A designated place is a type of geographic unit used by Statistics Canada to disseminate census data. It is usually "a small community that does not meet the criteria used to define incorporated municipalities or Statistics Canada population centres (areas with a population of at least 1,000 and no fewer than 400 persons per square kilometre)." Provincial and territorial authorities collaborate with Statistics Canada in the creation of designated places so that data can be published for sub-areas within municipalities. Starting in 2016, Statistics Canada allowed the overlapping of designated places with population centres.
In the 2021 Census of Population, New Brunswick had 161 designated places, an increase from 157 in 2016. Designated place types in New Brunswick include 8 former local governments, 152 local service districts and a single retired population centre. In 2021, the 161 designated places had a cumulative population of 93,925 and an average population of . New Brunswick's largest designated place is Tracadie with a population of 5,349.