LunenburgNova Scotia
A town of 2,523 in Nova Scotia. The population grew 6% between 2016 and 2021.
Is Lunenburg a good place to live?
Strong in places, weak in others. Lunenburg grades C− overall and ranks #37 of 88 in Nova Scotia. It comes out better than 20% of Canadian towns. Homes are dear (D). Health is weaker too (C−). Its strongest subject is walkability (A).
This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. Safety is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. 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 Lunenburg grades
Each subject compares Lunenburg 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 Lunenburg stand out
The 3 things Lunenburg does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Lunenburg.
Home ownership in Lunenburg, 63%, runs below Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 24% of households, above Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. The median home value was $348,000, above Nova Scotia’s towns ($250,000) but below Canadian towns ($406,000).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Lunenburg | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 24% | 13% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 63% | 82% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 24% | 21% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $348,000 | $250,000 | $406,000 |
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.
Lunenburg’s hazards at a glance: a low wildfire record and 6.2% of area homes over the radon guideline
Seismic risk in Lunenburg sits near the middle: $0.018 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. No flood study for Lunenburg is on the national inventory.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Lunenburg | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 6.2% | 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 · Data for radon tests covers the Zone 1 health region
Lunenburg earns a C− for health
Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the Zone 1 - Western
Chronic conditions run at a fifth of adults, age-standardised, near Nova Scotia’s towns (20%) and higher than Canadian towns (17%). The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 44%, behind the 48% for Nova Scotia. Closer to home, a hospital is just 1.0 km from the average resident of Lunenburg, nearer than the usual 3.7 km. Women in the region live to 82.5 and men to 77.6, 80.0 years taken together (2022/2024).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Lunenburg | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19% | 15% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 44% | 49% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 20% | 20% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.0 | 80.0 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Trips to work from Lunenburg are shorter than from Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 18 min on average
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Lunenburg | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 18 min | 23 min | 26 min |
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.
Lunenburg is older than 97% of Canadian towns: a median age of 57.2
1.4% of residents have an Indigenous identity, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). Visible minorities make up 6.3% of the population, above Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) but below Canadian towns (15%).
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 55.5% of Lunenburg
Of the 2021 count, 1,330 were women and 1,065 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Lunenburg | Nova Scotia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 53% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 36% | 25% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 64% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Nova Scotia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
2.4 km from Lunenburg to Second Peninsula Provincial Park
Of the country within 10 km, 0.1% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%. A drive of 66 km reaches Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, the nearest national park. The 10 km around town hold 19 protected areas. Within 5 km are 5 beaches; Battery Point Beach is the nearest.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Lunenburg | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.1% | 8.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 1 | 23.5 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
July afternoons in Lunenburg reach 25.5°C (Nova Scotia towns 23.1°C, Canadian towns 25.5°C)
In January the thermometer sinks to −10.2°C overnight, lower than Nova Scotia’s towns (−8.9°C) yet higher than Canadian towns (−13.5°C). Most of the snow comes in January, about 50 cm. A normal December brings 163 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. Gardeners get 124 frost-free days, from 26 May to 28 September.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Lunenburg | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation a year | 1,561 mm | 1,393 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 25.5°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 184 cm | 215 cm | 141 cm |
| Days with frost a year | 162 | 133 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Bridgewater)
What November brings in Lunenburg: freezing at night, 9°C by day
ECCC’s forecast for Lunenburg is on the Weather page, hour by hour. December follows at 3°C by day and −5°C by night. November usually brings some 10 cm of snow. Precipitation in November averages 160 mm.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 1°C | −8°C | 413 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | 0°C | 402 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 12°C | 299 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 4°C | 447 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Bridgewater); the forecast is on the Weather page
Lunenburg sends Jessica Fancy-Landry (Liberal Party of Canada) to the Commons from South Shore—St. Margarets
From Nova Scotia come 11 MPs, 11 of them with the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Lunenburg’s public library is Lunenburg Library
It stands 0.2 km from the centre of Lunenburg.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Lunenburg earns a B− for safety
Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 63 over 2023–25, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (71) and Canadian towns (67). Property crime in the area its police cover: 26.5 per 1,000 people a year. Violence across its police area runs at 15.1 per 1,000 residents a year. Figures for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 are published for the Lunenburg County detachment area as a whole, not for Lunenburg alone.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Lunenburg | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 26.5 | 36.2 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 77 | 94 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 15.1 | 14.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Lunenburg’s oldest designated place, Old Town Lunenburg Historic District, dates from 1753
Designations here include 2 provincial or municipal listings. Canada’s heritage registers list 6 historic places inside the town, 4 with the highest designation.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Lunenburg | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 63% | 28% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Lunenburg
Knaut-Rhuland House and 7 more in and around Lunenburg
From museums to parks and historic sites: Lunenburg’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
MuseumKnaut-Rhuland Housein town
MuseumFisheries Museum of the Atlanticin townArt galleryArt galleryFoundry Art Galleryin townMuseumMuseumHeritage Interpretive Classroomin townMuseumMuseumMuseum Boat Shop & Exhibitin townArt galleryArt galleryCranston Galleryin townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Knaut-Rhuland House: Skeezix1000, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic: Vanbasten 23, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Lunenburg
27 notable people were born in Lunenburg.
Photo credits
Robert Winters: Arthur Roy, Public domain · Arthur L. Thurlow: Unknown author, Public domain · Jabez Bunting Snowball: Unknown author, Public domain · Angus Walters: W.R. MacAskill (1890-1956), Public domain · Charles Edwin Kaulbach: William James Topley, Public domain
About Lunenburg
Town in Nova Scotia
Lunenburg is a municipality in Nova Scotia, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 2,523 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Nova Scotia
- Census subdivision
- 1206006
Lunenburg’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunenburg | 2,523 | — | C− | D | B− | C− |
| Mahone Bay | 1,200 | 9.7 | — | D− | B− | D |
| Lunenburg | 26,862 | 15 | D | C | B− | D |
| Bridgewater | 9,989 | 17 | D | C− | C+ | C− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Lunenburg
Is Lunenburg a young town or an old one?
The median resident is 57.2 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 11% are under 15 and 36% are 65 or over.
What kind of homes are in Lunenburg?
70% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2 people; 37% are one person living alone.
Has Lunenburg grown?
Yes: the census counted 2,263 in 2016 and 2,396 in 2021, a rise of 5.9%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 2,523.
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).