StewiackeNova Scotia

It lies in Colchester. With 1,786 residents, it is a town in Nova Scotia.

1 place within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Verne Equinox · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

1,786

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

47.6

years · Nova Scotia’s towns: 51.6

Postsecondary

50%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Stewiacke a good place to live?

Walkability is its strong suit (B+). Health is a weak point (D−). Housing is expensive (C−). Jobs & income is weaker too (C).

Stewiacke has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.

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.

WeakestD⁻Health C⁻Cost of living

How Stewiacke grades

Each subject compares Stewiacke 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 grading works

Stewiacke has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.

HealthAmong the weakest of the towns comparedD⁻Open →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesC⁻Open →WalkabilityEasier than most to get around on footB⁺Open →Jobs & incomeBehind most towns comparedCOpen →SafetyGraded on crime per residentC⁺Open →Hazard riskBased on seismic risk and radon tests, lowered where wildfire runs highC⁺Open →

SchoolsThe province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20, which leaves towns in Nova Scotia without a schools grade.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Stewiacke stand out

The 3 things Stewiacke does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Immigrants

Who lives here

2% are immigrants

The median of Canadian towns: 6%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Health

Behind 96%

of Canadian towns on health

Its health grade: D−.

Population growth, 2016 to 2021

Growth

+13% more people than in 2016

Midway across Canadian towns: 4%

Statistics Canada, Census 2016 and 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Stewiacke.

HealthHealth D⁻

Stewiacke’s grade for health: a D−

42%very good or excellent healthD⁻Health Grade

Shared with the rest of the Zone 2 - Northern: health survey and life expectancy

At 17%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 14% for Nova Scotia. The survey finds just over two in five adults in very good or excellent health, below Nova Scotia’s towns (49%) and Canadian towns (52%) alike. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Stewiacke’s is long: 19 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical. A baby born in the region can expect 79.3 years, 81.5 for a girl and 77.1 for a boy (2022/2024).

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Stewiacke42%

Nova Scotia’s towns49%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Stewiacke	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

79.3

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

19 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

17%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.2 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageStewiacke’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey42% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care19 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.2 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 81.5, men 77.1 Conditions and habits21% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

HousingCost of living C⁻

Rent takes more of local pay in Stewiacke than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 27% of household income

$220,000median home value, 2021C⁻Cost of living Grade

The median home value was $220,000, below both Nova Scotia’s towns ($250,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000). The owner-occupied share of households is 61%.

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Stewiacke$220,000

Nova Scotia$250,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Stewiacke	Nova Scotia	Canada
Rent as a share of income	27%	21%	20%
Households owning their home	61%	82%	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	23%	13%	18%
Median home value, 2021	$220,000	$250,000	$406,000

$1,030

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$980

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageStewiacke’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$1,030 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living3.4 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $220,000, against the median household income Owners and renters61% own their home

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.

Work & commuteJobs & income C

Households in Stewiacke earn less than those in 77% of Canadian towns

9%walk, cycle or take transit

Commutes averaged 26 min, about level with Canadian towns (26 min) and above Nova Scotia’s towns (23 min). 86% of commuters took the car to work at the census.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van86%

Walk9%

Census 2021	Stewiacke	Nova Scotia	Canada
Car or van	86%	92%	89%
Average trip	26 min	23 min	26 min

$65,500

median household income, 2020

worked from home, May 2021

27%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageStewiacke’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment7.1% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work9% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to175 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Halifax

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.

Climate

Precipitation in Stewiacke tops that of 92% of Canadian towns: 1,277 mm a year

25.1°CJuly afternoons

Some 215 cm of snow falls in a typical year, close to Nova Scotia’s towns (215 cm) and above Canadian towns (141 cm). December is the wettest month, with 133 mm of rain and snow on average. Gardeners get 109 frost-free days, from 2 June to 21 September. Midsummer afternoons in Stewiacke peak at about 25.1°C.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter0.5°C

Spring9.7°C

Summer23.7°C

Autumn14.3°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Stewiacke	Nova Scotia	Canada
Days with frost a year	175	133	159
Precipitation a year	1,277 mm	1,393 mm	883 mm
July afternoon high	25.1°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
Snowfall a year	215 cm	215 cm	141 cm

215 cm

of snow a year

175

days with frost a year

109

frost-free days, 2 Jun to 21 Sep

141

days with precipitation a year

Full pageStewiacke’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

Rain and snow1,277 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm The yearJuly highs 25.1°C, January lows −11.6°C Snow215 cm of snow a year Weather station26 km to the station · Upper Stewiacke

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Upper Stewiacke)

SafetySafety C⁺

Stewiacke’s grade for safety: a C+

73Crime Severity Index

For violence alone, its police area’s index was 101, above Nova Scotia’s towns (94) and Canadian towns (86) alike. Its police area records 29.4 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202377

202472

202570

2023–2025	Stewiacke	Nova Scotia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	29.4	36.2	31.2
Violent Crime Severity Index	101	94	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

33%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageStewiacke’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety73 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Stewiacke’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Stewiacke safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 published for the Colchester County detachment area, not by town

Outdoors

From Stewiacke, Musquodoboit Valley Provincial Park is the nearest provincial park (17 km)

1%of the land within 10 km protected

Big Meadow Brook Nature Reserve (284 ha) is the biggest, 5.9 km from town. Protected areas cover 1% of the land within 10 km, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns (8.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). There is no national park within 100 km of the town.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Stewiacke1%

Nova Scotia’s towns8.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Stewiacke	Nova Scotia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	1%	8.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	13	23.5	4

17 km

to Musquodoboit Valley Provincial Park

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageStewiacke’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas17 protected areas within 10 km · Big Meadow Brook Nature Reserve National & provincial parks17 km to a provincial park · Musquodoboit Valley Provincial Park

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

Stewiacke is on Canada’s flood inventory: 2 listed, led by Province of Nova Scotia

Lowwildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

Measured across the Zone 3 health region: radon tests

Earthquake risk in Stewiacke is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.020 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. More homes than usual carry radon here, 13% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Wildfire is rare near Stewiacke: 0.1% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, a burn rate of 0.003% a year.

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Stewiacke13%

Nova Scotia’s towns13%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Stewiacke	Nova Scotia	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	13%	13%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.020	$0.018	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

6.1 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageStewiacke’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Flood2 flood studies on record WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.1% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Earthquakes$0.020 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon13% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

Weather

A normal November in Stewiacke runs from −1°C to 8°C

8°Ca normal November afternoon

Snowfall in a normal November: 19 cm. In November, the normal is 123 mm of rain and snow. December follows at 3°C by day and −7°C by night. ECCC’s forecast for Truro is on the Weather page, hour by hour.

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November8°C

December3°C

January−1°C

February0°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	1°C	−10°C	349 mm
Spring	10°C	−2°C	294 mm
Summer	24°C	11°C	280 mm
Autumn	14°C	3°C	354 mm

−1°C

a normal November night

123 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageStewiacke’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Upper Stewiacke); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Alana Hirtle (Liberal Party of Canada) represents Stewiacke in Ottawa as MP for Cumberland—Colchester

The Nova Scotia House of Assembly’s ridings aren’t published as open data we could find, so Stewiacke isn’t placed in one.

Full pageStewiacke’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itTown

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A⁻

Stewiacke has one public library, Stewiacke Library

It sits 0.7 km from the centre of Stewiacke.

Full pageStewiacke’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong0.6 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

More of Stewiacke’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 6.1%

47.6median age

1.6% of residents belong to a visible minority, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (15%). Under-15s account for 17% of the population. People 65 and over make up 24% of the town.

StewiackeNova ScotiaCanada

Nova ScotiaCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

17%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree17%

Postsecondary qualification50%

Women and men · all residents

53.4% of Stewiacke’s residents are women

Of the 2021 count, 830 were women and 725 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).

Who lives in Stewiacke
	Stewiacke	Nova Scotia	Canada
Under 15	17%	14%	16%
15 to 64	59%	62%	64%
65+	24%	25%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	17%	18%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	50%	54%	56%

Full pageStewiacke’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants2% belong to a visible minority Ages47.6 median age · 24% are 65 or over Households710 households · 2.2 people per household English and French5% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Nova Scotia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Schools

No high school in or near Stewiacke: the closest is 11 km off

1school within 3 km

The closest elementary school is 2.2 km away, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (1.9 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km).

School	Level	Students	System
Winding River ConsolidatedIn StewiackeElementary	Elementary	–	English public

Schools within 3 km	Stewiacke	Nova Scotia	Canada
Nearest secondary school	11 km	4.3 km	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	2.2 km	1.9 km	0.5 km

11 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageStewiacke’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school1 elementary school Language0 of 1 teach in French · 6% of schools in Nova Scotia Questions“What schools are there in Stewiacke?”

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.

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Stewiacke

15pages on Stewiacke

The big questions

SafetyC⁺Crime Severity Index 73 Housing & costC⁻Homes 3.4 × income Property pricesSchoolsOne school within 3 km HealthD⁻Life expectancy 79.3 in its region Work & commuteC54% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors1% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 25°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 47.6 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Famous people from Stewiacke

7 notable people were born in Stewiacke.

See all 7 →

Raymond Clare ArchibaldCanadian-American mathematician and historian of mathematics · 1875–1955

David Archibald HarveyAmerican politician · 1845–1916

George Isaac SmithCanadian politician · 1909–1982

Fred AllenCanadian set designer, art director, and artist · 1942–2007

George Taylor MacNuttCanadian politician · 1865–1937

Hanson Taylor DowellCanadian politician · 1906–2000

About Stewiacke

Town in Nova Scotia

Every figure TownRatings gives for Stewiacke covers the municipality as Statistics Canada maps it, one census subdivision in Nova Scotia.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 1,786 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Nova Scotia
Census division: Colchester
Census subdivision: 1210002

Stewiacke’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

Indian Brook 14Stewiacke

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Stewiacke	1,786	—	—	C⁻	C⁺	D⁻
Indian Brook 14	1,225	11	—	—	—	D⁻

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Stewiacke

Is Stewiacke growing?

Yes: the census counted 1,373 in 2016 and 1,557 in 2021, a rise of 13.4%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 1,786.

How old are the people of Stewiacke?

The median resident is 47.6 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 17% are under 15 and 24% are 65 or over.

What kind of homes are in Stewiacke?

64% 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 2.2 people; 33% are one person living alone.

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).