Photo: chester902 · Public domainChildren under 15 make up 8.2% in Wolfville, less than in 98% of Canadian towns
35% of households live in a single-detached house (Canada’s towns: 64%). By contrast, on residents with no religion, Wolfville sits higher than 84% of Canadian towns: 48%. The 2021 Census found 2,440 households in the town; by July 2025 the population was about 5,587. Across Wolfville, 5.7% of households are one-parent families.
What stands out about the people of Wolfville
Growing faster than most
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, Wolfville went from 4,195 to 5,057 residents (+21%), faster growth than in 96% of Canadian towns. Population change ↓
A town people move to
A year before the census, 25% of residents lived elsewhere, 2.3 times the typical share; over five years, 60% moved. Immigrants & newcomers ↓
A town of renters
Renters are 62% of households, more than in 92% of Canadian towns, and 56% of households live in an apartment. Homes ↓
Many people living alone
40% of households are one person living alone, more than in 89% of Canadian towns; 26% of residents are 65 or over. Households ↓
Written from the data on this page: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census.
Since 2016, Wolfville has grown +21%, faster than 96% of Canadian towns
The 2021 Census is the source of every figure here unless a date says otherwise. Residents at the 2016 and 2021 censuses and the latest estimate, with the 2016–2021 change beside other towns.
Change, 2016 to 2021
By July 2025, the estimate had risen a further 10%. Medians for comparison: +4% across Canada’s towns; +2% across Nova Scotia’s towns.
Above 99% of Canadian towns: 25% of residents are aged 15 to 24
Share of residents in each five-year band; the tick is the typical town.
The median age in Wolfville is 41.6, lower than in 53% of Canadian towns. Across Wolfville, 26% of residents are 65 or over. The usual figure: 11% of residents are aged 15 to 24 across Canada’s towns.
Median age of Canadian towns of 2,500+
■ Wolfville, 41.6. The typical town is 42.
Broad ages · share of residents
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 85 men for every 100 women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
Wolfville sits above 89% of Canadian towns for one-person households (40%)
Households by family type and by the number of people in them.
Against Nova Scotia’s towns and Canada’s towns
People per household
Canada’s towns.
Shared houses stand out: 13% of households are unrelated adults living together, more than in 99% of Canadian towns. For comparison, 27% of households are one person living alone across Canada’s towns. On average, 2 people share a household.
A smaller share of married residents 15 and over than 79% of Canadian towns: 34%
Marital status of residents 15 and over, with common-law couples counted apart.
Marital status · residents 15 and over
Here 9.8% of residents 15 and over live common-law, where the figure across Canada’s towns is 11%. 40% of adults have never married and don’t live common-law (typical: 27%).
Renter households make up 62% in Wolfville, more than in 92% of Canadian towns
Houses and apartments, owners and renters, older and newer homes. Prices, rents and shelter costs are on Cost of living.
Type of home
Owners and renters · share of households
When homes were built · share of homes
29% of homes were built in 2001 or later, more than the 23% built before 1961. The comparison figure for renter households is 25% across Canada’s towns. Little separates the share of households in buildings of five or more storeys here, 0.2%, from the figure across Canada’s towns.
$58,400 a year: where the middle household sits
The census asked about income in 2020: a pandemic year, with CERB and other emergency benefits counted in. Household income before tax: the median, and households by income group.
Households by income · share of households
Wolfville’s median household took in $58,400 before tax, 32% less than the median across Canada’s towns ($86,000). The provincial yardstick is $69,100, the median across Nova Scotia’s towns. Emergency and recovery benefits reached 33% of those with an income, beside a typical 28%.
Residents who moved in within the year: 25%, a higher share than 97% of Canadian towns
Immigrants by continent of birth and when they arrived, citizenship, and who moved in recently.
Immigrants, by continent of birth · share of all residents; the bar runs to 20%
When immigrants arrived · share of immigrants
Citizenship and moving · share of residents
Most immigrants were born in Europe (56%) or in Asia (20%). Compared with other places, residents without Canadian citizenship are common here: 11%, more than in 70% of Canadian towns. At the same time, nearly a quarter of immigrants arrived between 2011 and 2021, against 27% across Canada’s towns.
Wolfville sits above 65% of Canadian towns for Indigenous residents (4.3%)
Identity and faith, in the census’s categories.
Visible minority and Indigenous identity · all residents
Religion · all residents
Locally, 13% of residents belong to a visible minority. Indigenous residents make up 2.8% across Canada’s towns.
A higher share of bilingual residents than 69% of Canadian towns, at 15%
English, French and the other languages people grew up with or speak at home.
Can hold a conversation in · share of all residents
Mother tongue · share of all residents
In Wolfville, 1.6% of residents have French as their mother tongue. Across Canada’s towns, the share of bilingual residents is 7.5%.
54% of residents 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, more than in 90% of Canadian towns
Education of residents 25 to 64, by highest credential.
Highest qualification · residents 25 to 64
6.6% of those aged 25 to 64 have no formal credential, where the typical town has 9.5%.
An employment rate of 47%
May 2021 was still a pandemic month: the census’s work figures reflect that. The census’s work rates at a glance. Jobs, industries and the commute are on Work & commute.
Across Canada’s towns the typical rate is 58%, above this 47%; 26% of residents are 65 or over.
Ranked by age, 20th youngest of 41 towns this size
Similar-sized towns by median age; each dot is a town.
The youngest of these towns is Montcalm, at 27.8; the oldest, Chertsey, is at 56. In age, Wolfville keeps company with Coral Springs (40.6), Belgravia (41), Saint Marys (42) and Charleswood (42.3).
Wolfville is younger than every town around it
Neighbouring places and their median ages; each name opens its page.
| Town | People | Away | Median age | 65+ | Immigrants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolfville | 5,587 | — | 41.6 | 26% | 11% |
| Kings County, Subdivision D | 6,517 | 2.7 km | 52.8 | 27% | 5.7% |
| Kings County, Subdivision B | 12,661 | 8.9 km | 47.2 | 22% | 4.9% |
| Kings County, Subdivision C | 8,994 | 10.7 km | 48.8 | 24% | 6.1% |
| Kentville | 7,589 | 11.2 km | 45.6 | 25% | 5% |
Health, work, housing and schools
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The census’s own words. Indigenous identity, immigrant status and religion are as residents answered them. “Visible minority” follows the Employment Equity Act, meaning people other than Indigenous peoples who are non-white in colour or race. We compare these figures across towns; none is a label for a town.
- Against Nova Scotia’s towns and Canada’s towns. A figure here is set beside two middles, the median across Nova Scotia’s places of 2,500 people or more and the median across all Canadian towns that size; reserves and entire cities are excluded from both.
- What these tables don’t give. Not in the Census Profile: unpaid care, cars, internet access, and how each age group has changed since 2016. We also chart no ethnic origins besides visible minority and Indigenous identity.
Questions about Wolfville’s residents
Is Wolfville bilingual?
English and French: 15% speak both (Canada’s towns: 7.5%). English only: 85%. French only: 0%. French mother tongue: 1.6%.
How diverse is Wolfville?
Immigrants make up 11% of residents, against 17% across Canada’s towns. 13% are members of a visible minority, and 4.3% are First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What religion are people in Wolfville?
Christian: 47%. No religion: 48%. Another religion: 5.5%.
Is Wolfville good for families?
Across Canada’s towns, a typical 16% of residents are under 15; here, 8.2%. 39% of households are couple families and 5.7% one-parent families. Schools near Wolfville are on its Schools page.
What is the median income in Wolfville?
$58,400 before tax, in 2020: the middle household’s income in Wolfville (Canada’s towns: $86,000).
What is the population of Wolfville?
Statistics Canada estimates 5,587 residents for July 2025; the 2021 Census counted 5,057 in Wolfville, 21% more than 2016.
What is the average age in Wolfville?
41.6 is the median age, younger than 53% of Canadian towns. Under 15: 8.2%. 65 and over: 26%.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population · Statistics Canada, population estimates for 1 July 2025 (table 17-10-0155). 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).