Sheet HarbourHalifax

TownGrade

#2,385 of 2,556

3,334 residents make their home in this neighbourhood in Halifax. Of Halifax’s 36 neighbourhoods, this is one.

Photo: Dennis G. Jarvis · CC BY-SA 2.0

Population

3,334

people, Census 2021

Median age

57.3

years · Nova Scotia’s towns: 51.6

Postsecondary

43%

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 Sheet Harbour a good place to live?

More weak spots than strong ones. Sheet Harbour grades D overall, better than 12% of Canadian towns, and ranks #58 of 88 in Nova Scotia. Work and incomes lag (D−). It lags on walkability as well (C). Also worth knowing: its strongest subject is health (B). The rest of its grades are middling: 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.

WeakestD⁻Jobs & income

How Sheet Harbour grades

Each subject compares Sheet Harbour 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 & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedD⁻Open →WalkabilityWeaker than most of the towns comparedCOpen →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnCOpen →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areBOpen →SafetyAbout average among the towns comparedC⁺Open →Hazard riskGraded on two hazards, earthquakes and radon, with nearby wildfire counted only against 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 Sheet Harbour stand out

The 3 things Sheet Harbour does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Jobs & income

Behind 99%

of Canadian towns on jobs & income

Its jobs & income grade: D−.

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

33% are 65 or over

For the middle of Canadian towns, 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

2.7 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $150,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sheet Harbour.

Work & commuteJobs & income D⁻

Trips to work from Sheet Harbour take longer than from Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 30 min on average

3%walk, cycle or take transit

93% of commuters drove, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (92%) and above Canadian towns (89%).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van93%

Walk3%

Census 2021	Sheet Harbour	Nova Scotia	Canada
Average trip	30 min	23 min	26 min
Car or van	93%	92%	89%

$56,100

median household income, 2020

11%

worked from home, May 2021

88%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageSheet Harbour’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment13% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work3% walk, cycle or take transit

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.

Climate

Summers stay cool in Sheet Harbour: July afternoons reach 17.5°C, below Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns

17.5°CJuly afternoons

A normal December brings 133 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. The coldest nights, in January, bottom out at −6.2°C, above Nova Scotia’s towns (−8.9°C) and Canadian towns (−13.5°C) alike. Most of the snow comes in February, about 44 cm.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter1.5°C

Spring5.5°C

Summer16.9°C

Autumn13.3°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Sheet Harbour	Nova Scotia	Canada
July afternoon high	17.5°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
January night low	−6.2°C	−8.9°C	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	114	133	159
Precipitation a year	1,277 mm	1,393 mm	883 mm

162 cm

of snow a year

114

days with frost a year

141

days with precipitation a year

Full pageSheet Harbour’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 17.5°C, January lows −6.2°C Rain and snow1,277 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow162 cm of snow a year Weather station22 km to the station · Beaver Island

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

HousingCost of living C

Renting in Sheet Harbour eats 39% of household income, more than in Nova Scotia’s towns and across Canadian towns

$150,000median home value, 2021CCost of living Grade

Owners make up nearly nine in ten households. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 6% of households, below Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. For rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, the only official count covers all of the Halifax metro area, Sheet Harbour included.

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

Sheet Harbour$150,000

Nova Scotia$250,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Sheet Harbour	Nova Scotia	Canada
Rent as a share of income	39%	21%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	6%	13%	18%
Households owning their home	89%	82%	74%

$1,828

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Full pageSheet Harbour’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$1,828 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Cost of living2.7 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $150,000, against the median household income Owners and renters89% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.

HealthHealth B

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

51%very good or excellent healthBHealth Grade

Measured across the Zone 4 - Central: health survey and life expectancy

On average 18% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, below Nova Scotia’s towns (20%) but above Canadian towns (17%). At 11%, the share of adults who smoke sits under the 14% for Nova Scotia. Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 81.4, women 83.4 and men 79.3 (2022/2024). For Sheet Harbour itself the measure is access, and it lags: 12 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Sheet Harbour51%

Nova Scotia’s towns49%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Sheet Harbour	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

12 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

11%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

15 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageSheet Harbour’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey51% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care12 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 15 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

Outdoors

The boundary of Sable Island National Park Reserve runs along Sheet Harbour

7.7%of the land within 10 km protected

7.7% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). Protected areas open to the public, within 10 km of the town: 98, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (23.5) and Canadian towns (4). OpenStreetMap shows 2 walking routes nearby, including the Taylor Head Provincial Park and Fantum Falls Loop. Swimmers have 17 beaches within 5 km, Back Beach the nearest.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Sheet Harbour7.7%

Nova Scotia’s towns8.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Sheet Harbour	Nova Scotia	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	98	23.5	4
Protected land within 10 km	7.7%	8.7%	2.3%

At the edge

to Sable Island National Park Reserve

At the edge

to Taylor Head Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageSheet Harbour’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas124 protected areas within 10 km · Tangier Grand Lake Wilderness Area National & provincial parksAt the edge to a national park · Sable Island National Park Reserve Footpaths & routes2 named routes · Taylor Head Provincial Park

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

SafetySafety C⁺

Sheet Harbour gets a C+ for safety

71Crime Severity Index

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). 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).

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202372

202474

202569

2023–2025	Sheet Harbour	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 pageSheet Harbour’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

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

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

Who lives here

Older than 97% of Canadian towns: half of Sheet Harbour is over 57.3

57.3median age

First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 7% of residents, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). Visible minorities make up 1.1% of the population, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (15%).

Sheet HarbourNova ScotiaCanada

Nova ScotiaCanada

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

33%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree32%

Postsecondary qualification43%

Women and men · all residents

49.5% of Sheet Harbour’s residents are women

In 2021 there were 1,650 women to 1,685 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.

Who lives in Sheet Harbour
	Sheet Harbour	Nova Scotia	Canada
Under 15	10%	14%	16%
15 to 64	56%	62%	64%
65+	33%	25%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	32%	18%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	43%	54%	56%

Full pageSheet Harbour’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages57.3 median age · 33% are 65 or over Households1,625 households English and French4% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Weather

A normal November in Sheet Harbour runs from 3°C to 8°C

8°Ca normal November afternoon

In November, the normal is 123 mm of rain and snow. Next comes December, with normal highs of 4°C and lows of −2°C. At the extremes, August afternoons reach 20°C and February nights −6°C. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Sheet Harbour.

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

November8°C

December4°C

January1°C

February0°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	2°C	−5°C	349 mm
Spring	6°C	1°C	294 mm
Summer	17°C	12°C	280 mm
Autumn	13°C	8°C	354 mm

3°C

a normal November night

123 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageSheet Harbour’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 February

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

Town hall

Central Nova, which takes in Sheet Harbour, is held by Sean Fraser (Liberal Party of Canada)

The Liberal Party of Canada has 11 of the 11 MPs elected in Nova Scotia.

Full pageSheet Harbour’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⁻

The nearest public library to Sheet Harbour is Sherbrooke Library, 48 km away

The next is Musquodoboit Valley Library Office (Meaghers Grant), 49 km away.

Full pageSheet Harbour’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 Sheet Harbour: 2 on the national inventory, the newest from Halifax Regional Municipality

Lowwildfire bandB⁻Hazard risk Grade

Source area for earthquake risk: the city of Halifax

Burn scars are few around Sheet Harbour, with 0.1% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.002% a year). Radon is higher than usual: 13% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town.

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

Sheet Harbour13%

Nova Scotia’s towns13%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Sheet Harbour	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

Low

wildfire band

6.2 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageSheet Harbour’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Flood2 flood studies on record WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.1% 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 · Radon tests: one figure for all of the Zone 6 health region

Schools

Sheet Harbour’s teenagers travel 42 km to the nearest high school

2schools within 3 km

Elementary school is 4 km away at the nearest, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (1.9 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km).

School	Level	Students	System
Marine Drive AcademyIn Sheet HarbourElementary	Elementary	–	English public

See all 2 schools →

Schools within 3 km	Sheet Harbour	Nova Scotia	Canada
Nearest secondary school	42 km	4.3 km	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	4 km	1.9 km	0.5 km

42 km

to the nearest secondary school

4 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageSheet Harbour’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school2 elementary schools Language0 of 2 teach in French · 6% of schools in Nova Scotia Questions“What schools are there in Sheet Harbour?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Why no schools grade in Nova Scotia? The province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.

History

Older housing stands out in Sheet Harbour: 37% predates 1961

1historic place

Canada’s heritage registers list 1 historic place inside the town.

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings1

Among them

MacPhee House 1875

1875

oldest construction date on the record

37%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Sheet Harbour	Nova Scotia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	37%	28%	18%

Full pageSheet Harbour’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes37% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%On the registersOne historic place inside the town Questions“How many historic places does Sheet Harbour 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 Sheet Harbour

15pages on Sheet Harbour

The big questions

SafetyC⁺Crime Severity Index 71 Housing & costCHomes 2.7 × income Property pricesSchools2 schools within 3 km HealthBLife expectancy 81.4 in its region Work & commuteD⁻37% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors7.7% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 18°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 57.3 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

MacPhee House and 2 more in and around Sheet Harbour

Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near Sheet Harbour, the best known first.

All attractions →

MuseumMuseumMacPhee Housein town Historic siteHistoric siteMoose River Gold Mines Memorial4.6 km outside town, to the west MuseumMuseumMoose River Gold Mines Museum4 km outside town, to the west

Famous people from Sheet Harbour

8 notable people were born in Sheet Harbour.

See all 8 →

Matthew HutchinsonCanadian politician · 1843–1926

Martin William CurrieCanadian Roman Catholic prelate · born 1943

Dugald StewartCanadian politician · 1862–1932

Tom McInnisCanadian politician · born 1945

Samuel Rosborough BalcomCanadian politician · 1888–1981

Adam Dunlap BurrisCanadian politician from Nova Scotia · 1887–1950

Photo credits

Matthew Hutchinson: Jules-Isaïe Benoît, Public domain

About Sheet Harbour

Neighbourhood in Halifax

The edges of Sheet Harbour 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: 3,334 (people, 2021 estimate)
Province or territory: Nova Scotia
City: Halifax
Census subdivision: 1209034

Questions about Sheet Harbour

How old are the people of Sheet Harbour?

At 57.3, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 10% of the population and seniors 33%.

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).