ShelburneNova Scotia
A town of 4,542 in Nova Scotia.
Is Shelburne a good place to live?
Several subjects drag its grade down. Shelburne’s overall grade is D−, better than 3% of Canadian towns. That places it #83 of 88 in Nova Scotia. Health lags (D). It also trails on walkability (D). Hazard risk is low (A−).
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. Safety is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. 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.
What makes Shelburne stand out
The 3 things Shelburne does most differently from other towns.
How Shelburne grades
Each subject compares Shelburne 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 →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Shelburne.
Within 6.3 km of Shelburne: Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
Within 10 km, 27% of the land is protected, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (8.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). Protected areas take in 28% of the town itself. Also worth knowing: for a swim, Black Point Beach is the nearest of 80 beaches within 5 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Shelburne | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 27% | 8.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 117 | 23.5 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Shelburne scores below 88% of Canadian towns for health
For Shelburne itself the measure is access, and it lags: 11 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical. The survey counts 19% of adults as smokers, above Nova Scotia’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. Adults here are less upbeat about their health than the province: 44% very good or excellent, against 48% in Nova Scotia. Lives in the region last 80.0 years on average (2022/2024): 82.5 for women, 77.6 for men. Behind health survey and life expectancy sits data gathered across the Zone 1 - Western, with Shelburne one part of it.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Shelburne | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19% | 15% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 44% | 49% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 20% | 20% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.0 | 80.0 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Hazards in Shelburne: wildfire moderate, radon over the guideline in 6.2% of tested homes
Measured across the Zone 1 health region: radon tests
Seismic risk in Shelburne sits near the middle: $0.021 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. The burn rate around Shelburne is 0.18% a year (7% of the land within 25 km since 1986), a moderate band. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Shelburne | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 6.2% | 13% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.021 | $0.018 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Trips to work from Shelburne are shorter than from Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 21 min on average
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Shelburne | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 21 min | 23 min | 26 min |
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.
The force covering Shelburne records more serious violence than Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns, at 119
Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over the Shelburne detachment area
Its police area recorded 18.8 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above Nova Scotia’s towns (14.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike. Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 24.3 per 1,000 residents a year where it is policed.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Shelburne | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 18.8 | 14.5 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 24.3 | 36.2 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 119 | 94 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 83 | 71 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Shelburne has cooler summers than Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: July highs of 19.9°C
Some 205 cm of snow falls in a typical year, about level with Nova Scotia’s towns (215 cm) and above Canadian towns (141 cm). The coldest nights come in January, when Shelburne averages a low of −7.2°C. A normal January brings 64 cm of snow, the most of any month. Rain and snow peak in November, at 143 mm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Shelburne | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 19.9°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −7.2°C | −8.9°C | −13.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,290 mm | 1,393 mm | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 127 | 133 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Western Head)
Shelburne skews older, with 29% of residents 65 or over, more than in Nova Scotia’s towns and across Canadian towns
Children under 15 count for just over a tenth of the people here. 3.3% of residents belong to a visible minority, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and 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 50.2% of Shelburne
The 2021 census counted 2,180 women and 2,160 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| Shelburne | Nova Scotia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 59% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 29% | 25% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 28% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 44% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Nova Scotia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Fewer households are stretched by shelter costs in Shelburne: 10% spend 30%+ of income, against 18% in the typical Canadian town
Owners make up 84% of households, close to Nova Scotia’s towns (82%) and above Canadian towns (74%). Rent took 21% of household income, in line with Nova Scotia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Shelburne | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 10% | 13% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 84% | 82% | 74% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.
A normal November in Shelburne runs from 1°C to 9°C
Snow is normal by November, about 10 cm over the month. Then December: 5°C by day, −4°C at night. Across the year, normals run from −7°C nights in January to 21°C afternoons in August. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Shelburne forecast.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 3°C | −6°C | 366 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | 1°C | 311 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 255 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 6°C | 359 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Western Head); the forecast is on the Weather page
South Shore—St. Margarets, which takes in Shelburne, is held by Jessica Fancy-Landry (Liberal Party of Canada)
11 of the 11 MPs from Nova Scotia belong to the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Lillian B. Benham Library is Shelburne’s public library
The library is 15 km from the centre of Shelburne.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
No high school in or near Shelburne: the closest is 55 km off
From the middle of town, the first elementary school is 2.3 km off, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (1.9 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lockeport Elementary SchoolIn ShelburneElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Shelburne | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 55 km | 4.3 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 2.3 km | 1.9 km | 0.5 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.
In Shelburne, 34% of homes go back before 1961
| Heritage | Shelburne | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 34% | 28% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Black Loyalist Heritage Centre and 4 more in and around Shelburne
A first look at Shelburne’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
MuseumDory Shop Museum600 m outside town, to the southwest
MuseumRoss Thomson House600 m outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumShelburne's Museums by the Sea600 m outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumShelburne Museum Complex600 m outside town, to the southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Dory Shop Museum: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ross Thomson House: André Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Everything we know about Shelburne
Famous people from Shelburne
8 notable people were born in Shelburne.
Photo credits
Donald McKay: Southworth & Hawes, Public domain · Civilla D. Martin: Unknown, Public domain · William Chisholm: Unknown author, Public domain
Shelburne’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
Questions about Shelburne
Who are the people of Shelburne?
3% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 7% have an Indigenous identity and 5% are immigrants.
What kind of homes are in Shelburne?
86% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.1 people; 31% are one person living alone.
Has Shelburne grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 4,288 to 4,336 residents (up 1.1%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 4,542.
About Shelburne
Town in Nova Scotia
Shelburne is a municipality in Nova Scotia, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 4,542 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Nova Scotia
- Census subdivision
- 1201006
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).