#1Paradise
Newfoundland and Labrador · 26,155 peopleOverall B+·#591 of 2,556
Strongest: jobs & income A, hazard risk A·lowest: safety C
Paradise, #1 on this list · Photo: Tango7174 (CC BY-SA 4.0)Newfoundland and Labrador · 2026
Fastest-growing towns in Newfoundland and Labrador
At the other end is Channel-Port aux Basques, with −12.8%. Across Canada, the same list puts Paradise #320 of 1,117. Canada’s top 100 on this list includes no place in Newfoundland and Labrador. Paradise tops the list in Newfoundland and Labrador, at +7.3%. Second place goes to Clarenville, at +6.6%, and third to Conception Bay South, at +3.7%. Bishop's Falls, in the middle of the list, comes in at −2.3%.
Population change between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, on 2021 boundaries, for places of 2,500 people or more in 2016 (a city’s neighbourhoods have no 2016 count, so they are not on this list) How grades work
#1+7.3% Growth, 2016–2021
#2Clarenville
Newfoundland and Labrador · 7,441 peopleOverall B−·#1,486 of 2,556
Strongest: hazard risk A+, cost of living B·lowest: health D
#3Conception Bay South
Newfoundland and Labrador · 29,725 peopleOverall B−·#1,491 of 2,556
Strongest: hazard risk A, jobs & income B+·lowest: safety C
All 30, ranked in Newfoundland and Labrador
Best first in Newfoundland and Labrador; beside each place, its rank on the same list for all of Canada.
30 places
#TownGrowth, 2016–2021Canada rankWhat drives it
2Clarenville7,441 people+6.6%#362 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A+, cost of living B·lowest: health D
3Conception Bay South29,725 people+3.7%#559 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, jobs & income B+·lowest: safety C
4Portugal Cove-St. Philip's9,167 people+3.3%#586 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, jobs & income A·lowest: walkability C
5Labrador City7,965 people+2.7%#642 of 1,117Strongest: jobs & income A+, cost of living A+·lowest: hazard risk D−
7St. John's128,693 people+1.5%#737 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, walkability A·lowest: cost of living C−
8Springdale2,893 people−0.2%#859 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A+, safety B+·lowest: jobs & income C−
9Torbay8,297 people−0.6%#897 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, jobs & income A−·lowest: walkability C
10Bay Roberts6,407 people−0.6%#906 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living B·lowest: health D−
11Happy Valley-Goose Bay8,197 people−0.9%#930 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A+, jobs & income A·lowest: safety D−
12Spaniard's Bay2,664 people−0.9%#933 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living B−·lowest: jobs & income D−
13Stephenville6,840 people−1.3%#950 of 1,117Strongest: walkability A−, hazard risk B+·lowest: safety D
14Marystown5,196 people−2.1%#986 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living B·lowest: health D−
15Grand Falls-Windsor14,510 people−2.2%#992 of 1,117Strongest: walkability B, cost of living B·lowest: hazard risk D
16Bishop's Falls3,162 people−2.3%#999 of 1,117Strongest: cost of living B, walkability C+·lowest: hazard risk D
17Corner Brook20,549 people−2.4%#1,001 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A−, walkability B+·lowest: health C
18Pasadena3,930 people−2.7%#1,009 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A−, cost of living A−·lowest: health D
19Mount Pearl24,266 people−2.8%#1,012 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, jobs & income B+·lowest: cost of living C
20Division No. 7, Subdivision E2,632 people−2.9%#1,014 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A·lowest: health D−
21Carbonear5,041 people−3.3%#1,031 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, walkability B·lowest: jobs & income D
22Botwood2,884 people−3.4%#1,034 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, walkability B+·lowest: jobs & income D
23Lewisporte3,405 people−3.5%#1,040 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living B·lowest: health D
24Division No. 1, Subdivision E2,978 people−3.7%#1,044 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living C+·lowest: jobs & income D−
25Placentia3,374 people−5.9%#1,083 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A·lowest: health D
26Harbour Grace2,872 people−6.6%#1,094 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living B·lowest: jobs & income D
27Deer Lake5,319 people−7.3%#1,100 of 1,117Strongest: walkability A−, hazard risk A−·lowest: health D
28Bonavista3,293 people−7.5%#1,102 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A+, walkability B+·lowest: health C−
29Division No. 8, Subdivision L2,724 people−9.4%#1,107 of 1,117Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A−·lowest: jobs & income D−
30Channel-Port aux Basques3,379 people−12.8%#1,115 of 1,117Strongest: cost of living A, walkability A−·lowest: health C
Rankings
More lists for Newfoundland and Labrador
All listsBest places to liveBest small townsMost affordableSafestHealthiestJobs & incomeMost walkableLowest hazard riskCivic lifeHighest incomesFastest-growingMost historicMost bilingualYoungestOldestMildest wintersColdest wintersWarmest summersCoolest summersFewest frostsLeast snowSnowiestDriestWettest
Province by province
Fastest-growing elsewhere
Photos: Paradise, Tango7174 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Clarenville, Rioux Photography Edmonton, AB (Public domain) · Conception Bay South, Tango7174 (CC BY-SA 4.0), 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).