Fort McMurray.
We Have the Energy!
Compared with the provincial average, people in Fort McMurray tend to be younger, better paid, and employed in trades based, energy sector jobs. There is a high level of immigration as well as high Indigenous populations.
(metro pop. 71,550)
Fort McMurray is a unique city in Alberta. Its demographics are driven by the oil sector more than any other city in Canada. It is a city of young, well-paid households. With 80% of the population under 50, this is more than 10% higher than the provincial average and nearly 20% higher than the national average.
People are also paid extremely well in Fort McMurray. Although its university-educated population is lower than the national average, those educated in post-secondary trade fields are higher than the national average. Work in the energy sector outperforms any other single industry and is far greater than anywhere else in Alberta or Canada. The median income for individuals at $82,816 is more than double that of the rest of the country and there is also a much greater likelihood that households in Fort McMurray will earn more than $200k.
Fort McMurray is an extremely diverse city, with 75% of all immigrants coming since 2001, in contrast to 55% throughout the province and 42% throughout Canada. South Asians and Filipinos each represent 26% of all visible minorities and 7% each of the entire Fort McMurray population—higher proportions than elsewhere in the country.
Those identifying as Indigenous persons are higher than elsewhere in the province or Canada. Unlike many other places in Alberta, most people identifying as Indigenous are likely to be First Nations rather than Métis. Among Indigenous languages spoken in Fort McMurray, 61% speak Cree and 26% speak Dene.
