Portland EstatesHalifax
Population 10,164: a neighbourhood in Halifax. Of Halifax’s 36 neighbourhoods, this is one.
Is Portland Estates a good place to live?
Some subjects shine; others lag. Its lowest grade is for cost of living (D). With a B− overall, Portland Estates is better than 49% of Canadian towns. That places it #7 of 88 in Nova Scotia. The local economy does well (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.
What makes Portland Estates stand out
The 3 things Portland Estates does most differently from other towns.
How Portland Estates grades
Each subject compares Portland Estates 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 →
St. Mary's Basilica and 42 more in and around Portland Estates
From museums to parks and historic sites: Portland Estates’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
ChurchSt. Mary's Basilica2.6 km outside town, to the southwest
FortGeorges Island1.6 km outside town, to the southwest
Historic shipHMCS Sackville2.3 km outside town, to the southwest
Art galleryArt Gallery of Nova Scotia2.6 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumMaritime Museum of the Atlantic2.5 km outside town, to the southwest
CastleHalifax Citadel3.2 km outside town, to the southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- 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
- Art Gallery of Nova Scotia: Skeezix1000, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Maritime Museum of the Atlantic: Letterofmarque, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Halifax Citadel: Moneywagon, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Portland Estates.
Renting in Portland Estates eats 25% of household income, more than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns
Measured across the Halifax metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom
The median home value was $428,000, 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 | Portland Estates | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 25% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 25% | 21% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $428,000 | $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.
Commuters in Portland Estates have a short way to work, 20 min on average, less than in Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns
The car took 90% of commuters, about level with both Nova Scotia’s towns (92%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Portland Estates | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 20 min | 23 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 90% | 92% | 89% |
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.
51% of adults around Portland Estates rate their health very good or excellent
The survey counts 11% of adults as smokers, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (12%). Women in the region live to 83.4 and men to 79.3, 81.4 years taken together (2022/2024). The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Portland Estates live 2.6 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Portland Estates | 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 · Health survey and life expectancy published for the Zone 4 - Central, not by town
Winters are mild in Portland Estates: January nights hold at −8.3°C, above Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns
Snowfall adds up to 215 cm a year, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (215 cm) and above Canadian towns (141 cm). Gardeners get 181 frost-free days, from 30 April to 29 October. The warmest afternoons come in July, at around 22.7°C in Portland Estates. Also worth knowing: most of the snow comes in January, about 54 cm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Portland Estates | 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)
Portland Estates gets a C+ for safety
Its police area recorded 13.8 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, close to Nova Scotia’s towns (14.5) and above Canadian towns (12). Property crime in its police area ran at 37.3 per 1,000 residents a year, near Nova Scotia’s towns (36.2) and higher than Canadian towns (31.2).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Portland Estates | 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
Portland Estates has 18 beaches within 5 km
For walks, 4 named routes run within 2 km, such as the Shearwater Flyer Trail and Dartmouth Multi-Use Trail. The nearest provincial park, Cole Harbour - Lawrencetown Provincial Park, is 2.2 km away. The largest is Waverley - Salmon River Long Lake Wilderness Area: 8,621 ha, 8.7 km from the edge of town. CPCAD lists 19 protected areas within 10 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Portland Estates | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 4.5% | 8.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 11 | 23.5 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
12% of Portland Estates’s residents belong to a visible minority (Nova Scotia’s towns: 4%; Canadian towns: 15%)
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 2.8% of residents, about level with Canadian towns (2.8%) and below Nova Scotia’s towns (4%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 54.4% of Portland Estates
Women numbered 5,525 and men 4,640 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.
| Portland Estates | Nova Scotia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 54% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 32% | 25% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 11% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 62% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Nova Scotia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
In Portland Estates, November normally means 9°C afternoons and 1°C nights
The month after, December, normally sees 4°C afternoons and −4°C nights. November usually brings some 19 cm of snow. A normal November brings 135 mm of rain and snow. At the extremes, August afternoons reach 23°C and January nights −8°C.
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
Darren Fisher (Liberal Party of Canada) holds Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, the riding that includes Portland Estates
11 of the 11 MPs from Nova Scotia belong to the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Portland Estates’s public library is Woodlawn Library
It stands 0.9 km from the centre of Portland Estates.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Flood mapping exists for Portland Estates: 1 on record, latest by Halifax Regional Municipality
Source area for radon tests: the Zone 6 health region
Earthquake risk in Portland Estates 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. More homes than usual carry radon here, 13% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Wildfire is a moderate presence around Portland Estates: 2.5% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, 0.06% a year, short of the band that counts against Risk.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Portland Estates | 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 · Not measured by town: earthquake risk (the city of Halifax)
29 schools in and around Portland Estates: 19 elementary schools, 8 secondary schools and 2 schools for every grade
No French-language school is among them; in Nova Scotia, 6% of schools are.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bel Ayr ElementaryIn Portland EstatesElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Eric Graves Memorial Junior HighIn Portland EstatesSecondary · Grades 7–9 | Secondary · Grades 7–9 | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Portland Estates | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 2 km | 4.3 km | 1.2 km |
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.
Everything we know about Portland Estates
Famous people from around Portland Estates
No notable person born in Portland Estates is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Sidney Crosby: Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0
Portland Estates’ neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Estates | 10,164 | — | B− | D | C+ | B+ |
| Manor Park | 14,148 | 2.6 | C | D | C+ | B+ |
| Cole Harbour | 21,627 | 2.8 | B | C+ | C+ | B+ |
| Woodlawn | 20,925 | 3.3 | B− | C | C+ | B+ |
| Westphal | 4,201 | 4.5 | B− | C+ | C+ | B |
| Schmidtville | 18,105 | 5.1 | C− | D− | C+ | B+ |
| Austinville | 28,021 | 5.3 | C | D | C+ | B+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Portland Estates
Is Portland Estates a young town or an old one?
The median resident is 51.9 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 14% are under 15 and 32% are 65 or over.
About Portland Estates
Neighbourhood in Halifax
The edges of Portland Estates follow census dissemination areas, which TownRatings groups into Halifax’s neighbourhoods; the name comes from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 10,164 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Nova Scotia
- City
- Halifax
- Census subdivision
- 1209034
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).