Bridgewater Profile

Explore population, households, income, employment, education, commute, occupation, industry, languages, and dwellings for Bridgewater. Compare trends since 2016 and dig into the full profile below.

National Rank:457 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Bridgewater Population

Total Population (2021)

8,790

Total Population (2016)

8,532

Population Growth

+3.0% (+258)

Growth Rank

#434 of 688Same geo level

Male

46.3%4,070

Female

53.6%4,715

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.863

Average Age

48.5

Median Age

51.6

Age Rank

#606 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

325(3.7%)

5–9

335(3.8%)

10–14

380(4.3%)

15–19

380(4.3%)

20–24

470(5.3%)

25–29

460(5.2%)

30–34

460(5.2%)

35–39

495(5.6%)

40–44

435(4.9%)

45–49

450(5.1%)

50–54

570(6.5%)

55–59

690(7.8%)

60–64

705(8.0%)

65–69

655(7.5%)

70–74

635(7.2%)

75–79

495(5.6%)

80–84

425(4.8%)

85+

430(4.9%)

Bridgewater Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.0

Total Private Dwellings

4,493

Occupied Private Dwellings

4,260

Size Distribution

1 Person

1,655 (38.8%)

2 Persons

1,645 (38.6%)

3 Persons

500 (11.7%)

4 Persons

320 (7.5%)

5+ Persons

140 (3.3%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

640(15.0%)

Couples without children

1,215(28.5%)

One-parent families

415(9.7%)

One-person households

1,655(38.8%)

Multigenerational

55(1.3%)

Multiple-family

5(0.1%)

Bridgewater Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$59,350After tax

Median Household Income

$51,600After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$34,720After tax

Median Individual Income

$30,600After tax

Income Rank

#665 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

73.6%

Employment Income

57.6%

Government Transfers

26.4%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

590(8.1%)

$10k–$20k

1,040(14.2%)

$20k–$30k

1,620(22.2%)

$30k–$40k

1,105(15.1%)

$40k–$50k

875(12.0%)

$50k–$60k

575(7.9%)

$60k–$70k

440(6.0%)

$70k–$80k

295(4.0%)

$80k–$90k

245(3.4%)

$90k–$100k

165(2.3%)

$100k+

350(4.8%)

Bridgewater Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

46.4%

Unemployment Rate

12.3%

Total Labour Force

3,945

Employed

3,460

Unemployed

485

Not in Labour Force

3,510

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

18.8%

Children (0–17)

20.6%

Adults (18–64)

15.9%

Seniors (65+)

23.6%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3170 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.275

Bridgewater Education

Highest certificate, diploma or degree for the population aged 15 and over, Census 2021. The highest-credential groups are mutually exclusive. Bachelor's degree, master's degree, and medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine sit inside “bachelor's degree or higher” and are not extra slices of the population. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Highest credential

Population aged 15 and over

7,455

No certificate, diploma or degree

1,400 (18.8%)

High school diploma or equivalency

2,235 (30.0%)

Postsecondary credential

3,820 (51.2%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

915 (12.3%)71.5% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

235 (3.2%)18.4% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

50 (0.7%)3.9% of bachelor's or higher

Those credentials are published parts of bachelor's degree or higher. They do not add up to that count. Earned doctorates and other university credentials above the bachelor level stay inside the published total and are not separate columns in this extract.

Share of the population aged 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree

1,400(18.8%)

High school diploma or equivalency

2,235(30.0%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

570(7.6%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

1,810(24.3%)

University certificate below bachelor

160(2.1%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

1,280(17.2%)

Bridgewater Commute

Place of work for the employed labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Worked at home is the census count of people who worked at home, shown as a share of that employed labour force. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Worked at home

12.4%

430 people

Share of 3,460 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

430(12.4%)

Usual place of work

2,620(75.7%)

No fixed workplace address

400(11.6%)

Worked outside Canada

0(0.0%)

Bridgewater Occupation

Broad category for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021, using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Legislative and senior management is broad category 0, not every job with “manager” in the title. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

3,940

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

20(0.5%)

Business, finance and administration

505(12.8%)

Natural and applied sciences

170(4.3%)

Health

490(12.4%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

475(12.1%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

100(2.5%)

Sales and service

1,225(31.1%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

530(13.5%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

90(2.3%)

Manufacturing and utilities

275(7.0%)

Bridgewater Industry

Industry sector for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

3,940

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

70(1.8%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

10(0.3%)

Utilities

15(0.4%)

Construction

215(5.5%)

Manufacturing

475(12.1%)

Wholesale trade

60(1.5%)

Retail trade

610(15.5%)

Transportation and warehousing

115(2.9%)

Information and cultural industries

60(1.5%)

Finance and insurance

70(1.8%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

40(1.0%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

145(3.7%)

Management of companies and enterprises

0(0.0%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

320(8.1%)

Educational services

260(6.6%)

Health care and social assistance

710(18.0%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

110(2.8%)

Accommodation and food services

245(6.2%)

Other services (except public administration)

145(3.7%)

Public administration

220(5.6%)

Bridgewater Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

7,920 (92.0%)

English & French

670 (7.8%)

Neither

20 (0.2%)

Mother Tongue

English

7,975 (92.7%)

French

110 (1.3%)

Non-official languages

400 (4.6%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

7,975(92.7%)

French

110(1.3%)

Punjabi

70(0.8%)

Tagalog

30(0.3%)

Mandarin

25(0.3%)

Spanish

25(0.3%)

Korean

25(0.3%)

German

20(0.2%)

Arabic

15(0.2%)

Hindi

15(0.2%)

Bridgewater Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

2,050(48.1%)

Semi-detached

210(4.9%)

Row house

95(2.2%)

Duplex

120(2.8%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

1,240(29.1%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

35(0.8%)

Other attached

15(0.4%)

Movable

490(11.5%)

Community snapshot

About Bridgewater

Bridgewater is a town on the LaHave River in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, inland from the South Shore fishing ports. A regional commercial centre—often called the main street of the South Shore—it has a riverfront downtown, mills heritage, and services for surrounding rural communities. About 9,000 people live in Bridgewater.

Known for

Largest South Shore inland service town on the LaHave
Riverfront downtown and mills heritage
Commercial hub for Lunenburg County countryside
DesBrisay Museum and local history
Highway 103 corridor community

See & do

LaHave River waterfront / downtown
Shops and parks along the tidal river.
DesBrisay Museum
Lunenburg County history and collections in town.
Wile Carding Mill Provincial Museum
Working 19th-century mill on a brook in Bridgewater.
Woodland Gardens / town parks
Green space and trails in the town.
Drives toward Lunenburg and the Aspotogan
Short trips to UNESCO Lunenburg and South Shore harbours.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

Discover More Insights

Compare Bridgewater with other Canadian locations side-by-side.

Open comparison tool

Data sources → Census profiles, housing tables, and consumer prices