ChesterNova Scotia
Home to 11,740 people, this town lies in Nova Scotia. Statistics Canada places it in the Lunenburg census division.
Is Chester a good place to live?
A town with more to fix than most. Its lowest grade is for health (D−). At D− overall, Chester ranks #82 of 88 in Nova Scotia. It comes out better than 3% of Canadian towns. Work and incomes lag (D). The typical owner put their home at $250,000 in 2021: 3.9 years of the median household’s income. Floods and other hazards weigh less here (A−). Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for safety and C+ for walkability.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
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.
How Chester grades
Each subject compares Chester 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 Chester stand out
The 3 things Chester does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Chester.
Chester’s grade for health: a D−
The region has more smokers than Nova Scotia, 19% of adults to 14%. Homes here are 25 km from a hospital on average, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (9.2 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km). In the health survey, 44% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, fewer than Nova Scotia’s 48%. A baby born in the region can expect 80.0 years, 82.5 for a girl and 77.6 for a boy (2022/2024).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Chester | 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 · Not measured by town: health survey and life expectancy (the Zone 1 - Western)
Commuters in Chester travel further than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns, 29 min on average
92% of commuters took the car to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Chester | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 29 min | 23 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 92% | 92% | 89% |
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.
A flood study covers Chester: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Halifax Regional Municipality
Radon is about average around Chester: 6.2% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Earthquake risk locally is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.018 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. Little of the land around Chester has burned: 0.3% within 25 km since 1986, or 0.006% a year. Figures for radon tests are published for the Zone 1 health region as a whole, not for Chester alone.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Chester | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 6.2% | 13% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.018 | $0.018 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Measured against local pay, Chester costs more to live in than 80% of Canadian towns
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 15% of households, between Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%). 84% of households own their home.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Chester | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 84% | 82% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 15% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 22% | 21% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $250,000 | $250,000 | $406,000 |
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.
Chester is older than 95% of Canadian towns: a median age of 55.6
1.5% of residents belong to a visible minority, below Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 5.2% of residents, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).
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 50.8% of Chester
In 2021 there were 5,435 women to 5,255 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.
| Chester | Nova Scotia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 58% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 31% | 25% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 21% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 54% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Nova Scotia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
July highs in Chester: 25.5°C, against 23.1°C in Nova Scotia’s towns and 25.5°C in Canadian towns
December is the wettest month, with 163 mm of rain and snow on average. The year’s precipitation totals 1,561 mm, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (1,393 mm) and Canadian towns (883 mm). Between the last spring frost, 26 May, and the first in autumn, 28 September, lie 124 days. Snow peaks in January: 50 cm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Chester | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation a year | 1,561 mm | 1,393 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 25.5°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 184 cm | 215 cm | 141 cm |
| Days with frost a year | 162 | 133 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Bridgewater)
Chester is near Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq IPCA, an Indigenous protected area
54 km separate the town from Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, its nearest national park. Parks and reserves take up 4.1% of the ground within 10 km, between Nova Scotia’s towns (8.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). Also worth knowing: for a swim, Algerine Shore is the nearest of 21 beaches within 5 km. One named trail is close: the Castle Rock trails.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Chester | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 109 | 23.5 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 4.1% | 8.7% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Chester in November: highs near 9°C, lows near freezing
Snow is normal by November, about 10 cm over the month. By December, a normal day reaches 3°C and a night falls to −5°C. A normal November brings 160 mm of rain and snow. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Lunenburg forecast.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 1°C | −8°C | 413 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | 0°C | 402 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 12°C | 299 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 4°C | 447 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Bridgewater); the forecast is on the Weather page
South Shore—St. Margarets, which takes in Chester, is held by Jessica Fancy-Landry (Liberal Party of Canada)
Without an open map of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly’s ridings, this page can’t say which one Chester is in.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Zoe Valle Library is Chester’s public library
From the centre of Chester, it is 6.2 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
The 6 schools of Chester: 5 elementary schools and 1 secondary school
From the middle of town, the first elementary school is 4.7 km off, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (1.9 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km). Within 3 km, 2 boards share the schools, higher than Nova Scotia’s towns (1) yet lower than Canadian towns (3).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspotogan Consolidated Elementary SchoolIn ChesterElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Forest Heights Community SchoolIn ChesterSecondary · Grades 9–RG | Secondary · Grades 9–RG | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Chester | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Nearest elementary school | 4.7 km | 1.9 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Source note: the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20, so there’s no schools grade in Nova Scotia.
Chester’s grade for safety: a B−
Measured across the Lunenburg County detachment area: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000
For violence alone, its police area’s index was 77, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns (94) and Canadian towns (86). The force’s area logs 15.1 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Its police area records 26.5 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Chester | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 26.5 | 36.2 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 77 | 94 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 15.1 | 14.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
The registers record 1 historic place in Chester
Before 1961 is when 29% of the homes went up, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (28%) and above Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Chester | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 29% | 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 Chester
Ross Farm Museum and 4 more in and around Chester
From museums to parks and historic sites: Chester’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
MuseumRoss Farm Museumin town
MuseumLordly House Museumin town
MuseumHooked Rug Museum of North America2.3 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumOak Island Interpretive Centerin townTheme parkTheme parkParkdale-Maplewood Museum3.1 km outside town, to the westPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Ross Farm Museum: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lordly House Museum: Shellysimpson, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hooked Rug Museum of North America: Shellysimpson, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Chester
9 notable people were born in Chester.
About Chester
Town in Nova Scotia
For Chester, 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
- 11,740 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Nova Scotia
- Census division
- Lunenburg
- Census subdivision
- 1206009
Chester’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester | 11,740 | — | D− | C− | B− | D− |
| Mahone Bay | 1,200 | 18 | — | D− | B− | D |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Chester
Who are the people of Chester?
Visible minorities are 2% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 5%, and Indigenous people 5%.
What kind of homes are in Chester?
Single-detached houses make up 88% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 32% of households are one person, and the average is 2.1.
Is Chester a young town or an old one?
The typical resident is 55.6 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 31% of the population and under-15s at 12%.
Has Chester grown?
It grew from 10,310 people in 2016 to 10,693 in 2021, up 3.7%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 11,740.
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).