StellartonNova Scotia
In Nova Scotia, this town has 4,251 residents. It is part of the New Glasgow metro area.
Is Stellarton a good place to live?
More weak spots than strong ones. Crime is the sore point (C−). Hazard risk is its strong suit (A+). Put together, the subjects come to a D overall, better than 14% of Canadian towns. The ranking puts it #46 of 88 in Nova Scotia.
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.
How Stellarton grades
Each subject compares Stellarton 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 →
What makes Stellarton stand out
The 3 things Stellarton does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Stellarton.
Stellarton gets an A+ for hazard risk
Seismic risk runs low: $0.014 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. In Health Canada’s survey, just 2% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Stellarton doesn’t get its own radon tests figures; the ones here come from the Zone 4 health region.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Stellarton | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 2% | 13% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.014 | $0.018 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Stellarton gets a C− for safety
Police recorded 29.8 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (14.5) and Canadian towns (12). Property crime runs at 51.7 per 1,000 people a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Stellarton | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 29.8 | 14.5 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 51.7 | 36.2 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Around Stellarton, 42% rate their health very good or excellent, against 52% for the typical Canadian town
Area-wide: health survey and life expectancy, counted over the Zone 2 - Northern
On average just over a fifth of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, above Nova Scotia’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (17%) alike. The region has more smokers than Nova Scotia, 17% of adults to 14%. Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 79.3, women 81.5 and men 77.1 (2022/2024). Closer to home, a hospital is just 2.5 km from the average resident of Stellarton, nearer than the usual 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Stellarton | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 42% | 49% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 21% | 20% | 17% |
| Smokers | 17% | 15% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.3 | 80.0 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Commuters in Stellarton have a short way to work, 17 min on average, less than in both Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns
The car carried 94% of commuters at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Stellarton | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 17 min | 23 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 94% | 92% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Summer arrives softly in Stellarton, cooler than in 88% of Canadian towns
A normal winter brings 187 cm of snow, below Nova Scotia’s towns (215 cm) but above Canadian towns (141 cm). January nights in Stellarton drop to −8.9°C on average. Snow peaks in January: 53 cm in a normal year. The most precipitation falls in October: 119 mm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Stellarton | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation a year | 1,134 mm | 1,393 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 23.1°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 187 cm | 215 cm | 141 cm |
| January night low | −8.9°C | −8.9°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Caribou Point)
Stellarton touches Scallop Buffer Zone (SFA 24)
A provincial park, Powells Point Provincial Park, lies 11 km away. Within 10 km, 3.1% of the land is protected, lower than Nova Scotia’s towns (8.7%) yet higher than Canadian towns (2.3%). For a national park, Prince Edward Island National Park is 97 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Stellarton | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 3.1% | 8.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 4 | 23.5 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Stellarton in November: highs near 8°C, lows near 2°C
Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s New Glasgow forecast, on the Weather page. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 118 mm. Snow is normal by November, about 7 cm over the month. Over the year, July is warmest at 23°C by day and February coldest at −9°C by night.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 0°C | −7°C | 278 mm |
| Spring | 7°C | 0°C | 241 mm |
| Summer | 21°C | 14°C | 263 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 352 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Caribou Point); the forecast is on the Weather page
Central Nova, which takes in Stellarton, is held by Sean Fraser (Liberal Party of Canada)
The Nova Scotia House of Assembly’s ridings aren’t published as open data we could find, so Stellarton isn’t placed in one.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Stellarton has one public library, Stellarton Public Library
It sits 0.4 km from the centre of Stellarton.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Stellarton: median age 47.2, 1,885 households
People 65 and over make up 23% of the town, below Nova Scotia’s towns (25%) but above Canadian towns (19%). The under-15s are 14% of the population here.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
52.9% of Stellarton’s residents are women
Women numbered 2,120 and men 1,885 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.
| Stellarton | Nova Scotia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 63% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 23% | 25% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 51% | 54% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Nova Scotia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Fewer households own their home in Stellarton than in Nova Scotia’s towns or across Canadian towns: 62%
Measured across the New Glasgow metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom
17% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, above Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) but below Canadian towns (18%). A year’s rent came to just over a fifth of the median household income, near both Nova Scotia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Stellarton | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 62% | 82% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 17% | 13% | 18% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.
Around Stellarton, 5 elementary schools and 1 secondary school: 6 schools in all
Measured from the centre, the closest high school lies 2.7 km off, between Nova Scotia’s towns (4.3 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| G.R. Saunders Elementary SchoolIn StellartonElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| North Nova Education CentreNearest secondary school, 1.4 kmSecondary · Grades 9–RG | Secondary · Grades 9–RG | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Stellarton | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 2.7 km | 4.3 km | 1.2 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.
Stellarton keeps its older homes: 43% from before 1961
Inside the town there is 1 historic place, a top designation.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Stellarton | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 43% | 28% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Stellarton
Famous people from Stellarton
7 notable people were born in Stellarton.
Photo credits
George Monro Grant: Government of Canada, Public domain · Leo McKay, Jr.: Jody W. O'Brien, CC BY-SA 3.0
About Stellarton
Town in Nova Scotia
Statistics Canada treats Stellarton 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
- 4,251 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Nova Scotia
- Census division
- Pictou
- Metro area
- New Glasgow
- Census subdivision
- 1212009
Stellarton’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stellarton | 4,251 | — | D | B− | C− | C− |
| New Glasgow | 10,378 | 3.7 | D | C+ | D | C− |
| Westville | 3,731 | 4.2 | C− | B | C | D |
| Trenton | 2,499 | 6.4 | — | B | C | C− |
| Pictou County, Subdivision B | 6,482 | 6.9 | D | B+ | C | D |
| Pictou County, Subdivision C | 8,847 | 7.9 | D | B+ | C | D |
| Pictou | 3,307 | 14 | D | C+ | D | C− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Stellarton
Has Stellarton grown?
It went from 4,208 people in 2016 to 4,007 in 2021, down 4.8%, while the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 4,251.
What kind of homes are in Stellarton?
Single-detached houses make up 60% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 37% of households are one person, and the average is 2.1.
How old are the people of Stellarton?
47.2 is the median age, 45.2 the median among Canadian towns; 23% of residents are 65 or over and 14% under 15.
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).