Carleton-sur-MerQuebec

4,175 residents make their home in this town in Quebec. Its census division is Avignon.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Dennis G. Jarvis · CC BY-SA 2.0

Population

4,175

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

52.8

years · Quebec’s towns: 44.8

Postsecondary

65%

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%

TownGrade

#942 of 2,556

Is Carleton-sur-Mer a good place to live?

With a B overall, Carleton-sur-Mer is better than 62% of Canadian towns and ranks #287 of 499 in Quebec. Police record less crime here than in most towns (B+). It is easy to get around without a car (B+). Natural hazards weigh more here (C−). Elsewhere it is close to typical: B for cost of living and C+ for jobs & income.

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.

WeakestC⁻Hazard risk

What makes Carleton-sur-Mer stand out

The 3 things Carleton-sur-Mer does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Immigrants

Who lives here

2% are immigrants

For the middle of Canadian towns, 6%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

30% are 65 or over

The midpoint across Canadian towns is 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

3.1 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $200,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

How Carleton-sur-Mer grades

Each subject compares Carleton-sur-Mer 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

Hazard riskGraded on earthquake risk and radon, with high wildfire risk able to lower itC⁻Open →SafetyLess crime than in most townsB⁺Open →WalkabilityBetter than most of the towns comparedB⁺Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnBOpen →HealthResidents’ health trails most townsC⁺Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workC⁺Open →

SchoolsThe ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school, which leaves towns in Quebec without a schools grade.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Carleton-sur-Mer.

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁻

High radon around Carleton-sur-Mer: 25% of homes tested in the area exceed 200 Bq/m³

Source area for radon tests: the Gaspesie - Iles-de-la-Madeleine health region

Shaking is about as much of a worry in Carleton-sur-Mer as in most places, at $0.033 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Flood mapping exists: a study by Gouvernement du Québec.

Lowwildfire bandC⁻Hazard risk Grade

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

Carleton-sur-Mer25%

Quebec’s towns8.2%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Carleton-sur-Mer	Quebec	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	25%	8.2%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.033	$0.14	$0.030

$0.033

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

Low

wildfire band

7.7 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageCarleton-sur-Mer’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon25% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 FloodOne flood study on record Earthquakes$0.033 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

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

Climate

Summers stay cool in Carleton-sur-Mer: July afternoons reach 23.8°C, below Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns

For the wettest month, look to July: 104 mm on average. Snow totals 337 cm over the year, above both Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Frost usually lifts by 18 May and returns around 1 October: 135 days without it. Most of the snow comes in January, about 71 cm.

23.8°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−5.2°C

Spring7.1°C

Summer22.5°C

Autumn10.8°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Carleton-sur-Mer	Quebec	Canada
Snowfall a year	337 cm	217 cm	141 cm
July afternoon high	23.8°C	26.5°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	182	161	159
January night low	−16.2°C	−14.7°C	−13.5°C

337 cm

of snow a year

182

days with frost a year

135

frost-free days, 18 May to 1 Oct

130

days with precipitation a year

Full pageCarleton-sur-Mer’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 23.8°C, January lows −16.2°C Rain and snow1,011 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow337 cm of snow a year Weather station21 km to the station · Charlo

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Charlo)

SafetySafety B⁺

Carleton-sur-Mer’s grade for safety: a B+

Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 48 over 2023–25, lower than both Quebec’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67). Property crime in the area its police cover: 11.6 per 1,000 people a year. Nobody publishes Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 for Carleton-sur-Mer alone, so this card uses the figure for Avignon/Bonaventure MRC.

48Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202345

202448

202550

2023–2025	Carleton-sur-Mer	Quebec	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	11.6	16.6	31.2
Crime Severity Index	48	56	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	75	88	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

52%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageCarleton-sur-Mer’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety48 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Carleton-sur-Mer’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Carleton-sur-Mer safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

Outdoors

Few places match Carleton-sur-Mer for protected land nearby: more than nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns

26 protected areas lie within 10 km. For a provincial park, Miguasha National Park (Québec) lies 5.9 km off. 6.1 km out lies the largest, Scallop Buffer Zone (SFA 21), at 47,707 ha. 4 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Plage Muncipale de Maria.

10%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Carleton-sur-Mer10%

Quebec’s towns4.9%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Carleton-sur-Mer	Quebec	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	10%	4.9%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	25	10	4

5.9 km

to Miguasha National Park (Québec)

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageCarleton-sur-Mer’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas26 protected areas within 10 km · Scallop Buffer Zone (SFA 21)National & provincial parks5.9 km to a provincial park · Miguasha National Park (Québec)

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

HousingCost of living B

Rent takes less of local pay in Carleton-sur-Mer than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 16% of household income

Shelter took 30% or more of income for one in ten households, lower than both Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%). Home ownership covers 70% of households.

$200,000median home value, 2021BCost of living Grade

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

Carleton-sur-Mer$200,000

Quebec$300,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Carleton-sur-Mer	Quebec	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	10%	13%	18%
Rent as a share of income	16%	18%	20%

$604

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$750

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageCarleton-sur-Mer’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$604 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living3.1 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $200,000, against the median household income Owners and renters70% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.

HealthHealth C⁺

18% of adults smoke in the health region around Carleton-sur-Mer, against 12% for the typical Canadian town

Measured across the Région de la Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine: health survey and life expectancy

Statistics Canada puts life expectancy at 79.9, below Quebec’s towns (82.5) and Canadian towns (81.5) alike. Across the region, 56% of adults say their health is very good or excellent, much as in Quebec (57%). For Carleton-sur-Mer itself the measure is access, and it lags: 13 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical.

56%very good or excellent healthC⁺Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Carleton-sur-Mer56%

Quebec’s towns56%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Carleton-sur-Mer	Quebec	Canada
Smokers	18%	12%	12%
Life expectancy at birth	79.9	82.5	81.5
Chronic conditions (average share)	18%	15%	17%
Very good or excellent health	56%	56%	52%

79.9

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

13 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

18%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

3.8 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageCarleton-sur-Mer’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey56% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care13 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 3.8 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 81.6, men 78.2 Conditions and habits18% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Who lives here

30% of Carleton-sur-Mer’s residents speak English and French (Quebec’s towns: 44%; Canadian towns: 7.5%)

Visible minorities make up 0.7% of the population, below both Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 1.9% of residents, between Quebec’s towns (1.5%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).

52.8median age

Carleton-sur-MerQuebecCanada

QuebecCanada

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

30%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree17%

Postsecondary qualification65%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 52.2% of Carleton-sur-Mer

1,950 men and 2,130 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.

Who lives in Carleton-sur-Mer
	Carleton-sur-Mer	Quebec	Canada
Under 15	13%	17%	16%
15 to 64	57%	62%	64%
65+	30%	20%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	17%	19%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	65%	59%	56%

Full pageCarleton-sur-Mer’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

English and French30% speak both · 70% speak French but not English Ages52.8 median age · 30% are 65 or over Households2,015 households · 2 people per household Immigrants2% are immigrants · 1% belong to a visible minority

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

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁺

Commuters in Carleton-sur-Mer have a short way to work, 19 min on average, less than in Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns

91% of commuters drove, about level with both Quebec’s towns (90%) and Canadian towns (89%).

7%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van91%

Walk5%

Bicycle1%

Public transit1%

Census 2021	Carleton-sur-Mer	Quebec	Canada
Average trip	19 min	27 min	26 min
Car or van	91%	90%	89%

$62,800

median household income, 2020

16%

worked from home, May 2021

56%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageCarleton-sur-Mer’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment11% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work7% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to210 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Maria

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.

Schools

6 schools serve Carleton-sur-Mer, 5 elementary schools and 1 secondary school

6schools within 3 km

School	Level	Students	System
École BourgIn Carleton-sur-MerElementary	Elementary	–	French public
École Antoine-BernardIn Carleton-sur-MerSecondary	Secondary	–	French public

See all 6 schools →

0.5 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageCarleton-sur-Mer’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school6 schools within 3 km · 5 elementary schools and 1 secondary school Language0 of 6 teach in English · 10% of schools in Quebec Questions“What schools are there in Carleton-sur-Mer?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Towns in Quebec aren’t in the schools rankings: the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.

Weather

In Carleton-sur-Mer, November normally means 4°C afternoons and −4°C nights

Looking ahead to December, expect highs near −3°C and lows near −11°C. About 22 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Precipitation in November averages 87 mm. Across the year, normals run from −16°C nights in January to 24°C afternoons in July.

4°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November4°C

December−3°C

January−7°C

February−6°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−5°C	−14°C	213 mm
Spring	7°C	−3°C	240 mm
Summer	23°C	11°C	276 mm
Autumn	11°C	2°C	283 mm

−4°C

a normal November night

87 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageCarleton-sur-Mer’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 (Charlo); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Carleton-sur-Mer spends more per resident than four in five Québec’s local municipalities do

In the National Assembly of Québec, Carleton-sur-Mer belongs to Bonaventure; who holds it as MNA (Member of the National Assembly, Québec’s legislature) isn’t on an open record, so no one is named.

Full pageCarleton-sur-Mer’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Member of ParliamentAlexis Deschênes council seats7

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁻

Bibliothèque De Saint-Omer (Carleton-Sur-Mer) and Bibliothèque Gabrielle-Bernard-Dube (Carleton-Sur-Mer) are Carleton-sur-Mer’s two public libraries

Its libraries report as part of a wider system, so there are no figures for Carleton-sur-Mer in particular.

Full pageCarleton-sur-Mer’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

The libraries2 Libraries Places to belong1.4 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

History

The registers record 3 historic places in Carleton-sur-Mer

The oldest dated place, Church of St. Joseph, Carleton, goes back to 1850. Before 1961 is when 26% of the homes went up, above both Quebec’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).

3historic places

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings3

Among them

1850

oldest construction date on the record

26%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Carleton-sur-Mer	Quebec	Canada
Homes built before 1961	26%	21%	18%

Full pageCarleton-sur-Mer’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers3 historic places inside the town Older homes26% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Carleton-sur-Mer 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 Carleton-sur-Mer

15pages on Carleton-sur-Mer

The big questions

SafetyB⁺Crime Severity Index 48 Housing & costBHomes 3.1 × income Property pricesSchools6 schools within 3 km HealthC⁺Life expectancy 79.9 in its region Work & commuteC⁺49% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors10% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 24°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 52.8 History3 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from Carleton-sur-Mer

13 notable people were born in Carleton-sur-Mer.

See all 13 →

Valmont MartinCanadian politician · 1875–1935

Marie-Christine BernardCanadian writer · born 1966

Arthur BeauchesneCanadian civil servant · 1876–1959

Joseph-Théophile AllardCanadian catholic priest · 1842–1912

Sylvain RivièreCanadian writer · born 1955

William Henry ClappertonCanadian politician · 1839–1922

Photo credits

Valmont Martin: Montminy & Cie, Public domain · Marie-Christine Bernard: Bull-Doser, Public domain · Arthur Beauchesne: J.A. Dumas, Public domain · Joseph-Théophile Allard: Unknown - inconnu, Public domain · Sylvain Rivière: LeBlanc1864, CC BY-SA 4.0 · William Henry Clapperton: Mde L. St-Hilaire, Québec, Public domain

Carleton-sur-Mer’s neighbours

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

MariaNouvelleCarleton-sur-Mer

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Carleton-sur-Mer	4,175	—	B	B	B⁺	C⁺
Maria	2,770	12	A⁻	A⁻	B⁺	B⁻
Nouvelle	1,819	15	—	A	B⁺	C

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

Questions about Carleton-sur-Mer

Do people in Carleton-sur-Mer speak French?

French comes first: 69.6% speak it alone, while 30% manage both languages (Canadian towns: 8%).

What kind of homes are in Carleton-sur-Mer?

Single-detached houses make up 73% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 39% of households are one person, and the average is 2.

Has Carleton-sur-Mer grown?

Yes: the census counted 4,073 in 2016 and 4,081 in 2021, a rise of 0.2%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 4,175.

About Carleton-sur-Mer

Town in Quebec

For Carleton-sur-Mer, TownRatings uses Statistics Canada’s census-subdivision boundary in Quebec, and every figure on its pages covers that whole area.

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

Population: 4,175 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Quebec
Census division: Avignon
Census subdivision: 2406013

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).