
Band Avg: 77.4%
AB Avg: 77.1%
14th of 22 in band
Top of Band

Population Growth

Change over 5 years (2020–2025)

Population grew 7.3% over 5 years, compared to the band average of 10.4%.

Learn more ↗

+7.3%

2.8% Band Min
28.8% Band Max
Band Avg: 10.4%
AB Avg: 12.6%
15th of 22 in band

Development Activity

Building permit data not available

Revenue Breakdown / person

Per-capita revenue by source — how much each resident contributes through each funding stream. Own-Source Tax = municipal property taxes. Transfers = federal and provincial grants. Service Sales = utility and fee revenues.

Expense Breakdown / person

Per-capita operating expenses by municipal service category. Municipalities with water, sewer, or transit utilities will show higher totals.

Peer Comparison

Comparing against 9 municipalities in the 50,000-150,000 band.

MunicipalityTypePopulationRev/CapExp/CapSurplus/CapDebt/CapTax BillTax Coll. %Liab. Used %5yr Growth
Red DeerD115,409$3,831$3,866-$35$2,481$1,24998.2%28.8%+10.0%
LethbridgeD113,671$5,043$4,481$562$1,465$1,28498.5%21.1%+11.2%
Strathcona CountyD107,345$4,932$4,111$821$1,043$1,05897.9%11.8%+4.7%
AirdrieD92,544$3,345$2,232$1,113$646$85496.2%14.6%+24.2%
Wood BuffaloD81,577$8,858$8,399$459$0$53696.3%0.0%+8.2%
St. AlbertD74,730$3,841$3,180$660$1,306$1,81298.4%20.9%+7.3%
Grande PrairieD71,160$3,472$3,338$134$1,742$1,65196.9%22.2%+4.2%
Medicine HatD68,714$6,693$4,578$2,115$6,233$1,01895.7%25.8%+5.1%
Rocky View CountyD50,260$4,231$2,982$1,250$997$98094.3%17.4%+20.0%