Ayer's CliffQuebec
It grew by 10% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses. Home to 1,284 people, this town lies in Quebec.
Is Ayer's Cliff a good place to live?
Ayer's Cliff’s standout strength is health (A). It also does well on walkability (A). Owners valued their homes at a median $310,000 in 2021, which is 4.1 years of the typical household’s pay.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Ayer's Cliff has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.
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. 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 Ayer's Cliff grades
Each subject compares Ayer's Cliff with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Ayer's Cliff has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Ayer's Cliff stand out
The 3 things Ayer's Cliff does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ayer's Cliff.
For health, Ayer's Cliff gets an A
In the health survey, 57% of adults in the region rated their health very good or excellent, about level with Quebec’s towns (56%) and above Canadian towns (52%). The region’s 2022/2024 life expectancy is 82.9, with women at 84.8 and men at 81.0. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Ayer's Cliff’s is long: 13 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Ayer's Cliff | 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 · Health survey and life expectancy: the Région de l'Estrie
Crime runs lighter where Ayer's Cliff is policed than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns, at an index of 40
Property crime in its police area ran at 7.9 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Quebec’s towns (16.6) and Canadian towns (31.2). Its police area records 8.2 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. For Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, the only official count covers all of Memphrémagog MRC, Ayer's Cliff included.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Ayer's Cliff | 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
Working-age people in Ayer's Cliff are more likely to have a job than in 98% of Canadian towns
The car took 85% of commuters, below Quebec’s towns (90%) and Canadian towns (89%) alike. The commute to work averages 24 min.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Ayer's Cliff | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 24 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 85% | 90% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Ayer's Cliff has cooler summers than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: July highs of 24.7°C
Some 291 cm of snow falls in a typical year, higher than both Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). The frost-free season runs from 19 May to 30 September, 133 days. December is the snowiest month, with 71 cm on average. For the wettest month, look to June: 130 mm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Ayer's Cliff | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 291 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| Precipitation a year | 1,217 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 24.7°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Coaticook)
A flood study covers Ayer's Cliff: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Gouvernement du Québec
Measured across the Estrie health region: radon tests
The expected yearly loss to earthquakes is $0.042 for each $1,000 of buildings, about level with Canadian towns ($0.030) and below Quebec’s towns ($0.14). About as many homes carry radon around Ayer's Cliff as elsewhere, 7.3% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Ayer's Cliff | 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
Ayer's Cliff has 0.2% protected land within 10 km
CPCAD lists 5 protected areas within 10 km. The nearest provincial park, Mont-Orford National Park (Québec), is 17 km away. National parks are all over 100 km off. Swimmers have 3 beaches within 5 km, Plage Massawippi the nearest.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Ayer's Cliff | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.2% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 10 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Ayer's Cliff is more bilingual than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 63% speak both languages
Retirement age and beyond: 24% of residents are 65 or older. 6.2% of residents have an Indigenous identity, above both Quebec’s towns (1.5%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). Under 15: 16% of residents.
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 50.8% of Ayer's Cliff
Of the 2021 count, 600 were women and 580 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Ayer's Cliff | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 60% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 24% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 21% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 61% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Expect November days around 5°C in Ayer's Cliff, nights around −3°C
The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Magog. Next comes December, with normal highs of −2°C and lows of −9°C. A normal November brings 91 mm of rain and snow. Snowfall in a normal November: 26 cm.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −3°C | −12°C | 264 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | 0°C | 278 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 13°C | 369 mm |
| Autumn | 12°C | 3°C | 305 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Coaticook); the forecast is on the Weather page
One councillor per 180 residents: Ayer's Cliff is more closely represented than 85% of Quebec municipalities
Federally, Ayer's Cliff sits in Compton—Stanstead, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), held by Marianne Dandurand of the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Bibliothèque Ayer's Cliff is Ayer's Cliff’s public library
From the centre of Ayer's Cliff, it is 1.1 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
The nearest high school to Ayer's Cliff is 12 km away
Counting each board with a school within 3 km gives 2, close to Quebec’s towns (2) and below Canadian towns (3).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École primaire d'Ayer's Cliff EnglishIn Ayer's CliffElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Ayer's Cliff | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 12 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| School boards | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Why no schools grade in Quebec? The ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.
At 16% of household income, a year’s rent in Ayer's Cliff costs less than in the typical Canadian town (20%)
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 14% of households, higher than Quebec’s towns (13%) yet lower than Canadian towns (18%). Home ownership covers 81% of households.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Ayer's Cliff | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 16% | 18% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 81% | 70% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 13% | 18% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.
Ayer's Cliff keeps its older homes: 46% from before 1961
| Heritage | Ayer's Cliff | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 46% | 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 Ayer's Cliff
Rose des Champs and 5 more within 40 km
One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of Ayer's Cliff; with it, the best known within 40 km.
CathedralCathedral Basilica of St Michael, Sherbrooke28 km north
MuseumSherbrooke Nature and Science Museum28 km north · 40K visitors a year
Abbey or priorySaint Benedict Abbey18 km west
MuseumLouis S. St. Laurent19 km northeastNational parkNational park · SépaqMont-Orford National Park23 km northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Cathedral Basilica of St Michael, Sherbrooke: Libertad-pb, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sherbrooke Nature and Science Museum: Philip Bastarache, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Saint Benedict Abbey: Jean-Philippe Boulet, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Louis S. St. Laurent: Mario Hains, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Ayer's Cliff
One notable person was born in Ayer's Cliff; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Louis St. Laurent: George Nakash, Public domain · Al Langlois: TGC Topps Gum Cards, Public domain · Jason Lee: A. Atwood, Public domain
About Ayer's Cliff
Town in Quebec
Every figure TownRatings gives for Ayer's Cliff 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
- 1,284 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Memphrémagog
- Census subdivision
- 2445035
Ayer's Cliff’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayer's Cliff | 1,284 | — | — | B− | A− | A |
| Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley | 2,938 | 9.3 | A− | C+ | A− | A |
| Stanstead | 1,171 | 11 | — | C− | A− | A |
| Magog | 30,764 | 13 | A− | C− | A− | A+ |
| Compton | 3,351 | 18 | A+ | B− | A− | A |
| Waterville | 2,643 | 19 | A | B | A− | A |
| Stanstead | 2,994 | 19 | B+ | C | A− | A− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Ayer's Cliff
Do people in Ayer's Cliff speak French?
French comes first: 24.6% speak it alone, while 63% manage both languages (Canadian towns: 8%).
Who are the people of Ayer's Cliff?
Visible minorities are 2% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 5%, and Indigenous people 6%.
Has Ayer's Cliff grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 1,073 to 1,180 residents (up 10%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 1,284.
What kind of homes are in Ayer's Cliff?
76% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.2 people; 34% are one person living alone.
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).