#1Argyle
Nova Scotia · 8,216 peopleOverall B−·#1,468 of 2,556
Strongest: cost of living A−, hazard risk B+·lowest: health D−
Argyle, #1 on this list · Photo: André Carrotflower (CC BY-SA 2.0)Nova Scotia · 2026
Most affordable towns in Nova Scotia
Argyle tops the list in Nova Scotia, at A−. Second place goes to Antigonish County, Subdivision B, at A−, and third to Richmond County, Subdivision C, at A−. The A range holds 5 of the 88 on this list. Bottom of the list: North End, with D−. On the national list, Argyle is #99 of 2,580. The national top 100 holds just one place from Nova Scotia.
Cost of living grade: the owners’ median home value and a year’s rent, each against the place’s own household income How grades work
#1A−Cost of living
#2Antigonish County, Subdivision B
Nova Scotia · 6,486 peopleOverall C+·#1,585 of 2,556
Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A−·lowest: health D
#3Richmond County, Subdivision C
Nova Scotia · 3,444 peopleOverall C·#1,838 of 2,556
Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A−·lowest: health D
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
#TownCost of livingCanada rankWhat drives it
2Antigonish County, Subdivision B6,486 peopleA−#102 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A−·lowest: health D
3Richmond County, Subdivision C3,444 peopleA−#130 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A−·lowest: health D
4Colchester County, Subdivision A3,891 peopleA−#151 of 2,580Strongest: cost of living A−, hazard risk B−·lowest: health D−
5Guysborough4,721 peopleA−#162 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A−·lowest: jobs & income D
6Victoria County, Subdivision B4,258 peopleB+#192 of 2,580Strongest: cost of living B+, walkability B−·lowest: jobs & income D
7Barrington6,720 peopleB+#214 of 2,580Strongest: cost of living B+, jobs & income B−·lowest: hazard risk D−
8Inverness County, Subdivision A5,389 peopleB+#223 of 2,580Strongest: cost of living B+, hazard risk B−·lowest: walkability D
9Pictou County, Subdivision A6,575 peopleB+#250 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living B+·lowest: health D
10Victoria County, Subdivision A2,746 peopleB+#262 of 2,580Strongest: cost of living B+, hazard risk B−·lowest: health D
11Springhill7,015 peopleB+#269 of 2,580Strongest: cost of living B+, walkability B−·lowest: jobs & income D
13Hammonds Plains13,844 peopleB+#287 of 2,580Strongest: jobs & income B+, cost of living B+·lowest: walkability C−
14Pictou County, Subdivision C8,847 peopleB+#291 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A+, cost of living B+·lowest: health D
15Pictou County, Subdivision B6,482 peopleB+#315 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A+, cost of living B+·lowest: walkability D
19Cumberland County, Subdivision A3,401 peopleB#400 of 2,580Strongest: cost of living B, hazard risk B−·lowest: jobs & income D−
21Inverness County, Subdivision C3,314 peopleB−#470 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living B−·lowest: health D
22Cumberland County, Subdivision C6,040 peopleB−#478 of 2,580Strongest: cost of living B−, hazard risk C+·lowest: health D
23Upper Tantallon5,248 peopleB−#555 of 2,580Strongest: jobs & income A−, health B−·lowest: walkability C−
25Port Hawkesbury3,442 peopleB−#587 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A+, walkability A·lowest: health C−
26Colchester County, Subdivision C14,211 peopleB−#615 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk B−, cost of living B−·lowest: health D
27Cumberland County, Subdivision D4,692 peopleB−#616 of 2,580Strongest: cost of living B−, walkability B−·lowest: health D
28Cape Breton106,752 peopleB−#639 of 2,580Strongest: safety A−, walkability B·lowest: jobs & income C−
31Shelburne4,542 peopleC+#695 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A−, cost of living C+·lowest: walkability D
32Lawrencetown3,509 peopleC+#709 of 2,580Strongest: jobs & income B+, health B·lowest: walkability D
33Annapolis County, Subdivision C5,694 peopleC+#710 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A−, cost of living C+·lowest: health D
35Colchester County, Subdivision B21,578 peopleC+#798 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk B−, safety C+·lowest: health D
36Annapolis County, Subdivision D3,273 peopleC+#809 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A−, cost of living C+·lowest: health D
38Antigonish County, Subdivision A9,682 peopleC+#820 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A+, jobs & income A−·lowest: health C−
40Eastern Passage10,745 peopleC+#838 of 2,580Strongest: walkability B+, health B·lowest: cost of living C+
41Beaver Bank9,157 peopleC+#868 of 2,580Strongest: jobs & income B+, health B·lowest: cost of living C+
43Cole Harbour21,627 peopleC+#881 of 2,580Strongest: jobs & income A−, walkability B+·lowest: cost of living C+
46Sheet Harbour3,334 peopleC#938 of 2,580Strongest: health B, hazard risk B−·lowest: jobs & income D−
47East Lawrencetown4,020 peopleC#947 of 2,580Strongest: jobs & income B, health B−·lowest: walkability D
50Richmond County, Subdivision A4,305 peopleC#981 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A, safety B−·lowest: jobs & income D
51Liverpool10,997 peopleC#998 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A−, walkability C+·lowest: jobs & income D
52Middle Sackville14,898 peopleC#1,002 of 2,580Strongest: jobs & income B+, health B·lowest: cost of living C
53Woodlawn20,925 peopleC#1,015 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A−, health B+·lowest: cost of living C
55Kings County, Subdivision B12,661 peopleC#1,036 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A−, safety C+·lowest: health C−
57Hatchet Lake9,930 peopleC#1,108 of 2,580Strongest: health B−, hazard risk B−·lowest: walkability C−
60Meaghers Grant3,430 peopleC#1,157 of 2,580Strongest: health B, hazard risk B−·lowest: jobs & income D
61Dutch Settlement6,234 peopleC#1,168 of 2,580Strongest: jobs & income B, health B−·lowest: walkability C−
62Annapolis County, Subdivision B5,086 peopleC#1,169 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A−, walkability B+·lowest: jobs & income D
63Kings County, Subdivision D6,517 peopleC#1,186 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A−, safety C+·lowest: health C−
64Lower Sackville20,171 peopleC−#1,251 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A−, health B+·lowest: cost of living C−
65Kings County, Subdivision C8,994 peopleC−#1,279 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A−, walkability B·lowest: health C−
66Harrietsfield6,786 peopleC−#1,282 of 2,580Strongest: health B, hazard risk B−·lowest: walkability C−
67Head of St Margarets Bay2,885 peopleC−#1,339 of 2,580Strongest: health B−, hazard risk B−·lowest: walkability C−
68Berwick2,631 peopleC−#1,345 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A, hazard risk A−·lowest: cost of living C−
70Bridgewater9,989 peopleC−#1,386 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A−, hazard risk A−·lowest: cost of living C−
71East Preston2,573 peopleC−#1,395 of 2,580Strongest: health B, hazard risk B−·lowest: jobs & income C−
74Annapolis County, Subdivision A6,719 peopleC−#1,440 of 2,580Strongest: hazard risk A−, walkability B−·lowest: jobs & income D
75Musquodoboit Harbour2,719 peopleC−#1,500 of 2,580Strongest: health B, hazard risk B−·lowest: jobs & income D
76Bedford28,848 peopleD#1,584 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A−, jobs & income A−·lowest: cost of living D
77Antigonish5,175 peopleD#1,753 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A+, hazard risk A·lowest: cost of living D
78Manor Park14,148 peopleD#1,777 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D
79Portland Estates10,164 peopleD#1,805 of 2,580Strongest: jobs & income A, walkability B+·lowest: cost of living D
80Lunenburg2,523 peopleD#1,850 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A, hazard risk A−·lowest: cost of living D
81Mount Royale9,340 peopleD#1,868 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A−, health B+·lowest: cost of living D
82South End22,012 peopleD#1,967 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A, health B+·lowest: cost of living D
83Windsor Park13,044 peopleD#2,008 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D
84Clayton Park West34,404 peopleD#2,057 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A+, health B·lowest: cost of living D
85Austinville28,021 peopleD#2,066 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D
86Westmount23,207 peopleD−#2,100 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D−
87Fairview16,296 peopleD−#2,106 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D−
88North End19,733 peopleD−#2,275 of 2,580Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living 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
Most affordable elsewhere
Photos: Argyle, André Carrotflower (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Antigonish County, Subdivision B, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson S… (Public domain) · Richmond County, Subdivision C, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson S… (Public domain), 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).