ShippaganNew Brunswick
A town in New Brunswick, home to 4,721 people. Its census division is Gloucester.
Is Shippagan a good place to live?
The picture is mixed. With a C+ overall, Shippagan is better than 38% of Canadian towns and ranks #19 of 59 in New Brunswick. Walkability is its weak spot (D−). Prices are modest for what you get (A). Hazard risk is weaker too (D).
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.
What makes Shippagan stand out
The 3 things Shippagan does most differently from other towns.
How Shippagan grades
Each subject compares Shippagan 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 →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Shippagan.
Rent takes less of local pay in Shippagan than in New Brunswick’s towns or Canadian towns: 14% of household income
89% of households are owner-occupiers. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 6% of households, lower than 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 | Shippagan | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 14% | 20% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 6% | 9% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 89% | 86% | 74% |
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.
Radon is Shippagan’s main hazard: 40% of tested homes in its area top Health Canada’s guideline
Shared with the rest of the Region 6 health region: radon tests
Seismic risk in Shippagan sits near the middle: $0.036 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. The national inventory holds one flood map for it, from Service New Brunswick - GeoNB. Fire seldom reaches Shippagan: since 1986, 0.1% of the land within 25 km has burned (0.003% a year).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Shippagan | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 40% | 20% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.036 | $0.036 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Summers stay cool in Shippagan: July afternoons reach 23.6°C, below New Brunswick’s towns and Canadian towns
Snowfall adds up to 343 cm a year, above both New Brunswick’s towns (310 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Frost usually lifts by 17 May and returns around 13 October: 148 days without it. Also worth knowing: a normal February brings 84 cm of snow, the most of any month. The most precipitation falls in October: 110 mm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Shippagan | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 343 cm | 310 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 23.6°C | 25.1°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 984 mm | 1,121 mm | 883 mm |
| January night low | −12.7°C | −13.3°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Bas Caraquet)
Commuters in Shippagan have a short way to work, 17 min on average, less than in New Brunswick’s towns and Canadian towns
98% of commuters drove, near New Brunswick’s towns (95%) and higher than Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Shippagan | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 17 min | 21 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 98% | 95% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Shippagan is graded a C for safety
These figures come from the closest detachment: none reports for Shippagan itself
Violent crime in the area its police cover: 20 per 1,000 people a year. The index for the force that serves it came to 80, above both New Brunswick’s towns (73) and Canadian towns (67). Across its police area, there are 23.6 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Shippagan | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 20 | 14.9 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 23.6 | 30.9 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 101 | 82 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 80 | 73 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: one figure for all of the Lameque detachment area
An older town: 29% of people in Shippagan are 65 or over, more than in New Brunswick’s towns or Canadian towns
Both official languages: 30% of residents, above both New Brunswick’s towns (27%) and Canadian towns (7.5%). The under-15s are just over a tenth of the population here.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
48.5% of Shippagan’s residents are women
Here the census found 2,460 men and 2,315 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Shippagan | New Brunswick | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 61% | 63% | 64% |
| 65+ | 29% | 23% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 45% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 36% | 50% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; New Brunswick and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Teaching in French: 4 of Shippagan’s 4 schools
In or within 3 km of Shippagan: 3 elementary schools and 1 secondary school. Teenagers have 9.2 km to go to the closest secondary school, above both New Brunswick’s towns (4.5 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École L'Étincelle FrenchIn ShippaganElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| École Marie-Esther FrenchNearest secondary school, 1.4 kmSecondary | Secondary | – | French public |
| École L'Envolée FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| Schools within 3 km | Shippagan | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 9.2 km | 4.5 km | 1.2 km |
| School boards | 2 | 1.5 | 3 |
Statistics Canada’s Open Database of Educational Facilities · The schools grade is given only where results are open; in New Brunswick, the province publishes no results school by school.
In Shippagan, November normally means 5°C afternoons and −1°C nights
In November, the normal is 93 mm of rain and snow. About 19 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Into December, the normals move to −1°C and −7°C. Over the year, July is warmest at 24°C by day and February coldest at −13°C by night.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −4°C | −11°C | 230 mm |
| Spring | 7°C | −2°C | 229 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 13°C | 238 mm |
| Autumn | 12°C | 4°C | 287 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Bas Caraquet); the forecast is on the Weather page
Acadie—Bathurst, which takes in Shippagan, is held by Serge Cormier (Liberal Party of Canada)
From New Brunswick come 10 MPs, 6 of them with the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
No public library stands in Shippagan: the closest, Lamèque Public Library, is 2.9 km away
Library statistics aren’t published openly in New Brunswick, so there are no visit or loan figures for Shippagan.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Shippagan is graded a B− for health
On average a fifth of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, above both New Brunswick’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (17%). At 11%, the share of adults who smoke sits under the 14% for New Brunswick. Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 80.2, women 82.7 and men 77.8 (2022/2024). The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 49%, ahead of the 44% for New Brunswick. Figures for health survey and life expectancy are published for the Zone 6 (Bathurst area) as a whole, not for Shippagan alone.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Shippagan | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 49% | 43% | 52% |
| Smokers | 11% | 13% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.2 | 80.1 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
47 beaches lie within 5 km of Shippagan
Within its own boundary, 18% of the town is protected. The closest of Canada’s national parks is Kouchibouguac National Park, at 82 km. Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé National Park (Québec) is the closest provincial park, at 58 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Shippagan | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 2.5% | 6% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 7 | 7 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Heritage in Shippagan
The oldest dated place, Miscou Island Lighthouse, goes back to 1856. Counted by designation, there are a Recognized Federal Heritage Building.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Shippagan | New Brunswick | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 18% | 18% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Shippagan
Famous people from around Shippagan
2 notable people were born in Shippagan; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Aldéa Landry: NBLiberalTV Videography and Editing by Jesse Anthony Co-Produced by Alex LeBlanc and Nathan Scott Directed by Alex LeBlanc, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Marie-Esther Robichaud: Anonymous, Public domain · Luc Bourdon: Robert Ciavarro, CC BY-SA 2.0
Shippagan’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shippagan | 4,721 | — | C+ | A | C | B− |
| Lamèque | 1,392 | 2.5 | — | B+ | C | B− |
| Shippagan | 3,073 | 9.4 | C+ | B | C | B− |
| Bas-Caraquet | 1,391 | 13 | — | B+ | B− | B− |
| Caraquet | 1,263 | 15 | — | A+ | B− | C+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Shippagan
Who are the people of Shippagan?
At the 2021 census, 0% were immigrants and 0% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 6% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
Do people in Shippagan speak French?
French alone: 69.1%.
What kind of homes are in Shippagan?
92% 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 2.1 people; 32% are one person living alone.
Has Shippagan grown?
It lost people: 4,800 in 2016, 4,781 in 2021, 0.4% fewer, while the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 4,721.
About Shippagan
Town in New Brunswick
TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Shippagan is one municipality in New Brunswick, figures and all.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 4,721 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- New Brunswick
- Census division
- Gloucester
- Census subdivision
- 1315029
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).