Photo: William Booth · Public domainOlder than 87% of Canadian towns: half of Shelburne is over 50.8
Residents with no religion: 43%, above three quarters of Canadian towns. Just over one in ten households are one-parent families, more than in 86% of Canadian towns. Shelburne had about 1,797 residents in July 2025, by Statistics Canada’s estimate, and 790 households at the 2021 Census. The share of residents aged 15 to 24 stands at 8.2%.
What stands out about the people of Shelburne
Fewer people than before
Shelburne went from 1,743 people in 2016 to 1,644 in 2021, −6%: slower growth than in 97% of Canadian towns. Population change ↓
Older than most towns
Shelburne’s median age is 50.8; the typical median across Canadian towns is 42. 27% are 65 or over, against 19% across Canada’s towns. Ages ↓
Written from the data on this page: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census.
Since 2016, Shelburne has changed by −6%, slower than 97% of Canadian towns
The figures are the 2021 Census’s, except where another date is given. Residents at the 2016 and 2021 censuses and the latest estimate, with the 2016–2021 change beside other towns.
Change, 2016 to 2021
Across Nova Scotia’s towns the median is +2%, and across Canada’s towns +4%. The July 2025 estimate adds another 9%.
Residents aged 65 and over make up 27% in Shelburne, more than in 86% of Canadian towns
Residents by five-year age band, each beside the typical town (the tick).
The biggest five-year age group is 60–64, with one in ten residents, 1.4 times the share across Canada’s towns. As a reference point, 19% of residents are 65 or over across Canada’s towns. On the census count, 16% of residents are under 15.
Broad ages · share of residents
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 85 men for every 100 women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
A higher share of one-person households than 82% of Canadian towns, at 37%
Household types, then household sizes.
Against Nova Scotia’s towns and Canada’s towns
People per household
Canada’s towns.
A household here has 2.1 people on average; across Canada’s towns, 2.4. Across Canada’s towns, one-person households come to 27%.
In Shelburne, 13% of residents 15 and over live common-law, more than in 70% of Canadian towns
Married, common-law, single: residents 15 and over.
Marital status · residents 15 and over
Singles who have never married make up nearly a quarter of adults, beside a typical 27%. On average, 11% of residents 15 and over live common-law across Canada’s towns.
Renter households: 33%, a higher share than 65% of Canadian towns
Dwelling types, tenure and age of the housing. Prices, rents and shelter costs are on Cost of living.
Type of home
Owners and renters · share of households
When homes were built · share of homes
Compared with 64% across Canada’s towns, 72% of households live in a single-detached house here. Across Canada’s towns, renter households come to 25%. Older homes outnumber new: 51% predate 1961, 7.6% date from 2001 or later. Households in buildings of five or more storeys are rarer here than in 74% of Canadian towns.
A median household income of $53,200 a year
Incomes are 2020’s, the census’s reference year, and include pandemic benefits such as CERB. What households took in before tax, at the middle and across income groups.
Households by income · share of households
The median across Canada’s towns is $86,000; Shelburne’s, at $53,200, is 38% lower. For Nova Scotia’s towns, the median household income is $69,100. Pandemic payments such as CERB reached 25% of income recipients here, against 28% in the typical town.
3.7% of residents are immigrants
Where immigrants were born and when they came, and how recently residents moved in.
Immigrants, by continent of birth · share of all residents; the bar runs to 20%
When immigrants arrived · share of immigrants
Citizenship and moving · share of residents
Compared with 17% across Canada’s towns, 3.7% of residents are immigrants here. Most immigrants were born in Europe (42%) or in the Americas (33%). Lower than in 82% of Canadian towns: 1.5% of residents are not Canadian citizens.
A larger share of Indigenous residents than 85% of Canadian towns: 9.2%
Visible minority and Indigenous identity, then religion.
Visible minority and Indigenous identity · all residents
Religion · all residents
Set against 15% across Canada’s towns, 4.3% of residents belong to a visible minority in Shelburne. Across Canada’s towns, the share of Indigenous residents is 2.8%.
97% have English as their mother tongue; 4.3% also speak French
The official languages residents can speak, and the ones they learned first.
Can hold a conversation in · share of all residents
Mother tongue · share of all residents
Nothing unusual on residents whose mother tongue is French: 0.6%, close to the figure across Canada’s towns. Fewer bilingual residents than in 83% of Canadian towns: 4.3%.
19% of residents 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, fewer than in 71% of Canadian towns
Highest certificate, diploma or degree of residents aged 25 to 64.
Highest qualification · residents 25 to 64
21% of those aged 25 to 64 have no formal credential, where the typical town has 9.5%.
47% of residents 15 and over were in work
These rates date from May 2021, during the pandemic, and run lower than a normal year’s. Work, briefly: employment, unemployment, participation and working from home. Jobs, industries and the commute are on Work & commute.
The employment rate of 47% is below the typical 58% across Canada’s towns; 27% of residents are 65 or over.
2 in 3 nearby towns have a higher median age than Shelburne
The closest towns, coloured by how old their residents are. The nearest places to Shelburne with figures are 4–47 km away.
| Town | People | Away | Median age | 65+ | Immigrants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelburne | 1,797 | — | 50.8 | 27% | 3.7% |
| Shelburne | 4,542 | 3.7 km | 54.4 | 29% | 4.7% |
| Barrington | 6,720 | 38.8 km | 50 | 25% | 2.2% |
| Argyle | 8,216 | 47.0 km | 51.6 | 27% | 1.6% |
Health, work, housing and schools
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Against Nova Scotia’s towns and Canada’s towns. The middle of Nova Scotia’s towns of 2,500 or more comes first, the middle of all Canadian towns second; cities as a whole and First Nations reserves stay out, and percentiles are within Canada.
- What these tables don’t give. The Census Profile has no unpaid care, cars or internet access, and no change by age since 2016; ethnic origins beyond visible minority and Indigenous identity aren’t charted here.
- The census’s own words. Indigenous identity, immigrant status and religion are as residents answered them. “Visible minority” follows the Employment Equity Act, meaning people other than Indigenous peoples who are non-white in colour or race. We compare these figures across towns; none is a label for a town.
Questions about Shelburne’s residents
Is Shelburne bilingual?
English and French: 4.3% speak both (Canada’s towns: 7.5%). English only: 96%. French only: 0%. French mother tongue: 0.6%.
How diverse is Shelburne?
Across Canada’s towns a typical 17% are immigrants; here, 3.7%. A visible minority makes up 4.3% and Indigenous residents 9.2%.
What religion are people in Shelburne?
Most often Christian (55%) or no religion (43%); other religions make up 2.1%.
Is Shelburne good for families?
Children under 15 are 16% of residents, against 16% across Canada’s towns. Couple families make up 47% of households and one-parent families 11%. Schools near Shelburne are on its Schools page.
What is the median income in Shelburne?
Median total household income in Shelburne was $53,200 in 2020, against a median of $86,000 across Canada’s towns.
What is the population of Shelburne?
The latest figure is an estimate: 1,797 residents in July 2025. At the 2021 Census, Shelburne counted 1,644, 6% fewer than 2016.
What is the average age in Shelburne?
Half the residents are older than 50.8 and half younger; 16% are children under 15 and 27% are 65 or over.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population · Statistics Canada, population estimates for 1 July 2025 (table 17-10-0155). 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).