Halifax Profile

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

National Rank:13 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Consumer Price Index

Halifax, Nova Scotia

All-items index for September 2026, up 5.4% from September 2025, calculated from the published index (2002=100). Statistics Canada publishes this series as “Halifax, Nova Scotia”. It follows that price-index area, not the municipal boundary of Halifax alone.

All-items: 176.5
12-month change: +5.4%

Source: Statistics Canada table 18-10-0004-01, reference month September 2026 (2002=100). Compare consumer prices across Canada. Data sources.

Halifax Population

Total Population (2021)

439,819

Total Population (2016)

403,131

Population Growth

+9.1% (+36,688)

Growth Rank

#167 of 688Same geo level

Male

48.7%214,300

Female

51.3%225,520

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.950

Average Age

41.3

Median Age

40.4

Age Rank

#237 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

19,795(4.5%)

5–9

22,630(5.1%)

10–14

22,600(5.1%)

15–19

21,880(5.0%)

20–24

32,125(7.3%)

25–29

34,775(7.9%)

30–34

33,180(7.5%)

35–39

30,795(7.0%)

40–44

28,300(6.4%)

45–49

27,735(6.3%)

50–54

28,120(6.4%)

55–59

32,055(7.3%)

60–64

29,665(6.7%)

65–69

24,835(5.6%)

70–74

21,030(4.8%)

75–79

13,835(3.1%)

80–84

8,565(1.9%)

85+

7,885(1.8%)

Halifax Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.3

Total Private Dwellings

200,473

Occupied Private Dwellings

190,512

Size Distribution

1 Person

56,935 (29.9%)

2 Persons

71,090 (37.3%)

3 Persons

29,105 (15.3%)

4 Persons

22,770 (12.0%)

5+ Persons

10,615 (5.6%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

43,080(22.6%)

Couples without children

51,505(27.0%)

One-parent families

15,650(8.2%)

One-person households

56,940(29.9%)

Multigenerational

3,820(2.0%)

Multiple-family

800(0.4%)

Halifax Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$80,300After tax

Median Household Income

$69,500After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$42,800After tax

Median Individual Income

$36,800After tax

Income Rank

#403 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

84.2%

Employment Income

67.6%

Government Transfers

15.8%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

28,820(8.1%)

$10k–$20k

39,640(11.1%)

$20k–$30k

54,510(15.3%)

$30k–$40k

47,000(13.1%)

$40k–$50k

41,710(11.7%)

$50k–$60k

33,315(9.3%)

$60k–$70k

26,330(7.4%)

$70k–$80k

20,805(5.8%)

$80k–$90k

17,685(4.9%)

$90k–$100k

13,150(3.7%)

$100k+

34,455(9.6%)

Halifax Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

58.1%

Unemployment Rate

11.4%

Total Labour Force

242,690

Employed

215,070

Unemployed

27,620

Not in Labour Force

127,665

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

12.0%

Children (0–17)

14.7%

Adults (18–64)

11.0%

Seniors (65+)

13.2%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3300 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.286

Halifax 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

370,355

No certificate, diploma or degree

44,735 (12.1%)

High school diploma or equivalency

93,630 (25.3%)

Postsecondary credential

231,985 (62.6%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

81,385 (22.0%)65.3% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

28,345 (7.7%)22.7% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

3,045 (0.8%)2.4% 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

44,735(12.1%)

High school diploma or equivalency

93,630(25.3%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

24,760(6.7%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

73,220(19.8%)

University certificate below bachelor

9,310(2.5%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

124,695(33.7%)

Halifax 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

27.7%

59,655 people

Share of 215,070 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

59,655(27.7%)

Usual place of work

130,070(60.5%)

No fixed workplace address

24,710(11.5%)

Worked outside Canada

635(0.3%)

Halifax 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

242,690

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

3,240(1.3%)

Business, finance and administration

43,080(17.8%)

Natural and applied sciences

22,235(9.2%)

Health

21,510(8.9%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

35,685(14.7%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

8,275(3.4%)

Sales and service

61,755(25.4%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

34,695(14.3%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

2,730(1.1%)

Manufacturing and utilities

4,635(1.9%)

Halifax 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

242,690

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

1,725(0.7%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

835(0.3%)

Utilities

2,035(0.8%)

Construction

16,235(6.7%)

Manufacturing

10,160(4.2%)

Wholesale trade

6,290(2.6%)

Retail trade

27,065(11.2%)

Transportation and warehousing

10,575(4.4%)

Information and cultural industries

5,850(2.4%)

Finance and insurance

12,125(5.0%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

4,190(1.7%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

22,110(9.1%)

Management of companies and enterprises

410(0.2%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

11,575(4.8%)

Educational services

20,065(8.3%)

Health care and social assistance

32,610(13.4%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

4,760(2.0%)

Accommodation and food services

14,940(6.2%)

Other services (except public administration)

9,330(3.8%)

Public administration

24,935(10.3%)

Halifax Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

380,205 (87.1%)

French Only

295 (0.1%)

English & French

53,460 (12.2%)

Neither

2,555 (0.6%)

Mother Tongue

English

369,130 (84.6%)

French

9,985 (2.3%)

Non-official languages

45,820 (10.5%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

369,130(84.6%)

French

9,985(2.3%)

Arabic

7,135(1.6%)

Mandarin

5,970(1.4%)

Punjabi

3,160(0.7%)

Tagalog

2,210(0.5%)

Spanish

2,005(0.5%)

Korean

2,005(0.5%)

Hindi

1,660(0.4%)

Russian

1,525(0.3%)

Halifax Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

90,825(47.7%)

Semi-detached

12,485(6.6%)

Row house

7,390(3.9%)

Duplex

6,540(3.4%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

40,470(21.2%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

28,320(14.9%)

Other attached

200(0.1%)

Movable

4,270(2.2%)

Housing · Halifax (CMA), N.S.

These figures are published for Halifax (CMA), N.S., a census metropolitan area, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Halifax alone. Shares are calculated on this site from the published household counts in tables 98-10-0252-01 and 98-10-0253-01.

Tenure

Private households

199,765

Owner households

117,045 (58.6%)

Renter households

82,720 (41.4%)

Owners with a mortgage

74,375 (63.5%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

42,670 (36.5%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

6,405 (7.7%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

76,310 (92.3%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$1,220All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,320All households, 2021

Owners, median

$1,270

Renters, median

$1,170

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,680

Owners without a mortgage, median

$552

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

42,820 (21.4%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

12,640 (10.8%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

30,180 (36.5%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

120 (0.1%)

Monthly shelter cost

Published household counts by shelter-cost band. Census counts are randomly rounded, so the bands can differ slightly from the household total.

Less than $500

21,025(10.5%)

$500 to $749

25,210(12.6%)

$750 to $999

28,765(14.4%)

$1,000 to $1,249

28,215(14.1%)

$1,250 to $1,499

25,950(13.0%)

$1,500 to $1,999

40,640(20.3%)

$2,000 to $2,499

17,515(8.8%)

$2,500 to $2,999

6,830(3.4%)

$3,000 and over

5,615(2.8%)

Shelter cost is the census monthly amount. For owners it includes mortgage payments, property taxes and condominium fees, along with electricity, heat, water and other municipal services. For renters it includes rent and those utility payments when the tenant pays them. Current consumer prices are a separate series on the cost-of-living page. Data sources.

Community snapshot

About Halifax

Halifax Regional Municipality covers a large area of central Nova Scotia, from an Atlantic harbour city to surrounding suburbs and coastline. Downtown Halifax sits on a peninsula opposite Dartmouth, with a major port and naval base. The regional municipality was formed by amalgamating several former cities and counties. About 440,000 people live in the municipality.

Known for

Ice-free Atlantic port and naval base
Citadel Hill and a historic downtown
Universities including Dalhousie
Maritime museums and the waterfront boardwalk
Amalgamated urban, suburban, and coastal communities

See & do

Halifax Citadel
Hilltop fort overlooking the harbour.
Halifax Waterfront
Boardwalk, piers, and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.
Point Pleasant Park
Wooded park at the south end of the peninsula.
Pier 21
Canadian Museum of Immigration in a historic ocean-liner terminal.
Halifax Public Gardens
Victorian garden downtown.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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