La MalbaieQuebec
8,293 residents make their home in this town in Quebec. Its census division is Charlevoix-Est.
Is La Malbaie a good place to live?
Real strengths, and real weak spots. Where it does best is health (A+). La Malbaie grades A− overall, better than 85% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #156 of 499 in Quebec. Natural hazards weigh more here (D). Elsewhere it is close to typical: B for safety, B− for jobs & income and B− for walkability.
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.
What makes La Malbaie stand out
The 3 things La Malbaie does most differently from other towns.
How La Malbaie grades
Each subject compares La Malbaie 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 La Malbaie.
Few places match La Malbaie for health: it beats almost every Canadian town
Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the Région de la Capitale-Nationale
Measured from where La Malbaie’s residents live, a hospital is 4.7 km away, near the 3.7 km most towns see. Age-standardised, 62% of the region’s adults put their health at very good or excellent, higher than both Quebec’s towns (56%) and Canadian towns (52%), while the region has fewer smokers than Quebec, 9.6% of adults to 12%. Life expectancy in the region is 82.9 years (84.7 for women, 81.1 for men, 2022/2024).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | La Malbaie | 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 La Malbaie is higher than in 87% of Canadian towns
Earthquakes add more: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.35 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. The burn rate around La Malbaie is 0.08% a year (3.3% of the land within 25 km since 1986), a moderate band. About as many homes carry radon around La Malbaie as elsewhere, 8.8% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Flood mapping exists: a study by Gouvernement du Québec. La Malbaie doesn’t get its own radon tests figures; the ones here come from the Capitale-Nationale health region.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | La Malbaie | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.35 | $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
Renting in La Malbaie costs 16% of household income, less than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns
12% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. Households that own their home make up 69%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | La Malbaie | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 16% | 18% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 12% | 13% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 69% | 70% | 74% |
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.
La Malbaie has cooler summers than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: July highs of 24.2°C
Most of the snow comes in December, about 66 cm. Snow totals 281 cm over the year, above Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. Also worth knowing: a normal October brings 99 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | La Malbaie | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 281 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)
A national route near La Malbaie: the Sentier National
Of the country within 10 km, 27% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%. Within 5 km are 2 beaches; Plage Municipale De St-Irénée is the nearest. National parks are all over 100 km off. 28 protected areas lie within 10 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | La Malbaie | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 27% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 27 | 10 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
An older town: 30% of people in La Malbaie are 65 or over, more than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns
Both official languages: 20% of residents, between Quebec’s towns (44%) and Canadian towns (7.5%). Children under 15 count for 13% of the people here.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
50.6% of La Malbaie’s residents are women
Census 2021 put women at 4,170 and men at 4,065; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| La Malbaie | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 56% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 30% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 21% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 51% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
For safety, La Malbaie gets a B
The Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 numbers here cover Charlevoix-Est MRC
Violence across its police area runs at 16.9 per 1,000 residents a year. Where it is policed, thefts, break-ins and damage came to 14.2 per 1,000 a year, below Quebec’s towns (16.6) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | La Malbaie | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 14.2 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 16.9 | 12.4 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
What November brings in La Malbaie: −3°C at night, 4°C by day
Expect around 22 cm of snow in November. A normal November brings 72 mm of rain and snow. The month after, December, normally sees −3°C afternoons and −10°C nights. At the extremes, July afternoons reach 24°C and January nights −15°C.
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
La Malbaie’s council outspends 83% of Québec’s local municipalities, per resident
La Malbaie is in Charlevoix--Côte-de-Beaupré for the National Assembly of Québec, whose current MNA (Member of the National Assembly, Québec’s legislature) no open source we can use records yet.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Bibliotheque Laure-Conan draws 6.1 visits per person served, ahead of 81% of Quebec’s town libraries
A single building, Bibliotheque Laure-Conan, serves 8,524 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Commuters in La Malbaie have a short way to work, 18 min on average, less than in Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
The car took 92% of commuters, close to Quebec’s towns (90%) and above Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | La Malbaie | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 18 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 92% | 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.
7 schools serve La Malbaie, 6 elementary schools and 1 secondary school
Teenagers have 2 km to go to the closest secondary school, higher than both Quebec’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École de la Rose-des-VentsIn La MalbaieElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| École secondaire du PlateauIn La MalbaieSecondary | Secondary | – | French public |
| Schools within 3 km | La Malbaie | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 2 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
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.
La Malbaie: 5 historic places, 4 with the highest designation
Nearly a third of its homes were built before 1961, higher than both Quebec’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). Of the dated places, Grange-étable Bhérer is the oldest, from 1840. The list takes in a municipal citation. A further one sits a short way past the edge of town.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | La Malbaie | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 32% | 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 de Charlevoix and 2 more in and around La Malbaie
Sights in La Malbaie and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
MuseumMusée de Charlevoixin townSki hillSki hillMont-Grand-Fondsin townAttractionAttractionMaple farm3 km outside town, to the northeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Musée de Charlevoix: ChristianT, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Everything we know about La Malbaie
Famous people from La Malbaie
32 notable people were born in La Malbaie.
Photo credits
Laure Conan: Unknown author, Public domain · Alexis Lapointe: Unknown author, Public domain · Laure Gaudreault: Not mentioned in the source, Public domain · Valérie Harvey: Bouchecl, CC BY-SA 4.0 · André Maltais: Bull-Doser, Public domain · Edgar Rochette: Unknown author, Public domain
La Malbaie’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Malbaie | 8,293 | — | A− | A− | B | A+ |
| Clermont | 3,117 | 7.2 | A | A | B | A+ |
| Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs | 1,169 | 13 | — | B+ | B | A+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about La Malbaie
Has La Malbaie grown?
No: the census counted 8,271 in 2016 and 8,235 in 2021, 0.4% fewer, against growth of 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 8,293.
What kind of homes are in La Malbaie?
Single-detached houses make up 68% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 36% of households are one person, and the average is 2.1.
How old are the people of La Malbaie?
Its median age is 54, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2.
About La Malbaie
Town in Quebec
For La Malbaie, 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
- 8,293 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Charlevoix-Est
- Census subdivision
- 2415013
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).