North EndHalifax
Population 19,733: a neighbourhood in Halifax. Of Halifax’s 36 neighbourhoods, this is one.
Is North End a good place to live?
Some subjects shine; others lag. Prices are high against local incomes (D−). At C overall, North End ranks #29 of 88 in Nova Scotia. That leaves it better than 30% of Canadian towns. Work and incomes lag (C). Its best grade is for walkability (A+). Its other grades sit near the middle: C+ for safety 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.
How North End grades
Each subject compares North End 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 North End stand out
The 3 things North End does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in North End.
Rent takes more of local pay in North End than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 33% of household income
32% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%). Owners put the median home at $500,000, above Nova Scotia’s towns ($250,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000) alike.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | North End | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 32% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 33% | 21% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $500,000 | $250,000 | $406,000 |
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. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: one figure for all of the Halifax metro area
North End is graded a B+ for health
The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 18% of adults, between Nova Scotia’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (17%). Smoking is rarer than in the province: just over one in ten adults, against 14% for Nova Scotia. Life expectancy in the region is 81.4 years (83.4 for women, 79.3 for men, 2022/2024). Adults here are more upbeat about their health than the province: 51% very good or excellent, against 48% in Nova Scotia. Nobody publishes health survey and life expectancy for North End alone, so this card uses the figure for the Zone 4 - Central.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | North End | 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% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Household incomes in North End are lower than in 75% of Canadian towns
The average trip to work took 21 min, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (23 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | North End | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 21 min | 23 min | 26 min |
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.
Winters are mild in North End: January nights hold at −8.3°C, above Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns
The year’s precipitation totals 1,414 mm, near Nova Scotia’s towns (1,393 mm) and higher than Canadian towns (883 mm). The frost-free season runs from 30 April to 29 October, 181 days. July afternoons in North End average 22.7°C. Snow peaks in January: 54 cm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | North End | 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 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Shearwater)
North End is graded a C+ for safety
Violent incidents in its police area came to 13.8 per 1,000 residents a year, near Nova Scotia’s towns (14.5) and higher than Canadian towns (12). Where it is policed, thefts, break-ins and damage came to 37.3 per 1,000 a year, close to Nova Scotia’s towns (36.2) and above Canadian towns (31.2).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | North End | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 37.3 | 36.2 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 13.8 | 14.5 | 12 |
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 Halifax Metropolitan Area service area
North End has 18 beaches within 5 km
Within 10 km, the count of public protected areas is 6, between Nova Scotia’s towns (23.5) and Canadian towns (4). For walks, 5 named routes run within 2 km, such as the Fleming Park Trail System and North Loop. 3.1 km from town is Long Lake Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. No national park lies within 100 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | North End | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 7% | 8.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 6 | 23.5 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Children make up only 9.1% of North End, fewer than in Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns
14% of residents have reached 65. Visible minorities make up 26% of the population, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (15%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
50.9% of North End’s residents are women
Here the census found 10,040 women and 9,695 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| North End | Nova Scotia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.1% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 77% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 14% | 25% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 7.6% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 69% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Nova Scotia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
What November brings in North End: 1°C at night, 9°C by day
The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Halifax. A normal December brings highs of 4°C, lows of −4°C. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 135 mm. Expect around 19 cm of snow in November.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| 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 |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Shearwater); the forecast is on the Weather page
North End sends Shannon Miedema (Liberal Party of Canada) to the Commons from Halifax
11 of the 11 MPs from Nova Scotia belong to the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Halifax North Memorial Library is North End’s public library
It stands 0.5 km from the centre of North End.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
North End is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by Halifax Regional Municipality
The radon tests numbers here cover the Zone 6 health region
13% of radon tests in the survey area came in above the guideline, near Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and higher than Canadian towns (6.6%). Earthquake risk in North End 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. Fire reaches the land around North End now and then: 2.5% within 25 km since 1986 (0.06% a year), below the high band. For earthquake risk, the only official count covers all of the city of Halifax, North End included.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | North End | 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 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
31 schools in and around North End: 21 elementary schools, 6 secondary schools and 4 schools for every grade
Boards running schools in the area: 2, between Nova Scotia’s towns (1) and Canadian towns (3).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Howe ElementaryIn North EndElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| OxfordNearest secondary school, 0 kmAll grades | All grades | – | English public |
| École Mer et Monde FrenchTeaches in FrenchAll grades | All grades | – | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | North End | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 1 | 3 |
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).
Little Dutch (Deutsch) Church, from 1756, is North End’s oldest designated place
Older housing, built before 1961, accounts for 38% of homes, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (28%) and Canadian towns (18%). On the registers the town counts 14 historic places, 7 at the top. The list takes in 5 Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings and 2 provincial or municipal listings.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | North End | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 38% | 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 North End
Admiralty House and 37 more in and around North End
Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near North End, the best known first.
MuseumAdmiralty Housein town
ChurchSt. Mary's Basilica900 m outside town, to the east
Historic shipHMCS Sackville1 km outside town, to the east
Art galleryArt Gallery of Nova Scotia700 m outside town, to the east
FortGeorges Island2 km outside town, to the east
CastleHalifax Citadel400 m outside town, to the eastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Admiralty House: Dan Conlin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St. Mary's Basilica: baekken, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- HMCS Sackville: Bryson109 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Art Gallery of Nova Scotia: Skeezix1000, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Georges Island: Thparkth, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Halifax Citadel: Moneywagon, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from North End
71 notable people were born in North End.
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 · John Reardon: sean.koo, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Tanya Huff: Michael Pereckas, CC BY-SA 2.0
About North End
Neighbourhood in Halifax
North End 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
- 19,733 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Nova Scotia
- City
- Halifax
- Census subdivision
- 1209034
North End’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North End | 19,733 | — | C | D− | C+ | B+ |
| Windsor Park | 13,044 | 1.7 | C | D | C+ | B+ |
| Schmidtville | 18,105 | 1.8 | C− | D− | C+ | B+ |
| Austinville | 28,021 | 2.8 | C | D | C+ | B+ |
| Westmount | 23,207 | 2.8 | C+ | D− | C+ | B+ |
| Fairview | 16,296 | 3.4 | C− | D− | C+ | B+ |
| Manor Park | 14,148 | 3.7 | C | D | C+ | B+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about North End
Do people in North End speak French?
17% of residents can hold a conversation in both English and French, against 8% for the median of Canadian towns; 0.1% speak French but not English.
Is North End a young town or an old one?
At 33.3, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 9% of the population and seniors 14%.
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).