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Thomas StorringDirector – Economics and Statistics
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November 29, 2024
HOUSING STOCK, Q3 2024

Quarter-over-quarter (Q3 2024 vs Q2 2024) 

As of Q3 2024, Nova Scotia had a housing stock of 493,145 units, up 0.27% from Q2 2024. Nationally, housing stock was 17,078,468 units, up 0.41% from Q2 2024. All provinces reported a rise in housing stock except Newfoundland and Labrador, with the fastest gain in Alberta.

Year-over-year (Q3 2024 vs Q3 2023)

Compared with Q3 2023, Nova Scotia's housing stock has grown by 1.4%. National housing stock has grown by 2.0% with gains in all provinces, led by Alberta. Newfoundland and Labrador lags other provinces in housing stock growth.

Trends

Nova Scotia's housing stock amounts to 458.2 units per 1,000 residents. Although this is the third highest among provinces (after Newfoundland and Labrador and Québec), Nova Scotia's stock of housing has grown more slowly than the population. This has resulted in falling units per 1,000 residents in the province, particularly since 2020.

Composition of housing stock

Nova Scotia's housing stock includes 303.6 units per 1,000 residents of owned stock, 151.1 units per 1,000 residents of rented stock and 3.5 units per 1,000 residents in band housing stock.  

Compared with national averages, Nova Scotia's housing stock consists more of single houses (290.4 units per 1,000 residents) and less of apartments (116.6 units per 1,000 residents). Nova Scotia also has more mobile homes per 1,000 residents than the national average, though this is only 3.7% of the province's housing stock. Newfoundland and Labrador reported the highest stock of single houses per 1,000 residents while Québec reported the highest stock of apartments per 1,000 residents. 

The overwhelming majority of housing units are occupied by a usual occupant (92.7% in Nova Scotia, 94.1% in Canada). A further 6.9% of units in Nova Scotia were unoccupied (5.5% nationally). Only a small portion of housing units were occupied, but not by a usual occupant.

Privately-held housing amounted to 96.1% of Nova Scotia's housing stock (96.5% nationally). Nova Scotia did report more units of social housing stock per 1,000 residents than the national average.  

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 36-10-0688-01  Housing stock in unit by institutional sector, housing type, dwelling occupation, dwelling type, and tenure typeTable 17-10-0009-01  Population estimates, quarterly