HarrietsfieldHalifax

TownGrade

C⁻

#2,240 of 2,556

Halifax is split into 36 neighbourhoods, and this is one. Some 6,786 people live in this neighbourhood, in Halifax.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain

Population

6,786

people, Census 2021

Median age

46.2

years · Nova Scotia’s towns: 51.6

Postsecondary

57%

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%

Is Harrietsfield a good place to live?

Taken together, its subjects give Harrietsfield a C− overall, better than 18% of Canadian towns. It ranks #41 of 88 in Nova Scotia. Cost of living is its weak spot (C−). Walkability is weaker too (C−). Its strongest subject is health (B). The rest of its grades are middling: C+ for safety, C+ for jobs & income and B− for hazard risk.

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety less sure: this is the whole city's figure, because the city doesn't publish open neighbourhood crime rates. 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.

WeakestC⁻Walkability C⁻Cost of living

How Harrietsfield grades

Each subject compares Harrietsfield 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

WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesC⁻Open →Cost of livingHomes are harder to afford than in most townsC⁻Open →HealthAbout average among the towns comparedBOpen →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workC⁺Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentC⁺Open →Hazard riskGraded on earthquake risk and radon, with high wildfire risk able to lower itB⁻Open →

SchoolsThe province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20, which leaves towns in Nova Scotia without a schools grade.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Harrietsfield stand out

The one thing Harrietsfield does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

2% walk, cycle or take transit

Half of Canadian towns are above 8%, half below

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Harrietsfield.

HousingCost of living C⁻

Measured against local pay, Harrietsfield costs more to live in than 78% of Canadian towns

$348,000median home value, 2021C⁻Cost of living Grade

Households that own their home make up 90%. Just over one in ten households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%). Harrietsfield doesn’t get its own rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom figures; the ones here come from the Halifax metro area.

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

Harrietsfield$348,000

Nova Scotia$250,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Harrietsfield	Nova Scotia	Canada
Households owning their home	90%	82%	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	12%	13%	18%
Rent as a share of income	23%	21%	20%
Median home value, 2021	$348,000	$250,000	$406,000

$1,828

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Full pageHarrietsfield’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Cost of living3.6 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $348,000, against the median household income Renting$1,828 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Owners and renters90% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.

Climate

Winters are mild in Harrietsfield: January nights hold at −8.3°C, above Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns

22.7°CJuly afternoons

The frost-free season runs from 30 April to 29 October, 181 days. Frosty days number 133 in a normal year, near Nova Scotia’s towns (133) and lower than Canadian towns (159). The warmest afternoons come in July, at around 22.7°C in Harrietsfield. Most of the snow comes in January, about 54 cm.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter1.5°C

Spring8.8°C

Summer21.6°C

Autumn14.3°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Harrietsfield	Nova Scotia	Canada
July afternoon high	22.7°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
Precipitation a year	1,414 mm	1,393 mm	883 mm
January night low	−8.3°C	−8.9°C	−13.5°C
Snowfall a year	215 cm	215 cm	141 cm

215 cm

of snow a year

133

days with frost a year

181

frost-free days, 30 Apr to 29 Oct

124

days with precipitation a year

Full pageHarrietsfield’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 22.7°C, January lows −8.3°C Rain and snow1,414 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow215 cm of snow a year Weather station14 km to the station · Shearwater

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

HealthHealth B

Very good or excellent health for 51% of adults in Harrietsfield’s health region

51%very good or excellent healthBHealth Grade

Shared with the rest of the Zone 4 - Central: health survey and life expectancy

The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Harrietsfield’s is long: 11 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical. The region has fewer smokers than Nova Scotia, 11% of adults to 14%. Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect 18% of the region’s adults on average, below Nova Scotia’s towns (20%) but above Canadian towns (17%). People in the region live to 81.4 on average: 83.4 for women and 79.3 for men in 2022/2024.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Harrietsfield51%

Nova Scotia’s towns49%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Harrietsfield	Nova Scotia	Canada
Smokers	11%	15%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	18%	20%	17%
Life expectancy at birth	81.4	80.0	81.5
Very good or excellent health	51%	49%	52%

81.4

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

11 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

11%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

8.5 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageHarrietsfield’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey51% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care11 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 8.5 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.4, men 79.3 Conditions and habits18% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁺

Trips to work from Harrietsfield take longer than from Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 28 min on average

2%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van95%

Walk1%

Public transit1%

Census 2021	Harrietsfield	Nova Scotia	Canada
Average trip	28 min	23 min	26 min

$96,200

median household income, 2020

24%

worked from home, May 2021

99%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageHarrietsfield’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment11% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work2% walk, cycle or take transit

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.

SafetySafety C⁺

Harrietsfield earns a C+ for safety

71Crime Severity Index

Where it is policed, thefts, break-ins and damage came to 37.3 per 1,000 a year, near Nova Scotia’s towns (36.2) and higher than Canadian towns (31.2). Its police area recorded 13.8 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (14.5) and above Canadian towns (12).

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202372

202474

202569

2023–2025	Harrietsfield	Nova Scotia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	37.3	36.2	31.2
Violent crime	13.8	14.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

31%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageHarrietsfield’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety71 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Harrietsfield’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Harrietsfield safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 published for the Halifax Metropolitan Area service area, not by town

Outdoors

Protected land around Harrietsfield beats nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns

11%of the land within 10 km protected

OpenStreetMap shows 3 walking routes nearby, including the Pennant Point Trail and The McIntosh Run Community Trail. Within 100 km there is no national park. 19% of the neighbourhood lies within a protected area. Biggest among them: Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area, 8,626 ha, 5.9 km off.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Harrietsfield11%

Nova Scotia’s towns8.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Harrietsfield	Nova Scotia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	11%	8.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	17	23.5	4

At the edge

to Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageHarrietsfield’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas33 protected areas within 10 km · Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park Footpaths & routes3 named routes · Pennant Point Trail

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

Who lives here

Who lives in Harrietsfield: a median age of 46.2, 2,770 households

46.2median age

3.8% of residents belong to a visible minority, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (15%). Retirement age and beyond: 19% of residents are 65 or older. Under-15s account for 14% of the population.

HarrietsfieldNova ScotiaCanada

Nova ScotiaCanada

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

14%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree18%

Postsecondary qualification57%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 50.2% of Harrietsfield

Here the census found 3,375 men and 3,400 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.

Who lives in Harrietsfield
	Harrietsfield	Nova Scotia	Canada
Under 15	14%	14%	16%
15 to 64	67%	62%	64%
65+	19%	25%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	18%	18%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	57%	54%	56%

Full pageHarrietsfield’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages46.2 median age · 19% are 65 or over Households2,770 households English and French9% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Weather

Harrietsfield in November: highs near 9°C, lows near 1°C

9°Ca normal November afternoon

The year peaks in August (23°C) and bottoms out in January (−8°C). A normal December brings highs of 4°C, lows of −4°C. November normally sees 135 mm of precipitation. Snowfall in a normal November: 19 cm.

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

November9°C

December4°C

January0°C

February1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	1°C	−7°C	394 mm
Spring	9°C	0°C	342 mm
Summer	22°C	13°C	297 mm
Autumn	14°C	6°C	382 mm

1°C

a normal November night

135 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageHarrietsfield’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 August, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Shearwater); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Harrietsfield’s MP is Shannon Miedema (Liberal Party of Canada), for Halifax

Across Nova Scotia, 11 of the 11 MPs sit with the Liberal Party of Canada.

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

Who runs itRegional Municipality

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁻

No public library stands in Harrietsfield: the closest, Captain William Spry Public Library, is 8 km away

After it comes Killam Memorial Library (South End), 11 km away.

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

Places to belong1.1 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁻

A flood study covers Harrietsfield: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Halifax Regional Municipality

Moderatewildfire bandB⁻Hazard risk Grade

For earthquakes Harrietsfield is middling, $0.018 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. In Health Canada’s survey, 13% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Some 3% of the land within 25 km of Harrietsfield has burned since 1986; at 0.08% a year that is moderate, not high. Behind earthquake risk sits data gathered across the city of Halifax, with Harrietsfield one part of it.

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

Harrietsfield13%

Nova Scotia’s towns13%

Canadian towns6.6%

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

Moderate

wildfire band

0.1 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageHarrietsfield’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

FloodOne flood study on record WildfireModerate wildfire band · 3% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Earthquakes$0.018 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon13% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Area behind the radon tests figures: the Zone 6 health region

Schools

The nearest high school to Harrietsfield is 9.3 km away

7schools within 3 km

Young children have 3.7 km to the nearest elementary school, above Nova Scotia’s towns (1.9 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km) alike.

School	Level	Students	System
Harrietsfield ElementaryIn HarrietsfieldElementary	Elementary	–	English public

See all 7 schools →

Schools within 3 km	Harrietsfield	Nova Scotia	Canada
Nearest secondary school	9.3 km	4.3 km	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	3.7 km	1.9 km	0.5 km

9.3 km

to the nearest secondary school

3.7 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageHarrietsfield’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school7 elementary schools Language0 of 7 teach in French · 6% of schools in Nova Scotia Questions“What schools are there in Harrietsfield?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Schools grade in Nova Scotia: none (the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20).

History

History in Harrietsfield goes back to 1758: Lighttower

11historic places

Designations here include 7 Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings. All told the heritage lists hold 11 historic places within the town, and 4 sit in the top tier. Just beyond the boundary, the registers place one more. Homes from before 1961 make up 16% of the stock, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (28%) and Canadian towns (18%).

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations4

Other federal designations7

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

1758

oldest construction date on the record

16%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

historic place just outside the town

National Historic Site

Heritage	Harrietsfield	Nova Scotia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	16%	28%	18%

Full pageHarrietsfield’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers11 historic places inside the town Highest designations4 top designations · York Redoubt Older homes16% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Harrietsfield 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 Harrietsfield

15pages on Harrietsfield

The big questions

SafetyC⁺Crime Severity Index 71 Housing & costC⁻Homes 3.6 × income Property pricesSchools7 schools within 3 km HealthBLife expectancy 81.4 in its region Work & commuteC⁺56% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁻Wildfire band: moderate

Out and about

Outdoors11% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 23°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 46.2 History11 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

York Redoubt and 30 more in and around Harrietsfield

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

All attractions →

FortYork Redoubtin town

National historic site · Parks CanadaBatteryin town

National historic site · Parks CanadaFire Command Postin town

ChurchSt. Mary's Basilica4.5 km outside town, to the north

FortGeorges Island4 km outside town, to the north

Historic shipHMCS Sackville4.8 km outside town, to the north

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

Photo credits (6)

York Redoubt: Saffron Blaze, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Battery: Properpostman, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Fire Command Post: Properpostman, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
St. Mary's Basilica: baekken, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Georges Island: Thparkth, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
HMCS Sackville: Bryson109 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from around Harrietsfield

No notable person born in Harrietsfield is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

Elliot PageCanadian actor · born in North End · born 1987

Leslie HopeCanadian actress · born in North End · born 1965

Ty OlssonCanadian actor · born in North End · born 1974

Edward BelcherBritish naval officer, hydrographer and… · born in North End · 1799–1877

Hal FosterCanadian-American illustrator · born in North End · 1892–1982

Laura ReganCanadian actress · born in North End · born 1977

Photo credits

Elliot Page: PhilipRomano, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Leslie Hope: Hilary, CC BY 2.0 · Ty Olsson: Lisa West Photography, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Edward Belcher: Stephen Pearce, Public domain

About Harrietsfield

Neighbourhood in Halifax

Harrietsfield is a neighbourhood of Halifax, built by TownRatings from Statistics Canada’s smallest census areas and named from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.

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

Population: 6,786 (people, 2021 estimate)
Province or territory: Nova Scotia
City: Halifax
Census subdivision: 1209034

Harrietsfield’s neighbours

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

Hatchet LakeSouth EndWestmountSchmidtvilleMount RoyaleNorth EndHarrietsfield

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Harrietsfield	6,786	—	C⁻	C⁻	C⁺	B
Hatchet Lake	9,930	9.5	C⁻	C	C⁺	B⁻
South End	22,012	9.6	C	D	C⁺	B⁺
Westmount	23,207	11	C⁺	D⁻	C⁺	B⁺
Schmidtville	18,105	12	C⁻	D⁻	C⁺	B⁺
Mount Royale	9,340	13	C	D	C⁺	B⁺
North End	19,733	13	C	D⁻	C⁺	B⁺

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

Questions about Harrietsfield

How old are the people of Harrietsfield?

The median resident is 46.2 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 14% are under 15 and 19% are 65 or over.

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).