Mahone BayNova Scotia
This town in Nova Scotia has a population of 1,200. Its census division is Lunenburg.
Is Mahone Bay a good place to live?
Getting around on foot or by bus is easy (A+). Cost of living is its weak spot (D−). It also trails on health (D). Natural hazards weigh less here than in most Canadian towns (A−).
With fewer than 2,500 residents, Mahone Bay gets subject grades but no overall one among Canadian towns.
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 Mahone Bay grades
Each subject compares Mahone Bay with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
With fewer than 2,500 residents, Mahone Bay gets subject grades but no overall one among Canadian towns.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Mahone Bay stand out
The 3 things Mahone Bay does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Mahone Bay.
Rent takes more of local pay in Mahone Bay than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 32% of household income
Just over two thirds of households are owner-occupiers. Shelter took 30% or more of income for a quarter of households, above Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Mahone Bay | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 32% | 21% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 25% | 13% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 68% | 82% | 74% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $400,000 | $250,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.
Health in Mahone Bay trails 85% of Canadian towns
The survey counts nearly a fifth of adults as smokers, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (12%). A baby born in the region can expect 80.0 years, 82.5 for a girl and 77.6 for a boy (2022/2024). Adults here are less upbeat about their health than the province: 44% very good or excellent, against 48% in Nova Scotia. What sets Mahone Bay apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 8.6 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical). For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the Zone 1 - Western, Mahone Bay included.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Mahone Bay | 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
A flood study covers Mahone Bay: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Town of Mahone Bay
In Health Canada’s survey, 6.2% of homes tested in Mahone Bay’s area exceeded 200 Bq/m³, close to the typical 6.6%. Shaking is about as much of a worry in Mahone Bay as in most places, at $0.018 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Figures for radon tests are published for the Zone 1 health region as a whole, not for Mahone Bay alone.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Mahone Bay | 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
Trips to work from Mahone Bay are shorter than from Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 21 min on average
83% of commuters took the car to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Mahone Bay | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or van | 83% | 92% | 89% |
| Average trip | 21 min | 23 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Older than 99% of Canadian towns: half of Mahone Bay is over 60
2% of residents belong to a visible minority, below Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 6.4% of residents, above both 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
Women make up 56.5% of Mahone Bay
Here the census found 605 women and 465 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| Mahone Bay | Nova Scotia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 48% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 41% | 25% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 11% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 62% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Nova Scotia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Hardly any Canadian towns collect more precipitation than Mahone Bay: 1,561 mm a year
In January, overnight lows in Mahone Bay settle at −10.2°C. Some 184 cm of snow falls in a typical year, between Nova Scotia’s towns (215 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Also worth knowing: rain and snow peak in December, at 163 mm. The frost-free season runs from 26 May to 28 September, 124 days.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Mahone Bay | 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)
Mahone Bay is 6.7 km from Second Peninsula Provincial Park
0.1% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). 61 km separate the town from Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, its nearest national park. Within 10 km, the count of public protected areas is 2, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns (23.5) and Canadian towns (4). Swimmers have 3 beaches within 5 km, Westhaver the nearest.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Mahone Bay | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.1% | 8.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 23.5 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
2 schools in and around Mahone Bay: 1 elementary school and 1 school for every grade
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahone Bay Alternate SchoolIn Mahone BayElementary · Grades 7–RG | Elementary · Grades 7–RG | – | English public |
| Bayview Community SchoolIn Mahone BayAll grades | All grades | – | English public |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Ungraded on schools in Nova Scotia, because the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.
What November brings in Mahone Bay: freezing at night, 9°C by day
At the extremes, July afternoons reach 26°C and January nights −10°C. A normal December brings highs of 3°C, lows of −5°C. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 160 mm. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Lunenburg.
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
South Shore—St. Margarets, which takes in Mahone Bay, is held by Jessica Fancy-Landry (Liberal Party of Canada)
From Nova Scotia come 11 MPs, 11 of them with the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
The nearest public library to Mahone Bay is Lunenburg Library, 9.5 km away
After it comes Margaret Hennigar Public Library (Bridgewater), 14 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Mahone Bay earns a B− for safety
Where it is policed, thefts, break-ins and damage came to 26.5 per 1,000 a year, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (36.2) and Canadian towns (31.2). For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 15.1 violent incidents are reported each year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Mahone Bay | 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 · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: the Lunenburg County detachment area
In Mahone Bay, 54% of homes go back before 1961
| Heritage | Mahone Bay | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 54% | 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 Mahone Bay
Famous people from Mahone Bay
3 notable people were born in Mahone Bay.
About Mahone Bay
Town in Nova Scotia
Every figure TownRatings gives for Mahone Bay covers the municipality as Statistics Canada maps it, one census subdivision in Nova Scotia.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 1,200 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Nova Scotia
- Census division
- Lunenburg
- Census subdivision
- 1206008
Mahone Bay’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahone Bay | 1,200 | — | — | D− | B− | D |
| Lunenburg | 2,523 | 9.7 | C− | D | B− | C− |
| Lunenburg | 26,862 | 11 | D | C | B− | D |
| Bridgewater | 9,989 | 13 | D | C− | C+ | C− |
| Chester | 11,740 | 18 | D− | C− | B− | D− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Mahone Bay
Is Mahone Bay a young town or an old one?
Its median age is 60, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 11% of residents; over-65s, 41%.
Has Mahone Bay grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 1,036 to 1,064 residents (up 2.7%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 1,200.
What kind of homes are in Mahone Bay?
Mostly 61% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 1.9 people on average, and 42% have just one.
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).