AntigonishNova Scotia

TownGrade

#2,482 of 2,556

The town has 5,175 residents and lies in Nova Scotia. It grew by 7% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Brendanriley · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

5,175

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · Nova Scotia’s towns: 51.6

Postsecondary

59%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

18%

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

Is Antigonish a good place to live?

A town with more to fix than most. Cost of living is its weak spot (D). Overall, Antigonish earns a D: better than 6% of Canadian towns, and #75 of 88 in Nova Scotia. Getting around on foot or by bus is easy (A+).

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. 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.

StrongestA⁺Walkability AHazard riskWeakestDCost of living C⁻Safety

How Antigonish grades

Each subject compares Antigonish 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

WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesA⁺Open →Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesDOpen →Hazard riskIn the top fifth of the towns comparedAOpen →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentC⁻Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work trail most townsC⁻Open →HealthBehind most towns comparedCOpen →

SchoolsThe schools grade is left out in Nova Scotia, as the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Antigonish stand out

The 3 things Antigonish does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Households renting

Housing

57% rent their home

For the middle of Canadian towns, 25%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Walkability

Better than 96%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: A+.

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

18% walk, cycle or take transit

The midpoint across Canadian towns is 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Antigonish.

HousingCost of living D

Rent takes more of local pay in Antigonish than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 26% of household income

$250,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

A quarter of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, above Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. Owners put the median home at $250,000, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns ($250,000) and below Canadian towns ($406,000).

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

Antigonish$250,000

Nova Scotia$250,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Antigonish	Nova Scotia	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	25%	13%	18%
Rent as a share of income	26%	21%	20%
Median home value, 2021	$250,000	$250,000	$406,000

$830

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$650

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Renting$830 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living4.5 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $250,000, against the median household income Owners and renters43% own their home

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.

Natural hazardsHazard risk A

Antigonish faces fewer hazards than 88% of Canadian towns

Lowwildfire bandAHazard risk Grade

Shared with the rest of the Zone 4 health region: radon tests

For earthquakes Antigonish is middling, $0.022 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. In Health Canada’s survey, just 2% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Province of Nova Scotia has mapped the flood hazard here: one study on the national inventory.

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

Antigonish2%

Nova Scotia’s towns13%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Antigonish	Nova Scotia	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	2%	13%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.022	$0.018	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

8.1 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

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

WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 FloodOne flood study on record Earthquakes$0.022 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon2% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

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

SafetySafety C⁻

Violent crime weighs more on Antigonish than on Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 123

115Crime Severity Index

Property crime accounts for 67.3 incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 27.2 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (14.5) and Canadian towns (12).

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023123

202493

2025130

2023–2025	Antigonish	Nova Scotia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	67.3	36.2	31.2
Violent crime	27.2	14.5	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	123	94	86

113

non-violent Crime Severity Index

32%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageAntigonish’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety115 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Antigonish’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Antigonish safe?”

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

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁻

Trips to work from Antigonish are shorter than from Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 16 min on average

18%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van80%

Walk17%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Antigonish	Nova Scotia	Canada
Average trip	16 min	23 min	26 min

$54,800

median household income, 2020

11%

worked from home, May 2021

66%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Unemployment18% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work18% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to300 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Antigonish, Subd. A

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.

HealthHealth C

More long-term illness in Antigonish’s health region: 21% on the three conditions, the typical Canadian town 17%

49%very good or excellent healthCHealth Grade

Measured across the Zone 3 - Eastern: health survey and life expectancy

Life expectancy in the region is 78.8 years (80.9 for women, 76.6 for men, 2022/2024). The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 49%; Nova Scotia as a whole is at 48%. Smoking takes in 15% of adults, age-standardised, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (15%) and above Canadian towns (12%). For Antigonish itself the measure is access, and it scores well: 1.7 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Antigonish49%

Nova Scotia’s towns49%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Antigonish	Nova Scotia	Canada
Chronic conditions (average share)	21%	20%	17%
Life expectancy at birth	78.8	80.0	81.5
Smokers	15%	15%	12%
Very good or excellent health	49%	49%	52%

78.8

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

1.7 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

15%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

0.8 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageAntigonish’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey49% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care1.7 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 0.8 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 80.9, men 76.6 Conditions and habits21% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

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

Climate

Precipitation in Antigonish tops that of 83% of Canadian towns: 1,122 mm a year

24.5°CJuly afternoons

Frost comes on 175 days a year, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (133) and Canadian towns (159). Expect July highs of around 24.5°C in Antigonish. Gardeners get 104 frost-free days, from 10 June to 22 September. Winter lows in Antigonish average −10.4°C in January.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter0.0°C

Spring8.7°C

Summer23.0°C

Autumn14.0°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Antigonish	Nova Scotia	Canada
Days with frost a year	175	133	159
Precipitation a year	1,122 mm	1,393 mm	883 mm
July afternoon high	24.5°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
Snowfall a year	162 cm	215 cm	141 cm

162 cm

of snow a year

175

days with frost a year

104

frost-free days, 10 Jun to 22 Sep

133

days with precipitation a year

Full pageAntigonish’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

Rain and snow1,122 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm The yearJuly highs 24.5°C, January lows −10.4°C Snow162 cm of snow a year Weather station16 km to the station · Collegeville

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

Outdoors

The International Appalachian Trail (Nova Scotia) runs by Antigonish

7.6%of the land within 10 km protected

10 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. 9.7 km from town is Dunns Beach Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. Scallop Buffer Zone (SFA 24) (209,496 ha) is the biggest, 0.1 km from town. Protected areas cover 7.6% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Antigonish7.6%

Nova Scotia’s towns8.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Antigonish	Nova Scotia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	7.6%	8.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	10	23.5	4

9.7 km

to Dunns Beach Provincial Park

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageAntigonish’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Footpaths & routes1 named route · International Appalachian Trail (Nova Scotia)Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas10 protected areas within 10 km · Scallop Buffer Zone (SFA 24)National & provincial parks9.7 km to a provincial park · Dunns Beach Provincial Park

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

Schools

Around Antigonish, 2 elementary schools and 1 secondary school: 3 schools in all

3schools within 3 km

School	Level	Students	System
St. Andrew Junior SchoolNearest elementary school, 0.1 kmElementary · Grades 5–8	Elementary · Grades 5–8	–	English public
Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional HighIn AntigonishSecondary · Grades 9–RG	Secondary · Grades 9–RG	–	English public

See all 3 schools →

1 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageAntigonish’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school3 schools within 3 km · 2 elementary schools and 1 secondary school Language0 of 3 teach in French · 6% of schools in Nova Scotia Questions“What schools are there in Antigonish?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Schools grade in Nova Scotia: none (the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20).

Weather

What November brings in Antigonish: −1°C at night, 8°C by day

8°Ca normal November afternoon

July brings the warmest days, 25°C; February the coldest nights, −11°C. The month after, December, normally sees 2°C afternoons and −6°C nights. Expect about 130 mm of rain and snow over November. ECCC’s forecast for Antigonish is on the Weather page, hour by hour.

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

November8°C

December2°C

January−1°C

February−1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	0°C	−9°C	269 mm
Spring	9°C	−2°C	221 mm
Summer	23°C	11°C	262 mm
Autumn	14°C	4°C	370 mm

−1°C

a normal November night

130 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageAntigonish’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 February

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

Town hall

Jaime Battiste (Liberal Party of Canada) holds Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish, the riding that includes Antigonish

From Nova Scotia come 11 MPs, 11 of them with the Liberal Party of Canada.

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

Who runs itTown

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A

Antigonish has two public libraries, Antigonish Public Library and Angus L. Macdonald Library

Without open library statistics in Nova Scotia, the page names Antigonish’s libraries but shows no visits or loans.

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

The libraries2 Libraries Places to belong9.3 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

Fewer children live in Antigonish than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 12% are under 15

42median age

The 65-and-over age group makes up 25% of residents. 13% of residents belong to a visible minority, between Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (15%).

AntigonishNova ScotiaCanada

Nova ScotiaCanada

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

25%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree11%

Postsecondary qualification59%

Women and men · all residents

54.2% of Antigonish’s residents are women

In 2021 there were 2,525 women to 2,130 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.

Who lives in Antigonish
	Antigonish	Nova Scotia	Canada
Under 15	12%	14%	16%
15 to 64	63%	62%	64%
65+	25%	25%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	11%	18%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	59%	54%	56%

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

Ages42 median age · 25% are 65 or over Households2,205 households · 2 people per household Immigrants7% are immigrants · 13% belong to a visible minority English and French10% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Nova Scotia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

History

Antigonish: 2 historic places, one with the highest designation

2historic places

Counted by designation, there are a provincial or municipal listing. The earliest construction date, 1855, belongs to Antigonish County Court House. Homes from before 1961 make up a fifth of the stock, between Nova Scotia’s towns (28%) and Canadian towns (18%).

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations1

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings1

Among them

Antigonish County Court House 1855
St Ninian's Cathedral 1867

1855

oldest construction date on the record

20%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Antigonish	Nova Scotia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	20%	28%	18%

Full pageAntigonish’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers2 historic places inside the town Highest designations1 top designation · Antigonish County Court House Older homes20% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Antigonish 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 Antigonish

15pages on Antigonish

The big questions

SafetyC⁻Crime Severity Index 115 Housing & costDHomes 4.5 × income Property pricesSchools3 schools within 3 km HealthCLife expectancy 78.8 in its region Work & commuteC⁻51% of adults in work Natural hazardsAWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors7.6% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 25°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 42 History2 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

St Ninian's Cathedral and 2 more in and around Antigonish

Sights in Antigonish and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.

All attractions →

CathedralSt Ninian's Cathedralin town MuseumMuseumAntigonish Heritage Museumin town Water parkWater parkSnowqueen Leisure World3.2 km outside town, to the east

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

Photo credits (1)

St Ninian's Cathedral: Brendanriley, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from Antigonish

40 notable people were born in Antigonish.

See all 40 →

Alex GrantCanadian ice hockey defenceman · born 1989

Shauna MacDonaldCanadian actress · born 1970

Eric GillisCanadian athletics competitor · born 1980

Sandy SilverCanadian politician, 9th Premier of Yukon, Member of the Yu… · born 1969

Sean FraserCanadian politician · born 1984

Craig MacDonaldCanadian ice hockey player · born 1977

Photo credits

Alex Grant: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Shauna MacDonald: indiefilmnation, CC BY 3.0 · Eric Gillis: Matt Kieffer from London, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Sandy Silver: U.S. Department of Agriculture Lance Cheung/Photographer, Public domain · Sean Fraser: Vaughn Ridley / Collision via Sportsfile, CC BY 2.0 · Craig MacDonald: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0

About Antigonish

Town in Nova Scotia

The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Antigonish is one census subdivision in Nova Scotia, and TownRatings describes all of it.

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

Population: 5,175 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Nova Scotia
Census subdivision: 1214002

Antigonish’s neighbours

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

Antigonish County, Subdivision AAntigonish County, Subdivision BAntigonish

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Antigonish	5,175	—	D	D	C⁻	C
Antigonish County, Subdivision A	9,682	3.7	C⁺	C⁺	B⁻	C⁻
Antigonish County, Subdivision B	6,486	18	C⁺	A⁻	B⁻	D

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

Questions about Antigonish

What kind of homes are in Antigonish?

Mostly 44% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 1% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2 people on average, and 44% have just one.

Who are the people of Antigonish?

Visible minorities are 13% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 7%, and Indigenous people 4%.

Has Antigonish grown?

It added people: 4,364 in 2016, 4,656 in 2021, 6.7% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 5,175.

Is Antigonish a young town or an old one?

At 42, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 12% of the population and seniors 25%.

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).