#1Guysborough
Nova Scotia · 4,721 peopleOverall C+·#1,612 of 2,556
Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A−·lowest: jobs & income D
Guysborough, #1 on this list · Photo: Dennis G. Jarvis (CC BY-SA 2.0)Nova Scotia · 2026
Towns with the most civic life in Nova Scotia
First place in Nova Scotia goes to Guysborough, with A+. Yarmouth takes second place with A; Port Hawkesbury is third with A. An A of some kind goes to 47 of the 88 listed. Last comes Colchester County, Subdivision C, at C+. Nationally, Guysborough ranks #35 of 2,582. 34 places in Nova Scotia reach the top 100 for all of Canada.
Civic life grade: library visits per resident, registered charities per 1,000 residents and the province’s volunteering rate How grades work
#1A+Civic life
#2Yarmouth
Nova Scotia · 10,637 peopleOverall C+·#1,525 of 2,556
Strongest: hazard risk B+, cost of living B+·lowest: health D
#3Port Hawkesbury
Nova Scotia · 3,442 peopleOverall C+·#1,667 of 2,556
Strongest: hazard risk A+, walkability A·lowest: health C−
All 88, ranked in Nova Scotia
Best first in Nova Scotia; beside each place, its rank on the same list for all of Canada.
88 places
#TownCivic lifeCanada rankWhat drives it
1Guysborough4,721 peopleA+#35 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A−·lowest: jobs & income D
5Inverness County, Subdivision A5,389 peopleA#48 of 2,582Strongest: cost of living B+, hazard risk B−·lowest: walkability D
6Inverness County, Subdivision C3,314 peopleA#49 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living B−·lowest: health D
10Victoria County, Subdivision B4,258 peopleA#53 of 2,582Strongest: cost of living B+, walkability B−·lowest: jobs & income D
11Victoria County, Subdivision A2,746 peopleA#54 of 2,582Strongest: cost of living B+, hazard risk B−·lowest: health D
12Springhill7,015 peopleA#55 of 2,582Strongest: cost of living B+, walkability B−·lowest: jobs & income D
13Cumberland County, Subdivision C6,040 peopleA#56 of 2,582Strongest: cost of living B−, hazard risk C+·lowest: health D
14Cumberland County, Subdivision A3,401 peopleA#57 of 2,582Strongest: cost of living B, hazard risk B−·lowest: jobs & income D−
15Cumberland County, Subdivision D4,692 peopleA#58 of 2,582Strongest: cost of living B−, walkability B−·lowest: health D
16Liverpool10,997 peopleA#60 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A−, walkability C+·lowest: jobs & income D
19Annapolis County, Subdivision C5,694 peopleA#66 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A−, cost of living C+·lowest: health D
20Annapolis County, Subdivision B5,086 peopleA#67 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A−, walkability B+·lowest: jobs & income D
21Annapolis County, Subdivision D3,273 peopleA#68 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A−, cost of living C+·lowest: health D
22Annapolis County, Subdivision A6,719 peopleA#69 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A−, walkability B−·lowest: jobs & income D
25Pictou County, Subdivision C8,847 peopleA#74 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A+, cost of living B+·lowest: health D
26Pictou County, Subdivision A6,575 peopleA#75 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living B+·lowest: health D
27Pictou County, Subdivision B6,482 peopleA#76 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A+, cost of living B+·lowest: walkability D
29Barrington6,720 peopleA#80 of 2,582Strongest: cost of living B+, jobs & income B−·lowest: hazard risk D−
30Shelburne4,542 peopleA#81 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A−, cost of living C+·lowest: walkability D
33Lunenburg2,523 peopleA#98 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A, hazard risk A−·lowest: cost of living D
34Bridgewater9,989 peopleA#99 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A−, hazard risk A−·lowest: cost of living C−
35Antigonish County, Subdivision B6,486 peopleA#128 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A−·lowest: health D
36Antigonish County, Subdivision A9,682 peopleA#129 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A+, jobs & income A−·lowest: health C−
37Antigonish5,175 peopleA#130 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A+, hazard risk A·lowest: cost of living D
40Berwick2,631 peopleA−#295 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A, hazard risk A−·lowest: cost of living C−
41Kings County, Subdivision C8,994 peopleA−#296 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A−, walkability B·lowest: health C−
42Kings County, Subdivision D6,517 peopleA−#297 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A−, safety C+·lowest: health C−
43Kings County, Subdivision B12,661 peopleA−#332 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A−, safety C+·lowest: health C−
44Colchester County, Subdivision A3,891 peopleA−#344 of 2,582Strongest: cost of living A−, hazard risk B−·lowest: health D−
46Richmond County, Subdivision C3,444 peopleA−#380 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A−·lowest: health D
47Richmond County, Subdivision A4,305 peopleA−#381 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk A, safety B−·lowest: jobs & income D
50Colchester County, Subdivision B21,578 peopleB#564 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk B−, safety C+·lowest: health D
51Cape Breton106,752 peopleB#637 of 2,582Strongest: safety A−, walkability B·lowest: jobs & income C−
54Cole Harbour21,627 peopleB−#1,440 of 2,582Strongest: jobs & income A−, walkability B+·lowest: cost of living C+
55Timberlea11,014 peopleB−#1,441 of 2,582Strongest: jobs & income A−, walkability B·lowest: safety C+
56Hammonds Plains13,844 peopleB−#1,443 of 2,582Strongest: jobs & income B+, cost of living B+·lowest: walkability C−
57Woodlawn20,925 peopleB−#1,446 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A−, health B+·lowest: cost of living C
58Upper Tantallon5,248 peopleB−#1,447 of 2,582Strongest: jobs & income A−, health B−·lowest: walkability C−
59Portland Estates10,164 peopleB−#1,448 of 2,582Strongest: jobs & income A, walkability B+·lowest: cost of living D
60Middle Sackville14,898 peopleB−#1,449 of 2,582Strongest: jobs & income B+, health B·lowest: cost of living C
61Bedford28,848 peopleB−#1,450 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A−, jobs & income A−·lowest: cost of living D
62Lower Sackville20,171 peopleB−#1,451 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A−, health B+·lowest: cost of living C−
63Westphal4,201 peopleB−#1,452 of 2,582Strongest: jobs & income B, health B·lowest: cost of living C+
64Eastern Passage10,745 peopleB−#1,454 of 2,582Strongest: walkability B+, health B·lowest: cost of living C+
65Beaver Bank9,157 peopleB−#1,455 of 2,582Strongest: jobs & income B+, health B·lowest: cost of living C+
66Westmount23,207 peopleB−#1,456 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D−
67Lawrencetown3,509 peopleB−#1,458 of 2,582Strongest: jobs & income B+, health B·lowest: walkability D
69Windsor Park13,044 peopleB−#1,460 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D
70Manor Park14,148 peopleB−#1,461 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D
71Clayton Park West34,404 peopleB−#1,462 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A+, health B·lowest: cost of living D
72Mount Royale9,340 peopleB−#1,463 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A−, health B+·lowest: cost of living D
73North End19,733 peopleB−#1,464 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D−
74South End22,012 peopleB−#1,465 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A, health B+·lowest: cost of living D
75Austinville28,021 peopleB−#1,466 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D
76East Lawrencetown4,020 peopleB−#1,467 of 2,582Strongest: jobs & income B, health B−·lowest: walkability D
77Fairview16,296 peopleB−#1,468 of 2,582Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D−
78Dutch Settlement6,234 peopleB−#1,469 of 2,582Strongest: jobs & income B, health B−·lowest: walkability C−
79Hatchet Lake9,930 peopleB−#1,470 of 2,582Strongest: health B−, hazard risk B−·lowest: walkability C−
81Harrietsfield6,786 peopleB−#1,472 of 2,582Strongest: health B, hazard risk B−·lowest: walkability C−
83Musquodoboit Harbour2,719 peopleB−#1,474 of 2,582Strongest: health B, hazard risk B−·lowest: jobs & income D
84East Preston2,573 peopleB−#1,475 of 2,582Strongest: health B, hazard risk B−·lowest: jobs & income C−
85Head of St Margarets Bay2,885 peopleB−#1,476 of 2,582Strongest: health B−, hazard risk B−·lowest: walkability C−
86Sheet Harbour3,334 peopleB−#1,477 of 2,582Strongest: health B, hazard risk B−·lowest: jobs & income D−
87Meaghers Grant3,430 peopleB−#1,478 of 2,582Strongest: health B, hazard risk B−·lowest: jobs & income D
88Colchester County, Subdivision C14,211 peopleC+#1,757 of 2,582Strongest: hazard risk B−, cost of living B−·lowest: health D
Rankings
More lists for Nova Scotia
All listsBest places to liveBest small townsMost affordableSafestHealthiestJobs & incomeMost walkableLowest hazard riskCivic lifeHighest incomesFastest-growingMost historicMost bilingualYoungestOldestMildest wintersColdest wintersWarmest summersCoolest summersFewest frostsLeast snowSnowiestDriestWettest
Province by province
Civic life elsewhere
Photos: Guysborough, Dennis G. Jarvis (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Yarmouth, Andrew Thomas from Shrewsbury, UK (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Port Hawkesbury, XabiPellitero (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources: TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranking Canadian towns against each other only, run #73 of 10 November 2026. 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).