CardwellNew Brunswick
It lies in Kings. The town, home to 1,538 people, lies in New Brunswick.
Is Cardwell a good place to live?
Buying a home costs less than in most towns (A−). Its weakest is jobs & income (D). Health is a weak point (C−).
With fewer than 2,500 residents, Cardwell gets subject grades but no overall one among Canadian towns.
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.
How Cardwell grades
Each subject compares Cardwell with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
With fewer than 2,500 residents, Cardwell gets subject grades but no overall one among Canadian towns.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Cardwell stand out
The 3 things Cardwell does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cardwell.
Commuters in Cardwell travel further than in New Brunswick’s towns or Canadian towns, 29 min on average
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Cardwell | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 29 min | 21 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.
Cardwell’s health region reports 43% in very good or excellent health, behind the typical Canadian town’s 52%
A hospital lies 15 km from the typical home, above New Brunswick’s towns (11 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km) alike. A baby born in the region can expect 79.3 years, 81.1 for a girl and 77.3 for a boy (2022/2024).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Cardwell | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 43% | 43% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.3 | 80.1 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 13% | 13% | 12% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Health survey and life expectancy: the Zone 2 (Saint John area)
Most households in Cardwell own their home: 92%, more than in both New Brunswick’s towns and Canadian towns
Rent took 17% of household income, below New Brunswick’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (20%) alike. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 7% of households, below both New Brunswick’s towns (9%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Cardwell | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 7% | 9% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 92% | 86% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 20% | 20% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.
Cardwell’s grade for safety: a C
No police detachment reports under Cardwell’s name, so these are the nearest detachment’s figures, not the town’s own · Shared with the rest of the Sussex detachment area: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000
The index for the force that serves it came to 86, above both New Brunswick’s towns (73) and Canadian towns (67). Its police area records 16.7 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Across its police area, there are 36.2 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Cardwell | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 86 | 73 | 67 |
| Violent crime | 16.7 | 14.9 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 36.2 | 30.9 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
More rain and snow fall on Cardwell than on 84% of Canadian towns: 1,152 mm a year
A normal January brings 66 cm of snow, the most of any month. January is the wettest month, with 116 mm of rain and snow on average. Snowfall adds up to 248 cm a year, below New Brunswick’s towns (310 cm) but above Canadian towns (141 cm). Gardeners get 128 frost-free days, from 20 May to 26 September.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Cardwell | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 248 cm | 310 cm | 141 cm |
| Precipitation a year | 1,152 mm | 1,121 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 25.7°C | 25.1°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Sussex/Four Corners)
A median age of 51.2: Cardwell is older than 88% of Canadian towns
Both official languages: 13% of residents, below New Brunswick’s towns (27%) but above Canadian towns (7.5%). 14% of residents are children under 15. Retirement age and beyond: 22% of residents are 65 or older.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 48.6% of Cardwell
Census 2021 put women at 680 and men at 720; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| Cardwell | New Brunswick | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 64% | 63% | 64% |
| 65+ | 22% | 23% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 21% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 43% | 50% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; New Brunswick and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Expect November days around 7°C in Cardwell, nights around −2°C
Snowfall in a normal November: 14 cm. December follows at 1°C by day and −8°C by night. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 112 mm. At the extremes, July afternoons reach 26°C and January nights −13°C.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −1°C | −11°C | 311 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | −1°C | 280 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 12°C | 225 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 3°C | 335 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Sussex/Four Corners); the forecast is on the Weather page
Fundy Royal, which takes in Cardwell, is held by Rob Moore (Conservative Party of Canada)
Of the 10 Commons seats from New Brunswick, the Liberal Party of Canada holds 6.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
The nearest public library to Cardwell is Sussex Regional Library, 16 km away
The next is Petitcodiac Public Library (Petitcodiac), 19 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
A flood study covers Cardwell: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Service New Brunswick - GeoNB
Radon tests for the Region 2 health region
Radon is higher than usual: 11% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Seismic risk in Cardwell sits near the middle: $0.025 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. Wildfire is rare near Cardwell: 0.7% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, a burn rate of 0.02% a year.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Cardwell | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 11% | 20% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.025 | $0.036 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Within 4.8 km of Cardwell: Fundy National Park
Public parks and reserves within 10 km: 13, above New Brunswick’s towns (7) and Canadian towns (4) alike. For a provincial park, Cape Chignecto Provincial Park lies 37 km off. Also worth knowing: there is a beach within 5 km, unnamed on the map.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Cardwell | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 13 | 7 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 2.7% | 6% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Cardwell
Agricultural Museum of N.B. Inc. and 2 more in and around Cardwell
What there is to see in Cardwell and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
Famous people from around Cardwell
One notable person was born in Cardwell; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Christian Meier: Barcex, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Melanie Robillard: Brian Holsclaw, CC BY 2.0 · William Pugsley: Photographer: Erb, Isaac & Son., Public domain · Alfred Augustus Stockton: Montreal Perrault Print. Co, Public domain
About Cardwell
Town in New Brunswick
TownRatings counts Cardwell as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in New Brunswick; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 1,538 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- New Brunswick
- Census division
- Kings
- Census subdivision
- 1305026
Cardwell’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardwell | 1,538 | — | — | A− | C | C− |
| Sussex Corner | 1,532 | 15 | — | B− | C | C |
| Studholm | 3,668 | 15 | C− | A− | C | C− |
| Sussex | 4,994 | 16 | D | C | C | C |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Cardwell
What kind of homes are in Cardwell?
93% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more.
Do people in Cardwell speak French?
Many do: 13% are bilingual in English and French (Canadian towns’ median: 8%), and 0% speak French only.
Is Cardwell growing?
Yes: the census counted 1,353 in 2016 and 1,401 in 2021, a rise of 3.5%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 1,538.
How old are the people of Cardwell?
The median resident is 51.2 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 14% are under 15 and 22% are 65 or over.
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).