Victoria County, Subdivision ANova Scotia

TownGrade

#2,391 of 2,556

A town of 2,746 in Nova Scotia. It lies in Victoria.

Photo: Plumzee · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

2,746

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

52.8

years · Nova Scotia’s towns: 51.6

Postsecondary

37%

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 Victoria County, Subdivision A a good place to live?

Victoria County, Subdivision A’s weakest is health (D). It lags on jobs & income as well (C−). Buying a home costs less than in most towns (B+). The overall grade lands at D, #60 of 88 in Nova Scotia. Set against the rest, it does better than just over a tenth of 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.

WeakestDHealth C⁻Jobs & income

How Victoria County, Subdivision A grades

Each subject compares Victoria County, Subdivision A 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

HealthHealth outcomes are among the weakest comparedDOpen →Jobs & incomeIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedC⁻Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesC⁻Open →SafetyMore crime than in most townsCOpen →Cost of livingBetter than most of the towns comparedB⁺Open →Hazard riskNear typical for the towns comparedB⁻Open →

SchoolsWe don’t grade schools in Nova Scotia. The reason: the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Victoria County, Subdivision A stand out

The 3 things Victoria County, Subdivision A does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

29% unemployment

Of the labour force, against 10% for the median of Canadian towns

41% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

2.3 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $150,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

37% have a postsecondary qualification

The median of Canadian towns: 56%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Victoria County, Subdivision A.

Outdoors

All of Victoria County, Subdivision A sits within Cape Breton Highlands National Park

33%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected areas cover a third of the land within 10 km, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (8.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). Within 10 km are 152 protected areas. OpenStreetMap shows 3 walking routes nearby, including the Franey and Mica Hill Trail.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Victoria County, Subdivision A33%

Nova Scotia’s towns8.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Victoria County, Subdivision A	Nova Scotia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	33%	8.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	145	23.5	4

Inside

to Cape Breton Highlands National Park

At the edge

to Cape Smokey Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

145

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageVictoria County, Subdivision A’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas152 protected areas within 10 km · Cape Breton Highlands National Park National & provincial parksInside to a national park · Cape Breton Highlands National Park Footpaths & routes3 named routes · Franey

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

HealthHealth D

Victoria County, Subdivision A scores below 88% of Canadian towns for health

49%very good or excellent healthDHealth Grade

For 2022/2024, the region’s figure is 78.8 years at birth, 80.9 for women and 76.6 for men. The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 21% of adults, above Nova Scotia’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (17%) alike. The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 49%; Nova Scotia as a whole is at 48%. Closer to home, a hospital is 18 km from the average resident of Victoria County, Subdivision A, further than the usual 3.7 km. Victoria County, Subdivision A doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the Zone 3 - Eastern.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Victoria County, Subdivision A49%

Nova Scotia’s towns49%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Victoria County, Subdivision A	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%

78.8

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

18 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

15%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

47 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageVictoria County, Subdivision A’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey49% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care18 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 47 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 80.9, men 76.6 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

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁻

Commuters in Victoria County, Subdivision A have a short way to work, 21 min on average, less than in Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns

4%walk, cycle or take transit

The car took 94% of commuters, near Nova Scotia’s towns (92%) and higher than Canadian towns (89%).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van94%

Walk4%

Census 2021	Victoria County, Subdivision A	Nova Scotia	Canada
Average trip	21 min	23 min	26 min
Car or van	94%	92%	89%

$64,500

median household income, 2020

14%

worked from home, May 2021

90%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageVictoria County, Subdivision A’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment29% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work4% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to30 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Victoria, Subd. B

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

Winters are mild in Victoria County, Subdivision A: January nights hold at −8.2°C, above Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns

23.9°CJuly afternoons

A normal year brings 1,612 mm of precipitation, above Nova Scotia’s towns (1,393 mm) and Canadian towns (883 mm) alike. Gardeners get 152 frost-free days, from 22 May to 22 October. The warmest afternoons come in July, at around 23.9°C in Victoria County, Subdivision A. Most of the snow comes in January, about 78 cm.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter0.7°C

Spring7.6°C

Summer22.2°C

Autumn14.0°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Victoria County, Subdivision A	Nova Scotia	Canada
Precipitation a year	1,612 mm	1,393 mm	883 mm
Snowfall a year	281 cm	215 cm	141 cm
July afternoon high	23.9°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
January night low	−8.2°C	−8.9°C	−13.5°C

281 cm

of snow a year

155

days with frost a year

152

frost-free days, 22 May to 22 Oct

148

days with precipitation a year

Full pageVictoria County, Subdivision A’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 23.9°C, January lows −8.2°C Rain and snow1,612 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow281 cm of snow a year Weather station5.1 km to the station · Ingonish Beach

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Ingonish Beach)

SafetySafety C

The force covering Victoria County, Subdivision A records more serious violence than Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns, at 121

83Crime Severity Index

Measured across the Victoria County detachment area: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000

Its police area records 20.6 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 83 over 2023–25, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (71) and Canadian towns (67). Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 27 per 1,000 residents a year where it is policed.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202398

202467

202584

2023–2025	Victoria County, Subdivision A	Nova Scotia	Canada
Violent crime	20.6	14.5	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	121	94	86
Property crime per 1,000	27	36.2	31.2
Crime Severity Index	83	71	67

non-violent Crime Severity Index

32%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageVictoria County, Subdivision A’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety83 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Victoria County, Subdivision A’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Victoria County, Subdivision A safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

HousingCost of living B⁺

Most households in Victoria County, Subdivision A own their home: 91%, more than in Nova Scotia’s towns or across Canadian towns

$150,000median home value, 2021B⁺Cost of living Grade

Rent took 18% of household income, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (20%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 8% of households, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%).

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

Victoria County, Subdivision A$150,000

Nova Scotia$250,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Victoria County, Subdivision A	Nova Scotia	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	8%	13%	18%
Households owning their home	91%	82%	74%
Rent as a share of income	18%	21%	20%

$700

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$556

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageVictoria County, Subdivision A’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters91% own their home Cost of living2.3 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $150,000, against the median household income Renting$700 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census

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.

Who lives here

Older residents shape Victoria County, Subdivision A: 28% are 65 or over, above Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns

52.8median age

The share of residents under 15 is 13%. 3% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, below Nova Scotia’s towns (4.3%) and Canadian towns (6.4%) alike.

Victoria County, Subdivision ANova ScotiaCanada

Nova ScotiaCanada

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

28%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree29%

Postsecondary qualification37%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 50.2% of Victoria County, Subdivision A

The 2021 census counted 1,340 women and 1,330 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Victoria County, Subdivision A
	Victoria County, Subdivision A	Nova Scotia	Canada
Under 15	13%	14%	16%
15 to 64	60%	62%	64%
65+	28%	25%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	29%	18%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	37%	54%	56%

Full pageVictoria County, Subdivision A’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages52.8 median age · 28% are 65 or over Households1,215 households · 2.2 people per household Immigrants3% are immigrants · 1% belong to a visible minority English and French3% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Weather

In Victoria County, Subdivision A, November normally means 8°C afternoons and 1°C nights

8°Ca normal November afternoon

Snowfall in a normal November: 9 cm. The month after, December, normally sees 3°C afternoons and −4°C nights. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 156 mm. ECCC’s forecast for Ingonish is on the Weather page, hour by hour.

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

November8°C

December3°C

January0°C

February−1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	1°C	−7°C	489 mm
Spring	8°C	−2°C	370 mm
Summer	22°C	12°C	288 mm
Autumn	14°C	5°C	464 mm

1°C

a normal November night

156 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageVictoria County, Subdivision A’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 August, coldest February

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Ingonish Beach); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Jaime Battiste (Liberal Party of Canada) holds Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish, the riding that includes Victoria County, Subdivision A

No provincial riding is named for Victoria County, Subdivision A, as no open boundary file exists for the Nova Scotia House of Assembly that we could find.

Full pageVictoria County, Subdivision A’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itSubdivision Of County Municipality

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A

Victoria County, Subdivision A’s public library is Victoria North Regional Library

It sits 3.3 km from the centre of Victoria County, Subdivision A.

Full pageVictoria County, Subdivision A’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong1.1 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁻

Hazards in Victoria County, Subdivision A: wildfire low, radon over the guideline in 14% of tested homes

Lowwildfire bandB⁻Hazard risk Grade

Shaking is less of a worry than in most places, at $0.010 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). No flood study for Victoria County, Subdivision A is on the national inventory.

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

Victoria County, Subdivision A14%

Nova Scotia’s towns13%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Victoria County, Subdivision A	Nova Scotia	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	14%	13%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.010	$0.018	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

8.3 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageVictoria County, Subdivision A’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon14% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.010 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Not measured by town: radon tests (the Zone 5 health region)

Schools

Victoria County, Subdivision A’s teenagers travel 46 km to the nearest high school

3schools within 3 km

The closest elementary school is 3.6 km away, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (1.9 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km).

School	Level	Students	System
Cabot Education CentreIn Victoria County, Subdivision AElementary · Grades 6–RG	Elementary · Grades 6–RG	–	English public

See all 3 schools →

Schools within 3 km	Victoria County, Subdivision A	Nova Scotia	Canada
Nearest secondary school	46 km	4.3 km	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	3.6 km	1.9 km	0.5 km

46 km

to the nearest secondary school

3.6 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageVictoria County, Subdivision A’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school3 elementary schools Language0 of 3 teach in French · 6% of schools in Nova Scotia Questions“What schools are there in Victoria County, Subdivision A?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Source note: the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20, so there’s no schools grade in Nova Scotia.

History

The registers record 4 historic places in Victoria County, Subdivision A

4historic places

Add one just outside the town. The earliest construction date, 1915, belongs to St. Paul Island Southwest Lighthouse. The record has 3 Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings and a heritage lighthouse. At the 2021 census, 31% of homes dated from before 1961, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (28%) and Canadian towns (18%).

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations4

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

Administration Building 1938
Superintendent's Residence 1938
Information Bureau 1939
St. Paul Island Southwest Lighthouse 1915

1915

oldest construction date on the record

31%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Victoria County, Subdivision A	Nova Scotia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	31%	28%	18%

Full pageVictoria County, Subdivision A’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers4 historic places inside the town Older homes31% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Victoria County, Subdivision A have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Victoria County, Subdivision A

15pages on Victoria County, Subdivision A

The big questions

SafetyCCrime Severity Index 83 Housing & costB⁺Homes 2.3 × income Property pricesSchools3 schools within 3 km HealthDLife expectancy 78.8 in its region Work & commuteC⁻41% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors33% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 24°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 52.8 History4 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Cape Breton Highlands National Park and 7 more in and around Victoria County, Subdivision A

From museums to parks and historic sites: Victoria County, Subdivision A’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.

All attractions →

National park · Parks CanadaCape Breton Highlands National Parkin town

WaterfallStill Brook Waterfallin town MuseumMuseumNorth Highlands Community Museumin town Historic siteHistoric siteGreen Covein town MuseumMuseumIron Artin town Historic siteHistoric siteOceanview Memorialin town

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (2)

Cape Breton Highlands National Park: Tango7174, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Still Brook Waterfall: Bosintang, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from Victoria County, Subdivision A

3 notable people were born in Victoria County, Subdivision A.

See all 3 →

Elmer Ernest RoperCanadian politician · 1893–1994

John Malcolm CampbellCanadian politician · 1874–1951

Maynard MacAskillCanadian politician · born 1938

Photo credits

Elmer Ernest Roper: Eric Bland, Public domain

About Victoria County, Subdivision A

Town in Nova Scotia

Victoria County, Subdivision A is a municipality in Nova Scotia, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.

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

Population: 2,746 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Nova Scotia
Census division: Victoria
Census subdivision: 1218006

Questions about Victoria County, Subdivision A

Who are the people of Victoria County, Subdivision A?

1% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 4% have an Indigenous identity and 3% are immigrants.

What kind of homes are in Victoria County, Subdivision A?

Mostly 88% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.2 people on average, and 33% have just one.

Has Victoria County, Subdivision A grown?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 2,567 to 2,673 residents (up 4.1%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 2,746.

Is Victoria County, Subdivision A a young town or an old one?

Its median age is 52.8, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2.

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).