ClareNova Scotia
8,020 residents make their home in this town in Nova Scotia. It lies in Digby.
Is Clare a good place to live?
Residents’ health trails most towns (D−). Clare grades D overall and ranks #64 of 88 in Nova Scotia. It comes out better than 10% of Canadian towns. Jobs and pay trail most towns (C−). Its standout strength is cost of living (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.
How Clare grades
Each subject compares Clare 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 Clare stand out
The 3 things Clare does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Clare.
Clare gets a D− for health
Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the Zone 1 - Western
On average a fifth of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (20%) and above Canadian towns (17%). At 19%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 14% for Nova Scotia. For Clare itself, the measure is access: 38 km to the nearest hospital on average, with 83% of homes beyond 30 km. Across the region, life runs to 80.0 years on average: women 82.5, men 77.6, in 2022/2024.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Clare | 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
Commuters in Clare have a short way to work, 21 min on average, less than in Nova Scotia’s towns and across Canadian towns
At the census, 93% of commuters went by car.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Clare | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 21 min | 23 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 93% | 92% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Flood mapping exists for Clare: 1 on record, latest by Province of Nova Scotia
Measured across the Zone 1 health region: radon tests
Of the homes tested for radon, 6.2% were over 200 Bq/m³, below Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (6.6%) alike. For earthquakes Clare is middling, $0.034 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. Burn scars are few around Clare, with 0.1% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.002% a year).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Clare | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 6.2% | 13% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.034 | $0.018 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Clare has cooler summers than Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: July highs of 21.4°C
For the wettest month, look to November: 143 mm on average. In January the thermometer sinks to −6.4°C overnight, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (−8.9°C) and Canadian towns (−13.5°C). The frost-free season runs from 28 April to 24 October, 179 days. A normal January brings 64 cm of snow, the most of any month.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Clare | 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)
Clare gets a C for safety
Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 80 over 2023–25, above Nova Scotia’s towns (71) and Canadian towns (67) alike. Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 25.3 per 1,000 residents a year where it is policed. The force’s area logs 14.6 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Clare | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 25.3 | 36.2 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 80 | 71 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Area behind the Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures: the Meteghan (Clare) detachment area
More of Clare’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 17%
Visible minorities make up 2.7% of the population, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (15%). Immigrants make up 3.8% of residents, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns (4.3%) and Canadian towns (6.4%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
51.3% of Clare’s residents are women
Census 2021 put women at 3,935 and men at 3,740; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| Clare | Nova Scotia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 10% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 59% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 31% | 25% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 31% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 48% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Nova Scotia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Renting in Clare costs 18% of household income, less than in Nova Scotia’s towns and across Canadian towns
Nearly one in ten households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%). The owner-occupied share of households is 87%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Clare | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 9% | 13% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 87% | 82% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 21% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $174,000 | $250,000 | $406,000 |
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.
Clare’s teenagers travel 46 km to the nearest high school
Teaching in French runs high: 3 of 6 schools, against 6% in Nova Scotia. Boards running schools in the area: 2, above Nova Scotia’s towns (1) but below Canadian towns (3).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École Joseph-Dugas FrenchIn ClareElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| École secondaire de Clare FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades 7–RG | Elementary · Grades 7–RG | – | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Clare | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 46 km | 4.3 km | 1.2 km |
| School boards | 2 | 1 | 3 |
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.
Clare has more protected land around it than nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns
The tally of protected areas open to the public within 10 km is 16, lower than Nova Scotia’s towns (23.5) yet higher than Canadian towns (4). For a national park, Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site is 29 km away. Swimmers have 19 beaches within 5 km, Deveaus Shore the nearest.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Clare | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 11% | 8.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 16 | 23.5 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Clare in November: highs near 9°C, lows near 2°C
A normal December brings highs of 4°C, lows of −3°C. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 143 mm. November usually brings some 10 cm of snow. At the extremes, August afternoons reach 22°C and January nights −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
Clare’s MP is Chris d'Entremont (Liberal Party of Canada), for Acadie—Annapolis
The Liberal Party of Canada has 11 of the 11 MPs elected in Nova Scotia.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
No public library stands in Clare: the closest, Westport Branch Library, is 19 km away
The next is Weymouth Waterfront Library (Digby), 21 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
In Clare, 39% of homes go back before 1961
All told, the heritage lists hold 2 historic places within the town. The earliest construction date, 1905, belongs to Sainte Marie Church. Counted by designation, there are a heritage lighthouse and a provincial or municipal listing.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Clare | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 39% | 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 Clare
Famous people from Clare
15 notable people were born in Clare.
Photo credits
Ambroise-Hilaire Comeau: Unknown author, Public domain · George Nowlan: Arthur Roy, Public domain · Phil Comeau: Phil Comeau, Public domain · Benoit Comeau: Nova Scotia House of Assembly, Public domain
About Clare
Town in Nova Scotia
TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Clare is one municipality in Nova Scotia, figures and all.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 8,020 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Nova Scotia
- Census division
- Digby
- Census subdivision
- 1203001
Questions about Clare
Who are the people of Clare?
3% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 17% have an Indigenous identity and 4% are immigrants.
Do people in Clare speak French?
69% of residents can hold a conversation in both English and French, against 8% for the median of Canadian towns; 1.1% speak French but not English.
What kind of homes are in Clare?
94% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.1 people; 30% are one person living alone.
Is Clare a young town or an old one?
Its median age is 56, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 10% of residents; over-65s, 31%.
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).