West Hants Profile

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

National Rank:228 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

West Hants Population

Total Population (2021)

19,509

Total Population (2016)

19,016

Population Growth

+2.6% (+493)

Growth Rank

#462 of 688Same geo level

Male

48.5%9,460

Female

51.5%10,055

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.941

Average Age

45.9

Median Age

48.8

Age Rank

#517 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

805(4.1%)

5–9

1,000(5.1%)

10–14

1,035(5.3%)

15–19

1,015(5.2%)

20–24

820(4.2%)

25–29

845(4.3%)

30–34

1,030(5.3%)

35–39

1,065(5.5%)

40–44

1,125(5.8%)

45–49

1,270(6.5%)

50–54

1,310(6.7%)

55–59

1,720(8.8%)

60–64

1,675(8.6%)

65–69

1,460(7.5%)

70–74

1,300(6.7%)

75–79

900(4.6%)

80–84

615(3.2%)

85+

530(2.7%)

West Hants Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.3

Total Private Dwellings

9,136

Occupied Private Dwellings

8,374

Size Distribution

1 Person

2,340 (27.9%)

2 Persons

3,420 (40.8%)

3 Persons

1,175 (14.0%)

4 Persons

975 (11.6%)

5+ Persons

460 (5.5%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

1,860(22.2%)

Couples without children

2,760(33.0%)

One-parent families

730(8.7%)

One-person households

2,345(28.0%)

Multigenerational

200(2.4%)

Multiple-family

35(0.4%)

West Hants Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$69,100After tax

Median Household Income

$61,200After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$36,680After tax

Median Individual Income

$32,400After tax

Income Rank

#560 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

76.6%

Employment Income

60.5%

Government Transfers

23.3%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

1,310(8.3%)

$10k–$20k

2,255(14.4%)

$20k–$30k

2,910(18.5%)

$30k–$40k

2,205(14.0%)

$40k–$50k

1,910(12.2%)

$50k–$60k

1,480(9.4%)

$60k–$70k

1,060(6.7%)

$70k–$80k

800(5.1%)

$80k–$90k

560(3.6%)

$90k–$100k

415(2.6%)

$100k+

800(5.1%)

West Hants Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

50.1%

Unemployment Rate

10.3%

Total Labour Force

9,100

Employed

8,165

Unemployed

935

Not in Labour Force

7,190

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

15.4%

Children (0–17)

16.3%

Adults (18–64)

11.9%

Seniors (65+)

23.7%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.2980 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.260

West Hants 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

16,290

No certificate, diploma or degree

3,285 (20.2%)

High school diploma or equivalency

4,595 (28.2%)

Postsecondary credential

8,410 (51.6%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

1,815 (11.1%)69.5% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

580 (3.6%)22.2% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

35 (0.2%)1.3% 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

3,285(20.2%)

High school diploma or equivalency

4,595(28.2%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

1,730(10.6%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

3,775(23.2%)

University certificate below bachelor

295(1.8%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

2,610(16.0%)

West Hants 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

15.0%

1,225 people

Share of 8,165 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

1,225(15.0%)

Usual place of work

5,495(67.3%)

No fixed workplace address

1,420(17.4%)

Worked outside Canada

30(0.4%)

West Hants 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

9,100

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

60(0.7%)

Business, finance and administration

1,125(12.4%)

Natural and applied sciences

540(5.9%)

Health

770(8.5%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

1,065(11.7%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

210(2.3%)

Sales and service

2,090(23.0%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

2,300(25.3%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

395(4.3%)

Manufacturing and utilities

415(4.6%)

West Hants 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

9,100

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

340(3.7%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

55(0.6%)

Utilities

100(1.1%)

Construction

1,195(13.1%)

Manufacturing

770(8.5%)

Wholesale trade

320(3.5%)

Retail trade

1,090(12.0%)

Transportation and warehousing

320(3.5%)

Information and cultural industries

110(1.2%)

Finance and insurance

200(2.2%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

70(0.8%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

375(4.1%)

Management of companies and enterprises

20(0.2%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

350(3.8%)

Educational services

670(7.4%)

Health care and social assistance

1,350(14.8%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

180(2.0%)

Accommodation and food services

415(4.6%)

Other services (except public administration)

465(5.1%)

Public administration

575(6.3%)

West Hants Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

18,260 (94.8%)

English & French

1,005 (5.2%)

Neither

10 (0.1%)

Mother Tongue

English

18,715 (97.1%)

French

200 (1.0%)

Non-official languages

260 (1.3%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

18,715(97.1%)

French

200(1.0%)

Arabic

15(0.1%)

Punjabi

15(0.1%)

Spanish

15(0.1%)

Mandarin

10(0.1%)

Italian

10(0.1%)

Hindi

10(0.1%)

Korean

10(0.1%)

Tamil

10(0.1%)

West Hants Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

6,675(79.7%)

Semi-detached

220(2.6%)

Row house

70(0.8%)

Duplex

125(1.5%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

755(9.0%)

Other attached

20(0.2%)

Movable

510(6.1%)

Community snapshot

About West Hants

West Hants is a rural municipality in central Nova Scotia, inland from the Minas Basin and Avon River country toward Windsor, Falmouth, and Brooklyn. Villages, farms, and forest settlement share the landscape rather than forming a single city; neighbouring towns are counted separately. About 19,000 people live in West Hants.

Known for

Rural municipality, not a single city
Villages and farms in the Avon / Minas Basin hinterland
Neighbours separate towns such as Windsor
Central Nova Scotia agricultural and forest countryside
Highway corridors linking Halifax’s outer orbit to the Valley edge

See & do

Falmouth and local village centres
Community hubs among West Hants settlements.
Avon River countryside drives
Tidal river and farm landscapes.
Nearby Windsor amenities (separate town)
Service town widely used by municipal residents.
Forest and dykeland roads
Classic Hants County outdoor scenery.
Community halls and recreation fields
Village sports and gatherings across the RM.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

Discover More Insights

Compare West Hants with other Canadian locations side-by-side.

Open comparison tool

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