TimberleaHalifax
This neighbourhood in Halifax has a population of 11,014. It is one of 36 neighbourhoods of Halifax.
Is Timberlea a good place to live?
Timberlea’s best grade is for jobs & income (A−). Its overall B puts it #3 of 88 in Nova Scotia. Set against the rest, it does better than just over three fifths of Canadian towns. The rest of its grades are middling: C+ for cost of living, C+ for safety, B for health, B for walkability 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 Timberlea grades
Each subject compares Timberlea 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 Timberlea stand out
The 3 things Timberlea does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Timberlea.
Household incomes in Timberlea top those of 93% of Canadian towns
The average trip to work took 24 min, close to Nova Scotia’s towns (23 min) and below Canadian towns (26 min). The car carried 90% of commuters at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Timberlea | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 24 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.
Timberlea has milder winters than Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −8.3°C
The warmest stretch brings July afternoons of 22.7°C, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (23.1°C) and below Canadian towns (25.5°C). Between the last spring frost, 30 April, and the first in autumn, 29 October, lie 181 days. Most of the snow comes in January, about 54 cm. Rain and snow peak in December, at 156 mm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Timberlea | 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)
51% of adults around Timberlea rate their health very good or excellent
Expected years of life at birth: 81.4, higher than Nova Scotia’s towns (80.0) and near Canadian towns (81.5). At 11%, the share of adults who smoke sits under the 14% for Nova Scotia. Measured from where Timberlea’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 10 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km. Figures for health survey and life expectancy are published for the Zone 4 - Central as a whole, not for Timberlea alone.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Timberlea | 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
Timberlea earns a C+ for safety
The Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 numbers here cover the Halifax Metropolitan Area service area
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). 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).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Timberlea | 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
Few places match Timberlea for protected land nearby: more than 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Within 10 km are 22 protected areas. A provincial park, Long Lake Provincial Park, lies 0.3 km away. Some protected land is inside the neighbourhood: 30% of its area. Biggest among them: Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area, 8,626 ha, 0.1 km off.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Timberlea | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 19% | 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
Timberlea earns a C+ for cost of living
Households that own their home make up 85%. 13% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and below Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Timberlea | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 85% | 82% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 13% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 20% | 21% | 20% |
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 published for the Halifax metro area, not by town
4,015 households and a median age of 38.6: who lives in Timberlea
Visible minorities make up 14% of the population, between Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (15%). 3.7% of residents have an Indigenous identity, between Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
50.8% of Timberlea’s residents are women
Here the census found 5,595 women and 5,415 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| Timberlea | Nova Scotia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 70% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 9.9% | 25% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 12% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 64% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Nova Scotia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Timberlea runs from 1°C to 9°C
Then December: 4°C by day, −4°C at night. About 19 cm of snow falls in a normal November. In November, the normal is 135 mm of rain and snow. Across the year, normals run from −8°C nights in January to 23°C afternoons in August.
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
Lena Diab (Liberal Party of Canada) holds Halifax West, the riding that includes Timberlea
Without an open map of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly’s ridings, this page can’t say which one Timberlea is in.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Timberlea has no public library of its own; the nearest is Keshen Goodman Public Library, 5.3 km away
After it comes Bedford Public Library (Bedford), 10 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Flood mapping exists for Timberlea: 1 on record, latest by Halifax Regional Municipality
In Health Canada’s survey, 13% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Little of the land around Timberlea has burned: 1.1% within 25 km since 1986, or 0.03% a year. For radon tests, the only official count covers all of the Zone 6 health region, Timberlea included. Timberlea doesn’t get its own earthquake risk figures; the ones here come from the city of Halifax.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Timberlea | 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
Timberlea and its edges hold 21 schools: 15 elementary schools, 3 secondary schools and 3 schools for every grade
2 of the 21 teach in French, against 6% of schools in Nova Scotia. From the town centre, high school starts 4.6 km away, above Nova Scotia’s towns (4.3 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km) alike.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beechville Lakeside Timberlea Junior ElementaryIn TimberleaElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Ridgecliff Middle SchoolIn TimberleaAll grades · Grades 6–9 | All grades · Grades 6–9 | – | English public |
| École secondaire du Sommet FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades 6–RG | Elementary · Grades 6–RG | – | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Timberlea | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 4.6 km | 4.3 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Towns in Nova Scotia aren’t in the schools rankings: the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.
Everything we know about Timberlea
Steele Wheels Motor Museum and 5 more in and around Timberlea
The best-known places to visit in and around Timberlea come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
MuseumScott Manor House4.9 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumAfricville Museum4.5 km outside town, to the northeastTheme parkTheme parkAtlantic Splash Adventure3.1 km outside town, to the northwestHistoric siteHistoric sitePrince's Lodge Rotunda1.6 km outside town, to the northeastArt galleryArt gallerySecond Gallery4.6 km outside town, to the eastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Scott Manor House: Nova Scotia Information Service, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Timberlea
No notable person born in Timberlea is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Ante Jazić: Djuradj Vujcic, CC BY 2.0 · George Dixon: unattributed, Public domain · Andrew Joudrey: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0
About Timberlea
Neighbourhood in Halifax
Timberlea is one of Halifax’s neighbourhoods, which TownRatings draws from census dissemination areas and names from the city’s own map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 11,014 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Nova Scotia
- City
- Halifax
- Census subdivision
- 1209034
Timberlea’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timberlea | 11,014 | — | B | C+ | C+ | B |
| Clayton Park West | 34,404 | 5.6 | C | D | C+ | B |
| Mount Royale | 9,340 | 6.5 | C | D | C+ | B+ |
| Fairview | 16,296 | 7.8 | C− | D− | C+ | B+ |
| Bedford | 28,848 | 8.1 | B− | D | C+ | B+ |
| Westmount | 23,207 | 9.3 | C+ | D− | C+ | B+ |
| Windsor Park | 13,044 | 9.7 | C | D | C+ | B+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
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).