DorchesterNew Brunswick

The population fell 17% between 2016 and 2021. A town of 1,130 in New Brunswick.

5 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Verne Equinox · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

1,130

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

44.4

years · New Brunswick’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

43%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Dorchester a good place to live?

Dorchester is a safe place by the numbers (B). Where it falls short is jobs & income (D−). Health outcomes fall short of most towns (C+). Hazard risk is weaker too (C).

An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Dorchester has its subject grades alone.

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. 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.

WeakestD⁻Jobs & income

How Dorchester grades

Each subject compares Dorchester 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 grading works

An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Dorchester has its subject grades alone.

Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workD⁻Open →Hazard riskMore exposed to natural hazards than mostCOpen →HealthBehind most towns comparedC⁺Open →SafetyNear typical for the towns comparedBOpen →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnB⁻Open →

SchoolsIn New Brunswick, there’s no schools grade: the province publishes no results school by school.–

WalkabilityNot graded: not enough data–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Dorchester stand out

The 3 things Dorchester does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

1.3 times household income

The middle of Canadian towns: 4.7 times

Median owner’s estimate $84,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Jobs & income

Behind 97%

of Canadian towns on jobs & income

Its jobs & income grade: D−.

Median household income, 2020

Income

$57,200 median household income

The median of Canadian towns: $81,000

Statistics Canada, Census 2021: household income in 2020.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Dorchester.

Work & commuteJobs & income D⁻

Commuters in Dorchester travel further than in New Brunswick’s towns or Canadian towns, 29 min on average

0%walk, cycle or take transit

100% of commuters drove, above New Brunswick’s towns (95%) and Canadian towns (89%) alike.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van100%

Census 2021	Dorchester	New Brunswick	Canada
Average trip	29 min	21 min	26 min
Car or van	100%	95%	89%

$57,200

median household income, 2020

22%

worked from home, May 2021

22%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageDorchester’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment7% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work0% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to35 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Moncton

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.

Natural hazardsHazard risk C

High radon around Dorchester: 20% of homes tested in the area exceed 200 Bq/m³

Lowwildfire bandCHazard risk Grade

Measured across the Region 1 health region: radon tests

Burn scars are few around Dorchester, with 0.2% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.006% a year). The national inventory holds one flood map for it, from Service New Brunswick - GeoNB.

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Dorchester20%

New Brunswick’s towns20%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Dorchester	New Brunswick	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	20%	20%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.020	$0.036	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

18 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageDorchester’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon20% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.2% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodOne flood study on record Earthquakes$0.020 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

Climate

Summers stay cool in Dorchester: July afternoons reach 24.3°C, below New Brunswick’s towns and Canadian towns

24.3°CJuly afternoons

The coldest nights come in January, when Dorchester averages a low of −11.7°C. Some 310 cm of snow falls in a typical year, close to New Brunswick’s towns (310 cm) and above Canadian towns (141 cm). A normal October brings 115 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. The frost-free season runs from 27 May to 3 October, 128 days.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−0.6°C

Spring9.2°C

Summer23.0°C

Autumn13.7°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Dorchester	New Brunswick	Canada
Snowfall a year	310 cm	310 cm	141 cm
July afternoon high	24.3°C	25.1°C	25.5°C
Precipitation a year	1,161 mm	1,121 mm	883 mm
January night low	−11.7°C	−13.3°C	−13.5°C

310 cm

of snow a year

128

frost-free days, 27 May to 3 Oct

132

days with precipitation a year

Full pageDorchester’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 24.3°C, January lows −11.7°C Rain and snow1,161 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow310 cm of snow a year Weather station26 km to the station · Nappan

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Nappan)

HealthHealth C⁺

Very good or excellent health for just 43% of adults around Dorchester; the typical Canadian town: 52%

43%very good or excellent healthC⁺Health Grade

Statistics Canada puts life expectancy at 81.5, above New Brunswick’s towns (80.1) and close to Canadian towns (81.5). Smoking is rarer than in the province: just over one in ten adults, against 14% for New Brunswick. Measured from where Dorchester’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 11 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km. For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the Zone 1 (Moncton area), Dorchester included.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Dorchester43%

New Brunswick’s towns43%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Dorchester	New Brunswick	Canada
Very good or excellent health	43%	43%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	18%	18%	17%
Life expectancy at birth	81.5	80.1	81.5
Smokers	12%	13%	12%

81.5

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

11 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

11 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageDorchester’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey43% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting careA pharmacy 11 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.5, men 79.5 Conditions and habits18% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

SafetySafety B

Dorchester’s grade for safety: a B

58Crime Severity Index

These figures come from the closest detachment: none reports for Dorchester itself

Property crime in its police area ran at 19.2 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both New Brunswick’s towns (30.9) and Canadian towns (31.2). The force’s area logs 10.8 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Dorchester shares its Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 numbers with the rest of the Sackville detachment area.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202384

202427

202564

2023–2025	Dorchester	New Brunswick	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	19.2	30.9	31.2
Crime Severity Index	58	73	67
Violent crime	10.8	14.9	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

28%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageDorchester’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety58 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Dorchester’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Dorchester safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

Weather

Expect November days around 7°C in Dorchester, nights around −1°C

7°Ca normal November afternoon

The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Sackville. November usually brings some 19 cm of snow. Expect about 114 mm of rain and snow over November. At the extremes, July afternoons reach 24°C and January nights −12°C.

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November7°C

December2°C

January−2°C

February−1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−1°C	−10°C	295 mm
Spring	9°C	−1°C	268 mm
Summer	23°C	12°C	260 mm
Autumn	14°C	4°C	339 mm

−1°C

a normal November night

114 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageDorchester’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Nappan); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Dominic LeBlanc won Beauséjour by 17,787 votes in 2021, a wider lead than in 85% of Canada’s ridings

The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick’s ridings aren’t published as open data we could find, so Dorchester isn’t placed in one.

Full pageDorchester’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itVillage

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁻

Dorchester’s public library is Dorchester Memorial Public Library

From the centre of Dorchester, it is 1.8 km away.

Full pageDorchester’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong3.5 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Within 39 km of Dorchester: Fundy National Park

0.8%of the land within 10 km protected

The protected share within 10 km is 0.8%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%. The largest named area nearby is 4038200, 292 ha, 9.8 km away. The 10 km around town hold 40 protected areas. The nearest provincial park, Amherst Shore Provincial Park, is 46 km away.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Dorchester0.8%

New Brunswick’s towns6%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Dorchester	New Brunswick	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0.8%	6%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	1	7	4

39 km

to Fundy National Park

46 km

to Amherst Shore Provincial Park

public protected area within 10 km

Full pageDorchester’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas4038200 National & provincial parks39 km to a national park · Fundy National Park

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

Schools

The nearest high school to Dorchester is 11 km away

1school within 3 km

Young children have 2.2 km to the nearest elementary school, above New Brunswick’s towns (1.6 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km) alike.

School	Level	Students	System
Dorchester Consolidated SchoolIn DorchesterElementary	Elementary	–	English public

Schools within 3 km	Dorchester	New Brunswick	Canada
Nearest secondary school	11 km	4.5 km	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	2.2 km	1.6 km	0.5 km

11 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageDorchester’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school1 elementary school Language0 of 1 teach in French · 28% of schools in New Brunswick Questions“What schools are there in Dorchester?”

Statistics Canada’s Open Database of Educational Facilities · Why no schools grade in New Brunswick? The province publishes no results school by school.

Who lives here

Children make up only 8.3% of Dorchester, fewer than in New Brunswick’s towns and Canadian towns

44.4median age

Over-65s are 16% of the population. Both official languages: 21% of residents, below New Brunswick’s towns (27%) but above Canadian towns (7.5%).

DorchesterNew BrunswickCanada

New BrunswickCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

16%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree19%

Postsecondary qualification43%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 24.2% of Dorchester

The 2021 census counted 220 women and 690 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Dorchester
	Dorchester	New Brunswick	Canada
Under 15	8.3%	15%	16%
15 to 64	76%	63%	64%
65+	16%	23%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	19%	18%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	43%	50%	56%

Full pageDorchester’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages44.4 median age · 16% are 65 or over Households210 households · 2.2 people per household Immigrants5% are immigrants · 0% belong to a visible minority English and French21% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; New Brunswick and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

HousingCost of living B⁻

Rent takes more of local pay in Dorchester than in New Brunswick’s towns or Canadian towns: 28% of household income

$84,000median home value, 2021B⁻Cost of living Grade

Area-wide: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, counted over the Moncton metro area

7% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below New Brunswick’s towns (9%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. The owner-occupied share of households is 83%.

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Dorchester$84,000

New Brunswick$187,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Dorchester	New Brunswick	Canada
Rent as a share of income	28%	20%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	7%	9%	18%
Households owning their home	83%	86%	74%

$1,452

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$532

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageDorchester’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$1,452 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Cost of living1.3 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $84,000, against the median household income Owners and renters83% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.

History

In Dorchester, 68% of homes go back before 1961

3historic places

The registers put 3 historic places inside its boundary, one of them of the highest rank. The earliest construction date, 1831, belongs to Chandler House / Rocklyn. On the list: 2 Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings.

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations1

Other federal designations2

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

1831

oldest construction date on the record

68%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Dorchester	New Brunswick	Canada
Homes built before 1961	68%	18%	18%

Full pageDorchester’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes68% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%On the registers3 historic places inside the town Highest designations1 top designation · Chandler House / Rocklyn Questions“How many historic places does Dorchester have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Dorchester

15pages on Dorchester

The big questions

SafetyBCrime Severity Index 58 Housing & costB⁻Homes 1.3 × income Property pricesSchoolsOne school within 3 km HealthC⁺Life expectancy 81.5 in its region Work & commuteD⁻56% of adults in work Natural hazardsCWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors0.8% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 24°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 44.4 History3 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Keillor House and 10 more within 40 km

2 places to visit are mapped within 5 km of Dorchester; with them, the best known within 40 km.

All attractions →

MuseumMuseumKeillor Housein town

FortFort Beauséjour — Fort Cumberland18 km east

MuseumAlbert County Museum9.2 km south

MuseumNew Brunswick Railway Museum11 km west

CathedralCathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption29 km west

MuseumMoncton Museum29 km west

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (5)

Fort Beauséjour — Fort Cumberland: Verne Equinox, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Albert County Museum: Verne Equinox, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
New Brunswick Railway Museum: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Moncton Museum: Stu pendousmat, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from Dorchester

7 notable people were born in Dorchester.

See all 7 →

Forbes KennedyCanadian ice hockey player · 1935–2026

Henry Read EmmersonCanadian politician · 1883–1954

Leo BurkeCanadian professional wrestler · 1948–2024

Robert AckmanChemist, professor · 1927–2013

Charles Francis HallBishop of New Hampshire in 1948–1973 · 1908–1992

A. Cavour ChapmanCanadian mayor · 1860–1943

About Dorchester

Town in New Brunswick

The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Dorchester is one census subdivision in New Brunswick, and TownRatings describes all of it.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 1,130 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: New Brunswick
Census division: Westmorland
Metro area: Moncton
Census subdivision: 1307012

Dorchester’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

MemramcookSackvilleSackvilleHillsboroughHillsboroughDorchester

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Dorchester	1,130	—	—	B⁻	B	C⁺
Memramcook	5,616	9.4	C⁺	B⁻	B	C
Sackville	1,286	9.8	—	—	B	C⁺
Sackville	6,572	11	C	C⁺	C	B⁻
Hillsborough	1,414	12	—	C⁺	B	C
Hillsborough	1,569	14	—	C⁺	B	C

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Dorchester

Who are the people of Dorchester?

0% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 8% have an Indigenous identity and 5% are immigrants.

Is Dorchester growing?

It went from 1,096 people in 2016 to 906 in 2021, down 17.3%, while the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 1,130.

Do people in Dorchester speak French?

Many do: 21% are bilingual in English and French (Canadian towns’ median: 8%), and 0% speak French only.

What kind of homes are in Dorchester?

85% 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. A household averages 2.2 people; 33% are one person living alone.

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).