Malpeque BayPrince Edward Island
1,351 people call this town on Prince Edward Island home. Its census division is Prince.
Is Malpeque Bay a good place to live?
Jobs and pay hold up well (A). It also does well on cost of living (A−). Most journeys need a car (D−). Hazard risk is lower than in most Canadian towns (A−).
Malpeque Bay 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. No Safety Grade: no police service publishes a crime rate for this place on its own. 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 Malpeque Bay grades
Each subject compares Malpeque Bay with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Malpeque Bay is graded subject by subject, but Canadian towns need 2,500 residents for an overall grade.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Malpeque Bay stand out
The 3 things Malpeque Bay does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Malpeque Bay.
The car carries 100% of commuters in Malpeque Bay, more than in Prince Edward Island’s towns or across Canadian towns
The average trip to work took 22 min, lower than both Prince Edward Island’s towns (23 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Malpeque Bay | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or van | 100% | 95% | 89% |
| Average trip | 22 min | 23 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
No high school in or near Malpeque Bay: the closest is 76 km off
From the middle of town, the first elementary school is 58 km off, higher than both Prince Edward Island’s towns (56 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington Intermediate Senior High SchoolNearest elementary school, 2.7 kmElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Malpeque Bay | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest elementary school | 58 km | 56 km | 0.5 km |
| Nearest secondary school | 76 km | 76 km | 1.2 km |
Statistics Canada’s Open Database of Educational Facilities · Source note: the province publishes no results school by school, so there’s no schools grade on Prince Edward Island.
Rent takes less of local pay in Malpeque Bay than in Prince Edward Island’s towns or Canadian towns: 13% of household income
Households that own their home make up 90%. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 7% of households, below both Prince Edward Island’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Malpeque Bay | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 13% | 18% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 7% | 11% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 90% | 86% | 74% |
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.
A flood study covers Malpeque Bay: 2 on the national inventory, the newest from Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action - Government of Prince Edward Island
Shaking is about as much of a worry in Malpeque Bay as in most places, at $0.027 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Radon is lower than usual: 3.5% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Nobody publishes radon tests for Malpeque Bay alone, so this card uses the figure for the Prince Edward Island Health Region.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Malpeque Bay | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 3.5% | 3.5% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.027 | $0.020 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Malpeque Bay is wetter than nine in ten Canadian towns: 1,252 mm of rain and snow a year
Rain and snow peak in December, at 138 mm. Some 292 cm of snow falls in a typical year, about level with Prince Edward Island’s towns (285 cm) and above Canadian towns (141 cm). January is the snowiest month, with 67 cm on average. In July, daytime highs in Malpeque Bay average 24.1°C.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Malpeque Bay | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 292 cm | 285 cm | 141 cm |
| Precipitation a year | 1,252 mm | 1,136 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 24.1°C | 23.7°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −11.3°C | −11.4°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Summerside)
An older town: 27% of people in Malpeque Bay are 65 or over, more than in Prince Edward Island’s towns or Canadian towns
14% are under 15, below both Prince Edward Island’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (16%). Immigrants make up 3.8% of residents, below both Prince Edward Island’s towns (4.9%) and Canadian towns (6.4%).
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 50.6% of Malpeque Bay
In 2021 there were 605 women to 590 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.
| Malpeque Bay | Prince Edward Island | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 59% | 63% | 64% |
| 65+ | 27% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 14% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 55% | 61% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Prince Edward Island and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Malpeque Bay runs from freezing to 7°C
Precipitation in November averages 130 mm. Looking ahead to December, expect highs near 1°C and lows near −6°C. Snow is normal by November, about 19 cm over the month. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Summerside forecast, on the Weather page.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −2°C | −10°C | 339 mm |
| Spring | 8°C | −1°C | 270 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 13°C | 262 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 5°C | 381 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Summerside); the forecast is on the Weather page
75% of electors voted in Malpeque in 2021, more than in 99% of Canada’s ridings
Statistics Canada lists Malpeque Bay as a rural municipality.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
The nearest public library to Malpeque Bay is Kensington Heritage Library, 7.1 km away
The next is Breadalbane Public Library (New Glasgow), 20 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Very good or excellent health for 51% of adults in Malpeque Bay’s health region
Shared with the rest of the Prince Edward Island health region: health survey and life expectancy
The region’s 2022/2024 life expectancy is 81.2, with women at 83.3 and men at 79.1. The average trip from home to a hospital is 14 km, above Prince Edward Island’s towns (8.5 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km) alike.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Malpeque Bay | 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
A national park 4.5 km from Malpeque Bay: Prince Edward Island National Park
Biggest among them: Scallop Buffer Zone (SFA 22), 285,278 ha, 7.6 km off. Protected areas cover 1.3% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%. The nearest provincial park, Amherst Shore Provincial Park, is 57 km away. 19 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Cabot Beach.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Malpeque Bay | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 1.3% | 4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 4 | 7 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
1 historic place on the heritage registers in Malpeque Bay
Older housing, built before 1961, accounts for 34% of homes, above both Prince Edward Island’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Malpeque Bay | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 34% | 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 Malpeque Bay
Keir Memorial Museum and 6 more in and around Malpeque Bay
What there is to see in Malpeque Bay and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
Famous people from around Malpeque Bay
2 notable people were born in Malpeque Bay; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Heather Moyse: Vincent Lions for Prince Edward Island Potatoes Board; cropped by Blackcat, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gerard Gallant: Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0
About Malpeque Bay
Town in Prince Edward Island
Every figure TownRatings gives for Malpeque Bay covers the municipality as Statistics Canada maps it, one census subdivision on Prince Edward Island.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 1,351 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Prince Edward Island
- Census division
- Prince
- Census subdivision
- 1103007
Malpeque Bay’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malpeque Bay | 1,351 | — | — | A− | — | B− |
| Kensington, Part 1 | 3,357 | 7.6 | — | B+ | — | B |
| Kensington | 2,016 | 7.6 | — | C | C+ | B |
| New London | 1,443 | 10 | — | B− | A− | B− |
| Summerside | 19,006 | 15 | C− | C− | C− | B+ |
| Kinkora | 1,416 | 17 | — | — | — | B− |
| Miscouche | 1,113 | 18 | — | B− | — | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Malpeque Bay
Has Malpeque Bay grown?
Yes: the census counted 1,030 in 2016 and 1,191 in 2021, a rise of 15.6%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 1,351.
What kind of homes are in Malpeque Bay?
Mostly 93% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.3 people on average, and 24% have just one.
Who are the people of Malpeque Bay?
Visible minorities are 3% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 4%, and Indigenous people 2%.
Is Malpeque Bay a young town or an old one?
The typical resident is 50.8 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 27% of the population and under-15s at 14%.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · 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).