BelfastPrince Edward Island
A town of 2,110 on Prince Edward Island. It is part of Queens, a census division.
Is Belfast a good place to live?
Buying a home costs less than in most towns (A−). The weak point is jobs & income (C). Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for health and B− for walkability. Natural hazards are less of a worry than in most Canadian towns (A).
Belfast is graded subject by subject, but Canadian towns need 2,500 residents for an overall grade.
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.
How Belfast grades
Each subject compares Belfast with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Belfast is graded subject by subject, but Canadian towns need 2,500 residents for an overall grade.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Belfast stand out
The 3 things Belfast does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Belfast.
For hazard risk, Belfast gets an A
In Health Canada’s survey, just 3.5% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). The national inventory holds 2 flood maps for it, the newest from Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action - Government of Prince Edward Island. NRCan expects $0.019 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings in Belfast, near the typical $0.030.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Belfast | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 3.5% | 3.5% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.019 | $0.020 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Data for radon tests covers the Prince Edward Island Health Region
Renting in Belfast costs 11% of household income, less than in Prince Edward Island’s towns or Canadian towns
92% of households are owner-occupiers.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Belfast | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 11% | 18% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 92% | 86% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 11% | 11% | 18% |
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.
The nearest high school to Belfast is 54 km away
An elementary school stands 45 km from the centre, below Prince Edward Island’s towns (56 km) but above Canadian towns (0.5 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast Consolidated SchoolIn BelfastElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Belfast | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 54 km | 76 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 45 km | 56 km | 0.5 km |
Statistics Canada’s Open Database of Educational Facilities · On Prince Edward Island, no schools grade. The province publishes no results school by school.
For safety, Belfast gets an A−
Source area for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: the Queens District detachment area
For violence alone, its police area’s index was 51, below both Prince Edward Island’s towns (54) and Canadian towns (86). Property crime in the area its police cover: 16.3 per 1,000 people a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Belfast | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 16.3 | 19.4 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 51 | 54 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 47 | 47 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Household incomes in Belfast are lower than in 64% of Canadian towns
Commutes averaged 28 min, above Prince Edward Island’s towns (23 min) and Canadian towns (26 min) alike. 94% of commuters drove to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Belfast | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 28 min | 23 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 94% | 95% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Wet weather: 1,263 mm of rain and snow a year falls on Belfast, more than on 92% of Canadian towns
October is the wettest month, with 134 mm of rain and snow on average. In July the thermometer climbs to 24.3°C by day, above Prince Edward Island’s towns (23.7°C) but below Canadian towns (25.5°C). Belfast sees January nights of −9.7°C on average. Frost usually lifts by 9 May and returns around 30 October: 173 days without it.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Belfast | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 248 cm | 285 cm | 141 cm |
| Precipitation a year | 1,263 mm | 1,136 mm | 883 mm |
| January night low | −9.7°C | −11.4°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 24.3°C | 23.7°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Alliston)
3.7% of Belfast’s residents belong to a visible minority (Prince Edward Island’s towns: 3.4%; Canadian towns: 15%)
7.1% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, above Prince Edward Island’s towns (4.9%) and Canadian towns (6.4%) alike. First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 2.5% of residents, above Prince Edward Island’s towns (1.8%) but below 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 51.2% of Belfast
Census 2021 put women at 865 and men at 825; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| Belfast | Prince Edward Island | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 57% | 63% | 64% |
| 65+ | 29% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 16% | 14% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 51% | 61% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Prince Edward Island and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Protected land around Belfast beats 9 in 10 Canadian towns
6 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name. The closest provincial park is Brudenell Provincial Park, 15 km from the edge of town. A drive of 32 km reaches Prince Edward Island National Park, the nearest national park. Within 10 km, the count of public protected areas is 13, above both Prince Edward Island’s towns (7) and Canadian towns (4).
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Belfast | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 12% | 4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 13 | 7 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
A normal November in Belfast runs from 1°C to 7°C
Looking ahead to December, expect highs near 2°C and lows near −5°C. November normally sees 124 mm of precipitation. A typical November adds 14 cm of snow. Normal highs peak at 24°C in July; nights bottom out at −10°C in February.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −1°C | −8°C | 323 mm |
| Spring | 8°C | 0°C | 267 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 14°C | 286 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 6°C | 388 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Alliston); the forecast is on the Weather page
Belfast sends Kent MacDonald (Liberal Party of Canada) to the Commons from Cardigan
Statistics Canada lists Belfast as a rural municipality.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Belfast has no public library of its own; the nearest is Stratford Public Library, 25 km away
The next is Charlottetown Library Learning Centre (Charlottetown), 27 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Very good or excellent health for 51% of adults in Belfast’s health region
A baby born in the region can expect 81.2 years, 83.3 for a girl and 79.1 for a boy (2022/2024). Measured from where Belfast’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 21 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Belfast | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 51% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.2 | 81.2 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Area behind the health survey and life expectancy figures: the Prince Edward Island health region
Before 1961: 42% of the homes in Belfast
Federal, provincial and local lists together give 2 historic places here. Go back to 1845 and you reach Point Prim Lighthouse, the oldest of them. Counted by designation, there are a heritage lighthouse and a provincial or municipal listing.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Belfast | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 42% | 21% | 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 Belfast
Selkirk Scottish Heritage Centre and 3 more in and around Belfast
A first look at Belfast’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
Famous people from Belfast
6 notable people were born in Belfast.
About Belfast
Town in Prince Edward Island
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Belfast is one census subdivision on Prince Edward Island, and TownRatings describes all of it.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 2,110 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Prince Edward Island
- Census division
- Queens
- Census subdivision
- 1102002
Belfast’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | 2,110 | — | — | A− | A− | B− |
| Vernon River | 2,779 | 17 | B | B+ | A− | B− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Belfast
What kind of homes are in Belfast?
30% of households are one person, and the average is 2.3.
Is Belfast a young town or an old one?
Half its people are older than 51.2 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 15%, people 65 and over 29%.
Who are the people of Belfast?
Visible minorities are 4% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 7%, and Indigenous people 3%.
Has Belfast grown?
Yes: the census counted 1,636 in 2016 and 1,687 in 2021, a rise of 3.1%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 2,110.
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).