YarmouthNova Scotia

This town in Nova Scotia has a population of 10,637.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Andrew Thomas from Shrewsbury, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0

Population

10,637

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

50.4

years · Nova Scotia’s towns: 51.6

Postsecondary

53%

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%

TownGrade

C⁺

#1,525 of 2,556

Is Yarmouth a good place to live?

Yarmouth’s weakest is health (D). Most journeys need a car (C−). Homes are affordable (B+). Safety is a strength too (B+). The overall grade comes out at C+, #15 of 88 in Nova Scotia. Nationally, it does better than 44% 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. 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⁻Walkability

What makes Yarmouth stand out

The 3 things Yarmouth does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

2% walk, cycle or take transit

Compare 8% for the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

2.6 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $180,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

26% are 65 or over

Where the typical figure for Canadian towns is 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

How Yarmouth grades

Each subject compares Yarmouth 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

HealthNear the bottom of the towns comparedDOpen →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carC⁻Open →Hazard riskLess exposed to natural hazards than mostB⁺Open →Cost of livingAhead of most towns comparedB⁺Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentB⁺Open →Jobs & incomeNear typical for the towns comparedC⁺Open →

SchoolsWith no open results to compare (the province reports its assessments by regional centre, and that series stops in 2019–20), there’s no schools grade in Nova Scotia.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Yarmouth.

HealthHealth D

For health, Yarmouth sits behind 86% of Canadian towns

The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the Zone 1 - Western

At 19%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 14% for Nova Scotia. By their own account, 44% of adults here are in very good or excellent health, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (49%) and Canadian towns (52%). Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 80.0, women 82.5 and men 77.6 (2022/2024). For Yarmouth itself the measure is access, and it lags: 9.4 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical.

44%very good or excellent healthDHealth Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Yarmouth44%

Nova Scotia’s towns49%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Yarmouth	Nova Scotia	Canada
Smokers	19%	15%	12%
Very good or excellent health	44%	49%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	20%	20%	17%
Life expectancy at birth	80.0	80.0	81.5

80.0

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

9.4 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

19%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

9.2 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageYarmouth’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey44% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care9.4 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 9.2 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 82.5, men 77.6 Conditions and habits20% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁺

Hazards in Yarmouth: wildfire low, radon over the guideline in 6.2% of tested homes

Burn scars are few around Yarmouth, with 1.9% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.05% a year). Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town. Figures for radon tests are published for the Zone 1 health region as a whole, not for Yarmouth alone.

Lowwildfire bandB⁺Hazard risk Grade

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

Yarmouth6.2%

Nova Scotia’s towns13%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Yarmouth	Nova Scotia	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	6.2%	13%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.031	$0.018	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

1.4 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

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

Radon6.2% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · 1.9% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.031 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

HousingCost of living B⁺

More households own their home in Yarmouth than in Nova Scotia’s towns or across Canadian towns: 87%

Shelter took 30% or more of income for 10% of households, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%). Rent took 17% of household income, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (20%).

$180,000median home value, 2021B⁺Cost of living Grade

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

Yarmouth$180,000

Nova Scotia$250,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Yarmouth	Nova Scotia	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	10%	13%	18%
Rent as a share of income	17%	21%	20%
Households owning their home	87%	82%	74%

$705

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$665

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Owners and renters87% own their home Cost of living2.6 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $180,000, against the median household income Renting$705 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.

Climate

Summers stay cool in Yarmouth: July afternoons reach 21.4°C, below Nova Scotia’s towns and Canadian towns

Frosty days number 123 in a normal year, lower than both Nova Scotia’s towns (133) and Canadian towns (159). Expect January lows of around −6.4°C in Yarmouth. January is the snowiest month, with 64 cm on average. The frost-free season runs from 28 April to 24 October, 179 days.

21.4°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter2.3°C

Spring8.9°C

Summer20.4°C

Autumn13.8°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Yarmouth	Nova Scotia	Canada
July afternoon high	21.4°C	23.1°C	25.5°C
January night low	−6.4°C	−8.9°C	−13.5°C
Precipitation a year	1,290 mm	1,393 mm	883 mm
Days with frost a year	123	133	159

205 cm

of snow a year

123

days with frost a year

179

frost-free days, 28 Apr to 24 Oct

125

days with precipitation a year

Full pageYarmouth’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 21.4°C, January lows −6.4°C Rain and snow1,290 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow205 cm of snow a year Weather station8.5 km to the station · Yarmouth

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

SafetySafety B⁺

For safety, Yarmouth gets a B+

For violence alone, its police area’s index was 68, below Nova Scotia’s towns (94) and Canadian towns (86) alike. Across its police area, there are 17.9 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Its police area records 11.6 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Nobody publishes Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 for Yarmouth alone, so this card uses the figure for the Yarmouth detachment area.

52Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202354

202457

202545

2023–2025	Yarmouth	Nova Scotia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	17.9	36.2	31.2
Crime Severity Index	52	71	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	68	94	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

33%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageYarmouth’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety52 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Yarmouth’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Yarmouth safe?”

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

Schools

8 schools serve Yarmouth, 7 elementary schools and 1 secondary school

The schools around it answer to 2 boards, between Nova Scotia’s towns (1) and Canadian towns (3). Measured from the centre, the closest high school lies 8.4 km off, higher than both Nova Scotia’s towns (4.3 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km).

8schools within 3 km

School	Level	Students	System
Carleton Consolidated Elementary SchoolIn YarmouthElementary	Elementary	–	English public
Yarmouth Consolidated Memorial High SchoolNearest secondary school, 0.9 kmSecondary · Grades 9–RG	Secondary · Grades 9–RG	–	English public
École secondaire de Par-en-Bas FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades 7–RG	Elementary · Grades 7–RG	–	French public

See all 8 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public7

French public1

Schools within 3 km	Yarmouth	Nova Scotia	Canada
School boards	2	1	3
Nearest secondary school	8.4 km	4.3 km	1.2 km

8.4 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageYarmouth’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school8 schools within 3 km · 7 elementary schools and 1 secondary school Language1 of 8 teach in French · 6% of schools in Nova Scotia The boards2 school boards · Tri-County Regional Centre for Education Questions“What schools are there in Yarmouth?”

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.

Outdoors

Ellenwood Provincial Park begins where Yarmouth ends

Swimmers have 15 beaches within 5 km, Cooks Beach the nearest. For a national park, Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site is 42 km away. Public parks and reserves within 10 km: 28, above Nova Scotia’s towns (23.5) and Canadian towns (4) alike. The protected share within 10 km is 4.7%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%.

4.7%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Yarmouth4.7%

Nova Scotia’s towns8.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Yarmouth	Nova Scotia	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	28	23.5	4
Protected land within 10 km	4.7%	8.7%	2.3%

42 km

to Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site

At the edge

to Ellenwood Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageYarmouth’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas79 protected areas within 10 km · Tusket River Wilderness Area National & provincial parks42 km to a national park · Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site

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

Who lives here

More of Yarmouth’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 16%

Visible minorities make up 2.3% of the population, below both Nova Scotia’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (15%). 17% speak both English and French, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (9%) and Canadian towns (7.5%).

50.4median age

YarmouthNova ScotiaCanada

Nova ScotiaCanada

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

26%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree22%

Postsecondary qualification53%

Women and men · all residents

50.5% of Yarmouth’s residents are women

Of the 2021 count, 5,080 were women and 4,985 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).

Who lives in Yarmouth
	Yarmouth	Nova Scotia	Canada
Under 15	14%	14%	16%
15 to 64	61%	62%	64%
65+	26%	25%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	22%	18%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	53%	54%	56%

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

Immigrants4% are immigrants · 2% belong to a visible minority Ages50.4 median age · 26% are 65 or over Households4,430 households · 2.2 people per household English and French17% speak both · 0.1% speak French but not English

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

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁺

Trips to work from Yarmouth are shorter than from Nova Scotia’s towns or Canadian towns: 19 min on average

2%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van96%

Walk2%

Public transit1%

Census 2021	Yarmouth	Nova Scotia	Canada
Average trip	19 min	23 min	26 min

$68,500

median household income, 2020

10%

worked from home, May 2021

24%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Unemployment13% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work2% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to2,045 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Yarmouth

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.

Weather

Yarmouth in November: highs near 9°C, lows near 2°C

In November, the normal is 143 mm of rain and snow. A normal December brings highs of 4°C, lows of −3°C. Snowfall in a normal November: 10 cm. August brings the warmest days, 22°C; January the coldest nights, −6°C.

9°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November9°C

December4°C

January1°C

February1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	2°C	−5°C	366 mm
Spring	9°C	1°C	311 mm
Summer	20°C	12°C	255 mm
Autumn	14°C	6°C	359 mm

2°C

a normal November night

143 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageYarmouth’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 January

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

Town hall

Acadie—Annapolis, which takes in Yarmouth, is held by Chris d'Entremont (Liberal Party of Canada)

Yarmouth’s riding for the Nova Scotia House of Assembly isn’t shown: no open file of the province’s riding boundaries could be found.

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

Who runs itMunicipal District

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A

Yarmouth has one public library, Durkee Memorial Library

From the centre of Yarmouth, it is 17 km away.

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

Places to belong6.8 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

History

Yarmouth’s past, on the record: 2 historic places

Of the dated places, Cape Forchu Lighthouse is the oldest, from 1839. Older housing, built before 1961, accounts for 31% of homes, above both Nova Scotia’s towns (28%) and Canadian towns (18%).

2historic places

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings2

Among them

1839

oldest construction date on the record

31%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Yarmouth	Nova Scotia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	31%	28%	18%

Full pageYarmouth’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers2 historic places inside the town Older homes31% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Yarmouth have?”

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

Nearby attractions

Firefighters' Museum of Nova Scotia and 5 more in and around Yarmouth

Sights in Yarmouth and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.

All attractions →

MuseumFirefighters' Museum of Nova Scotia600 m outside town, to the south

MuseumYarmouth County Museum & Archives900 m outside town, to the south MuseumMuseumW. Laurence Sweeny Fisheries Museum400 m outside town, to the south

MuseumMuseumWedgeport Sport Tuna Fishing Museum4.2 km outside town, to the southeast

Art galleryArt galleryArt Gallery of Nova Scotia600 m outside town, to the south MuseumMuseumFirefighters Museum900 m outside town, to the south

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

Photo credits (2)

Firefighters' Museum of Nova Scotia: Ryan Sharpe, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Yarmouth County Museum & Archives: Dan Conlin, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Yarmouth

15pages on Yarmouth

The big questions

SafetyB⁺Crime Severity Index 52 Housing & costB⁺Homes 2.6 × income Property pricesSchools8 schools within 3 km HealthDLife expectancy 80 in its region Work & commuteC⁺52% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors4.7% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 21°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 50.4 History2 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from Yarmouth

11 notable people were born in Yarmouth.

See all 11 →

Maud LewisCanadian artist · 1903–1970

Lawrence WalshUnited States federal judge · 1912–2014

Sara Corning1872–1969

Paul HatfieldCanadian politician · 1873–1935

Charles CahanCanadian politician · 1861–1944

Brian MacKay-LyonsCanadian architect · born 1954

Photo credits

Maud Lewis: Ron Cogswell, CC BY 2.0 · Lawrence Walsh: U.S. National Park Service, Public domain · Sara Corning: Enos Parker (Life time: February 17, 1918), Public domain · Paul Hatfield: The Globe and Mail, Public domain

Yarmouth’s neighbours

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

YarmouthArgyleYarmouth

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Yarmouth	10,637	—	C⁺	B⁺	B⁺	D
Yarmouth	7,129	8	D⁻	C⁻	D	C⁻
Argyle	8,216	18	B⁻	A⁻	B⁺	D⁻

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

Questions about Yarmouth

Who are the people of Yarmouth?

At the 2021 census, 4% were immigrants and 2% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 16% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

What kind of homes are in Yarmouth?

92% 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; 29% are one person living alone.

Is Yarmouth a young town or an old one?

Its median age is 50.4, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 14% of residents; over-65s, 26%.

Do people in Yarmouth speak French?

17% of residents can hold a conversation in both English and French, against 8% for the median of Canadian towns; 0.1% speak French but not English.

About Yarmouth

Town in Nova Scotia

Statistics Canada treats Yarmouth 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: 10,637 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Nova Scotia
Census subdivision: 1202004

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).