BurtonNew Brunswick
In New Brunswick, this town has 5,424 residents. It lies in Sunbury.
Is Burton a good place to live?
Low prices, and some weak spots to weigh against them. Most journeys need a car (D). Natural hazards weigh more here (D). Its best grade is for cost of living (A). The overall grade comes out at B−, better than 48% of Canadian towns. That places it #13 of 59 in New Brunswick. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for safety and B for jobs & income.
This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. Safety less sure: no police service names this town, so its crime figure is the nearest police detachment's, shared with a wider area. No School Grade: this province doesn't publish comparable results school by school. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread. Wildfire lowers this town's Hazard risk Grade: a high share of the land around it has burned in the last 40 years.
How Burton grades
Each subject compares Burton with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Burton stand out
The 3 things Burton does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Burton.
Burton faces more hazards than 95% of Canadian towns
Radon is higher than usual: 17% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Fire is a regular visitor: 5.9% of the land within 25 km of Burton has burned since 1986 (0.25% a year). Shaking is about as much of a worry in Burton as in most places, at $0.041 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Service New Brunswick - GeoNB has mapped the flood hazard here: one study on the national inventory.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Burton | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 17% | 20% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.041 | $0.036 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Radon tests published for the Region 3 health region, not by town
Burton is a town of owners: 94% of households own their home, above New Brunswick’s towns and Canadian towns
Rent took 15% of household income, lower than both New Brunswick’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (20%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 5% of households, below New Brunswick’s towns (9%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Burton | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 5% | 9% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 94% | 86% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 15% | 20% | 20% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.
Fewer adults feel healthy around Burton: 45% say very good or excellent (52% for the typical Canadian town)
Health survey and life expectancy for the Zone 3 (Fredericton area)
Homes here are 8.3 km from a hospital on average, lower than New Brunswick’s towns (11 km) yet higher than Canadian towns (3.7 km). At 15%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 14% for New Brunswick. People in the region live to 80.1 on average: 81.9 for women and 78.2 for men in 2022/2024.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Burton | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 45% | 43% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.1 | 80.1 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Most of Burton works elsewhere: the town has 0.6 jobs for each resident in work
Commutes averaged 22 min, near New Brunswick’s towns (21 min) and lower than Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Burton | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 22 min | 21 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
July highs in Burton: 25.9°C, against 25.1°C in New Brunswick’s towns and 25.5°C in Canadian towns
Frost usually lifts by 14 May and returns around 27 September: 135 days without it. Snow totals 241 cm over the year, between New Brunswick’s towns (310 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). A normal January brings 64 cm of snow, the most of any month. Rain and snow peak in October, at 106 mm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Burton | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 241 cm | 310 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 25.9°C | 25.1°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,022 mm | 1,121 mm | 883 mm |
| January night low | −14.6°C | −13.3°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Fredericton (Airport))
More of the land around Burton is protected than around nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Protected areas open to the public, within 10 km of the town: 12, above New Brunswick’s towns (7) and Canadian towns (4) alike. 0.3 km out lies the largest, Grand Lake, at 10,465 ha. Mactaquac Provincial Park is the closest provincial park, at 30 km. For a national park, Fundy National Park is 89 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Burton | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 9.5% | 6% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 12 | 7 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Burton and its edges hold 9 schools: 8 elementary schools and 1 secondary school
From the town centre, high school starts 6.8 km away, higher than both New Brunswick’s towns (4.5 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km). Boards running schools in the area: 2, above New Brunswick’s towns (1.5) but below Canadian towns (3).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burton Elementary SchoolIn BurtonElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Oromocto High SchoolNearest secondary school, 1.1 kmSecondary | Secondary | – | English public |
| École Arc-en-ciel FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Burton | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 1.5 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 6.8 km | 4.5 km | 1.2 km |
Statistics Canada’s Open Database of Educational Facilities · Why no schools grade in New Brunswick? The province publishes no results school by school.
In Burton, November normally means 6°C afternoons and −3°C nights
Into December, the normals move to freezing and −10°C. Expect about 97 mm of rain and snow over November. A typical November adds 13 cm of snow. Across the year, normals run from −15°C nights in January to 26°C afternoons in July.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −2°C | −13°C | 242 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | −1°C | 245 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 12°C | 243 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 2°C | 293 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Fredericton (Airport)); the forecast is on the Weather page
John Williamson (Conservative Party of Canada) represents Burton in Ottawa as MP for Saint John—St. Croix
Statistics Canada lists Burton as a parish.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Burton has no public library of its own; the nearest is Fay Tidd Public Library, 5.3 km away
After it comes Oromocto Public Library (Oromocto), 6.4 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
A younger town: only 15% of people in Burton are 65 or over, fewer than in New Brunswick’s towns and Canadian towns
Children under 15 make up 18%, higher than both New Brunswick’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (16%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 6.8% of residents, above both New Brunswick’s towns (2.8%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
49.8% of Burton’s residents are women
Here the census found 2,600 men and 2,580 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Burton | New Brunswick | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 68% | 63% | 64% |
| 65+ | 15% | 23% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 40% | 50% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; New Brunswick and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Burton earns a B− for safety
A best guess: the nearest detachment’s figures, since none is filed under Burton
The force’s area logs 10.8 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Where it is policed, thefts, break-ins and damage came to 22.7 per 1,000 a year, below both New Brunswick’s towns (30.9) and Canadian towns (31.2). Figures for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 are published for the Oromotco detachment area as a whole, not for Burton alone.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Burton | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 22.7 | 30.9 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 10.8 | 14.9 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Everything we know about Burton
Famous people from Burton
5 notable people were born in Burton.
Photo credits
Isaac Burpee: William James Topley, Public domain · Charles Burpee: William James Topley, Public domain · Washington Atlee Burpee: Unknown author, Public domain · Hedley C. Taylor: Unknown author, Public domain · Wesley O. Smith: Unknown author, Public domain
About Burton
Town in New Brunswick
For Burton, TownRatings uses Statistics Canada’s census-subdivision boundary in New Brunswick, and every figure on its pages covers that whole area.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 5,424 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- New Brunswick
- Census division
- Sunbury
- Census subdivision
- 1303011
Burton’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burton | 5,424 | — | B− | A | B− | C |
| Oromocto | 9,451 | 7 | C | B− | D | C+ |
| Lincoln | 8,093 | 12 | C+ | B | B− | C |
| Maugerville | 1,808 | 17 | — | B | B− | C |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Burton
Do people in Burton speak French?
Many do: 18% are bilingual in English and French (Canadian towns’ median: 8%), and 0.9% speak French only.
What kind of homes are in Burton?
Mostly 85% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.6 people on average, and 19% have just one.
Has Burton grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 5,119 to 5,176 residents (up 1.1%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 5,424.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. 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).