BarringtonNova Scotia
Population 6,720: a town in Nova Scotia. It lies in Shelburne.
Is Barrington a good place to live?
The data are hard on it. Overall, Barrington earns a C−: better than 16% of Canadian towns, and #45 of 88 in Nova Scotia. Its weakest subject is health (D−). It lags on hazard risk as well (D−). Also worth knowing: prices are modest for what you get (B+).
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 is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. 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. Wildfire lowers this town's Hazard risk Grade: a high share of the land around it has burned in the last 40 years.
How Barrington grades
Each subject compares Barrington 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 →
What makes Barrington stand out
The 3 things Barrington does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Barrington.
For hazard risk, Barrington gets a D−
Shared with the rest of the Zone 1 health region: radon tests
Fire is a regular visitor: 19% of the land within 25 km of Barrington has burned since 1986 (0.46% a year). Radon around Barrington is ordinary for Canada: 6.2% of tested homes over the guideline (6.6% typical). Seismic risk in Barrington sits near the middle: $0.025 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Barrington | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 6.2% | 13% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.025 | $0.018 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
For health, Barrington gets a D−
Area-wide: health survey and life expectancy, counted over the Zone 1 - Western
Smoking takes in nearly a fifth of adults, age-standardised, above Nova Scotia’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. Measured from where Barrington’s residents live, a hospital is 36 km away on average and 84% of them are over 30 km out. Across the region, 44% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; Nova Scotia as a whole reaches 48%. Life expectancy in the region is 80.0 years (82.5 for women, 77.6 for men, 2022/2024).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Barrington | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19% | 15% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 44% | 49% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 20% | 20% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.0 | 80.0 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Renting in Barrington costs 17% of household income, less than in Nova Scotia’s towns and across Canadian towns
Owners make up 84% of households, near Nova Scotia’s towns (82%) and higher than Canadian towns (74%). 9% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Barrington | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 9% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 21% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $180,000 | $250,000 | $406,000 |
| Households owning their home | 84% | 82% | 74% |
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.
Barrington has cooler summers than Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: July highs of 21.4°C
Rain and melted snow add up to 1,290 mm a year, lower than Nova Scotia’s towns (1,393 mm) yet higher than Canadian towns (883 mm). Midwinter nights in Barrington bottom out at −6.4°C on average. Gardeners get 179 frost-free days, from 28 April to 24 October. Most of the snow comes in January, about 64 cm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Barrington | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 21.4°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −6.4°C | −8.9°C | −13.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,290 mm | 1,393 mm | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 123 | 133 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Yarmouth)
For safety, Barrington gets a C+
Its police area recorded 22.4 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (14.5) and Canadian towns (12). Property crime in the area its police cover: 29.4 per 1,000 people a year. Barrington doesn’t get its own Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures; the ones here come from the Barrington detachment area.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Barrington | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 22.4 | 14.5 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 29.4 | 36.2 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Within 10 km of Barrington: 46 public protected areas
Within 5 km are 45 beaches; Lyons Beach is the nearest. 5.2% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%).
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Barrington | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 46 | 23.5 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 5.2% | 8.7% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
More of Barrington’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 9.1%
1.5% of residents belong to a visible minority, below Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. People 65 and over make up 25% of the town. Under-15s account for 13% of the population.
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 50.5% of Barrington
The 2021 census counted 3,295 women and 3,225 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| Barrington | Nova Scotia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 62% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 25% | 25% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 35% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 37% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Nova Scotia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
The nearest high school to Barrington is 56 km away
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrington Municipal High SchoolIn BarringtonElementary · Grades 7–RG | Elementary · Grades 7–RG | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Barrington | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 56 km | 4.3 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 5.2 km | 1.9 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Why no schools grade in Nova Scotia? The province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.
Barrington in November: highs near 9°C, lows near 2°C
A normal November brings 143 mm of rain and snow. Expect around 10 cm of snow in November. The month after, December, normally sees 4°C afternoons and −3°C nights. The year peaks in August (22°C) and bottoms out in January (−6°C).
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 2°C | −5°C | 366 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | 1°C | 311 mm |
| Summer | 20°C | 12°C | 255 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 6°C | 359 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Yarmouth); the forecast is on the Weather page
Barrington sends Jessica Fancy-Landry (Liberal Party of Canada) to the Commons from South Shore—St. Margarets
11 of the 11 MPs from Nova Scotia belong to the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Clark's Harbour Town Library and Barrington Municipal Library are Barrington’s two public libraries
Library statistics aren’t published openly in Nova Scotia, so there are no visit or loan figures for Barrington.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Commuters in Barrington have a short way to work, 20 min on average, less than in Nova Scotia’s towns and across Canadian towns
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Barrington | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 20 min | 23 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Barrington’s record starts in 1629 with Fort St. Louis
Add one just outside the town. Canada’s heritage registers list 4 historic places inside the town, 3 with the highest designation. Counted by designation, there are a provincial or municipal listing.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
- Fort St. Louis 1629
- Old Barrington Meeting House 1765
- Lighthouse (new) 1923
- Barrington Woolen Mill 1968
| Heritage | Barrington | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 27% | 28% | 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 Barrington
Barrington Woolen Mill and 4 more in and around Barrington
What there is to see in Barrington and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
MuseumBarrington Woolen Millin town
MuseumOld Barrington Meeting Housein townMuseumMuseumChapel Hill Museumin townMuseumMuseumSeal Island Light Museumin townMuseumMuseumHistoric Acadian Village of Nova Scotia4.4 km outside town, to the northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Barrington Woolen Mill: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Old Barrington Meeting House: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Barrington
7 notable people were born in Barrington.
Photo credits
Gerald Steadman Smith: Capesabledreamer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Thomas Coffin Doane: Topley Studio / Library and Archives Canada / PA-025356 (copyright expired), Public domain · Thomas Robertson: William James Topley, Public domain · Thomas Coffin: William James Topley, Public domain
About Barrington
Town in Nova Scotia
For Barrington, TownRatings uses Statistics Canada’s census-subdivision boundary in Nova Scotia, and every figure on its pages covers that whole area.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 6,720 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Nova Scotia
- Census division
- Shelburne
- Census subdivision
- 1201001
Questions about Barrington
What kind of homes are in Barrington?
Mostly 89% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.1 people on average, and 31% have just one.
Has Barrington grown?
It lost people: 6,646 in 2016, 6,523 in 2021, 1.9% fewer, while the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 6,720.
How old are the people of Barrington?
The median resident is 50 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 13% are under 15 and 25% 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).