Baie-Saint-PaulQuebec
The town, home to 7,760 people, lies in Quebec. Its census division is Charlevoix.
Is Baie-Saint-Paul a good place to live?
Health outcomes beat most towns (A+). Crime is low (A−). Hazard risk is higher than most (D). The typical owner put their home at $250,000 in 2021: 3.9 years of the median household’s income. Overall, that makes an A, good for #124 of 499 in Quebec. It comes out better than 88% of Canadian towns.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
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.
What makes Baie-Saint-Paul stand out
The 3 things Baie-Saint-Paul does most differently from other towns.
How Baie-Saint-Paul grades
Each subject compares Baie-Saint-Paul 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 TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Baie-Saint-Paul.
Few places match Baie-Saint-Paul for health: it beats almost every Canadian town
At 9.6%, the share of adults who smoke sits under the 12% for Quebec. By their own account, 62% of adults here are in very good or excellent health, higher than both Quebec’s towns (56%) and Canadian towns (52%). People in the region live to 82.9 on average: 84.7 for women and 81.1 for men in 2022/2024. The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Baie-Saint-Paul live 2.8 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km. Behind health survey and life expectancy sits data gathered across the Région de la Capitale-Nationale, with Baie-Saint-Paul one part of it.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Baie-Saint-Paul | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 62% | 56% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Smokers | 9.6% | 12% | 12% |
| 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
Hazard risk in Baie-Saint-Paul is higher than in 86% of Canadian towns
Shared with the rest of the Capitale-Nationale health region: radon tests
Gouvernement du Québec has mapped the flood hazard here: one study on the national inventory. Little of the land around Baie-Saint-Paul has burned: 0.6% within 25 km since 1986, or 0.02% a year. Radon is about average around Baie-Saint-Paul: 8.8% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Averaged over the years, quake damage costs $0.29 per $1,000 of buildings, above both Quebec’s towns ($0.14) and Canadian towns ($0.030).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Baie-Saint-Paul | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.29 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8.8% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Baie-Saint-Paul is graded an A− for safety
Measured across Charlevoix MRC: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000
The index for the force that serves it came to 45, below Quebec’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67) alike. For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 10.6 property crimes are reported each year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Baie-Saint-Paul | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 10.6 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 45 | 56 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Commuters in Baie-Saint-Paul have a short way to work, 15 min on average, less than in Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
86% of commuters drove, about level with Canadian towns (89%) and below Quebec’s towns (90%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Baie-Saint-Paul | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 15 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 86% | 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.
Summers stay cool in Baie-Saint-Paul: July afternoons reach 24.2°C, below Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
Snow peaks in December: 77 cm in a normal year. Snowfall adds up to 299 cm a year, above Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. Rain and snow peak in October, at 99 mm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Baie-Saint-Paul | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 299 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 24.2°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 170 | 161 | 159 |
| January night low | −15.3°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (La Pocatière)
24% of Baie-Saint-Paul’s residents speak English and French (Quebec’s towns: 44%; Canadian towns: 7.5%)
Visible minorities make up 1.9% of the population, below both Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
52.4% of Baie-Saint-Paul’s residents are women
In 2021 there were 3,860 women to 3,510 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.
| Baie-Saint-Paul | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 54% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 33% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 19% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 60% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Only 12% of households in Baie-Saint-Paul spend 30% or more of their income on shelter, against 18% in the typical Canadian town
The owner-occupied share of households is 64%. Rent took 17% of household income, close to Quebec’s towns (18%) and below Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Baie-Saint-Paul | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 64% | 70% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 12% | 13% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $250,000 | $300,000 | $406,000 |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 18% | 20% |
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.
More of the land around Baie-Saint-Paul is protected than around nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Protected areas open to the public, within 10 km of the town: 15, higher than both Quebec’s towns (10) and Canadian towns (4). A provincial park, Grands-Jardins National Park (Québec), lies 13 km away. National parks are all over 100 km off. For a swim, Plage de Baie St-Paul is the nearest of 8 beaches within 5 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Baie-Saint-Paul | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 11% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 15 | 10 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
In and around Baie-Saint-Paul, 2 schools: 1 elementary school and 1 secondary school
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École ValléemontIn Baie-Saint-PaulElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| Centre éducatif Saint-AubinIn Baie-Saint-PaulSecondary | Secondary | – | French public |
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.
In Baie-Saint-Paul, November normally means 4°C afternoons and −3°C nights
For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Baie-Saint-Paul forecast. Then December: −3°C by day, −10°C at night. A typical November adds 24 cm of snow. Expect about 72 mm of rain and snow over November.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −5°C | −13°C | 205 mm |
| Spring | 8°C | −2°C | 205 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 12°C | 247 mm |
| Autumn | 11°C | 3°C | 249 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (La Pocatière); the forecast is on the Weather page
Baie-Saint-Paul spends more per resident than 87% of Québec’s local municipalities do
The mayor of Baie-Saint-Paul is Michaël Pilote, who sits with 6 councillors.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Baie-Saint-Paul public library counted 24,110 in-person visits in 2025
Baie-Saint-Paul public library serves 7,852 people from a single building.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Baie-Saint-Paul has 3 historic places on the registers, 2 in the top tier
The oldest dated place, Moulin du Gouffre, goes back to 1828. On the list: a municipal citation. Homes from before 1961 make up a quarter of the stock, above both Quebec’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Baie-Saint-Paul | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 25% | 21% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Musée d'art contemporain de Baie-Saint-Paul and 6 more in and around Baie-Saint-Paul
The best-known places to visit in and around Baie-Saint-Paul come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
MuseumMusée d'art contemporain de Baie-Saint-Paulin townMuseumMuseumÉcomusée du fromagein townArt galleryArt galleryGalerie Guylaine Fournierin townMuseumMuseumLaiterie Charlevoix - Cheese Making Économuséein townMuseumMuseumThe Little Franciscans of Mary Museum And Heritage Spacein townMuseumMuseumCentre De L'Émeu De Charlevoix - Économusée De La Huilière2.7 km outside town, to the northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Musée d'art contemporain de Baie-Saint-Paul: Jeangagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Everything we know about Baie-Saint-Paul
Famous people from Baie-Saint-Paul
20 notable people were born in Baie-Saint-Paul.
Photo credits
Simone Mary Bouchard: Unknown author, Public domain · Marcel Duval: NORAD Public Affairs, Public domain · Joseph Morin: Unknown author, Public domain · Albert Duquesne: Anonymous, Public domain
Baie-Saint-Paul’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baie-Saint-Paul | 7,760 | — | A | C+ | A− | A+ |
| L'Isle-aux-Coudres | 1,083 | 11 | — | B | A− | A+ |
| Saint-Urbain | 1,431 | 13 | — | A− | A− | A+ |
| Les Éboulements | 1,661 | 14 | — | B+ | A− | A+ |
| Petite-Rivière-Saint-François | 1,150 | 15 | — | A− | A− | A+ |
| Saint-Hilarion | 1,221 | 15 | — | A− | A− | A+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Baie-Saint-Paul
Do people in Baie-Saint-Paul speak French?
French is the common language here.
How old are the people of Baie-Saint-Paul?
The typical resident is 54.8 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 33% of the population and under-15s at 13%.
Is Baie-Saint-Paul growing?
It grew from 7,146 people in 2016 to 7,371 in 2021, up 3.1%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 7,760.
What kind of homes are in Baie-Saint-Paul?
38% of households are one person, and the average is 2.
About Baie-Saint-Paul
Town in Quebec
TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Baie-Saint-Paul is one municipality in Quebec, figures and all.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 7,760 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Charlevoix
- Census subdivision
- 2416013
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).