Is Pictou a good place to live?
The data are hard on it. Its weakest subject is safety (D). Incomes are on the low side (D). Hazard risk is low (A+). Put together, the subjects come to a D overall, ranking #70 of 88 in Nova Scotia. Nationally, it does better than 8% of 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. 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 Pictou grades
Each subject compares Pictou 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 Pictou stand out
The 3 things Pictou does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Pictou.
For hazard risk, Pictou gets an A+
In Health Canada’s survey, just 2% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Earthquakes matter little: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.014 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Pictou | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 2% | 13% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.014 | $0.018 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Area behind the radon tests figures: the Zone 4 health region
Pictou’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 153, runs above Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns
Violent incidents came to 32.2 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (14.5) and Canadian towns (12). Property crime runs at 54.4 per 1,000 people a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Pictou | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 32.2 | 14.5 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 54.4 | 36.2 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 153 | 94 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Trips to work from Pictou are shorter than from Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 19 min on average
91% of commuters drove, about level with both Nova Scotia’s towns (92%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Pictou | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 19 min | 23 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 91% | 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.
Only 42% of adults around Pictou call their health very good or excellent, below the typical Canadian town’s 52%
Health survey and life expectancy for the Zone 2 - Northern
On average just over a fifth of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (17%). Smoking is commoner than in the province: 17% of adults, against 14% for Nova Scotia. A baby born in the region can expect 79.3 years, 81.5 for a girl and 77.1 for a boy (2022/2024). The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Pictou is well placed: 1.5 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Pictou | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 42% | 49% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 21% | 20% | 17% |
| Smokers | 17% | 15% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.3 | 80.0 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Summer arrives softly in Pictou, cooler than in 88% of Canadian towns
In January the thermometer sinks to −8.9°C overnight, near Nova Scotia’s towns (−8.9°C) and higher than Canadian towns (−13.5°C). A normal October brings 119 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. January is the snowiest month, with 53 cm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Pictou | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation a year | 1,134 mm | 1,393 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 23.1°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 187 cm | 215 cm | 141 cm |
| January night low | −8.9°C | −8.9°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Caribou Point)
Pictou is older than 92% of Canadian towns: a median age of 53.2
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 5.5% of residents, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). Visible minorities make up 4.3% 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 53.2% of Pictou
1,455 men and 1,655 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.
| Pictou | Nova Scotia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 56% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 30% | 25% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 21% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 52% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Nova Scotia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Home ownership in Pictou, 66%, runs below Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 18% of households, above Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and close to Canadian towns (18%). Rent took 23% of household income, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Pictou | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 66% | 82% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 23% | 21% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 18% | 13% | 18% |
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.
Pictou is on the International Appalachian Trail (Nova Scotia)
The closest provincial park is Caribou-Munroe Island Provincial Park, 3.8 km from the edge of town. Within 5 km are 6 beaches; Lowdens Beach is the nearest. Protected areas cover nearly a quarter of the land within 10 km, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (8.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). 83 km separate the town from Prince Edward Island National Park, its nearest national park.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Pictou | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 24% | 8.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 6 | 23.5 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Pictou in November: highs near 8°C, lows near 2°C
The month after, December, normally sees 3°C afternoons and −4°C nights. Expect around 7 cm of snow in November. A normal November brings 118 mm of rain and snow. Also worth knowing: july brings the warmest days, 23°C; February the coldest nights, −9°C.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 0°C | −7°C | 278 mm |
| Spring | 7°C | 0°C | 241 mm |
| Summer | 21°C | 14°C | 263 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 352 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Caribou Point); the forecast is on the Weather page
Pictou sends Sean Fraser (Liberal Party of Canada) to the Commons from Central Nova
11 of the 11 MPs from Nova Scotia belong to the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Pictou’s public library is Pictou Public Library
From the centre of Pictou, it is 0.4 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Pictou’s teenagers travel 9.2 km to the nearest high school
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| McCulloch Education CentreIn PictouElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Pictou | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 9.2 km | 4.3 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · In Nova Scotia, no schools grade. The province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.
An older town: 49% of Pictou’s homes predate 1961
Counted by designation, there are a provincial or municipal listing. Of the dated places, Pictou Academy is the oldest, from 1818. On the registers the town counts 3 historic places, 2 at the top.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Pictou | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 49% | 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 Pictou
McCulloch House Museum and 2 more in and around Pictou
A first look at Pictou’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
MuseumMcCulloch House Museumin townMuseumMuseumNorthumberland Fisheries Museumin townChurchChurchLoch Broom Log Church4 km outside town, to the southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- McCulloch House Museum: Derek Andrews, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Pictou
34 notable people were born in Pictou.
Photo credits
George Mercer Dawson: William Notman and Son, Public domain · John William Dawson: William Notman Studio (1863-1877), Public domain · Joey MacDonald: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Christie MacDonald: Aimé Dupont, Public domain · Charles Elliott Tanner: Unknown author, Public domain
About Pictou
Town in Nova Scotia
TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Pictou is one municipality in Nova Scotia, figures and all.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 3,307 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Nova Scotia
- Census subdivision
- 1212004
Pictou’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pictou | 3,307 | — | D | C+ | D | C− |
| Trenton | 2,499 | 9.3 | — | B | C | C− |
| New Glasgow | 10,378 | 11 | D | C+ | D | C− |
| Pictou County, Subdivision A | 6,575 | 13 | D | B+ | C | D |
| Westville | 3,731 | 14 | C− | B | C | D |
| Stellarton | 4,251 | 14 | D | B− | C− | C− |
| Pictou County, Subdivision C | 8,847 | 16 | D | B+ | C | D |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Pictou
Who are the people of Pictou?
4% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 6% have an Indigenous identity and 4% are immigrants.
Is Pictou a young town or an old one?
The median resident is 53.2 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 14% are under 15 and 30% are 65 or over.
What kind of homes are in Pictou?
Mostly 71% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.1 people on average, and 38% have just one.
Has Pictou grown?
It lost people: 3,186 in 2016, 3,107 in 2021, 2.5% fewer, while the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 3,307.
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).