AmherstQuebec

It grew by 16% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses. In Quebec, this town has 1,703 residents.

3 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain

Population

1,703

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

57.2

years · Quebec’s towns: 44.8

Postsecondary

49%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Amherst a good place to live?

Residents are healthier than most (A−). Police record less crime here than in most towns (B+). Its lowest grade is for jobs & income (D−). Homes were valued at a median $250,000 at the 2021 census, 4.3 times the typical household’s income. Most journeys need a car (D).

Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Amherst gets subject grades but no overall one among Canadian towns.

This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. Safety is the Sûreté du Québec unit's figure for the whole MRC. Crime here is counted against the people who live here, but many visitors or second-home owners add to it, so the rate per resident runs higher than residents' own risk. No School Grade: this province doesn't publish comparable results school by school. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestA⁻HealthWeakestD⁻Jobs & income DWalkability

How Amherst grades

Each subject compares Amherst with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.

How grading works

With fewer than 2,500 residents, Amherst gets subject grades but no overall one among Canadian towns.

Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentD⁻Open →WalkabilityAmong the hardest places to get around without a carDOpen →HealthAhead of most towns comparedA⁻Open →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesCOpen →Hazard riskMore exposed to natural hazards than mostCOpen →SafetyAbove the middle of the towns comparedB⁺Open →

SchoolsNo schools grade in Quebec: the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Amherst stand out

The 3 things Amherst does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Immigrants

Who lives here

2% are immigrants

Midway across Canadian towns: 6%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

3% walk, cycle or take transit

The median of Canadian towns: 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Jobs & income

Behind 98%

of Canadian towns on jobs & income

Its jobs & income grade: D−.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Amherst.

Work & commuteJobs & income D⁻

Trips to work from Amherst take longer than from Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 32 min on average

3%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van97%

Walk3%

Census 2021	Amherst	Quebec	Canada
Average trip	32 min	27 min	26 min

$58,800

median household income, 2020

18%

worked from home, May 2021

21%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageAmherst’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment15% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work3% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to200 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Mont-Tremblant

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.

HealthHealth A⁻

A hospital trip from Amherst means 39 km on average, in a straight line

60%very good or excellent healthA⁻Health Grade

Across the region, life runs to 82.2 years on average: women 83.7, men 80.8, in 2022/2024. Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect 13% of the region’s adults on average, below both Quebec’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%). The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 60%, ahead of the 57% for Quebec.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Amherst60%

Quebec’s towns56%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Amherst	Quebec	Canada
Very good or excellent health	60%	56%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	13%	15%	17%
Smokers	11%	12%	12%
Life expectancy at birth	82.2	82.5	81.5

82.2

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

39 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

11%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

18 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageAmherst’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Getting care39 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 18 km away on average Health survey60% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.7, men 80.8 Conditions and habits13% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Not measured by town: health survey and life expectancy (the Région des Laurentides)

HousingCost of living C

Most households in Amherst own their home: 83%, more than in Quebec’s towns or across Canadian towns

$250,000median home value, 2021CCost of living Grade

14% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, higher than Quebec’s towns (13%) yet lower than Canadian towns (18%). A year’s rent came to 19% of the median household income, higher than Quebec’s towns (18%) yet lower than Canadian towns (20%).

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Amherst$250,000

Quebec$300,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Amherst	Quebec	Canada
Households owning their home	83%	70%	74%
Median home value, 2021	$250,000	$300,000	$406,000
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	14%	13%	18%
Rent as a share of income	19%	18%	20%

$632

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$710

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageAmherst’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters83% own their home Cost of living4.3 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $250,000, against the median household income Renting$632 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.

Natural hazardsHazard risk C

Amherst is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by Gouvernement du Québec

Lowwildfire bandCHazard risk Grade

Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Laurentides health region

Radon is higher than usual: 10% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Seismic risk runs high: $0.077 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030.

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Amherst10%

Quebec’s towns8.2%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Amherst	Quebec	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	10%	8.2%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.077	$0.14	$0.030

$0.077

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Low

wildfire band

1.6 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageAmherst’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

FloodOne flood study on record WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 Earthquakes$0.077 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon10% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

SafetySafety B⁺

Amherst is graded a B+ for safety

49Crime Severity Index

Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 11.9 per 1,000 residents a year where it is policed. Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 49 over 2023–25, below Quebec’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67) alike.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202367

202445

202534

2023–2025	Amherst	Quebec	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	11.9	16.6	31.2
Crime Severity Index	49	56	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	72	88	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

61%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageAmherst’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety49 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Amherst’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Amherst safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Area behind the Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures: Laurentides MRC

Climate

Amherst has colder winters than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −18.3°C

25.3°CJuly afternoons

In July, daytime highs in Amherst average 25.3°C. There are 196 days of frost in a typical year, above Quebec’s towns (161) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Gardeners get 110 frost-free days, from 28 May to 15 September. January is the snowiest month, with 56 cm on average.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−3.8°C

Spring10.5°C

Summer24.3°C

Autumn12.3°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Amherst	Quebec	Canada
Days with frost a year	196	161	159
January night low	−18.3°C	−14.7°C	−13.5°C
Precipitation a year	1,178 mm	1,041 mm	883 mm
Snowfall a year	218 cm	217 cm	141 cm

218 cm

of snow a year

196

days with frost a year

110

frost-free days, 28 May to 15 Sep

143

days with precipitation a year

Full pageAmherst’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 25.3°C, January lows −18.3°C Rain and snow1,178 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow218 cm of snow a year Weather station20 km to the station · St-Jovite

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (St-Jovite)

Who lives here

An older town: 29% of people in Amherst are 65 or over, more than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns

57.2median age

Both official languages: two in five residents, lower than Quebec’s towns (44%) yet higher than Canadian towns (7.5%). Children under 15 count for just over a tenth of the people here.

AmherstQuebecCanada

QuebecCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

29%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree23%

Postsecondary qualification49%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 46.8% of Amherst

The 2021 census counted 810 women and 920 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Amherst
	Amherst	Quebec	Canada
Under 15	12%	17%	16%
15 to 64	59%	62%	64%
65+	29%	20%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	23%	19%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	49%	59%	56%

Full pageAmherst’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages57.2 median age · 29% are 65 or over Households875 households · 2 people per household Immigrants2% are immigrants · 0% belong to a visible minority English and French40% speak both · 59% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Schools

4 of the 8 schools around Amherst teach in English

8schools within 3 km

Measured from the centre, the closest high school lies 17 km off, higher than both Quebec’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km). The 3 km around Amherst counts 3 elementary schools and 5 schools for every grade.

School	Level	Students	System
École L'Arc-en-CielIn AmherstElementary	Elementary	–	French public
Centre de la Nature et des Sciences d'Arundel (Arundel Nature et Science Center) EnglishIn AmherstAll grades	All grades	–	English public
Centre de la Nature et des Sciences d'Arundel (Camp pour étudiants) EnglishTeaches in EnglishAll grades	All grades	–	English public

See all 8 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public4

French public4

Schools within 3 km	Amherst	Quebec	Canada
Nearest secondary school	17 km	1.2 km	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	7.9 km	0.5 km	0.5 km
School boards	2	2	3

17 km

to the nearest secondary school

7.9 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageAmherst’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Language4 of 8 teach in English · 10% of schools in Quebec Every school8 schools within 3 km · 3 elementary schools and 5 schools for every grade The boards2 school boards · Commission scolaire Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier Questions“What schools are there in Amherst?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · The schools grade is given only where results are open; in Quebec, the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.

Weather

What November brings in Amherst: −5°C at night, 5°C by day

5°Ca normal November afternoon

November normally sees 93 mm of precipitation. December follows at −3°C by day and −13°C by night. Expect around 17 cm of snow in November. The year peaks in July (25°C) and bottoms out in January (−18°C).

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November5°C

December−3°C

January−6°C

February−3°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−4°C	−16°C	262 mm
Spring	10°C	−4°C	262 mm
Summer	24°C	10°C	327 mm
Autumn	12°C	0°C	327 mm

−5°C

a normal November night

93 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageAmherst’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (St-Jovite); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Amherst spends more per resident than 85% of Québec’s local municipalities do

Amherst’s council has 6 councillors and is led by Jean-Guy Galipeau, the mayor.

Full pageAmherst’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Member of ParliamentMarie-Hélène Gaudreau council seats7

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁻

Amherst has 3 public library branches

By name: Bibliothèque de Vendée, Bibliothèque de Saint-Rémi and Bibliothèque De Vendee (Amherst).

Full pageAmherst’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0.6 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Amherst is on the Sentier National

3.2%of the land within 10 km protected

National parks are all over 100 km off. Within 5 km are 9 beaches; Plage Municipale de Brébeuf is the nearest. Also worth knowing: the closest provincial park is Mont-Tremblant National Park (Québec), 15 km from the edge of town. Count 15 protected areas within 10 km of town.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Amherst3.2%

Quebec’s towns4.9%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Amherst	Quebec	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	14	10	4
Protected land within 10 km	3.2%	4.9%	2.3%

15 km

to Mont-Tremblant National Park (Québec)

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageAmherst’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Footpaths & routes1 named route · Sentier National Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas15 protected areas within 10 km · Lac de la Sucrerie White-Tailed Deer Yard National & provincial parks15 km to a provincial park · Mont-Tremblant National Park (Québec)

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

History

Canada’s registers list 1 historic place in Amherst

1historic place

Add one just outside the town.

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings1

Among them

Site patrimonial de la Paroisse-de-Notre-Dame-des-Anges 1930

1930

oldest construction date on the record

historic place just outside the town

Heritage	Amherst	Quebec	Canada
Homes built before 1961	19%	21%	18%

Full pageAmherst’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registersOne historic place inside the town Older homes19% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Amherst have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Amherst

15pages on Amherst

The big questions

SafetyB⁺Crime Severity Index 49 Housing & costCHomes 4.3 × income Property pricesSchools8 schools within 3 km HealthA⁻Life expectancy 82.2 in its region Work & commuteD⁻43% of adults in work Natural hazardsCWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors3.2% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 25°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 57.2 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from around Amherst

No notable person born in Amherst is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

Simon PlouffeCanadian mathematician · born in Mont-Tremblant · born 1956

Denise PelletierCanadian actress · born in Mont-Tremblant · 1923–1976

Charles ReidCanadian snowboarder · born in Mont-Tremblant · born 1990

Gilles PelletierCanadian actor · born in Mont-Tremblant · 1925–2018

Johanne DeschampsCanadian politician · born in Mont-Tremblant · born 1959

Lionel BertrandCanadian politician · born in Mont-Tremblant · 1906–1979

Photo credits

Simon Plouffe: Plouffe, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Denise Pelletier: Noël Gauvin, Public domain · Lionel Bertrand: Arthur Roy, Public domain

About Amherst

Town in Quebec

Amherst is a municipality in Quebec, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 1,703 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Quebec
Census division: Les Laurentides
Census subdivision: 2478070

Amherst’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

BrébeufLa ConceptionMont-TremblantAmherst

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Amherst	1,703	—	—	C	B⁺	A⁻
Brébeuf	1,012	11	—	C⁻	B⁺	A⁻
La Conception	1,685	12	—	C⁺	B⁺	A⁻
Mont-Tremblant	11,879	19	B⁻	C⁻	B⁺	A⁻

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Amherst

Do people in Amherst speak French?

Almost everyone does. 40% are bilingual, where the median of Canadian towns is 8%, and 59.1% speak French and no English.

Is Amherst growing?

It added people: 1,484 in 2016, 1,728 in 2021, 16.4% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 1,703.

What kind of homes are in Amherst?

Mostly 91% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2 people on average, and 39% have just one.

Is Amherst a young town or an old one?

The median resident is 57.2 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 12% are under 15 and 29% are 65 or over.

Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.

Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).