Les RapidesGatineau
The neighbourhood, home to 15,090 people, lies in Gatineau. Of Gatineau’s 17 neighbourhoods, this is one.
Is Les Rapides a good place to live?
Jobs & income is its strong suit (A−). At $452,000, the median home value in 2021 came to 3.4 times local household income. Hazards are a real consideration (D). All told, that adds up to an A− overall, better than 84% of Canadian towns. It ranks #167 of 499 in Quebec. The rest of its grades are middling: B− for safety and B for health.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
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.
How Les Rapides grades
Each subject compares Les Rapides 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 →
What makes Les Rapides stand out
The 3 things Les Rapides does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Les Rapides.
Les Rapides is graded a D for hazard risk
Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Outaouais health region
The expected yearly loss to earthquakes is $0.12 for each $1,000 of buildings, about level with Quebec’s towns ($0.14) and above Canadian towns ($0.030). Radon is higher than usual: 13% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Ville de Gatineau has mapped the flood hazard here, one of 2 studies on the national inventory.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Les Rapides | 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 · Earthquake risk: one figure for all of the city of Gatineau
Les Rapides’ household incomes are higher than in 99% of Canadian towns
The average trip to work took 24 min, below both Quebec’s towns (27 min) and Canadian towns (26 min). The car took 89% of commuters, near both Quebec’s towns (90%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Les Rapides | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 24 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 89% | 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.
Most households in Les Rapides own their home: 89%, more than in Quebec’s towns and across Canadian towns
The rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom numbers here cover the Ottawa-Gatineau metro area
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 7% of households, below Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Les Rapides | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 7% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 13% | 18% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 89% | 70% | 74% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $452,000 | $300,000 | $406,000 |
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.
17% of adults smoke in the health region around Les Rapides, against 12% for the typical Canadian town
Shared with the rest of the Région de l'Outaouais: health survey and life expectancy
Self-rated health is ordinary for Quebec: 55% of the region’s adults say very good or excellent, the province 57%. A baby born in the region can expect 80.7 years, 82.2 for a girl and 79.1 for a boy (2022/2024). Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect 15% of the region’s adults on average, about level with Quebec’s towns (15%) and below Canadian towns (17%). Closer to home, a hospital sits 3.3 km from the average resident of Les Rapides, about the norm of 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Les Rapides | 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
Protected land around Les Rapides beats 9 in 10 Canadian towns
2 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Plage du lac Leamy. The largest is Rideau Canal National Historic Site: 19,972 ha, 6.1 km from the edge of town. 34 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. No national park lies within 100 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Les Rapides | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 16% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 17 | 10 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Summer arrives in force in Les Rapides, hotter than in 78% of Canadian towns
Frost usually lifts by 30 April and returns around 6 October: 158 days without it. There are 147 days of frost in a typical year, below both Quebec’s towns (161) and Canadian towns (159). Snow peaks in January: 45 cm in a normal year. June is the wettest month, with 95 mm of rain and snow on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Les Rapides | 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))
Les Rapides is more bilingual than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 73% speak both languages
Children under 15 make up 18%, above both Quebec’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (16%). 17% of residents have reached 65.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
50.8% of Les Rapides’ residents are women
Of the 2021 count, 7,660 were women and 7,430 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Les Rapides | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 64% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 17% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 10% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 71% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Les Rapides runs from −2°C to 6°C
Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Chelsea forecast, on the Weather page. About 16 cm of snow falls in a normal November. A normal November brings 72 mm of rain and snow. Into December, the normals move to −2°C and −9°C.
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
15,310 residents per council seat in Gatineau, a higher ratio than 99% of Quebec municipalities
Les Rapides is in Gatineau, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Steve MacKinnon of the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
More visits per person served than 89% of Quebec’s town libraries: Gatineau public library counts 8.4
The library figures on this page are Gatineau’s: Gatineau public library serves all 302,616 people of the city, Les Rapides among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Les Rapides is graded a B− for safety
For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 14.9 violent incidents are reported each year. The violent index for its police area came to 100, above both Quebec’s towns (88) and Canadian towns (86). Across its police area, there are 20.9 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Les Rapides doesn’t get its own Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures; the ones here come from the Gatineau service area.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Les Rapides | 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
3 school boards share Les Rapides
Counting a 3 km margin, Les Rapides has 19 elementary schools, 6 secondary schools and 5 schools for every grade. In English: 3 of the 30 schools, where in Quebec the share is 10%.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École du VallonIn Les RapidesElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| Collège Saint-Alexandre de la Gatineau IndependentIn Les RapidesSecondary | Secondary | – | Independent |
| École Intermédiaire Hadley EnglishTeaches in EnglishSecondary | Secondary | – | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Les Rapides | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 2 | 3 |
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.
Les Rapides has 1 historic place on the registers
Before 1961 is when 1.7% of the homes went up, below both Quebec’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Les Rapides | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 1.7% | 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 Les Rapides
Marais de Touraine and 5 more in and around Les Rapides
Sights in Les Rapides and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
WaterfallRideau Falls4.9 km outside town, to the southeast
CathedralSt Joseph Cathedral4.5 km outside town, to the south
GardenJacques Cartier Park4.7 km outside town, to the southeastHistoric houseHistoric house24 Sussex Drive4.8 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumGatineau Park3.4 km outside town, to the westPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Rideau Falls: The original uploader was SimonP at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St Joseph Cathedral: Dmitri Lytov, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jacques Cartier Park: Jeangagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Les Rapides
No notable person born in Les Rapides is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Daniel Lanois: Juan Manuel Parra, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Philippe Falardeau: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Denis Savard: Unknown author, Public domain · Derick Brassard: Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Caroline Calvé: Robert Thivierge, CC BY-SA 3.0
About Les Rapides
Neighbourhood in Gatineau
Where Les Rapides begins and ends inside Gatineau is TownRatings’s line, traced along census dissemination areas and named after the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 15,090 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- City
- Gatineau
- Census subdivision
- 2481017
Les Rapides’ neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Les Rapides | 15,090 | — | A− | A− | B− | B |
| La Cité | 30,930 | 3.4 | B− | C− | B− | B+ |
| Hautes-Plaines | 6,353 | 3.4 | B+ | C+ | B− | B+ |
| Rivière-Gatineau | 14,875 | 3.6 | C− | D | B− | B+ |
| Mont-Bleu | 21,636 | 4.3 | C− | D | B− | B+ |
| Lac-des-Fées | 10,075 | 6.7 | C | D | B− | B+ |
| Du Moulin | 30,364 | 6.8 | C | C− | B− | B+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Les Rapides
Do people in Les Rapides speak French?
Almost everyone does. 73% are bilingual, where the median of Canadian towns is 8%, and 22.8% speak French and no English.
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).