South EndHalifax

It is one of 36 neighbourhoods of Halifax. The neighbourhood has 22,012 residents and lies in Halifax.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Thorfinn Stainforth · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

22,012

people, Census 2021

Median age

34.3

years · Nova Scotia’s towns: 51.6

Postsecondary

65%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

25%

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

TownGrade

#1,953 of 2,556

Is South End a good place to live?

Real strengths, and real weak spots. Its weakest is cost of living (D). With a C overall, South End is better than 28% of Canadian towns. That places it #31 of 88 in Nova Scotia. Fewer journeys need a car (A). Health is another plus (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.

StrongestAWalkabilityWeakestDCost of living

What makes South End stand out

The 3 things South End does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

25% walk, cycle or take transit

For the middle of Canadian towns, 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Households renting

Housing

50% rent their home

Next to 25%, the median among Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Cost of living

Behind 93%

of Canadian towns on cost of living

Its cost of living grade: D.

How South End grades

Each subject compares South 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 grading works

Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesDOpen →WalkabilityAmong the best of the towns comparedAOpen →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentCOpen →HealthResidents are healthier than in most townsB⁺Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentC⁺Open →Hazard riskClose to the middle of the towns comparedB⁻Open →

SchoolsThe schools grade is left out in Nova Scotia, as the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

Nearby attractions

Prince of Wales Tower and 41 more in and around South End

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

All attractions →

FortPrince of Wales Towerin town

ChurchSt. Mary's Basilica800 m outside town, to the north

Historic shipHMCS Sackville1.2 km outside town, to the north

FortGeorges Island600 m outside town, to the northeast

Art galleryArt Gallery of Nova Scotia1.3 km outside town, to the north

GardenHalifax Public Gardens500 m outside town, to the north

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · ODCAF · federal and Québec heritage registers · CPCAD

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

Photo credits (6)

Prince of Wales Tower: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
St. Mary's Basilica: baekken, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
HMCS Sackville: Bryson109 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Georges Island: Thparkth, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia: Skeezix1000, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Halifax Public Gardens: Hantsheroes, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in South End.

HousingCost of living D

Renting in South End eats 29% of household income, more than in Nova Scotia’s towns and across Canadian towns

Shelter took 30% or more of income for 30% of households, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%). The median home value was $420,000, higher than Nova Scotia’s towns ($250,000) and near Canadian towns ($406,000). South End shares its rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom numbers with the rest of the Halifax metro area.

$420,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

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

South End$420,000

Nova Scotia$250,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	South End	Nova Scotia	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	30%	13%	18%
Rent as a share of income	29%	21%	20%
Median home value, 2021	$420,000	$250,000	$406,000

$1,828

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Full pageSouth End’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 living5.5 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $420,000, against the median household income Owners and renters49% 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.

Work & commuteJobs & income C

A smaller share of people aged 15 to 64 are in work in South End than in 83% of Canadian towns

Commutes averaged 23 min, close to Nova Scotia’s towns (23 min) and below Canadian towns (26 min).

25%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van72%

Walk13%

Public transit11%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	South End	Nova Scotia	Canada
Average trip	23 min	23 min	26 min

$76,700

median household income, 2020

31%

worked from home, May 2021

97%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageSouth End’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment14% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work25% 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.

HealthHealth B⁺

Around South End, 51% of adults call their health very good or excellent

At 11%, the share of adults who smoke sits under the 14% for Nova Scotia. On average 18% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, lower than Nova Scotia’s towns (20%) yet higher than Canadian towns (17%). A baby born in the region can expect 81.4 years, 83.4 for a girl and 79.3 for a boy (2022/2024). The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of South End live 2.8 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km.

51%very good or excellent healthB⁺Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

South End51%

Nova Scotia’s towns49%

Canadian towns52%

Health	South 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%

81.4

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

2.8 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

11%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.2 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageSouth End’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey51% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care2.8 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.2 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 · Health survey and life expectancy published for the Zone 4 - Central, not by town

Climate

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

A normal January brings 54 cm of snow, the most of any month. The frost-free season runs from 30 April to 29 October, 181 days. There are 133 days of frost in a typical year, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (133) and below Canadian towns (159). A July afternoon in South End typically reaches 22.7°C.

22.7°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter1.5°C

Spring8.8°C

Summer21.6°C

Autumn14.3°C

Normals, 1991–2020	South 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

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 pageSouth End’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 station7.8 km to the station · Shearwater

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

SafetySafety C⁺

South End is graded a C+ for safety

Where it is policed, thefts, break-ins and damage came to 37.3 per 1,000 a year, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (36.2) and above Canadian towns (31.2). Violent incidents in its police area came to 13.8 per 1,000 residents a year, close to Nova Scotia’s towns (14.5) and above Canadian towns (12). For Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, the only official count covers all of the Halifax Metropolitan Area service area, South End included.

71Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202372

202474

202569

2023–2025	South End	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 pageSouth End’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

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

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

Outdoors

Protected land around South End beats nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns

The largest is Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area: 8,626 ha, 8.9 km from the edge of town. Within 10 km are 19 protected areas. The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. For walks, 6 named routes run within 2 km, such as the Fleming Park Trail System and The McIntosh Run Community Trail.

11%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

South End11%

Nova Scotia’s towns8.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

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

At the edge

to Long Lake Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageSouth End’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas19 protected areas within 10 km · Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Long Lake Provincial Park Footpaths & routes6 named routes · Fleming Park Trail System

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

Who lives here

Few people in South End are 65 or over: 14%, below Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns

Visible minorities make up just over a quarter of the population, above Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 3% of residents, between Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).

34.3median age

South EndNova ScotiaCanada

Nova ScotiaCanada

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

15%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree12%

Postsecondary qualification65%

Women and men · all residents

51.1% of South End’s residents are women

By the 2021 count the town had 11,265 women and 10,765 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.

Who lives in South End
	South End	Nova Scotia	Canada
Under 15	15%	14%	16%
15 to 64	71%	62%	64%
65+	14%	25%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	12%	18%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	65%	54%	56%

Full pageSouth End’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages34.3 median age · 14% are 65 or over Households9,330 households English and French14% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Weather

Expect November days around 9°C in South End, nights around 1°C

At the extremes, August afternoons reach 23°C and January nights −8°C. Next comes December, with normal highs of 4°C and lows of −4°C. November normally sees 135 mm of precipitation. Expect around 19 cm of snow in November.

9°Ca normal November afternoon

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 pageSouth End’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

Halifax, which takes in South End, is held by Shannon Miedema (Liberal Party of Canada)

Local government for South End is Halifax’s, with Andy Fillmore as mayor.

Full pageSouth End’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⁻

South End has two public libraries, Captain William Spry Public Library and Killam Memorial Library

Without open library statistics in Nova Scotia, the page names South End’s libraries but shows no visits or loans.

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

The libraries2 Libraries Places to belong1.1 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁻

Flood mapping exists for South End: 1 on record, latest by Halifax Regional Municipality

Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Zone 6 health region

Shaking is about as much of a worry in South End as in most places, at $0.018 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Radon is higher than usual: 13% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Some 2.7% of the land within 25 km of South End has burned since 1986; at 0.07% a year that is moderate, not high.

Moderatewildfire bandB⁻Hazard risk Grade

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

South End13%

Nova Scotia’s towns13%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	South 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

Moderate

wildfire band

0.1 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageSouth End’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

FloodOne flood study on record WildfireModerate wildfire band · 2.7% 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 · Data for earthquake risk covers the city of Halifax

Schools

27 schools in and around South End: 20 elementary schools, 5 secondary schools and 2 schools for every grade

27schools within 3 km

School	Level	Students	System
Central SpryfieldIn South EndElementary	Elementary	–	English public
École Mer et Monde FrenchIn South EndAll grades	All grades	–	French public

See all 27 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public26

French public1

Schools within 3 km	South End	Nova Scotia	Canada
School boards	2	1	3

2 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageSouth End’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school27 schools within 3 km · 20 elementary schools, 5 secondary schools and 2 schools for every grade Language1 of 27 teach in French · 6% of schools in Nova Scotia The boards2 school boards · Halifax Regional Centre for Education Questions“What schools are there in South End?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · The schools grade is given only where results are open; in Nova Scotia, the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.

History

South End keeps a building from 1796: Prince of Wales Tower

28% of its homes were built before 1961, close to Nova Scotia’s towns (28%) and above Canadian towns (18%). On the list: a provincial or municipal listing. Inside the town the registers count 5 historic places; 4 are top designations.

5historic places

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations4

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings1

Among them

1796

oldest construction date on the record

28%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	South End	Nova Scotia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	28%	28%	18%

Full pageSouth End’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers5 historic places inside the town Highest designations4 top designations · Prince of Wales Tower Older homes28% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does South End 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 South End

15pages on South End

The big questions

SafetyC⁺Crime Severity Index 71 Housing & costDHomes 5.5 × income Property pricesSchools27 schools within 3 km HealthB⁺Life expectancy 81.4 in its region Work & commuteC57% 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 34.3 History5 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from around South End

One notable person was born in South End; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.

Their page →

Troy RyanCanadian ice hockey coach · born 1972

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

Photo credits

Troy Ryan: John Mac, CC BY-SA 2.0 · 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

South End’s neighbours

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

WestmountSchmidtvilleNorth EndWindsor ParkFairviewMount RoyaleSouth End

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
South End	22,012	—	C	D	C⁺	B⁺
Westmount	23,207	2.4	C⁺	D⁻	C⁺	B⁺
Schmidtville	18,105	2.8	C⁻	D⁻	C⁺	B⁺
North End	19,733	3.8	C	D⁻	C⁺	B⁺
Windsor Park	13,044	4.6	C	D	C⁺	B⁺
Fairview	16,296	4.9	C⁻	D⁻	C⁺	B⁺
Mount Royale	9,340	5.3	C	D	C⁺	B⁺

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

Questions about South End

Is South End a young town or an old one?

Its median age is 34.3, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 15% of residents; over-65s, 14%.

About South End

Neighbourhood in Halifax

Statistics Canada counts Halifax as one municipality, so TownRatings builds South End and its other neighbourhoods from census dissemination areas, named from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.

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

Population: 22,012 (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).