La CitéGatineau
In Gatineau, this neighbourhood has 30,930 residents. It is one of the 17 neighbourhoods that make up Gatineau.
Is La Cité a good place to live?
The picture is mixed. Prices are high against local incomes (C−). La Cité’s overall B− puts it #361 of 499 in Quebec. Set against the rest, it does better than 46% of Canadian towns. Natural hazards weigh more here (D). Its strongest subject is walkability (A+). The rest of its grades are middling: B− for safety and B− for jobs & income.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety less sure: this is the whole city's figure, because the city doesn't publish open neighbourhood crime rates. 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 La Cité stand out
The 3 things La Cité does most differently from other towns.
How La Cité grades
Each subject compares La Cité 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 →
National Gallery of Canada and 22 more in and around La Cité
What there is to see in La Cité and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
Art galleryNational Gallery of Canada4.8 km outside town, to the south · 237K visitors a year (2014)
Big drawMuseumCanadian Museum of History4.6 km outside town, to the south · 1.3M visitors a year
CastleRideau Hall and Landscaped Grounds3 km outside town, to the south
Big drawMuseumCanadian Children's Museum4.7 km outside town, to the south · 500K visitors a year
ChurchNotre-Dame Roman Catholic Basilica4.8 km outside town, to the south
MuseumCanada Aviation and Space Museum2.8 km outside town, to the southeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- National Gallery of Canada: Wladyslaw [Disk.], CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Canadian Museum of History: Wojciech Dittwald, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rideau Hall and Landscaped Grounds: Peregrine981, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Canadian Children's Museum: Wojciech Dittwald, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Notre-Dame Roman Catholic Basilica: Daryl Mitchell from Saskatoon, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Canada Aviation and Space Museum: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in La Cité.
La Cité earns a D for hazard risk
Measured across the city of Gatineau: earthquake risk
Flood mapping exists: 2 studies, most recently by Municipalité de Pontiac. In Health Canada’s survey, 13% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). NRCan’s model puts the yearly earthquake loss at $0.12 per $1,000 of building value, about level with Quebec’s towns ($0.14) and above Canadian towns ($0.030).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | La Cité | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 13% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.12 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Area behind the radon tests figures: the Outaouais health region
Measured against local pay, La Cité costs more to live in than 79% of Canadian towns
Rent took 22% of household income, higher than both Quebec’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (20%). Home ownership covers 65% of households. Figures for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom are published for the Ottawa-Gatineau metro area as a whole, not for La Cité alone.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | La Cité | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 22% | 18% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 65% | 70% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 13% | 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.
17% of adults smoke in the health region around La Cité, against 12% for the typical Canadian town
Residents have 1.0 km to cover to reach a hospital, below both Quebec’s towns (5.3 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km). Life expectancy in the region is 80.7 years (82.2 for women, 79.1 for men, 2022/2024). Self-rated health is ordinary for Quebec: 55% of the region’s adults say very good or excellent, the province 57%. For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the Région de l'Outaouais, La Cité included.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | La Cité | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17% | 12% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.7 | 82.5 | 81.5 |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 55% | 56% | 52% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Few places match La Cité for protected land nearby: more than 8 in 10 Canadian towns
2 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Plage du lac Leamy. The largest named area nearby is Rideau Canal National Historic Site, 19,972 ha, 5.0 km away. 46 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. National parks are all over 100 km off.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | La Cité | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 25 | 10 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 9.1% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
La Cité has warmer summer afternoons than 78% of Canadian towns
Frost usually lifts by 30 April and returns around 6 October: 158 days without it. The thermometer drops below freezing on 147 days a year, lower than both Quebec’s towns (161) and Canadian towns (159). Most of the snow comes in January, about 45 cm. For the wettest month, look to June: 95 mm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | La Cité | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 185 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 26.7°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 147 | 161 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 938 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Ottawa (City))
More people in La Cité speak English and French than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 64%
Visible minorities make up 18% of the population, higher than both Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%). Over-65s are just over a fifth of the population.
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 52.9% of La Cité
Here the census found 16,345 women and 14,580 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| La Cité | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 64% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 21% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 20% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 55% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in La Cité runs from −2°C to 6°C
Looking ahead to December, expect highs near −2°C and lows near −9°C. About 16 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Expect about 72 mm of rain and snow over November. Over the year, July is warmest at 27°C by day and January coldest at −14°C by night.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −3°C | −12°C | 191 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | 1°C | 223 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 15°C | 275 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 4°C | 249 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Ottawa (City)); the forecast is on the Weather page
Council seats in Gatineau are spread thin, 15,310 residents each, more than in 99% of Quebec municipalities
La Cité is part of a city split between ridings for the National Assembly of Québec; with no open riding map, its own isn’t named.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Bibliothèque Guy-Sanche logs 8.4 visits per person served, more than 89% of Quebec’s town libraries
The library figures on this page are Gatineau’s: Bibliothèque Guy-Sanche serves all 302,616 people of the city, La Cité among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
La Cité earns a B− for safety
Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 for the Gatineau service area
Violence across its police area runs at 14.9 per 1,000 residents a year. The index for the force that serves it came to 67, above Quebec’s towns (56) and close to Canadian towns (67). Across its police area, there are 20.9 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | La Cité | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 20.9 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 14.9 | 12.4 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 100 | 88 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Commuters in La Cité have a short way to work, 23 min on average, less than in both Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | La Cité | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 23 min | 27 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
5 school boards share La Cité
In English: 6 of the 46 schools, where in Quebec the share is 10%.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manor Park Public School EnglishLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 680 | English public |
| École secondaire du VersantIn La CitéSecondary | Secondary | – | French public |
| École primaire Greater Gatineau EnglishTeaches in EnglishElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | La Cité | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 5 | 2 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Ungraded on schools in Quebec, because the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.
Everything we know about La Cité
Famous people from around La Cité
No notable person born in La Cité is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Denis Savard: Unknown author, Public domain
La Cité’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Cité | 30,930 | — | B− | C− | B− | B+ |
| Rivière-Gatineau | 14,875 | 2.6 | C− | D | B− | B+ |
| Les Rapides | 15,090 | 3.4 | A− | A− | B− | B |
| Du Moulin | 30,364 | 3.5 | C | C− | B− | B+ |
| Manor Park Ontario | 9,491 | 5.3 | B+ | D | A | A+ |
| New Edinburgh Ontario | 5,728 | 5.3 | B+ | C− | C+ | A+ |
| Des Vallées | 3,575 | 5.8 | A− | A− | B− | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about La Cité
Do people in La Cité speak French?
Almost everyone does. 64% are bilingual, where the median of Canadian towns is 8%, and 30.8% speak French and no English.
How old are the people of La Cité?
The typical resident is 44.6 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 21% of the population and under-15s at 15%.
About La Cité
Neighbourhood in Gatineau
La Cité is a neighbourhood of Gatineau, built by TownRatings from Statistics Canada’s smallest census areas and named from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 30,930 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- City
- Gatineau
- Census subdivision
- 2481017
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).