WestmountHalifax

TownGrade

C⁺

#1,610 of 2,556

Of Halifax’s 36 neighbourhoods, this is one. Population 23,207: a neighbourhood in Halifax.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Fralambert · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

23,207

people, Census 2021

Median age

40.4

years · Nova Scotia’s towns: 51.6

Postsecondary

68%

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%

Is Westmount a good place to live?

Strong in places, weak in others. Buying in is costly (D−). Walkability is its strong suit (A+). It also does well on health (B+). The overall grade comes out at C+, better than 41% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #18 of 88 in Nova Scotia. The rest of its grades are middling: C+ for safety, B for jobs & income 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.

StrongestA⁺WalkabilityWeakestD⁻Cost of living

How Westmount grades

Each subject compares Westmount 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

WalkabilityAmong the best of the towns comparedA⁺Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnD⁻Open →HealthResidents are healthier than in most townsB⁺Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workBOpen →SafetyNear typical for the towns comparedC⁺Open →Hazard riskGraded on two hazards, earthquakes and radon, with nearby wildfire counted only against itB⁻Open →

SchoolsIn Nova Scotia, there’s no schools grade: the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Westmount stand out

The 3 things Westmount 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

Next to 8%, the median among Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Walkability

Better than 99%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: A+.

Households renting

Housing

49% rent their home

Canadian towns centre on 25%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Westmount.

HousingCost of living D⁻

Rent takes more of local pay in Westmount than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 29% of household income

$500,000median home value, 2021D⁻Cost of living Grade

The median home value was $500,000, above both Nova Scotia’s towns ($250,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000). 26% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%). Figures for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom are published for the Halifax metro area as a whole, not for Westmount alone.

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

Westmount$500,000

Nova Scotia$250,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Westmount	Nova Scotia	Canada
Rent as a share of income	29%	21%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	26%	13%	18%
Median home value, 2021	$500,000	$250,000	$406,000

$1,828

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Full pageWestmount’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 living6.5 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $500,000, against the median household income Owners and renters51% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.

HealthHealth B⁺

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

51%very good or excellent healthB⁺Health Grade

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

The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Westmount live 2.6 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km. Smoking is rarer than in the province: 11% of adults, against 14% for Nova Scotia. Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect 18% of the region’s adults on average, below Nova Scotia’s towns (20%) but above Canadian towns (17%). Across the region, life runs to 81.4 years on average: women 83.4, men 79.3, in 2022/2024.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Westmount51%

Nova Scotia’s towns49%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Westmount	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

2.6 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

11%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

0.7 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageWestmount’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey51% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care2.6 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 0.7 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

Climate

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

22.7°CJuly afternoons

The thermometer drops below freezing on 133 days a year, near Nova Scotia’s towns (133) and lower than Canadian towns (159). Gardeners get 181 frost-free days, from 30 April to 29 October. A July afternoon in Westmount typically reaches 22.7°C. A normal January brings 54 cm of snow, the most of any month.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter1.5°C

Spring8.8°C

Summer21.6°C

Autumn14.3°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Westmount	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 pageWestmount’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 station9.4 km to the station · Shearwater

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

Work & commuteJobs & income B

Trips to work from Westmount are shorter than from Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 21 min on average

25%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van71%

Walk11%

Public transit11%

Bicycle3%

Census 2021	Westmount	Nova Scotia	Canada
Average trip	21 min	23 min	26 min

$76,700

median household income, 2020

33%

worked from home, May 2021

97%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageWestmount’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment13% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work25% walk, cycle or take transit

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.

SafetySafety C⁺

Westmount earns a C+ for safety

71Crime Severity Index

Violent incidents in its police area came to 13.8 per 1,000 residents a year, about level with 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, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (36.2) and above Canadian towns (31.2).

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202372

202474

202569

2023–2025	Westmount	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 pageWestmount’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety71 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Westmount’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Westmount 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

Outdoors

Protected land around Westmount beats nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns

11%of the land within 10 km protected

The tally of protected areas open to the public within 10 km is 7, between Nova Scotia’s towns (23.5) and Canadian towns (4). No national park lies within 100 km. Within 5 km are 18 beaches; Chocolate Lake Beach is the nearest. Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area (8,626 ha) is the biggest, 8.3 km from town.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Westmount11%

Nova Scotia’s towns8.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Westmount	Nova Scotia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	11%	8.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	7	23.5	4

At the edge

to Long Lake Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageWestmount’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas16 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

Westmount: median age 40.4, 10,580 households

40.4median age

17% of residents belong to a visible minority, above Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. The 65-and-over age group makes up a fifth of residents. Under 15: 14% of residents.

WestmountNova ScotiaCanada

Nova ScotiaCanada

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

14%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree11%

Postsecondary qualification68%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 53.3% of Westmount

In 2021 there were 12,370 women to 10,855 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.

Who lives in Westmount
	Westmount	Nova Scotia	Canada
Under 15	14%	14%	16%
15 to 64	67%	62%	64%
65+	20%	25%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	11%	18%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	68%	54%	56%

Full pageWestmount’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages40.4 median age · 20% are 65 or over Households10,580 households English and French15% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Weather

In Westmount, November normally means 9°C afternoons and 1°C nights

9°Ca normal November afternoon

Expect around 19 cm of snow in November. December follows at 4°C by day and −4°C by night. November normally sees 135 mm of precipitation. The year peaks in August (23°C) and bottoms out in January (−8°C).

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 pageWestmount’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

Westmount straddles 2 federal ridings, from Halifax to Halifax West

Shannon Miedema represents 89% of Westmount in the Commons, while Lena Diab covers the bulk of the rest.

Full pageWestmount’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⁻

Westmount has no public library of its own; the nearest is Killam Memorial Library, 2.1 km away

The next is W.K.

Full pageWestmount’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 Westmount: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Halifax Regional Municipality

Moderatewildfire bandB⁻Hazard risk Grade

Radon topped the guideline in 13% of tested homes, near Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and higher than Canadian towns (6.6%). NRCan expects $0.018 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings in Westmount, near the typical $0.030. Wildfire is a moderate presence around Westmount: 2.5% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, 0.06% a year, short of the band that counts against Risk. Westmount doesn’t get its own radon tests figures; the ones here come from the Zone 6 health region.

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

Westmount13%

Nova Scotia’s towns13%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Westmount	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

1.7 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageWestmount’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

FloodOne flood study on record WildfireModerate wildfire band · 2.5% 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 · Earthquake risk: one figure for all of the city of Halifax

Schools

29 schools serve Westmount, 20 elementary schools, 6 secondary schools and 3 schools for every grade

29schools within 3 km

Schooling here is split between 2 boards, between Nova Scotia’s towns (1) and Canadian towns (3).

School	Level	Students	System
Chebucto Heights ElementaryIn WestmountElementary	Elementary	–	English public
Halifax Central Junior HighIn WestmountSecondary · Grades 7–9	Secondary · Grades 7–9	–	English public
École Mer et Monde FrenchTeaches in FrenchAll grades	All grades	–	French public

See all 29 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public28

French public1

Schools within 3 km	Westmount	Nova Scotia	Canada
School boards	2	1	3

1.1 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageWestmount’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school29 schools within 3 km · 20 elementary schools, 6 secondary schools and 3 schools for every grade Language1 of 29 teach in French · 6% of schools in Nova Scotia The boards2 school boards · Halifax Regional Centre for Education Questions“What schools are there in Westmount?”

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.

History

An older town: 43% of Westmount’s homes predate 1961

1historic place

Inside the town the registers count 1 historic place.

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings1

Among them

Mont Blanc Anchor Site 1917

1917

oldest construction date on the record

43%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Westmount	Nova Scotia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	43%	28%	18%

Full pageWestmount’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes43% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%On the registersOne historic place inside the town Questions“How many historic places does Westmount 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 Westmount

15pages on Westmount

The big questions

SafetyC⁺Crime Severity Index 71 Housing & costD⁻Homes 6.5 × income Property pricesSchools29 schools within 3 km HealthB⁺Life expectancy 81.4 in its region Work & commuteB58% 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 40.4 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

St. Mary's Basilica and 38 more in and around Westmount

A first look at Westmount’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.

All attractions →

ChurchSt. Mary's Basilica1.7 km outside town, to the northeast

Historic shipHMCS Sackville2.1 km outside town, to the northeast

FortGeorges Island2.8 km outside town, to the northeast

Art galleryArt Gallery of Nova Scotia1.9 km outside town, to the northeast

GardenHalifax Public Gardens1 km outside town, to the northeast

CastleHalifax Citadel1.3 km outside town, to the northeast

Photos: 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
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
Halifax Citadel: Moneywagon, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from around Westmount

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

Their page →

Suzanne GerriorAssociation football player · born 1973

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

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

About Westmount

Neighbourhood in Halifax

TownRatings splits Halifax into neighbourhoods drawn from census dissemination areas; Westmount is one of them, named from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.

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

Population: 23,207 (people, 2021 estimate)
Province or territory: Nova Scotia
City: Halifax
Census subdivision: 1209034

Westmount’s neighbours

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

South EndFairviewWindsor ParkNorth EndMount RoyaleSchmidtvilleWestmount

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Westmount	23,207	—	C⁺	D⁻	C⁺	B⁺
South End	22,012	2.4	C	D	C⁺	B⁺
Fairview	16,296	2.6	C⁻	D⁻	C⁺	B⁺
Windsor Park	13,044	2.7	C	D	C⁺	B⁺
North End	19,733	2.8	C	D⁻	C⁺	B⁺
Mount Royale	9,340	3	C	D	C⁺	B⁺
Schmidtville	18,105	3.3	C⁻	D⁻	C⁺	B⁺

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

Questions about Westmount

How old are the people of Westmount?

At 40.4, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 14% of the population and seniors 20%.

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).