Municipal Census

City Council and administration use municipal census data in the following ways:

• Accurate population count: census data helps Council and city administration understand the size and growth of the population over time.
• Resource allocation: census data allows for fair distribution of resources including funding, services and infrastructure planning. Council uses this data to understand the actual needs of the community and allocate resources accordingly.
• Planning and policy creation: census helps Council and administration understand the composition of the population, identify trends and make informed decisions on education, healthcare, housing and transportation.
• Demographic analysis: census data is valuable for understanding the composition and diversity of the population.
• Development: census data helps identify areas that may need targeted development or revitalization efforts; it also helps plan for growth and improvement of communities.
• Business and economic planning: census data is essential for businesses and investors in making informed decisions about market opportunities, labour force availability and economic development.

Both a municipal census and a federal census collect demographic information, but they differ in terms of the level of government responsible, their scope, purpose and frequency.

The municipal census is specific to a local jurisdiction and is conducted by individual municipalities, while the federal census is a nationwide survey conducted by the federal government through Statistics Canada to provide a comprehensive snapshot of the entire Canadian population. 

The federal census takes place every five years (as opposed to a yearly, municipal census in Airdrie) and captures vastly different information (a snapshot of the entire Canadian population).

For these reasons, it is essential for municipalities such as Airdrie, to conduct a yearly census to access current population data to determine the needs for services and infrastructure in our local jurisdiction.