Enfieldin East Hants, Nova Scotia
In Nova Scotia, this town has 26,960 residents. It belongs to the Halifax metropolitan area.
Is Enfield a good place to live?
Enfield grades low on several counts. The weak point is health (D−). Jobs & income is weaker too (C). Police record less crime here than in most towns (B). Put together, the subjects come to a D overall, ranking #62 of 88 in Nova Scotia. On that grade it does better than just over a tenth of Canadian towns.
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.
What makes Enfield stand out
The 3 things Enfield does most differently from other towns.
How Enfield grades
Each subject compares Enfield 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 →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Enfield.
Enfield gets a D− for health
The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the Zone 2 - Northern
At 17%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 14% for Nova Scotia. Age-standardised, 42% of the region’s adults put their health at very good or excellent, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (49%) and Canadian towns (52%). Life expectancy in the region is 79.3 years (81.5 for women, 77.1 for men, 2022/2024). Measured from where Enfield’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 26 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Enfield | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 42% | 49% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 21% | 20% | 17% |
| Smokers | 17% | 15% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.3 | 80.0 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Trips to work from Enfield take longer than from Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 31 min on average
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Enfield | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 31 min | 23 min | 26 min |
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.
Enfield gets a C for cost of living
14% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, between Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%). Home ownership covers just over four in five households.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Enfield | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 13% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 81% | 82% | 74% |
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.
In and around Enfield, 13 schools: 11 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 1 school for every grade
Young children have 9.6 km to the nearest elementary school, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (1.9 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km). No French-language school is among them; in Nova Scotia, 6% of schools are.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cobequid District Elementary SchoolIn EnfieldElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Hants East Rural High SchoolIn EnfieldSecondary · Grades 9–RG | Secondary · Grades 9–RG | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Enfield | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 14 km | 4.3 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 9.6 km | 1.9 km | 0.5 km |
| School boards | 2 | 1 | 3 |
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.
Violent crime weighs less where Enfield is policed than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 63
Source area for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: the Enfield (East Hants) detachment area
The index for the force that serves it came to 55, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns (71) and Canadian towns (67). Across its police area, there are 26.6 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Enfield | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 63 | 94 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 26.6 | 36.2 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 55 | 71 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
July afternoons in Enfield reach 24.2°C (Nova Scotia towns 23.1°C, Canadian towns 25.5°C)
Most of the snow comes in January, about 54 cm. A normal year brings 1,393 mm of precipitation, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (1,393 mm) and above Canadian towns (883 mm). Midwinter nights in Enfield bottom out at −10.1°C on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Enfield | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation a year | 1,393 mm | 1,393 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 24.2°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 215 cm | 215 cm | 141 cm |
| January night low | −10.1°C | −8.9°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Halifax Stanfield (Airport))
Enfield is on Canada’s flood inventory: 4 listed, led by Halifax Regional Municipality
Radon tests for the Zone 3 health region
More homes than usual carry radon here, 13% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Seismic risk in Enfield sits near the middle: $0.021 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. Wildfire is rare near Enfield: 0.4% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, a burn rate of 0.009% a year.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Enfield | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 13% | 13% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.021 | $0.018 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
13 named trails run within 2 km of Enfield
Within 5 km are 6 beaches; Oakfield Park Beach is the nearest. The closest of Canada’s national parks is Fundy National Park, at 85 km. Public parks and reserves within 10 km: 173, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (23.5) and Canadian towns (4). The protected share within 10 km is 4.4%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Enfield | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 173 | 23.5 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 4.4% | 8.7% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Enfield in November: highs near 8°C, lows near freezing
ECCC’s forecast for Halifax (Shearwater) is on the Weather page, hour by hour. Expect about 159 mm of rain and snow over November. December follows at 2°C by day and −6°C by night. Snow is normal by November, about 19 cm over the month.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 0°C | −9°C | 384 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | 0°C | 336 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 13°C | 267 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 5°C | 406 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Halifax Stanfield (Airport)); the forecast is on the Weather page
Kody Blois (Liberal Party of Canada) represents Enfield in Ottawa as MP for Kings—Hants
Of the 11 Commons seats from Nova Scotia, the Liberal Party of Canada holds 11.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Enfield has two public libraries, Elmsdale Branch, Colchester-East Hants Public Library and Mount Uniacke Library
Without open library statistics in Nova Scotia, the page names Enfield’s libraries but shows no visits or loans.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Who lives in Enfield: a median age of 44.4, 9,385 households
18% of residents are 65 or over, about level with Canadian towns (19%) and below Nova Scotia’s towns (25%). Children under 15 count for 16% of the people here.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
50.1% of Enfield’s residents are women
The 2021 census counted 11,475 women and 11,425 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| Enfield | Nova Scotia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 65% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 18% | 25% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 53% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Nova Scotia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Enfield: 2 historic places on Canada’s heritage registers
17% of its homes were built before 1961, below Nova Scotia’s towns (28%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. Of the dated places, Uniacke Estate Museum Park is the oldest, from 1810.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
- Uniacke Estate Museum Park 1810
- Lawrence House 1870
| Heritage | Enfield | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 17% | 28% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Lawrence House and 6 more in and around Enfield
Sights in Enfield and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
MuseumLawrence Housein town
MuseumUniacke Estate Museum Parkin townMuseumMuseumShubenacadie Tinsmith Museumin townMuseumMuseumBlast To The Pastin townMuseumMuseumLr. Selma Museum & Heritage Cemeteryin townMuseumMuseumUniacke Estate Museum Park Entrancein townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Lawrence House: Verne Equinox, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Uniacke Estate Museum Park: Verne Equinox, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Everything we know about Enfield
Famous people from Enfield
31 notable people were born in Enfield.
Photo credits
Classified: Vervegirl Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Silas McLellan: Unknown author, Public domain · George Edwin Rines: Unknown author, Public domain · Harry Herbert Miller: Unknown author, Public domain · Frank Parker Day: Unknown author, Public domain · Edmund Henry Horne: Anonymous, Public domain
Enfield’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enfield | 26,960 | — | D | C | B | D− |
| Indian Brook 14 | 1,225 | 12 | — | — | — | D− |
| Dutch Settlement | 6,234 | 16 | C− | C | C+ | B− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Enfield
Who are the people of Enfield?
3% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 4% have an Indigenous identity and 4% are immigrants.
What kind of homes are in Enfield?
Single-detached houses make up 82% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 24% of households are one person, and the average is 2.4.
Is Enfield growing?
It grew from 22,453 people in 2016 to 22,892 in 2021, up 2%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 26,960.
Is Enfield a young town or an old one?
At 44.4, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 16% of the population and seniors 18%.
About Enfield
Town in Nova Scotia
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Enfield 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
- 26,960 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Nova Scotia
- Census division
- Hants
- Metro area
- Halifax
- Census subdivision
- 1208008
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).