Membertou 28BNova Scotia

The First Nations reserve has 1,266 residents and lies in Nova Scotia. Between 2016 and 2021, its population grew by 9%.

Population

1,266

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

30.4

years · Nova Scotia’s towns: 51.6

Postsecondary

49%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

10%

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

Is Membertou 28B a good place to live?

Membertou 28B is easy to get around without a car (A). Jobs and pay trail most towns (D). Residents’ health trails most towns (C). Hazards are a real consideration (C+).

Reserves such as Membertou 28B stay out of the grades and the ranked lists. Statistics Canada publishes too little of their data, and what it does publish can’t be weighed fairly against other towns.

No Safety Grade: no police service publishes a crime rate for this place on its own. 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. A First Nations reserve: subject grades only, with no overall grade and no place in ranked lists.

StrongestAWalkabilityWeakestDJobs & income

How Membertou 28B grades

Each subject compares Membertou 28B 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 easiest places to get around without a carAOpen →Jobs & incomeIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areCOpen →Hazard riskMore exposed to natural hazards than mostC⁺Open →

Cost of livingNot graded: not enough data–

SafetyNot graded: not enough data–

SchoolsWe don’t grade schools in Nova Scotia. The reason: the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Membertou 28B stand out

The 3 things Membertou 28B does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

29% unemployment

Of the labour force, against 10% for the median of Canadian towns

36% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

Only 8% are 65 or over

The midpoint across Canadian towns is 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Walkability

Better than 94%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: A.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Membertou 28B.

Work & commuteJobs & income D

Trips to work from Membertou 28B are shorter than from Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 17 min on average

10%walk, cycle or take transit

88% of commuters drove, about level with Canadian towns (89%) and below Nova Scotia’s towns (92%).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van88%

Walk10%

Census 2021	Membertou 28B	Nova Scotia	Canada
Average trip	17 min	23 min	26 min
Car or van	88%	92%	89%

$50,400

median household income, 2020

15%

worked from home, May 2021

65%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageMembertou 28B’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment29% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work10% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to40 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Cape Breton

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.

Who lives here

More of Membertou 28B’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 91%

30.4median age

Membertou 28BNova ScotiaCanada

Nova ScotiaCanada

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

26%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree21%

Postsecondary qualification49%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 50.0% of Membertou 28B

The 2021 census counted 550 women and 550 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Membertou 28B
	Membertou 28B	Nova Scotia	Canada
Under 15	26%	14%	16%
15 to 64	66%	62%	64%
65+	8.2%	25%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	21%	18%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	49%	54%	56%

Full pageMembertou 28B’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages30.4 median age · 8% are 65 or over Households400 households · 2.7 people per household English and French1% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Climate

Membertou 28B sits near the top of Canadian towns for rain and snow, with 1,481 mm a year

23.4°CJuly afternoons

Snowfall adds up to 281 cm a year, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (215 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). A normal December brings 170 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. January is the snowiest month, with 78 cm on average. Summer highs in Membertou 28B reach 23.4°C in July.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter0.2°C

Spring7.3°C

Summer21.8°C

Autumn13.4°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Membertou 28B	Nova Scotia	Canada
Snowfall a year	281 cm	215 cm	141 cm
Precipitation a year	1,481 mm	1,393 mm	883 mm
July afternoon high	23.4°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
January night low	−9.1°C	−8.9°C	−13.5°C

281 cm

of snow a year

159

days with frost a year

150

frost-free days, 22 May to 20 Oct

142

days with precipitation a year

Full pageMembertou 28B’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

Rain and snow1,481 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm The yearJuly highs 23.4°C, January lows −9.1°C Snow281 cm of snow a year Weather station12 km to the station · Sydney

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

HealthHealth C

The region around Membertou 28B carries more chronic illness than the typical Canadian town: 21% to 17%

49%very good or excellent healthCHealth Grade

Shared with the rest of the Zone 3 - Eastern: health survey and life expectancy

15% of adults smoke, daily or now and then, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (15%) and above Canadian towns (12%). Lives in the region last 78.8 years on average (2022/2024): 80.9 for women, 76.6 for men. On self-rated health the region tracks the province: 49% very good or excellent, 48% for Nova Scotia. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Membertou 28B is well placed: 1.1 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Membertou 28B49%

Nova Scotia’s towns49%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Membertou 28B	Nova Scotia	Canada
Chronic conditions (average share)	21%	20%	17%
Life expectancy at birth	78.8	80.0	81.5
Smokers	15%	15%	12%
Very good or excellent health	49%	49%	52%

78.8

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

1.1 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

15%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

0.8 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageMembertou 28B’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey49% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care1.1 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 0.8 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 80.9, men 76.6 Conditions and habits21% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

Wildfire low, radon 14%: how Membertou 28B stands on hazards

Lowwildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

Fire seldom reaches Membertou 28B: since 1986, 0.6% of the land within 25 km has burned (0.02% a year).

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

Membertou 28B14%

Nova Scotia’s towns13%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Membertou 28B	Nova Scotia	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	14%	13%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.018	$0.018	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

5.2 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageMembertou 28B’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon14% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.6% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.018 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Data for radon tests covers the Zone 5 health region

Outdoors

The nearest provincial park, Petersfield Provincial Park, is 3.4 km from Membertou 28B

0.7%of the land within 10 km protected

15 protected areas lie within 10 km. Biggest among them: Old Growth Forest Lands, 72 ha, 5.6 km off. Within 10 km, 0.7% of the land is protected, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns (8.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). Cape Breton Highlands National Park is the closest national park, 60 km from town.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Membertou 28B0.7%

Nova Scotia’s towns8.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Membertou 28B	Nova Scotia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0.7%	8.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	15	23.5	4

60 km

to Cape Breton Highlands National Park

3.4 km

to Petersfield Provincial Park

beach within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageMembertou 28B’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas15 protected areas within 10 km · Old Growth Forest Lands National & provincial parks60 km to a national park · Cape Breton Highlands National Park

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

Weather

Expect November days around 8°C in Membertou 28B, nights around freezing

8°Ca normal November afternoon

Precipitation in November averages 149 mm. Looking ahead to December, expect highs near 3°C and lows near −4°C. About 9 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Normal highs peak at 23°C in July; nights bottom out at −10°C in February.

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November8°C

December3°C

January−1°C

February−1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	0°C	−8°C	440 mm
Spring	7°C	−2°C	340 mm
Summer	22°C	11°C	287 mm
Autumn	13°C	5°C	414 mm

0°C

a normal November night

149 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageMembertou 28B’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 July, coldest February

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Sydney); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Membertou 28B sends Mike Kelloway (Liberal Party of Canada) to the Commons from Sydney—Glace Bay

Of the 11 Commons seats from Nova Scotia, the Liberal Party of Canada holds 11.

Full pageMembertou 28B’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itIndian Reserve

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁺

No public library stands in Membertou 28B: the closest, James McConnell Memorial Library, is 2.6 km away

The next is Wilfred Oram Centennial Library (Cape Breton), 12 km away.

Full pageMembertou 28B’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Schools

12 schools serve Membertou 28B, 10 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools

12schools within 3 km

One of the 12 teaches in French, against 6% of schools in Nova Scotia. Measured from the centre, the closest high school lies 3 km off, between Nova Scotia’s towns (4.3 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km).

School	Level	Students	System
Shipyard Elementary SchoolNearest elementary school, 0.6 kmElementary	Elementary	–	English public
Sydney AcademyNearest secondary school, 2 kmSecondary · Grades 9–RG	Secondary · Grades 9–RG	–	English public
Centre scolaire Étoile de l'Acadie FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary	Elementary	–	French public

See all 12 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public11

French public1

Schools within 3 km	Membertou 28B	Nova Scotia	Canada
School boards	2	1	3
Nearest secondary school	3 km	4.3 km	1.2 km

3 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageMembertou 28B’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school12 schools within 3 km · 10 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools Language1 of 12 teach in French · 6% of schools in Nova Scotia The boards2 school boards · Cape Breton Victoria Regional Centre for Education Questions“What schools are there in Membertou 28B?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Why no schools grade in Nova Scotia? The province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Membertou 28B

15pages on Membertou 28B

The big questions

SafetyHousing & costProperty pricesSchools12 schools within 3 km HealthCLife expectancy 78.8 in its region Work & commuteD36% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors0.7% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 23°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 30.4 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Greenlink Rotary Park Trail System and 5 more in and around Membertou 28B

A first look at Membertou 28B’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.

All attractions →

GardenGreenlink Rotary Park Trail System500 m outside town, to the north

MuseumMuseumSydney Museum2.3 km outside town, to the northwest

MuseumMuseumCossit House Museum2.5 km outside town, to the northwest

MuseumMuseumJost House2.5 km outside town, to the northwest

MuseumMuseumSt. Patricks2.4 km outside town, to the northwest

MuseumMuseumWhitney Pier Historical Society Museum3.7 km outside town, to the northwest

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

Photo credits (1)

Greenlink Rotary Park Trail System: Ken Heaton, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from around Membertou 28B

No notable person born in Membertou 28B is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

Arthur B. McDonaldCanadian physicist · born in Cape Breton · born 1943

Harold RussellFilm and television actor · born in Cape Breton · 1914–2002

Daniel PetrieCanadian film director · born in Cape Breton · 1920–2004

Michael ForgeronCanadian rower · born in Cape Breton · born 1966

Flora MacDonaldCanadian politician · born in Cape Breton · 1926–2015

Bobby SmithCanadian ice hockey player, coach and e… · born in Cape Breton · born 1958

Photo credits

Arthur B. McDonald: Bengt Nyman, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Harold Russell: Samuel Goldwyn Company, Public domain · Michael Forgeron: nova scotia hall of fame, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Flora MacDonald: United Press International, Public domain

About Membertou 28B

First Nations reserve in Nova Scotia

The reserve is its own census subdivision in Nova Scotia, and the figures for Membertou 28B cover the whole of it.

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

Population: 1,266 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Nova Scotia
Census division: Cape Breton
Metro area: Cape Breton
First Nation: Membertou
Census subdivision: 1217008

Membertou 28B’s neighbours

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

Cape BretonMembertou 28B

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Membertou 28B	1,266	—	—	—	—	C
Cape Breton	106,752	6	C⁺	B⁻	A⁻	C⁻

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

Questions about Membertou 28B

Is Membertou 28B growing?

It added people: 1,015 in 2016, 1,103 in 2021, 8.7% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 1,266.

How old are the people of Membertou 28B?

30.4 is the median age, 45.2 the median among Canadian towns; 8% of residents are 65 or over and 26% under 15.

What kind of homes are in Membertou 28B?

Mostly 82% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.7 people on average, and 28% have just one.

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