#1Lunenburg
Nova Scotia · 2,523 peopleOverall C−·#2,175 of 2,556
Strongest: walkability A, hazard risk A−·lowest: cost of living D
Lunenburg, #1 on this list · Photo: Edgar El (CC BY 3.0)Nova Scotia · 2026
Most historic towns in Nova Scotia
At the other end is Shelburne, with 0. Across Canada, the same list puts Lunenburg #11 of 2,589. Canada’s top 100 on this list includes 9 places in Nova Scotia. Lunenburg tops the list in Nova Scotia, at 24. Second place goes to Victoria County, Subdivision B, at 16, and third to Harrietsfield, at 16. Windsor Park, in the middle of the list, comes in at 1.
Places on Canada’s heritage registers per 10,000 people How grades work
#124 Per 10,000 people
#2Victoria County, Subdivision B
Nova Scotia · 4,258 peopleOverall C−·#2,194 of 2,556
Strongest: cost of living B+, walkability B−·lowest: jobs & income D
#3Harrietsfield
Nova Scotia · 6,786 peopleOverall C−·#2,240 of 2,556
Strongest: health B, hazard risk B−·lowest: walkability 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
#TownPer 10,000 peopleCanada rankWhat drives it
1Lunenburg2,523 people24#11 of 2,589Strongest: walkability A, hazard risk A−·lowest: cost of living D
2Victoria County, Subdivision B4,258 people16#20 of 2,589Strongest: cost of living B+, walkability B−·lowest: jobs & income D
4Victoria County, Subdivision A2,746 people15#26 of 2,589Strongest: cost of living B+, hazard risk B−·lowest: health D
5Eastern Passage10,745 people9#60 of 2,589Strongest: walkability B+, health B·lowest: cost of living C+
7Cumberland County, Subdivision C6,040 people8#71 of 2,589Strongest: cost of living B−, hazard risk C+·lowest: health D
9Richmond County, Subdivision A4,305 people7#95 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A, safety B−·lowest: jobs & income D
10Cumberland County, Subdivision D4,692 people6#105 of 2,589Strongest: cost of living B−, walkability B−·lowest: health D
11Kings County, Subdivision D6,517 people6#111 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A−, safety C+·lowest: health C−
12Annapolis County, Subdivision A6,719 people6#115 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A−, walkability B−·lowest: jobs & income D
13Barrington6,720 people6#116 of 2,589Strongest: cost of living B+, jobs & income B−·lowest: hazard risk D−
15Springhill7,015 people4#159 of 2,589Strongest: cost of living B+, walkability B−·lowest: jobs & income D
16Guysborough4,721 people4#163 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A−·lowest: jobs & income D
19Antigonish5,175 people4#187 of 2,589Strongest: walkability A+, hazard risk A·lowest: cost of living D
20Inverness County, Subdivision A5,389 people4#201 of 2,589Strongest: cost of living B+, hazard risk B−·lowest: walkability D
21Annapolis County, Subdivision D3,273 people3#252 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A−, cost of living C+·lowest: health D
22Sheet Harbour3,334 people3#259 of 2,589Strongest: health B, hazard risk B−·lowest: jobs & income D−
24Cumberland County, Subdivision A3,401 people3#266 of 2,589Strongest: cost of living B, hazard risk B−·lowest: jobs & income D−
26Colchester County, Subdivision A3,891 people3#299 of 2,589Strongest: cost of living A−, hazard risk B−·lowest: health D−
29Kings County, Subdivision B12,661 people2#322 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A−, safety C+·lowest: health C−
34Annapolis County, Subdivision B5,086 people2#368 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A−, walkability B+·lowest: jobs & income D
36Colchester County, Subdivision B21,578 people2#382 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk B−, safety C+·lowest: health D
37Annapolis County, Subdivision C5,694 people2#399 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A−, cost of living C+·lowest: health D
39Austinville28,021 people1#514 of 2,589Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D
40Antigonish County, Subdivision A9,682 people1#525 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A+, jobs & income A−·lowest: health C−
41Liverpool10,997 people1#545 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A−, walkability C+·lowest: jobs & income D
43Cape Breton106,752 people1#559 of 2,589Strongest: safety A−, walkability B·lowest: jobs & income C−
45Windsor Park13,044 people1#584 of 2,589Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D
48Bedford28,848 people1#601 of 2,589Strongest: walkability A−, jobs & income A−·lowest: cost of living D
49Lower Sackville20,171 people0#658 of 2,589Strongest: walkability A−, health B+·lowest: cost of living C−
50Westmount23,207 people0#678 of 2,589Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D−
51Clayton Park West34,404 people0#720 of 2,589Strongest: walkability A+, health B·lowest: cost of living D
53Cole Harbour21,627 people0#1,433 of 2,589Strongest: jobs & income A−, walkability B+·lowest: cost of living C+
54Timberlea11,014 people0#1,444 of 2,589Strongest: jobs & income A−, walkability B·lowest: safety C+
55Hammonds Plains13,844 people0#1,469 of 2,589Strongest: jobs & income B+, cost of living B+·lowest: walkability C−
56Woodlawn20,925 people0#1,622 of 2,589Strongest: walkability A−, health B+·lowest: cost of living C
57Upper Tantallon5,248 people0#1,722 of 2,589Strongest: jobs & income A−, health B−·lowest: walkability C−
58Portland Estates10,164 people0#1,751 of 2,589Strongest: jobs & income A, walkability B+·lowest: cost of living D
59Middle Sackville14,898 people0#1,753 of 2,589Strongest: jobs & income B+, health B·lowest: cost of living C
60Westphal4,201 people0#1,784 of 2,589Strongest: jobs & income B, health B·lowest: cost of living C+
61Beaver Bank9,157 people0#1,847 of 2,589Strongest: jobs & income B+, health B·lowest: cost of living C+
62Antigonish County, Subdivision B6,486 people0#1,901 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A−·lowest: health D
63Port Hawkesbury3,442 people0#1,965 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A+, walkability A·lowest: health C−
64Lawrencetown3,509 people0#1,978 of 2,589Strongest: jobs & income B+, health B·lowest: walkability D
66Manor Park14,148 people0#2,048 of 2,589Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D
67Richmond County, Subdivision C3,444 people0#2,082 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A−·lowest: health D
68Mount Royale9,340 people0#2,122 of 2,589Strongest: walkability A−, health B+·lowest: cost of living D
69East Lawrencetown4,020 people0#2,190 of 2,589Strongest: jobs & income B, health B−·lowest: walkability D
70Fairview16,296 people0#2,211 of 2,589Strongest: walkability A+, health B+·lowest: cost of living D−
71Dutch Settlement6,234 people0#2,232 of 2,589Strongest: jobs & income B, health B−·lowest: walkability C−
74Berwick2,631 people0#2,393 of 2,589Strongest: walkability A, hazard risk A−·lowest: cost of living C−
76Pictou County, Subdivision C8,847 people0#2,432 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A+, cost of living B+·lowest: health D
77Musquodoboit Harbour2,719 people0#2,442 of 2,589Strongest: health B, hazard risk B−·lowest: jobs & income D
78Pictou County, Subdivision A6,575 people0#2,449 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living B+·lowest: health D
79Pictou County, Subdivision B6,482 people0#2,452 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A+, cost of living B+·lowest: walkability D
80Inverness County, Subdivision C3,314 people0#2,453 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living B−·lowest: health D
81East Preston2,573 people0#2,456 of 2,589Strongest: health B, hazard risk B−·lowest: jobs & income C−
82Bridgewater9,989 people0#2,459 of 2,589Strongest: walkability A−, hazard risk A−·lowest: cost of living C−
83Head of St Margarets Bay2,885 people0#2,461 of 2,589Strongest: health B−, hazard risk B−·lowest: walkability C−
84Kings County, Subdivision C8,994 people0#2,470 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A−, walkability B·lowest: health C−
85Meaghers Grant3,430 people0#2,494 of 2,589Strongest: health B, hazard risk B−·lowest: jobs & income D
87Colchester County, Subdivision C14,211 people0#2,515 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk B−, cost of living B−·lowest: health D
88Shelburne4,542 people0#2,543 of 2,589Strongest: hazard risk A−, cost of living C+·lowest: walkability 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 historic elsewhere
Photos: Lunenburg, Edgar El (CC BY 3.0) · Victoria County, Subdivision B, Ross Dunn - Thanks for 13 million + views (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Harrietsfield, 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).