Eskasoni 3Nova Scotia

Home to 3,911 people, this First Nations reserve lies in Nova Scotia. It belongs to the Cape Breton metropolitan area.

Population

3,911

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

25.4

years · Nova Scotia’s towns: 51.6

Postsecondary

33%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

10%

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Eskasoni 3 a good place to live?

Eskasoni 3’s best grade is for walkability (B). Where it falls short is health (D). Jobs and pay trail most towns (D).

As a First Nations reserve, Eskasoni 3 isn’t given an overall grade or ranked. Too much of a reserve’s data is suppressed or uncollected by Statistics Canada for a fair comparison with other towns.

No Safety Grade: no police service publishes a crime rate for this place on its own. 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. A First Nations reserve: subject grades only, with no overall grade and no place in ranked lists.

WeakestDJobs & income DHealth

What makes Eskasoni 3 stand out

The 3 things Eskasoni 3 does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

Only 6% are 65 or over

Compare 19% for the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

24% unemployment

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

35% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

33% have a postsecondary qualification

Half of Canadian towns are above 56%, half below

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

How Eskasoni 3 grades

Each subject compares Eskasoni 3 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 employmentDOpen →HealthHealth outcomes are among the weakest comparedDOpen →WalkabilityAbove the middle of the towns comparedBOpen →Hazard riskBased on earthquake losses and radon in homes; a high wildfire risk can pull it downB⁻Open →

Cost of livingNot graded: not enough data–

SafetyNot graded: not enough data–

SchoolsIn Nova Scotia, there’s no schools grade: the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Eskasoni 3.

Work & commuteJobs & income D

Commuters in Eskasoni 3 have a short way to work, 20 min on average, less than in Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns

The car took 89% of commuters, in line with Nova Scotia’s towns (92%) and Canadian towns (89%).

10%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van89%

Walk7%

Public transit1%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Eskasoni 3	Nova Scotia	Canada
Average trip	20 min	23 min	26 min
Car or van	89%	92%	89%

$49,200

median household income, 2020

worked from home, May 2021

78%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageEskasoni 3’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment24% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work10% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to30 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Membertou 28B

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.

HealthHealth D

Eskasoni 3 scores below 90% of Canadian towns for health

Area-wide: health survey and life expectancy, counted over the Zone 3 - Eastern

What sets Eskasoni 3 apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 20 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical). On average 21% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (17%). Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 78.8, women 80.9 and men 76.6 (2022/2024). Self-rated health is ordinary for Nova Scotia: 49% of the region’s adults say very good or excellent, the province 48%.

49%very good or excellent healthDHealth Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Eskasoni 349%

Nova Scotia’s towns49%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Eskasoni 3	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

20 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

15%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

20 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageEskasoni 3’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey49% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting careA pharmacy 20 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

Who lives here

More of Eskasoni 3’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 99%

Visible minorities make up 0.3% of the population, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (15%).

25.4median age

Eskasoni 3Nova ScotiaCanada

Nova ScotiaCanada

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

31%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree37%

Postsecondary qualification33%

Women and men · all residents

52.3% of Eskasoni 3’s residents are women

Census 2021 put women at 1,845 and men at 1,680; women are 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Eskasoni 3
	Eskasoni 3	Nova Scotia	Canada
Under 15	31%	14%	16%
15 to 64	63%	62%	64%
65+	6.4%	25%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	37%	18%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	33%	54%	56%

Full pageEskasoni 3’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages25.4 median age · 6% are 65 or over Households1,080 households · 3.3 people per household English and French1% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Climate

Eskasoni 3 sits near the top of Canadian towns for rain and snow, with 1,481 mm a year

Frost usually lifts by 22 May and returns around 20 October: 150 days without it. Rain and snow peak in December, at 170 mm. Snowfall adds up to 281 cm a year, above Nova Scotia’s towns (215 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. The warmest afternoons come in July, at around 23.4°C in Eskasoni 3.

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	Eskasoni 3	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 pageEskasoni 3’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 station53 km to the station · Sydney

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

Outdoors

An Indigenous protected and conserved area near Eskasoni 3: Eskasoni Fish and Wildlife Commission IPCA

Of the land within 10 km, 2.1% has protected status, below Nova Scotia’s towns (8.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%) alike. A provincial park, Ben Eoin Provincial Park, lies 8.1 km away. For a national park, Cape Breton Highlands National Park is 67 km away. OpenStreetMap shows one beach within 5 km, without a name.

2.1%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Eskasoni 32.1%

Nova Scotia’s towns8.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Eskasoni 3	Nova Scotia	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	27	23.5	4
Protected land within 10 km	2.1%	8.7%	2.3%

67 km

to Cape Breton Highlands National Park

8.1 km

to Ben Eoin Provincial Park

beach within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageEskasoni 3’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas27 protected areas within 10 km · Old Growth Forest Lands National & provincial parks67 km to a national park · Cape Breton Highlands National Park

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

Weather

What November brings in Eskasoni 3: freezing at night, 8°C by day

Looking ahead to December, expect highs near 3°C and lows near −4°C. About 9 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 149 mm. Over the year, July is warmest at 23°C by day and February coldest at −10°C by night.

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 pageEskasoni 3’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

Jaime Battiste (Liberal Party of Canada) represents Eskasoni 3 in Ottawa as MP for Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish

Full pageEskasoni 3’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itIndian Reserve

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁺

Eskasoni 3 has no public library of its own; the nearest is Baddeck Public Library, 21 km away

The next is St.

Full pageEskasoni 3’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0.3 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁻

Eskasoni 3’s hazards at a glance: a low wildfire record and 14% of area homes over the radon guideline

Fire seldom reaches Eskasoni 3: since 1986, 0.2% of the land within 25 km has burned (0.005% a year).

Lowwildfire bandB⁻Hazard risk Grade

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

Eskasoni 314%

Nova Scotia’s towns13%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Eskasoni 3	Nova Scotia	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	14%	13%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.013	$0.018	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

16 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageEskasoni 3’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon14% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.2% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.013 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 · Radon tests: one figure for all of the Zone 5 health region

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Eskasoni 3

15pages on Eskasoni 3

The big questions

SafetyHousing & costProperty pricesSchoolsHealthDLife expectancy 78.8 in its region Work & commuteD35% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors2.1% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 23°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 25.4 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Questions about Eskasoni 3

How old are the people of Eskasoni 3?

25.4 is the median age, 45.2 the median among Canadian towns; 6% of residents are 65 or over and 31% under 15.

What kind of homes are in Eskasoni 3?

Mostly 78% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 3.3 people on average, and 26% have just one.

Has Eskasoni 3 grown?

Yes: the census counted 3,422 in 2016 and 3,521 in 2021, a rise of 2.9%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 3,911.

About Eskasoni 3

First Nations reserve in Nova Scotia

Eskasoni 3 is a First Nations reserve in Nova Scotia, counted by Statistics Canada as its own census subdivision.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 3,911 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Nova Scotia
Census division: Cape Breton
Metro area: Cape Breton
First Nation: Eskasoni
Census subdivision: 1217020

Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · 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).