#1Quispamsis
20,240 peopleScore 69.4·#179 of 2,556 Canadian towns
Strongest: safety A+, jobs & income A·lowest: health D
Quispamsis, #1 on this list · Photo: P199 (CC BY-SA 3.0)New Brunswick · 2026
Best places to live in New Brunswick
Scores on the list run from 69.4 down to 28.4. First of the 59 ranked towns in New Brunswick is Quispamsis, #179 of 2,556 nationally. The list’s runner-up is Rothesay, at A. The A range holds 3 towns on this list.
The overall score, sorted within the province; the letter compares each town with every town in Canada of 2,500+, and its national rank sits beside it. How grades work
#1A
#2Rothesay
12,626 peopleScore 68.0·#220 of 2,556 Canadian towns
Strongest: safety A+, jobs & income A·lowest: health C−
#3Wellington
3,458 peopleScore 61.5·#514 of 2,556 Canadian towns
Strongest: cost of living A+, safety A·lowest: walkability D
All 59 towns, ranked
By overall score against Canadian towns; ranks are within the province, and each national rank links to the national list.
59 towns
#TownScoreGrade · national rankWhat drives it
1Quispamsis20,240 people69.4top 9.9%A#179 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: safety A+, jobs & income A·lowest: health D
2Rothesay12,626 people68.0top 12.2%A#220 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: safety A+, jobs & income A·lowest: health C−
3Wellington3,458 people61.5top 23.4%A−#514 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A+, safety A·lowest: walkability D
4New Maryland4,455 people59.7top 27.4%B+#626 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A+, cost of living A·lowest: hazard risk C−
5Haut-Madawaska4,098 people58.9top 29.7%B+#688 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: safety A, cost of living A−·lowest: hazard risk D
6Beresford4,389 people58.4top 31.1%B+#723 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: safety A+, cost of living B·lowest: hazard risk D
7Starlight Village5,108 people56.0top 35.8%B#887 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A+, cost of living A−·lowest: walkability C−
8Grand Bay-Westfield5,202 people55.8top 36.6%B#907 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A, jobs & income A−·lowest: health C−
9Cocagne2,982 people55.6top 37.3%B#926 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: safety A, cost of living B·lowest: hazard risk C−
10Beresford6,543 people54.9top 39.3%B#984 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: safety A+, cost of living B+·lowest: hazard risk D
11New Maryland3,198 people53.5top 42.6%B#1,086 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, cost of living A−·lowest: walkability D
12Hampton3,268 people50.6top 49.5%B−#1,325 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: safety A, cost of living B+·lowest: walkability D
13Burton5,424 people49.5bottom 47.8%B−#1,415 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A, jobs & income B·lowest: hazard risk D
14Kingsclear3,158 people49.0bottom 46.2%B−#1,471 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A−, jobs & income B+·lowest: walkability D
15Moncton12,238 people48.8bottom 46.0%B−#1,481 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, cost of living B·lowest: walkability D
16Caraquet4,572 people48.2bottom 44.2%C+#1,520 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability B, jobs & income B−·lowest: hazard risk D
17Shippagan3,073 people47.1bottom 41.0%C+#1,607 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability A−, cost of living B·lowest: hazard risk D
18Riverview22,614 people46.5bottom 39.2%C+#1,657 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, walkability B+·lowest: safety C−
19Shippagan4,721 people46.2bottom 38.4%C+#1,678 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A, health B−·lowest: walkability D−
20Lincoln8,093 people45.9bottom 37.4%C+#1,700 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income B+, cost of living B·lowest: walkability D
21Shediac5,699 people45.7bottom 37.2%C+#1,711 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income B+, cost of living B·lowest: hazard risk C−
22Dieppe35,986 people45.6bottom 37.0%C+#1,718 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, walkability B−·lowest: safety C−
23Simonds4,263 people45.4bottom 36.6%C+#1,727 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: safety A, cost of living B·lowest: walkability D
24Memramcook5,616 people45.4bottom 36.5%C+#1,729 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income B, safety B·lowest: walkability D
25Grand Manan2,648 people45.4bottom 36.3%C+#1,733 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, cost of living A−·lowest: safety C−
26Saint Marys5,701 people45.3bottom 36.2%C+#1,739 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income B+, cost of living B·lowest: walkability D
27Oromocto9,451 people44.4bottom 32.7%C#1,818 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A+, cost of living B−·lowest: hazard risk D
28Grand Falls / Grand-Sault5,465 people43.8bottom 31.6%C#1,858 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability A−, safety B−·lowest: hazard risk D
29Kingston3,577 people43.2bottom 30.3%C#1,897 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: safety A, cost of living B·lowest: health D
30Salisbury2,585 people43.1bottom 29.9%C#1,906 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability B+, jobs & income B−·lowest: hazard risk C−
31Beaubassin East / Beaubassin-est8,138 people43.0bottom 29.8%C#1,910 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living B+, jobs & income B−·lowest: walkability D
32Dundas4,733 people42.9bottom 29.5%C#1,915 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A−, safety C+·lowest: walkability D
33Sackville6,572 people42.4bottom 28.2%C#1,943 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, health B−·lowest: hazard risk C
34Wakefield2,749 people42.0bottom 27.3%C#1,967 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A−, cost of living B·lowest: hazard risk C−
35Douglas6,840 people41.8bottom 26.0%C#1,993 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income B, cost of living B−·lowest: walkability D
36Cap-Pelé3,092 people41.2bottom 24.7%C−#2,029 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income B, cost of living C+·lowest: hazard risk C−
37Fredericton74,655 people41.1bottom 24.2%C−#2,037 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, jobs & income A−·lowest: hazard risk C−
38Hampton4,754 people40.5bottom 22.9%C−#2,075 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living B, jobs & income B−·lowest: health D
39Moncton102,378 people40.5bottom 22.7%C−#2,080 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, jobs & income B·lowest: hazard risk C−
40Edmundston18,174 people40.3bottom 22.0%C−#2,095 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability B, cost of living B−·lowest: hazard risk D
41Coverdale5,167 people39.6bottom 20.7%C−#2,141 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income B−, cost of living B−·lowest: walkability D
42Saint John79,371 people38.2bottom 17.6%C−#2,249 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, hazard risk C+·lowest: health C
43Studholm3,668 people38.0bottom 17.0%C−#2,259 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A−, hazard risk C+·lowest: walkability D
44Atholville3,346 people37.5bottom 16.5%C−#2,277 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A−, walkability C+·lowest: health D
45Miramichi19,402 people36.3bottom 13.8%D#2,340 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living B−, walkability B−·lowest: hazard risk D
46Sussex4,994 people35.4bottom 12.6%D#2,372 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, hazard risk C+·lowest: jobs & income C−
47Tracadie16,453 people35.3bottom 12.3%D#2,376 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living B, health B−·lowest: hazard risk D−
48Dalhousie3,255 people35.2bottom 12.1%D#2,380 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability A−, cost of living B+·lowest: health D−
49Shediac9,849 people34.8bottom 11.3%D#2,398 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability B+, jobs & income C+·lowest: cost of living C−
50Bathurst13,331 people34.7bottom 11.1%D#2,400 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability B+, health B−·lowest: hazard risk D
51Salisbury3,806 people34.2bottom 10.5%D#2,413 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living B+, health C·lowest: walkability D
52Bouctouche2,678 people33.0bottom 9.1%D#2,440 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability B−, health C+·lowest: hazard risk C−
53St. Stephen4,876 people32.7bottom 8.8%D#2,450 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability A−, cost of living C+·lowest: safety D
54Sussex2,742 people32.4bottom 8.4%D#2,455 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living B−, hazard risk C+·lowest: walkability C−
55Campbellton7,485 people32.2bottom 7.9%D#2,461 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living C+·lowest: safety C−
56Saint George2,675 people30.0bottom 5.4%D#2,493 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living B, jobs & income C·lowest: walkability D
57Woodstock6,260 people29.8bottom 5.1%D#2,496 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: walkability B, jobs & income C+·lowest: safety D
58Bright3,648 people28.9bottom 4.2%D−#2,507 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living B−, safety C·lowest: health C−
59Alnwick3,767 people28.4bottom 3.1%D−#2,520 of 2,556 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A, walkability C−·lowest: health D−
Quick answers
Questions people ask
How are these towns ranked?
By the overall grade, which blends seven graded subjects (safety, cost of living, schools, health, jobs & income, walkability and hazard risk) from public data, each comparing a town with every town in Canada of 1,000 or more. The rank is among the towns of 2,500 or more in New Brunswick, where five or more have an overall grade.
Why isn’t my town on this list?
The list covers places of 2,500 or more with an overall grade. Smaller places, and towns missing figures the overall grade needs, show their grades on their own pages; every town is listed on the New Brunswick page.
Province by province
Best places to live, province by province
Photos: Quispamsis, P199 (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Rothesay, P199 (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Wellington, P199 (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources: TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranking Canadian towns against each other only, run #73 of 10 November 2026. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).