St. Mary'sNova Scotia
The town has 2,212 residents and lies in Nova Scotia. It lies in Guysborough.
Is St. Mary's a good place to live?
St. Mary's’s standout strength is cost of living (A−). Safety is another plus (B+). Incomes are on the low side (D−). It lags on health as well (C−).
With fewer than 2,500 residents, St. Mary's gets subject grades but no overall one among Canadian towns.
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. Crime here is counted against the people who live here, but many visitors or second-home owners add to it, so the rate per resident runs higher than residents' own risk. 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 St. Mary's stand out
The 3 things St. Mary's does most differently from other towns.
How St. Mary's grades
Each subject compares St. Mary's with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
With fewer than 2,500 residents, St. Mary's gets subject grades but no overall one among Canadian towns.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in St. Mary's.
Trips to work from St. Mary's take longer than from Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 30 min on average
The car took 92% of commuters, about level with both Nova Scotia’s towns (92%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | St. Mary's | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 30 min | 23 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 92% | 92% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.
Hazard risk in St. Mary's is lower than in 91% of Canadian towns
In Health Canada’s survey, just 2% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). NRCan expects $0.017 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings in St. Mary's, near the typical $0.030. 3 flood studies cover the town, the latest by Halifax Regional Municipality.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | St. Mary's | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 2% | 13% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.017 | $0.018 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Area behind the radon tests figures: the Zone 4 health region
More long-term illness in St. Mary's’ health region: 21% on the three conditions, the typical Canadian town 17%
In the health survey, nearly half of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, close to Nova Scotia’s 48%. Life expectancy at birth in the region is 78.8 years, below Nova Scotia’s towns (80.0) and Canadian towns (81.5) alike. What sets St. Mary's apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 14 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | St. Mary's | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 21% | 20% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.8 | 80.0 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 15% | 15% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 49% | 49% | 52% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Health survey and life expectancy published for the Zone 3 - Eastern, not by town
Renting in St. Mary's costs 16% of household income, less than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns
Households that own their home make up 90%. Nearly one in ten households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | St. Mary's | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 9% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 16% | 21% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 90% | 82% | 74% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.
Violent crime weighs less where St. Mary's is policed than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 57
The index for the force that serves it came to 53, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (71) and Canadian towns (67). Across its police area, there are 23.7 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. St. Mary's doesn’t get its own Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures; the ones here come from the Guysborough County detachment area.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | St. Mary's | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 57 | 94 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 23.7 | 36.2 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 53 | 71 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
St. Mary's is older than 97% of Canadian towns: a median age of 57.6
Visible minorities make up 0.7% of the population, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (15%). 2.8% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, below Nova Scotia’s towns (4.3%) and Canadian towns (6.4%) alike.
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 49.9% of St. Mary's
1,075 women and 1,080 men at the 2021 census; across Canada, women are 50.9%.
| St. Mary's | Nova Scotia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 56% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 33% | 25% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 29% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 45% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Nova Scotia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Wet weather: 1,122 mm of rain and snow a year falls on St. Mary's, more than on 83% of Canadian towns
There are 175 days of frost in a typical year, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (133) and Canadian towns (159). In July, daytime highs in St. Mary's average 24.5°C. February is the snowiest month, with 44 cm on average. Gardeners get 104 frost-free days, from 10 June to 22 September.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | St. Mary's | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days with frost a year | 175 | 133 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 1,122 mm | 1,393 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 24.5°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 162 cm | 215 cm | 141 cm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Collegeville)
St. Mary's’s teenagers travel 43 km to the nearest high school
An elementary school stands 6.7 km from the centre, above Nova Scotia’s towns (1.9 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km) alike.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Mary's Education Centre/AcademyIn St. Mary'sElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | St. Mary's | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 43 km | 4.3 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 6.7 km | 1.9 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Why no schools grade in Nova Scotia? The province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.
Protected land around St. Mary's beats 8 in 10 Canadian towns
Within 10 km, the count of public protected areas is 296, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (23.5) and Canadian towns (4). No national park lies within 100 km. 13% of the town lies within a protected area.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | St. Mary's | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 296 | 23.5 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 8.3% | 8.7% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Expect November days around 8°C in St. Mary's, nights around −1°C
Rain and snow over a typical November come to 130 mm. The month after, December, normally sees 2°C afternoons and −6°C nights. Also worth knowing: the year peaks in July (25°C) and bottoms out in February (−11°C). ECCC’s forecast for Guysborough is on the Weather page, hour by hour.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 0°C | −9°C | 269 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | −2°C | 221 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 11°C | 262 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 4°C | 370 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Collegeville); the forecast is on the Weather page
St. Mary's sends Sean Fraser (Liberal Party of Canada) to the Commons from Central Nova
St.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
St. Mary's has one public library, Sherbrooke Library
It sits 7 km from the centre of St.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Sherbrooke Village and 6 more in and around St. Mary's
A first look at St. Mary's’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
Everything we know about St. Mary's
Famous people from St. Mary's
10 notable people were born in St. Mary's.
Questions about St. Mary's
Who are the people of St. Mary's?
1% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 5% have an Indigenous identity and 3% are immigrants.
What kind of homes are in St. Mary's?
Households hold 2 people on average, and 34% have just one.
Is St. Mary's a young town or an old one?
The median resident is 57.6 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 11% are under 15 and 33% are 65 or over.
Has St. Mary's grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it fell from 2,233 to 2,161 residents (3.2% down; Canadian towns’ median grew 4.1%); Statistics Canada now estimates 2,212.
About St. Mary's
Town in Nova Scotia
Statistics Canada treats St. Mary's as a single census subdivision in Nova Scotia, and TownRatings keeps to that line.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 2,212 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Nova Scotia
- Census division
- Guysborough
- Census subdivision
- 1213001
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).