AustinQuebec
1,959 residents make their home in this town in Quebec. It lies in Memphrémagog.
Is Austin a good place to live?
Residents are healthier than most (A). Owners valued their homes at a median $400,000 in 2021, which is 4.7 years of the typical household’s pay. Walkability is its weak spot (C). The rest of its grades are middling: C+ for jobs & income and B for hazard risk.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Austin 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.
How Austin grades
Each subject compares Austin with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
With fewer than 2,500 residents, Austin gets subject grades but no overall one among Canadian towns.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Austin stand out
The 3 things Austin does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Austin.
Austin scores better for health than 92% of Canadian towns
Health survey and life expectancy for the Région de l'Estrie
In the health survey, 57% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, close to Quebec’s 57%. Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect 14% of the region’s adults on average, below Quebec’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%) alike. Across the region, life runs to 82.9 years on average: women 84.8, men 81.0, in 2022/2024. What sets Austin apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 10 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Austin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 57% | 56% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 82.9 | 82.5 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
The police who cover Austin record less serious crime than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 40
Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over Memphrémagog MRC
Violent incidents in its police area came to 8.2 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Quebec’s towns (12.4) and Canadian towns (12). Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 7.9 per 1,000 residents a year where it is policed.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Austin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 7.9 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 40 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 58 | 88 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 8.2 | 12.4 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
More people in Austin speak English and French than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 63%
1.1% of residents belong to a visible minority, below Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. Immigrants make up 4.9% of residents, higher than Quebec’s towns (2.6%) yet lower than Canadian towns (6.4%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 49.9% of Austin
Here the census found 875 men and 870 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Austin | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 8.3% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 61% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 31% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 68% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Rent takes less of local pay in Austin than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 11% of household income
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 10% of households, below Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. 90% of households are owner-occupiers.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Austin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 11% | 18% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 90% | 70% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 10% | 13% | 18% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.
Hazards in Austin: wildfire low, radon over the guideline in 7.3% of tested homes
For earthquakes Austin is middling, $0.042 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town. For radon tests, the only official count covers all of the Estrie health region, Austin included.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Austin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.042 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 7.3% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
The nearest high school to Austin is 9.2 km away
The closest elementary school is 5.4 km away, above Quebec’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km) alike.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École du Val-de-GrâceNearest elementary school, 2.7 kmElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| Schools within 3 km | Austin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 9.2 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 5.4 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · In Quebec, no schools grade. The ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.
Commuters in Austin travel further than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns, 28 min on average
93% of commuters drove, close to Quebec’s towns (90%) and above Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Austin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 28 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 93% | 90% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Expect November days around 6°C in Austin, nights around −3°C
The month after, December, normally sees −1°C afternoons and −10°C nights. Expect about 70 mm of rain and snow over November. Snow is normal by November, about 22 cm over the month. The year peaks in July (26°C) and bottoms out in January (−15°C).
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −2°C | −13°C | 217 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | −1°C | 235 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 12°C | 305 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 3°C | 258 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Lennoxville); the forecast is on the Weather page
The council of Austin is led by its mayor, Lisette Maillé
The Liberal Party of Canada has 44 of the 78 MPs elected in Quebec.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
The nearest public library to Austin is Bibliothèque D'Eastman, 5.7 km away
No library board reports for Austin alone: its libraries belong to a county or regional system, whose figures cover many towns.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
The climate in Austin sits close to the middle of Canadian towns
Snow peaks in January: 59 cm in a normal year. Some 262 cm of snow falls in a typical year, above Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. August is the wettest month, with 104 mm of rain and snow on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Austin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 262 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 25.7°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,015 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 167 | 161 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Lennoxville)
Few places match Austin for protected land nearby: more than 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Count 62 protected areas within 10 km of town. No national park lies within 100 km. OpenStreetMap shows 3 walking routes nearby, including the Sentier de l'Estrie, Zone Orford and Sentier de l'Estrie, Zone Bolton. Within 5 km are 12 beaches; Plage municipale is the nearest.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Austin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 12% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 3 | 10 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
2 historic places in Austin, one of them a top designation
Designations here include a municipal citation. Its oldest building on the record is Grange circulaire Damase-Amédée-Dufresne, from 1907. Also worth knowing: homes from before 1961 make up 13% of the stock, below both Quebec’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
| Heritage | Austin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 13% | 21% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Austin
Saint Benedict Abbey and 5 more in and around Austin
What there is to see in Austin and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
Abbey or priorySaint Benedict Abbey200 m outside town, to the southPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Saint Benedict Abbey: Jean-Philippe Boulet, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Austin
No notable person born in Austin is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Al Langlois: TGC Topps Gum Cards, Public domain · Nicolas Fontaine: Kiki117, CC BY 4.0
About Austin
Town in Quebec
Every figure TownRatings gives for Austin covers the municipality as Statistics Canada maps it, one census subdivision in Quebec.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 1,959 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Memphrémagog
- Census subdivision
- 2445085
Austin’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | 1,959 | — | — | B | A− | A |
| Eastman | 2,706 | 5.4 | A | B− | A− | A |
| Magog | 30,764 | 8.7 | A− | C− | A− | A+ |
| Bolton-Est | 1,337 | 9.1 | — | B | A− | A |
| Orford | 5,698 | 9.8 | A | B | A− | A |
| Stukely-Sud | 1,242 | 13 | — | B | A− | A− |
| Stanstead | 1,171 | 18 | — | C− | A− | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Austin
Do people in Austin speak French?
Yes: this is Quebec. 32.3% of residents speak only French and 63% speak both French and English (Canadian towns’ median: 8%).
Is Austin growing?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 1,485 to 1,748 residents (up 17.7%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 1,959.
Who are the people of Austin?
1% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 3% have an Indigenous identity and 5% are immigrants.
What kind of homes are in Austin?
Single-detached houses make up 97% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments.
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).