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Focus on Geography Series, 2011 Census

Census subdivision of Chester, MD - Nova Scotia

Map of Chester, MD (shaded in green), Nova Scotia

Map of Chester, MD

Interactive version of map

Population, 2011 and 2006 censuses

Chart A: Chester, MD - Population, 2011 and 2006 censuses

Chart A description: Chester, MD - Population, 2011 and 2006 censuses

Prov. rank
12
Nat. rank
376

In 2011, Chester (Municipal district) had a population of 10,599, representing a percentage change of -1.3% from 2006. This compares to the national average growth of 5.9%.

Land area is 1,122.22 square kilometres with a population density of 9.4 persons per square kilometre. This compares to the provincial land area of 52,939.44 square kilometres with a population density of 17.4 persons per square kilometre.

In 2011, Chester (Municipal district) had 4,761 private dwellings occupied by usual residents. The change in private dwellings occupied by usual residents from 2006 was 2.5%. For Canada as a whole, the number of private dwellings occupied by usual residents increased 7.1%.

Population and dwelling counts

Chester (Municipal district) – Neighbouring census subdivisions

Table 1 Chester (Municipal district) – Neighbouring census subdivisions, population change, 2006 to 2011
Census subdivision (CSD) name CSD type Population
2011 2006 % change
Lunenburg, N.S. MD 25,118 25,164 -0.2
Gold River 21, N.S. IRI 77 65 18.5
Pennal 19, N.S. IRI 22 15 A 46.7
New Ross 20, N.S. IRI 0 0 A  ···
Kings, Subd. A, N.S. SC 22,103 22,161 -0.3
Kings, Subd. C, N.S. SC 8,275 8,121 1.9
West Hants, N.S. MD 14,165 13,871 A 2.1
Halifax, N.S. RGM 390,096 372,679 4.7

Nova Scotia – Census subdivisions with 5,000-plus population with the highest population growth

Table 2 Nova Scotia – Census subdivisions with 5,000-plus population with the highest population growth, population change, 2006 to 2011
Census subdivision (CSD) name CSD type Population
2011 2006 % change
Antigonish, Subd. A SC 8,253 7,730 6.8
Kentville T 6,094 5,815 4.8
Halifax RGM 390,096 372,679 4.7
Bridgewater T 8,241 7,944 3.7
East Hants MD 22,111 21,397 A 3.3

Nova Scotia – Census subdivisions with 5,000-plus population with the lowest population growth

Table 3 Nova Scotia – Census subdivisions with 5,000-plus population with the lowest population growth, population change, 2006 to 2011
Census subdivision (CSD) name CSD type Population
2011 2006 % change
Inverness, Subd. A SC 5,280 5,859 -9.9
Digby MD 7,463 7,986 -6.5
Yarmouth T 6,761 7,162 -5.6
Clare MD 8,319 8,813 -5.6
Kings, Subd. D SC 5,201 5,499 -5.4

Age and sex

Chester, MD – Age distribution

Chart C: Chester, MD - Population by broad age groups

Chart C description: Chester, MD - Population by broad age groups

Table 4 Chester, MD – Age distributions by broad age groups and sex, 2011 Census
Age groups Both sexes Males Females
0 to 14 12.4% 12.6% 12.2%
15 to 64 65.7% 66.1% 65.2%
65 and over 22.0% 21.3% 22.6%

In 2011, the percentage of the population aged 65 and over in Chester, MD was 22.0%, compared with a national percentage of 14.8%. The percentage of the working age population (15 to 64) was 65.7% and the percentage of children aged 0 to 14 was 12.4%. In comparison, the national percentages were 68.5% for the population aged 15 to 64 and 16.7% for the population aged 0 to 14.

Chester, MD – Population by broad age groups and sex

Table 5 Chester, MD – Population by broad age groups, sex and population change between 2006 and 2011, 2006 to 2011 censuses
Broad age groups by sex Population
2011 2006 change % change
Both sexes
Total 10,600 10,740 -140 -1.3
0 to 14 1,315 1,510 -195 -12.9
15 to 64 6,960 7,215 -255 -3.5
65 and over 2,330 2,020 310 15.3
Males
Total 5,235 5,355 -120 -2.2
0 to 14 660 780 -120 -15.4
15 to 64 3,460 3,635 -175 -4.8
65 and over 1,115 945 170 18.0
Females
Total 5,365 5,390 -25 -0.5
0 to 14 655 725 -70 -9.7
15 to 64 3,500 3,580 -80 -2.2
65 and over 1,210 1,075 135 12.6

Chester, MD – Population by five-year age groups and sex

Chart D: Chester, MD - Population by five-year age groups and sex

Chart D description: Chester, MD - Population by five-year age groups and sex

Table 6 Chester, MD – Population by five-year age groups and sex, 2011 Census
Age groups Both sexes Males Females
Total - Age groups 10,600 5,235 5,365
0 to 4 years 375 175 205
5 to 9 years 420 210 205
10 to 14 years 515 275 245
15 to 19 years 580 295 285
20 to 24 years 415 220 190
25 to 29 years 375 190 185
30 to 34 years 480 235 250
35 to 39 years 555 280 275
40 to 44 years 670 350 325
45 to 49 years 925 445 480
50 to 54 years 975 465 520
55 to 59 years 955 475 480
60 to 64 years 1,020 510 515
65 to 69 years 765 390 375
70 to 74 years 575 275 300
75 to 79 years 415 235 185
80 to 84 years 305 135 175
85 years and over 265 85 180
Median age 49.9 49.4 50.4

Chester, MD – Median age1 of the population

Chart E: Canada, Nova Scotia and Chester, MD - Median age, 2006 and 2011 censuses

Chart E description: Canada, Nova Scotia and Chester, MD - Median age, 2006 and 2011 censuses

In 2011, the median age in Chester, MD was 49.9 years. In comparison, the median age of Nova Scotia was 43.7 years.

Table 7 Canada, Nova Scotia and Chester, MD – Median age, 2006 and 2011 censuses
  Median age
2006 2011
Canada 39.5 40.6
Nova Scotia 41.8 43.7
Chester, MD 46.5 49.9

Families and households

In 2011, the number of census families2 in Chester was 3,425, which represents a change of 3.0% from 2006. This compares to a growth rate for Canada of 5.5% over the same period.


In Chester, 70.1% of census families were married couples in 2011, while 16.4% were common-law-couples and 13.6% were lone-parent families.

Chart F: Chester - Census families by family structure

Chart F description: Chester - Census families by family structure

Chester – Family structure

Table 8 Canada, Nova Scotia, CSD of Chester, MD and neighbouring census subdivisions – Distribution of census families by family structure, 2011 Census
Geographic name Total families Married-couple families Common-law-couple families Lone-parent families % change, census families, 2006 to 2011
number % number % number %
Canada † 9,389,695 6,293,950 67.0 1,567,905 16.7 1,527,840 16.3 5.5
Nova Scotia 270,065 184,870 68.5 38,460 14.2 46,735 17.3 1.0
Chester, MD 3,425 2,400 70.1 560 16.4 465 13.6 3.0
Lunenburg, MD 8,255 6,090 73.8 1,215 14.7 950 11.5 1.0
Gold River 21, IRI 20 10 50.0 5 25.0 5 25.0 0.0
Kings, Subd. A, SC 6,810 4,790 70.3 1,090 16.0 930 13.7 0.2
Kings, Subd. C, SC 2,490 1,735 69.7 320 12.9 435 17.5 2.5
West Hants, MD 4,535 3,195 70.5 755 16.6 590 13.0 2.6
Halifax, RGM 109,690 74,425 67.9 16,920 15.4 18,340 16.7 4.3

Chester – Presence of children within couple families

Among couples (married and common-law) in the census subdivision of Chester, 32.4% were couples with children aged 24 and under at home. In comparison, as a whole, 46.9% of couples in Canada had children aged 24 and under at home.

Presence of children within couple families
* Children aged 24 and under at home
Married couples with children * 740
Married couples without children * 1,660
Common-law-couples with children * 220
Common-law-couples without children * 340

Chester – Marital status

Chart H: Chester - Marital status

Chart H description: Chester - Marital status

In Chester, 64.4% of the total population aged 15 and over were either married (52.3%) or living with a common-law partner (12.1%).

The remaining 35.6% were not married and not living with a common-law partner, including those who were single (never-married), separated, divorced or widowed.

Note: Percentages may not total 100 percent due to random rounding.

Table 9 Canada, Nova Scotia, Chester, MD – Population 15 years and older by marital status, 2011 Census
Marital status Chester, MD Nova Scotia Canada
number % number % number %
Total - Population 15 years and over 9,290 100.0 783,510 100.0 27,869,345 100.0
Married or living with a common-law partner 5,980 64.4 453,095 57.8 16,084,490 57.7
Married (and not separated) 4,855 52.3 376,020 48.0 12,941,965 46.4
Living common-law 1,120 12.1 77,075 9.8 3,142,525 11.3
Not married and not living with a common-law partner 3,310 35.6 330,420 42.2 11,784,855 42.3
Single (never legally married) 1,765 19.0 209,180 26.7 7,816,045 28.0
Separated 270 2.9 23,545 3.0 698,245 2.5
Divorced 565 6.1 46,060 5.9 1,686,035 6.0
Widowed 710 7.6 51,625 6.6 1,584,525 5.7

Chester – Types of private households

There were 4,760 private households3 in Chester in 2011, a change of 2.4% from 2006. Of these, 19.7% of households were comprised of couples with children aged 24 and under at home, a change of -17.5% compared with five years earlier.

Table 10 Canada, Nova Scotia, Chester, MD – Distribution of households by household type, 2011 Census
Household type4 Chester, MD Nova Scotia Canada
number % number % number %
Total private households 4,760 100.0 390,280 100.0 13,320,615 100.0
Couple-family households with children
aged 24 and under at home5		 940 19.7 88,450 22.7 3,524,915 26.5
Couple-family households without children
aged 24 and under at home6		 1,960 41.2 128,065 32.8 3,935,540 29.5
Lone-parent family households7 425 8.9 42,445 10.9 1,375,450 10.3
One-person households 1,275 26.8 108,795 27.9 3,673,310 27.6
Multiple family households8 45 0.9 5,495 1.4 268,060 2.0
Other households9 110 2.3 17,030 4.4 543,340 4.1

Chester – Structural type of dwelling

In Chester, 88.2% of private households lived in single-detached houses and 0.1% lived in apartments in buildings that have five or more storeys. The rest lived in other types of dwelling structures.

Table 11 Canada, Nova Scotia, Chester, MD – Distribution of private households by structural type of dwelling, 2011 Census
Structural type of dwelling Chester, MD Nova Scotia Canada
number % number % number %
Total - Structural type of dwelling 4,765 100.0 390,280 100.0 13,320,615 100.0
Single-detached house 4,205 88.2 260,435 66.7 7,329,150 55.0
Semi-detached house 65 1.4 19,450 5.0 646,240 4.9
Row house 110 2.3 9,175 2.4 791,600 5.9
Apartment, building that has five or more storeys 5 0.1 17,880 4.6 1,234,770 9.3
Apartment, building that has fewer than five storeys 145 3.0 56,485 14.5 2,397,555 18.0
Apartment, duplex 40 0.8 11,970 3.1 704,485 5.3
Other single-attached house10 15 0.3 705 0.2 33,310 0.3
Movable dwelling11 180 3.8 14,175 3.6 183,510 1.4

Language

Chester, MD – Mother tongue

Chart J: Chester, MD - Mother tongue and language spoken most often at home

Chart J description: Chester, MD - Mother tongue and language spoken most often at home

Note: Counts for mother tongue as well as those for language spoken most often at home include single responses only.

In Chester, 96.8% of the population reported English only as mother tongue, 1.2% reported French only, and 1.6% reported a non-official language only, in 2011. In comparison, the provincial / territorial percentages were 91.8% for English only, 3.4% for French only and 4.1% for only non-official languages.

In 2011, 99.1% of the population spoke only English most often at home, 0.2% spoke only French and 0.4% spoke only a non-official language. In comparison, the provincial / territorial percentages were 95.4% for only English, 1.8% for only French and 2.0% for only a non-official language.

Table 12 Chester, MD – Mother tongue and language spoken most often at home, 2011 Census
Selected languages Mother tongue Language spoken most often at home
number % number %
Total 10,565 100.0 10,560 100.0
English 10,225 96.8 10,465 99.1
French 125 1.2 25 0.2
Non-official language 165 1.6 45 0.4
Multiple responses 50 0.5 25 0.2
Table 13 Chester, MD – Mother-tongue retention, 2011 Census
Mother tongue Mother-tongue retention12
(in percentage)
Total retention; language spoken at home at least on a regular basis Complete retention; language spoken most often at home Partial retention; language spoken at home on a regular basis
Note: Counts for mother tongue and home language include single response of a language as well as multiple responses of a language with English and/or French.
English 100.0 100.0 0.0
French 46.7 23.3 23.3
Non-official language 57.9 28.9 28.9

Chester, MD – Non-official languages

In Chester, the three most common mother tongues were German (0.7%), Arabic (0.2%) and Dutch (0.1%), in 2011. In comparison, the most common mother tongues at the provincial / territorial level were Arabic (0.7%), Mi'kmaq (0.5%) and German (0.4%).

Table 14 Chester, MD – The most common non-official-language mother tongues, 2011 Census
Mother tongue Number Percentage of non-official language mother-tongue population Percentage of total population
Note: Counts for mother tongue and home language include single response of a language as well as multiple responses of a language with English and/or French.
German 70 37.8 0.7
Arabic 20 10.8 0.2
Dutch 15 8.1 0.1
Polish 10 5.4 0.1

Chester, MD – Bilingualism

Table 15 Chester, MD – Rate of English-French bilingualism by mother tongue and age groups, 2011 Census
Age groups Mother tongue
Total English French Non-official language
Note: Counts for mother tongue include single responses only. Consequently, the total excludes multiple responses.
Total 5.8 4.7 84.0 18.2
0 to 19 6.4 5.9 50.0 50.0
20 to 44 7.5 6.4 100.0 33.3
45 to 64 5.5 4.2 81.8 13.3
65 and over 4.3 3.1 83.3 11.1
Table 16 Chester, MD – Knowledge of official languages, 2011 Census
Knowledge of official languages Number Percentage
Total 10,560 100.0
English only 9,915 93.9
French only 5 0.0
English and French 640 6.1
Neither English nor French 0 0.0

Symbols:

···
not applicable
†
excludes census data for one or more incompletely enumerated Indian reserves or Indian settlements. For further information, refer to Notes.
incompletely enumerated Indian reserve or Indian settlement. For further information, refer to Notes.
A
adjusted figure due to boundary change. For further information, refer to Content considerations.
E
use with caution. For further information, refer to Cautionary note.


Source:

Statistics Canada. 2012. Focus on Geography Series, 2011 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-310-XWE2011004. Ottawa, Ontario. Analytical products, 2011 Census. Last updated October 24, 2012.
 

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