List of population centres in Nova Scotia facts for kids
A population centre is a special name used in Canada to describe a place where many people live. It's like a town or a city! To be called a population centre, an area needs to have at least 1,000 people. Also, these people must live quite close together, with at least 400 people per square kilometre.
This term was first used in the Canada 2011 Census. Before that, the Canadian government agency Statistics Canada called these places "urban areas." In the 2021 Census, Statistics Canada found 37 population centres in the province of Nova Scotia.
What is a Population Centre?
A population centre is more than just a group of houses. It's an area where people live and work closely. Think of it as a busy hub where homes, schools, and shops are all connected. These areas are important for understanding how people live across Canada.
Statistics Canada uses these rules to count how many people live in different parts of the country. This helps them understand where services like hospitals and schools are needed most. It also helps them see how towns and cities are growing or changing.
Population Centres in Nova Scotia
In 2021, Nova Scotia had 37 places that met the rules to be called population centres. The table below shows these places. It lists how many people lived there in 2021 and 2016. You can also see how big the area is and how many people live in each square kilometre.
Rank | Population centre | Size group | Population (2021) | Population (2016) | Change | Land area (km2) | Population density |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Halifax | Large urban | 348,634 | 317,334 | +9.9% | 238.29 | 1,463.1/km2 |
2 | Cape Breton - Sydney | Medium | 30,960 | 30,170 | +2.6% | 30.91 | 1,001.6/km2 |
3 | Truro | Small | 23,583 | 23,205 | +1.6% | 31.52 | 748.2/km2 |
4 | New Glasgow | Small | 19,316 | 19,137 | +0.9% | 29.82 | 647.8/km2 |
5 | Glace Bay | Small | 16,915 | 17,604 | −3.9% | 31.19 | 542.3/km2 |
6 | Kentville | Small | 14,905 | 14,449 | +3.2% | 27.98 | 532.7/km2 |
7 | Sydney Mines | Small | 12,353 | 12,823 | −3.7% | 18.11 | 682.1/km2 |
8 | Amherst | Small | 9,548 | 9,550 | 0.0% | 12.38 | 771.2/km2 |
9 | Bridgewater | Small | 8,790 | 8,532 | +3.0% | 13.63 | 644.9/km2 |
10 | Yarmouth | Small | 7,848 | 7,527 | +4.3% | 16.81 | 466.9/km2 |
11 | Kingston - Greenwood | Small | 7,118 | 6,879 | +3.5% | 17.22 | 413.4/km2 |
12 | New Waterford | Small | 6,723 | 7,416 | −9.3% | 9.23 | 728.4/km2 |
13 | Enfield - Lantz | Small | 6,583 | 6,807 | −3.3% | 11.67 | 564.1/km2 |
14 | Antigonish | Small | 5,620 | 5,079 | +10.7% | 5.88 | 955.8/km2 |
15 | Windsor | Small | 5,514 | 5,248 | +5.1% | 10.56 | 522.2/km2 |
16 | Wolfville | Small | 5,057 | 4,195 | +20.5% | 6.46 | 782.8/km2 |
17 | Still Water Lake | Small | 3,379 | 3,447 | −2.0% | 8.23 | 410.6/km2 |
18 | Port Hawkesbury | Small | 2,998 | 3,004 | −0.2% | 5 | 599.6/km2 |
19 | Springhill | Small | 2,654 | 2,743 | −3.2% | 4.84 | 548.3/km2 |
20 | Pictou | Small | 2,643 | 2,711 | −2.5% | 4.35 | 607.6/km2 |
21 | Eskasoni 3 | Small | 2,575 | 2,352 | +9.5% | 5.7 | 451.8/km2 |
22 | Liverpool | Small | 2,546 | 2,549 | −0.1% | 3.59 | 709.2/km2 |
23 | Berwick | Small | 2,455 | 2,517 | −2.5% | 4.31 | 569.6/km2 |
24 | Lunenburg | Small | 2,405 | 2,262 | +6.3% | 3.35 | 717.9/km2 |
25 | Lake Echo | Small | 2,365 | 2,515 | −6.0% | 4.76 | 496.8/km2 |
26 | Indian Brook 14 | Small | 2,332 | 655 | +256.0% | 3.89 | 599.5/km2 |
27 | Digby | Small | 2,001 | 2,060 | −2.9% | 3.16 | 633.2/km2 |
28 | Hantsport | Small | 1,542 | 1,560 | −1.2% | 2.89 | 533.6/km2 |
29 | Brookside | Small | 1,439 | 1,441 | −0.1% | 2.81 | 512.1/km2 |
30 | Shelburne | Small | 1,439 | 1,483 | −3.0% | 2.6 | 553.5/km2 |
31 | Middleton | Small | 1,429 | 1,391 | +2.7% | 2.72 | 525.4/km2 |
32 | Chester | Small | 1,371 | 1,362 | +0.7% | 3.23 | 424.5/km2 |
33 | Inverness | Small | 1,228 | 1,248 | −1.6% | 2.73 | 449.8/km2 |
34 | Centreville | Small | 1,159 | 1,129 | +2.7% | 2.36 | 491.1/km2 |
35 | Howie Centre | Small | 1,106 | 1,157 | −4.4% | 1.67 | 662.3/km2 |
36 | Hayes Subdivision | Small | 1,044 | 1,121 | −6.9% | 1.1 | 949.1/km2 |
37 | Port Williams | Small | 1,030 | 1,120 | −8.0% | 1.92 | 536.5/km2 |
See also
- List of the largest population centres in Canada