TruroNova Scotia
The town has 14,652 residents and lies in Nova Scotia. It grew by 6% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses.
Is Truro a good place to live?
Several subjects drag its grade down. Its weakest is health (C−). Truro grades D overall, better than 6% of Canadian towns, and ranks #76 of 88 in Nova Scotia. Buying in is costly (C−). Where it does best is walkability (A).
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 Truro grades
Each subject compares Truro 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 Truro stand out
The 3 things Truro does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Truro.
Around Truro, 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
Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 79.3, women 81.5 and men 77.1 (2022/2024). Chronic conditions run at 21% of adults, age-standardised, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (17%). Smoking is commoner than in the province: 17% of adults, against 14% for Nova Scotia. What sets Truro apart within its region is a short trip to hospital, 1.5 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Truro | 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
Renting in Truro eats 28% of household income, more than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns
Owners put the median home at $194,000, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns ($250,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000). 27% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, higher than 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 | Truro | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 27% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 28% | 21% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $194,000 | $250,000 | $406,000 |
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. · Area behind the rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom figures: the Truro metro area
Trips to work from Truro are shorter than from Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 18 min on average
By car: that was how 85% of commuters travelled at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Truro | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 18 min | 23 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 85% | 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.
Truro gets a C− for safety
Each year brings 54.1 property incidents per 1,000 residents. Police recorded 20.9 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above Nova Scotia’s towns (14.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Truro | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 54.1 | 36.2 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 20.9 | 14.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 104 | 94 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Precipitation in Truro tops that of 89% of Canadian towns: 1,179 mm a year
The coldest nights, in January, bottom out at −12.0°C, lower than Nova Scotia’s towns (−8.9°C) yet higher than Canadian towns (−13.5°C). A normal December brings 121 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. Gardeners get 115 frost-free days, from 1 June to 25 September. Most of the snow comes in January, about 53 cm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Truro | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation a year | 1,179 mm | 1,393 mm | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 170 | 133 | 159 |
| July afternoon high | 25.0°C | 23.1°C | 25.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 187 cm | 215 cm | 141 cm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Debert)
Flood mapping exists for Truro: 2 on record, latest by Province of Nova Scotia
No wildfire is mapped within 25 km of Truro’s homes since 1986 (0% of the land, 0.001% a year). In Health Canada’s survey, 13% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Truro | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 13% | 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 · Radon tests: the Zone 3 health region
Walk from Truro: 4 mapped routes
The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. Within 10 km, 0.1% of the land is protected, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (8.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). Biggest among them: Calvary River Wilderness Area, 1,174 ha, 10.0 km off.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Truro | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.1% | 8.7% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 8 | 23.5 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
What November brings in Truro: −1°C at night, 8°C by day
Expect around 7 cm of snow in November. Precipitation in November averages 114 mm. The month after, December, normally sees 2°C afternoons and −7°C nights. ECCC’s forecast for Truro 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 | −10°C | 289 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | −2°C | 261 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 11°C | 278 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 3°C | 350 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Debert); the forecast is on the Weather page
Truro’s MP is Alana Hirtle (Liberal Party of Canada), for Cumberland—Colchester
From Nova Scotia come 11 MPs, 11 of them with the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Colchester - East Hants Public Library is Truro’s public library
The library is 0.7 km from the centre of Truro.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
An older town: 27% of people in Truro are 65 or over, more than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns
The under-15s are 13% of the population here. 4.4% of residents have an Indigenous identity, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).
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 53.9% of Truro
Here the census found 6,985 women and 5,970 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| Truro | Nova Scotia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 61% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 27% | 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+
Truro and its edges hold 9 schools: 6 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools and 1 school for every grade
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École acadienne de Truro FrenchIn TruroElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| Cobequid Educational CentreIn TruroSecondary · Grades 9–RG | Secondary · Grades 9–RG | – | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Truro | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · The schools grade is given only where results are open; in Nova Scotia, the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.
41% of Truro’s homes were built before 1961
The earliest construction date, 1874, belongs to Armoury. Canada’s heritage registers list 3 historic places inside the town, 2 with the highest designation. The list takes in a Recognized Federal Heritage Building.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
- Truro Old Normal College 1877
- Truro Post Office 1883
- Armoury 1874
| Heritage | Truro | Nova Scotia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 41% | 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 Truro
Colchester Historeum and 3 more in and around Truro
A first look at Truro’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
Famous people from Truro
67 notable people were born in Truro.
Photo credits
Adams George Archibald: User Magnus Manske on en.wikipedia, Public domain · Portia White: Yousuf Karsh, Public domain · Lewis MacKenzie: Jadran Pandurević, CC BY 3.0 · Robert Stanfield: Associated Press, Public domain · David Brine: Let's Go Amerks, CC BY 3.0
About Truro
Town in Nova Scotia
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Truro is one census subdivision in Nova Scotia, and TownRatings describes all of it.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 14,652 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Nova Scotia
- Census division
- Colchester
- Census subdivision
- 1210006
Truro’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truro | 14,652 | — | D | C− | C− | C− |
| Millbrook 27 | 1,122 | 3.7 | — | — | C+ | C− |
| Colchester County, Subdivision C | 14,211 | 8 | D | B− | C+ | D |
| Colchester County, Subdivision B | 21,578 | 9.9 | D | C+ | C+ | D |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Truro
What kind of homes are in Truro?
Households hold 2 people on average, and 43% have just one.
Who are the people of Truro?
Visible minorities are 10% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 6%, and Indigenous people 4%.
Is Truro growing?
It added people: 12,261 in 2016, 12,954 in 2021, 5.7% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 14,652.
Is Truro a young town or an old one?
Its median age is 47.6, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 13% of residents; over-65s, 27%.
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).