Grande Prairie’s population tops 70,000

“That meant a little bit of an increase in our funding from the province, which, every little dollar helps in the services that we offer.”

A report prepared by city staff says the annual increase in per capita grant funding will be $700,000 to $900,000 per year by 2026/27, compared to 2025, as current funding levels are based on the 2021 federal census. It set Grande Prairie’s population at 64,141.

The city included $264,200 in the 2024 budget to complete the new population count.

The census also found that the average age of Swan City inhabitants is 35.3 years.

Clayton says while that makes the city’s population a bit older than it was in the last census, Grande Prairie is still very young.

“At the average age of 35, we’re still one of the youngest cities and communities (with a population) over 25,000 people. It goes to show that our community will continue to grow.”

Clayton adds that she had a gut feeling the population was over 70,000.

“Seeing growth not only in our city boundary, but in our municipal partners in the county, it just shows the value of this region and, as it continues to grow, the value that it provides to the province.”

“So, (it is) great to see the growth and looking forward to (seeing) what those numbers represent over the next few years.”

The census also shows that 80 per cent of the people here have lived in Grande Prairie for two or more years.

The population count started on May 1 last year. People took part online, by phone and by being counted by city employees that went door-to-door.

The full report on the 2024 Municipal Census can be found here.

by Curtis Galbraith