The Town of Cochrane is ranked among the top municipalities in Alberta for lowest per-person spending in 2023.
According to a report published by the Fraser Institute that compares per-person expenditure and revenue in 26 major Albertan municipalities between 2009 to 2023, Chestermere recorded the lowest per-person spending in 2023 at $1,652, followed by Cochrane ($2,142) and Airdrie ($2,187).
Municipal expenditure grew faster than population growth and inflation from 2009 to 2023 for 21 municipalities in the study.
The Town of Cochrane was able to reduce its inflation-adjusted per-person spending by 15.9 per cent.
In comparison, Airdrie was able to decrease their inflation-adjusted per-person spending by -2.1 per cent.
Altogether, from 2009 to 2023, the average inflation-adjusted per-person revenue decreased by 1.9 per cent across the studied municipalities, falling from $4,007 in 2009 to $3,933 in 2023.
This specific study restricted its scope to consider only those with a 2023 population greater than 17,000.
That said, the fastest growing municipalities in percentage terms were the mid-sized towns and cities near Edmonton and Calgary, including Cochrane.
In 2023, Cochrane had an approximate population of 34,929, and has been growing by about four per cent annually
Among all Canadian provinces, Alberta's population growth rate was the highest from 2009 to 2023. According to Statistics Canada, there was an increase in population by 1.1 million residents or 30.4 per cent, in those 15 years.
