Cape BretonNova Scotia

Some 106,752 people live in this town, in Nova Scotia.

1 place within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Abebenjoe · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

106,752

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

50.4

years · Nova Scotia’s towns: 51.6

Postsecondary

53%

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%

TownGrade

C⁺

#1,623 of 2,556

Is Cape Breton a good place to live?

Cape Breton’s grades pull in different directions. Work and incomes lag (C−). Overall, Cape Breton earns a C+, better than two fifths of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #20 of 88 in Nova Scotia. Crime is low (A−). Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for cost of living and B for walkability.

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⁻SafetyWeakestC⁻Jobs & income C⁻Health

What makes Cape Breton stand out

The 3 things Cape Breton does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Immigrants

Who lives here

2% are immigrants

For the middle of Canadian towns, 6%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

2.6 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $160,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

20% unemployment

Of the labour force, against 10% for the median of Canadian towns

42% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

How Cape Breton grades

Each subject compares Cape Breton 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

Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentC⁻Open →SafetyLess crime than in most townsA⁻Open →HealthBelow the middle of the towns comparedC⁻Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carBOpen →Hazard riskMore exposed to natural hazards than mostC⁺Open →Cost of livingNear typical for the towns comparedB⁻Open →

SchoolsWith no open results to compare (the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20), there’s no schools grade in Nova Scotia.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

Nearby attractions

Glace Bay Heritage Museum and 23 more in and around Cape Breton

What there is to see in Cape Breton and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.

All attractions →

MuseumGlace Bay Heritage Museumin town

GardenGreenlink Rotary Park Trail Systemin town

MuseumLouisburg Railway Stationin town

National historic site · Parks CanadaMuseum and Caretaker's Housein town

Museum · Parks CanadaFortress of Louisbourg300 m outside town, to the southeast

Ski hillSki hillSki Ben Eoinin town

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · ODCAF · federal and Québec heritage registers · CPCAD

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

Photo credits (5)

Glace Bay Heritage Museum: Vlad Litvinov from Toronto, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Greenlink Rotary Park Trail System: Ken Heaton, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Louisburg Railway Station: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Museum and Caretaker's House: daryl_mitchell, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Fortress of Louisbourg: Aconcagua, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cape Breton.

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁻

Commuters in Cape Breton have a short way to work, 20 min on average, less than in Nova Scotia’s towns and across Canadian towns

92% of commuters drove, close to both Nova Scotia’s towns (92%) and Canadian towns (89%).

6%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van92%

Walk3%

Public transit2%

Bicycle0%

Census 2021	Cape Breton	Nova Scotia	Canada
Average trip	20 min	23 min	26 min
Car or van	92%	92%	89%

$62,400

median household income, 2020

12%

worked from home, May 2021

92%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageCape Breton’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment20% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work6% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to490 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Saint John

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.

SafetySafety A⁻

Violent crime weighs less on Cape Breton than on Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 56

Police recorded 8.3 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns (14.5) and Canadian towns (12). Property crime accounts for 22.6 incidents per 1,000 residents a year.

44Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202345

202443

202544

2023–2025	Cape Breton	Nova Scotia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	22.6	36.2	31.2
Violent Crime Severity Index	56	94	86
Violent crime	8.3	14.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

42%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageCape Breton’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety44 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Cape Breton’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Cape Breton safe?”

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

HealthHealth C⁻

Chronic conditions run high around Cape Breton: 21% on average, against 17% for the typical Canadian town

Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the Zone 3 - Eastern

The survey counts 15% of adults as smokers, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (15%) and above Canadian towns (12%). For 2022/2024, the region’s figure is 78.8 years at birth, 80.9 for women and 76.6 for men. On self-rated health the region tracks the province: 49% very good or excellent, 48% for Nova Scotia. What sets Cape Breton apart within its region is distance, and at 4.8 km to a hospital it is ordinary (3.7 km typical).

49%very good or excellent healthC⁻Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Cape Breton49%

Nova Scotia’s towns49%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Cape Breton	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

4.8 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

15%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

3.2 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageCape Breton’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey49% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care4.8 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 3.2 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

Cape Breton sits near the top of Canadian towns for rain and snow, with 1,481 mm a year

In July the thermometer climbs to 23.4°C by day, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (23.1°C) and below Canadian towns (25.5°C). For the wettest month, look to December: 170 mm on average. Frost usually lifts by 22 May and returns around 20 October: 150 days without it. Midwinter nights in Cape Breton bottom out at −9.1°C on average.

23.4°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter0.2°C

Spring7.3°C

Summer21.8°C

Autumn13.4°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Cape Breton	Nova Scotia	Canada
Snowfall a year	281 cm	215 cm	141 cm
Precipitation a year	1,481 mm	1,393 mm	883 mm
July afternoon high	23.4°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
January night low	−9.1°C	−8.9°C	−13.5°C

281 cm

of snow a year

159

days with frost a year

150

frost-free days, 22 May to 20 Oct

142

days with precipitation a year

Full pageCape Breton’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

Rain and snow1,481 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm The yearJuly highs 23.4°C, January lows −9.1°C Snow281 cm of snow a year Weather station9.1 km to the station · Sydney

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

Cape Breton’s hazards at a glance: a low wildfire record and 14% of area homes over the radon guideline

Radon tests for the Zone 5 health region

Shaking is about as much of a worry in Cape Breton as in most places, at $0.020 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Fire seldom reaches Cape Breton: since 1986, 0.3% of the land within 25 km has burned (0.008% a year). No flood study for Cape Breton is on the national inventory.

Lowwildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

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

Cape Breton14%

Nova Scotia’s towns13%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Cape Breton	Nova Scotia	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	14%	13%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.020	$0.018	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

0.2 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageCape Breton’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon14% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.3% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo 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

Outdoors

Cape Breton is near Eskasoni Fish and Wildlife Commission IPCA, an Indigenous protected area

8.2% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). A drive of 35 km reaches Cape Breton Highlands National Park, the nearest national park. Some protected land is inside the town: nearly a tenth of its area. One named trail is close: the International Appalachian Trail (Nova Scotia).

8.2%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Cape Breton8.2%

Nova Scotia’s towns8.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Cape Breton	Nova Scotia	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	153	23.5	4
Protected land within 10 km	8.2%	8.7%	2.3%

35 km

to Cape Breton Highlands National Park

At the edge

to Gaspereaux River Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

153

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageCape Breton’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas176 protected areas within 10 km · Middle River Framboise Wilderness Area National & provincial parks35 km to a national park · Cape Breton Highlands National Park Footpaths & routes1 named route · International Appalachian Trail (Nova Scotia)

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

Who lives here

Cape Breton skews older, with 27% of residents 65 or over, more than in Nova Scotia’s towns and across Canadian towns

13% are under 15, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns (14%) and Canadian towns (16%). Visible minorities make up 5.4% of the population, higher than Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) yet lower than Canadian towns (15%).

50.4median age

Cape BretonNova ScotiaCanada

Nova ScotiaCanada

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

27%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree19%

Postsecondary qualification53%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 52.1% of Cape Breton

Here the census found 48,810 women and 44,885 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.

Who lives in Cape Breton
	Cape Breton	Nova Scotia	Canada
Under 15	13%	14%	16%
15 to 64	61%	62%	64%
65+	27%	25%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	19%	18%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	53%	54%	56%

Full pageCape Breton’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages50.4 median age · 27% are 65 or over Households42,315 households · 2.2 people per household Immigrants2% are immigrants · 5% belong to a visible minority English and French4% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Weather

Expect November days around 8°C in Cape Breton, nights around freezing

A typical November adds 9 cm of snow. Into December, the normals move to 3°C and −4°C. Precipitation in November averages 149 mm. Also worth knowing: across the year, normals run from −10°C nights in February to 23°C afternoons in July.

8°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November8°C

December3°C

January−1°C

February−1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	0°C	−8°C	440 mm
Spring	7°C	−2°C	340 mm
Summer	22°C	11°C	287 mm
Autumn	13°C	5°C	414 mm

0°C

a normal November night

149 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageCape Breton’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 (Sydney); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Cape Breton straddles 2 federal ridings, from Sydney—Glace Bay to Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish

Without an open map of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly’s ridings, this page can’t say which one Cape Breton is in.

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

Who runs itRegional Municipality Member of ParliamentMike Kelloway

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B

10 public library branches serve Cape Breton

They are James McConnell Memorial Library, Florence Public Library, Glace Bay Public Library and 7 more.

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

Places to belong1.6 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

HousingCost of living B⁻

Cape Breton earns a B− for cost of living

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

16% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, above Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) but below Canadian towns (18%). Home ownership covers 71% of households.

$160,000median home value, 2021B⁻Cost of living Grade

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

Cape Breton$160,000

Nova Scotia$250,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Cape Breton	Nova Scotia	Canada
Households owning their home	71%	82%	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	16%	13%	18%
Rent as a share of income	22%	21%	20%

$1,134

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$710

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageCape Breton’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Cost of living2.6 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $160,000, against the median household income Renting$1,134 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Owners and renters71% own their home

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.

Schools

The 34 schools of Cape Breton: 30 elementary schools and 4 secondary schools

Within 3 km, 2 boards share the schools, above Nova Scotia’s towns (1) but below Canadian towns (3). Measured from the centre, the closest high school lies 3.2 km off, lower than Nova Scotia’s towns (4.3 km) yet higher than Canadian towns (1.2 km).

34schools within 3 km

School	Level	Students	System
Bras d'Or Elementary SchoolIn Cape BretonElementary	Elementary	–	English public
Glace Bay High SchoolIn Cape BretonSecondary · Grades 9–RG	Secondary · Grades 9–RG	–	English public
Centre scolaire Étoile de l'Acadie FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary	Elementary	–	French public

See all 34 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public33

French public1

Schools within 3 km	Cape Breton	Nova Scotia	Canada
School boards	2	1	3
Nearest secondary school	3.2 km	4.3 km	1.2 km

3.2 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageCape Breton’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school34 schools within 3 km · 30 elementary schools and 4 secondary schools Language1 of 34 teach in French · 6% of schools in Nova Scotia The boards2 school boards · Cape Breton Victoria Regional Centre for Education Questions“What schools are there in Cape Breton?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · The schools grade is given only where results are open; in Nova Scotia, the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.

History

Wolfe's Landing, from 1758, is Cape Breton’s oldest designated place

All told the heritage lists hold 9 historic places within the town, and 3 sit in the top tier. Homes from before 1961 make up 37% of the stock, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (28%) and Canadian towns (18%).

9historic places

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations3

Other federal designations3

Provincial and local listings3

Among them

1758

oldest construction date on the record

37%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

historic places just outside the town

National Historic Sites

Heritage	Cape Breton	Nova Scotia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	37%	28%	18%

Full pageCape Breton’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers9 historic places inside the town Highest designationsWolfe's Landing Older homes37% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Cape Breton 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 Cape Breton

15pages on Cape Breton

The big questions

SafetyA⁻Crime Severity Index 44 Housing & costB⁻Homes 2.6 × income Property pricesSchools34 schools within 3 km HealthC⁻Life expectancy 78.8 in its region Work & commuteC⁻42% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors8.2% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 23°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 50.4 History9 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from Cape Breton

202 notable people were born in Cape Breton.

See all 202 →

Arthur B. McDonaldCanadian physicist · born 1943

Harold RussellFilm and television actor · 1914–2002

Michael ForgeronCanadian rower · born 1966

Flora MacDonaldCanadian politician · 1926–2015

Hugh MacLennanCanadian writer · 1907–1990

George ClevelandActor · 1885–1957

Photo credits

Arthur B. McDonald: Bengt Nyman, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Harold Russell: Samuel Goldwyn Company, Public domain · Michael Forgeron: nova scotia hall of fame, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Flora MacDonald: United Press International, Public domain · Hugh MacLennan: Hugh MacLennan, Public domain · George Cleveland: film screenshot (Lone Star Productions), Public domain

Cape Breton’s neighbours

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

Membertou 28BCape Breton

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Cape Breton	106,752	—	C⁺	B⁻	A⁻	C⁻
Membertou 28B	1,266	6	—	—	—	C

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

Questions about Cape Breton

What kind of homes are in Cape Breton?

Single-detached houses make up 74% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 1% are in high-rise apartments. 33% of households are one person, and the average is 2.2.

Has Cape Breton grown?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it fell from 94,285 to 93,694 residents (0.6% down; Canadian towns’ median grew 4.1%); Statistics Canada now estimates 106,752.

About Cape Breton

Town in Nova Scotia

The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Cape Breton 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: 106,752 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Nova Scotia
Census subdivision: 1217030

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).