La PocatièreQuebec
In Quebec, this town has 4,206 residents. It lies in Kamouraska.
Is La Pocatière a good place to live?
The picture is mixed. Health outcomes beat most towns (A). La Pocatière’s overall grade of A puts it better than 91% of Canadian towns, #100 of 499 in Quebec. Walkability is another plus (A+). What counts against it is hazard risk (D). Owners valued their homes at a median $180,000 in 2021, which is 3.2 years of the typical household’s pay.
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. 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 La Pocatière grades
Each subject compares La Pocatière 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 La Pocatière stand out
The 3 things La Pocatière does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in La Pocatière.
On hazards, La Pocatière comes out behind 94% of Canadian towns
Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Bas-Saint-Laurent health region
Seismic risk runs high: $0.48 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. Fire seldom reaches La Pocatière: since 1986, 0.3% of the land within 25 km has burned (0.008% a year). In Health Canada’s survey, 14% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | La Pocatière | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.48 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 14% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Health in La Pocatière beats 92% of Canadian towns
Across the region, life runs to 81.7 years on average: women 83.1, men 80.3, in 2022/2024. Adults who call their own health very good or excellent: 60%, higher than both Quebec’s towns (56%) and Canadian towns (52%). Measured from where La Pocatière’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 0.9 km away, under the typical 3.7 km. Figures for health survey and life expectancy are published for the Région du Bas-Saint-Laurent as a whole, not for La Pocatière alone.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | La Pocatière | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 60% | 56% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.7 | 82.5 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Crime runs lighter where La Pocatière is policed than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns, at an index of 42
Where it is policed, thefts, break-ins and damage came to 9.8 per 1,000 a year, lower than both Quebec’s towns (16.6) and Canadian towns (31.2). For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 11.1 violent incidents are reported each year. For Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, the only official count covers all of Kamouraska MRC, La Pocatière included.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | La Pocatière | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 9.8 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 42 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 72 | 88 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
La Pocatière has cooler summers than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: July highs of 24.2°C
December is the snowiest month, with 83 cm on average. Some 349 cm of snow falls in a typical year, higher than both Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Rain and snow peak in October, at 99 mm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | La Pocatière | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 349 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)
For cost of living, La Pocatière gets a B
A year’s rent came to 17% of the median household income, close to Quebec’s towns (18%) and below Canadian towns (20%). 12% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, close to Quebec’s towns (13%) and below Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | La Pocatière | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $180,000 | $300,000 | $406,000 |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 12% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 18% | 20% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.
An older town: 29% of people in La Pocatière are 65 or over, more than in Quebec’s towns and across Canadian towns
Under 15: just over one in ten residents. 1.3% of residents belong to a visible minority, 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
52.3% of La Pocatière’s residents are women
Of the 2021 count, 2,135 were women and 1,945 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| La Pocatière | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 60% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 29% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 21% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 57% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
4 schools serve La Pocatière, 2 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École Sacré-CoeurIn La PocatièreElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| Collège de Sainte-Anne-de-La-Pocatière IndependentIn La PocatièreSecondary | Secondary | – | Independent |
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.
In La Pocatière, November normally means 4°C afternoons and −3°C nights
Across the year, normals run from −15°C nights in January to 24°C afternoons in July. Looking ahead to December, expect highs near −3°C and lows near −10°C. About 30 cm of snow falls in a normal November. November normally sees 72 mm of precipitation.
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
Côte-du-Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—Témiscouata, which takes in La Pocatière, is held by Bernard Généreux (Conservative Party of Canada)
Across Quebec, 44 of the 78 MPs sit with the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
No public library is mapped in or near La Pocatière
It sits 0.5 km from the centre of La Pocatière.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Around La Pocatière, 35% of the land is set aside for nature
No national park lies within 100 km. Count 11 protected areas within 10 km of town. The largest is Sector of central estuary Territorial reserve for protected area purposes: 174,227 ha, 5.7 km from the edge of town. A provincial park, Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park, lies 27 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | La Pocatière | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 35% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 11 | 10 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Commuters in La Pocatière have a short way to work, 15 min on average, less than in Quebec’s towns and across Canadian towns
The car carried 81% of commuters at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | La Pocatière | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 15 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 81% | 90% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.
La Pocatière’s past, on the record: 1 historic place
Older housing, built before 1961, accounts for 25% of homes, higher than both Quebec’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | La Pocatière | 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
Everything we know about La Pocatière
Saint Anne's Cathedral, La Pocatière and 5 more in and around La Pocatière
The best-known places to visit in and around La Pocatière come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
CathedralSaint Anne's Cathedral, La Pocatièrein townMuseumMuseumFood and agricultural quebecer Museumin townMuseumMuseumMusée Québécois De L'Agriculture Et De L'Alimentationin townAttractionAttractionGrand Labyrinthe Kamouraskain townAttractionAttractionGreat Maze Kamouraska2 km outside town, to the southPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Saint Anne's Cathedral, La Pocatière: Bouchecl, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from La Pocatière
9 notable people were born in La Pocatière.
Photo credits
Jean-François Caron: Audrée Wilhelmy, CC BY-SA 4.0
About La Pocatière
Town in Quebec
TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: La Pocatière is one municipality in Quebec, figures and all.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 4,206 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Kamouraska
- Census subdivision
- 2414085
La Pocatière’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Pocatière | 4,206 | — | A | B | A− | A |
| Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière | 1,635 | 2.3 | — | A | A− | A |
| Saint-Pacôme | 1,540 | 7.7 | — | A− | A− | A− |
| Rivière-Ouelle | 1,014 | 10 | — | A | A− | A− |
| Mont-Carmel | 1,191 | 16 | — | A+ | A− | A− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about La Pocatière
Do people in La Pocatière speak French?
French is the common language here.
What kind of homes are in La Pocatière?
48% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 1.9 people; 46% are one person living alone.
Has La Pocatière grown?
It lost people: 4,120 in 2016, 4,078 in 2021, 1% fewer, while the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 4,206.
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).