Truro Profile

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

National Rank:329 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Truro Population

Total Population (2021)

12,954

Total Population (2016)

12,261

Population Growth

+5.7% (+693)

Growth Rank

#288 of 688Same geo level

Male

46.1%5,970

Female

53.9%6,985

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.855

Average Age

46.2

Median Age

47.6

Age Rank

#530 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

480(3.7%)

5–9

585(4.5%)

10–14

600(4.6%)

15–19

570(4.4%)

20–24

810(6.3%)

25–29

945(7.3%)

30–34

785(6.1%)

35–39

730(5.6%)

40–44

625(4.8%)

45–49

750(5.8%)

50–54

775(6.0%)

55–59

940(7.3%)

60–64

930(7.2%)

65–69

855(6.6%)

70–74

820(6.3%)

75–79

635(4.9%)

80–84

505(3.9%)

85+

620(4.8%)

Truro Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.0

Total Private Dwellings

6,658

Occupied Private Dwellings

6,347

Size Distribution

1 Person

2,725 (42.9%)

2 Persons

2,200 (34.7%)

3 Persons

730 (11.5%)

4 Persons

465 (7.3%)

5+ Persons

230 (3.6%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

900(14.2%)

Couples without children

1,520(24.0%)

One-parent families

630(9.9%)

One-person households

2,720(42.9%)

Multigenerational

60(0.9%)

Multiple-family

15(0.2%)

Truro Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$58,850After tax

Median Household Income

$49,600After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$35,400After tax

Median Individual Income

$30,600After tax

Income Rank

#672 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

74.4%

Employment Income

56.3%

Government Transfers

25.5%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

805(7.7%)

$10k–$20k

1,590(15.1%)

$20k–$30k

2,230(21.2%)

$30k–$40k

1,595(15.2%)

$40k–$50k

1,335(12.7%)

$50k–$60k

885(8.4%)

$60k–$70k

615(5.9%)

$70k–$80k

405(3.9%)

$80k–$90k

325(3.1%)

$90k–$100k

240(2.3%)

$100k+

485(4.6%)

Truro Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

48.2%

Unemployment Rate

15.9%

Total Labour Force

6,180

Employed

5,195

Unemployed

980

Not in Labour Force

4,600

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

20.3%

Children (0–17)

20.2%

Adults (18–64)

18.7%

Seniors (65+)

24.4%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3330 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.291

Truro 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

10,770

No certificate, diploma or degree

2,000 (18.6%)

High school diploma or equivalency

3,320 (30.8%)

Postsecondary credential

5,450 (50.6%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

1,535 (14.3%)62.5% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

615 (5.7%)25.1% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

100 (0.9%)4.1% 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

2,000(18.6%)

High school diploma or equivalency

3,320(30.8%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

745(6.9%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

2,015(18.7%)

University certificate below bachelor

230(2.1%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

2,455(22.8%)

Truro 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

13.6%

705 people

Share of 5,195 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

705(13.6%)

Usual place of work

3,880(74.7%)

No fixed workplace address

605(11.6%)

Worked outside Canada

0(0.0%)

Truro 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

6,175

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

60(1.0%)

Business, finance and administration

745(12.1%)

Natural and applied sciences

305(4.9%)

Health

630(10.2%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

845(13.7%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

135(2.2%)

Sales and service

1,870(30.3%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

880(14.3%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

125(2.0%)

Manufacturing and utilities

375(6.1%)

Truro 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

6,175

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

120(1.9%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

35(0.6%)

Utilities

10(0.2%)

Construction

310(5.0%)

Manufacturing

550(8.9%)

Wholesale trade

205(3.3%)

Retail trade

945(15.3%)

Transportation and warehousing

230(3.7%)

Information and cultural industries

55(0.9%)

Finance and insurance

60(1.0%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

65(1.1%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

335(5.4%)

Management of companies and enterprises

10(0.2%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

260(4.2%)

Educational services

440(7.1%)

Health care and social assistance

980(15.9%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

120(1.9%)

Accommodation and food services

610(9.9%)

Other services (except public administration)

230(3.7%)

Public administration

395(6.4%)

Truro Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

11,625 (92.3%)

French Only

10 (0.1%)

English & French

915 (7.3%)

Neither

45 (0.4%)

Mother Tongue

English

11,555 (91.8%)

French

130 (1.0%)

Non-official languages

745 (5.9%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

11,555(91.8%)

Punjabi

160(1.3%)

French

130(1.0%)

Tagalog

105(0.8%)

Arabic

55(0.4%)

Spanish

40(0.3%)

Mandarin

30(0.2%)

Cantonese

30(0.2%)

Hindi

30(0.2%)

Portuguese

25(0.2%)

Truro Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

2,585(40.7%)

Semi-detached

235(3.7%)

Row house

50(0.8%)

Duplex

680(10.7%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

2,665(42.0%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

5(0.1%)

Other attached

35(0.6%)

Movable

100(1.6%)

Housing · Truro (CA), N.S.

These figures are published for Truro (CA), N.S., a census agglomeration, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Truro 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

20,245

Owner households

13,670 (67.5%)

Renter households

6,570 (32.5%)

Owners with a mortgage

7,330 (53.6%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

6,340 (46.4%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

745 (11.3%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

5,830 (88.7%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$840All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$931All households, 2021

Owners, median

$800

Renters, median

$870

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,230

Owners without a mortgage, median

$424

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

3,365 (16.6%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

1,050 (7.7%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

2,315 (35.2%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

25 (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

4,565(22.5%)

$500 to $749

3,960(19.6%)

$750 to $999

4,155(20.5%)

$1,000 to $1,249

2,900(14.3%)

$1,250 to $1,499

1,980(9.8%)

$1,500 to $1,999

1,710(8.4%)

$2,000 to $2,499

590(2.9%)

$2,500 to $2,999

235(1.2%)

$3,000 and over

150(0.7%)

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 Truro

Truro is a town in central Nova Scotia at the hub of the province’s highway and rail network, near the Salmon River and the Minas Basin’s tidal flats. Victorian architecture, Victoria Park’s gorge trails, and a role as “Hubtown” for the Maritimes define the community. About 13,000 people live in Truro.

Known for

Hubtown at Nova Scotia’s highway and rail crossroads
Victoria Park gorge and waterfall trails
Victorian downtown architecture
Salmon River and Minas Basin tidal country
Service centre for Colchester County

See & do

Victoria Park
Urban forest, gorge trails, and Jacob’s Ladder stairs.
Downtown Truro / Inglis Place
Historic commercial streets and local shops.
Salmon River waterfront
Tidal river walks near the town centre.
Truro Farmers’ Market
Local produce and makers in season.
Nearby Fundy tidal flats / Cobequid Bay
Extreme tides a short drive from Hubtown.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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