La SarreQuebec
Home to 7,199 people, this town lies in Quebec. Statistics Canada places it in the Abitibi-Ouest census division.
Is La Sarre a good place to live?
A strong record with one exception. Overall, La Sarre earns a B: better than 58% of Canadian towns, and #305 of 499 in Quebec. Its strongest subject is walkability (A). The local economy is weaker than most (C). Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for cost of living and B for health.
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 Sarre stand out
The 3 things La Sarre does most differently from other towns.
How La Sarre grades
Each subject compares La Sarre 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 Sarre.
Flood mapping exists for La Sarre: 1 on record, latest by Gouvernement du Québec
The radon tests numbers here cover the Abitibi-Temiscamingue health region
Earthquakes are expected to cost $0.019 a year for every $1,000 of buildings, below Quebec’s towns ($0.14) and close to Canadian towns ($0.030). Fewer homes than usual carry radon here, 4.3% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Fire seldom reaches La Sarre: since 1986, 0.8% of the land within 25 km has burned (0.02% a year).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | La Sarre | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.019 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 4.3% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Summers stay cool in La Sarre: July afternoons reach 23.7°C, below Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
Counting rain and snow alike, 787 mm falls in a year, below Quebec’s towns (1,041 mm) and Canadian towns (883 mm) alike. January nights in La Sarre drop to −20.1°C on average. The most precipitation falls in August: 90 mm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | La Sarre | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 23.7°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −20.1°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 188 | 161 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 787 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Rouyn)
Commuters in La Sarre have a short way to work, 22 min on average, less than in both Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
81% of commuters drove, below Quebec’s towns (90%) and Canadian towns (89%) alike.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | La Sarre | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 22 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.
People in La Sarre’s health region live to 79.5 on average, 2.0 years short of the typical Canadian town
Shared with the rest of the Région de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue: health survey and life expectancy
Across the region, 57% of adults say their health is very good or excellent, much as in Quebec (57%). Smokers make up 15% of the region’s adults, above both Quebec’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (12%). What sets La Sarre apart within its region is a short trip to hospital, 1.2 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | La Sarre | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.5 | 82.5 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 57% | 56% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Violent crime weighs more where La Sarre is policed than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 140
Measured across Abitibi-Ouest MRC: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000
The index for the force that serves it came to 76, higher than both Quebec’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67). For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 23.4 violent incidents are reported each year. Its police area records 14.4 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | La Sarre | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 23.4 | 12.4 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 140 | 88 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 14.4 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 76 | 56 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
19% of La Sarre’s residents speak English and French (Quebec’s towns: 44%; Canadian towns: 7.5%)
Visible minorities make up 1% of the population, below Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. Immigrants make up 0.9% of residents, below Quebec’s towns (2.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%) alike.
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 50.1% of La Sarre
The 2021 census counted 3,690 women and 3,670 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| La Sarre | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 58% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 29% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 29% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 50% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Around La Sarre, 6 elementary schools and 1 secondary school: 7 schools in all
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École Boréale (Pavillon de Clermont)In La SarreElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| Cité étudiante PolynoIn La SarreSecondary | Secondary | – | French public |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Source note: the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school, so there’s no schools grade in Quebec.
What November brings in La Sarre: −6°C at night, 1°C by day
In November, the normal is 63 mm of rain and snow. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s La Sarre forecast, on the Weather page.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −8°C | −18°C | 138 mm |
| Spring | 7°C | −4°C | 170 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 11°C | 251 mm |
| Autumn | 9°C | 1°C | 229 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Rouyn); the forecast is on the Weather page
Only 56% of electors voted in Abitibi—Témiscamingue in 2021, fewer than in 82% of Canada’s ridings
Yves Dubé leads La Sarre as mayor, alongside 6 councillors.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
In 2025, La Sarre public library counted 26,524 in-person visits
La Sarre public library has one location for the 7,177 people it serves.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Home ownership in La Sarre, 63%, runs below Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 14% of households, higher than Quebec’s towns (13%) yet lower than Canadian towns (18%). Rent took 17% of household income, about level with Quebec’s towns (18%) and below Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | La Sarre | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 63% | 70% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 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.
Only 0.5% of the land within 10 km of La Sarre is protected
2 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Plage Camping La Sarre. The closest provincial park is Lake Abitibi Islands Provincial Park, 17 km from the edge of town. The largest is rivière Maine Water Fowl Gathering Area: 530 ha, 7.7 km from the edge of town. CPCAD lists 9 protected areas within 10 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | La Sarre | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.5% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 8 | 10 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Canada’s registers list 2 historic places in La Sarre
Homes from before 1961 make up just over a quarter of the stock, above both Quebec’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). Go back to 1922 and you reach Manoir Bordeleau, the oldest of them.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | La Sarre | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 26% | 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 Sarre
Famous people from La Sarre
11 notable people were born in La Sarre.
Photo credits
Sébastien Piché: Ailura, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pierre St-Amand: NORAD-USNORTHCOM Photographer, Public domain
La Sarre’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Sarre | 7,199 | — | B | B− | C+ | B |
| Macamic | 2,698 | 16 | B+ | A | C+ | B− |
| Palmarolle | 1,425 | 16 | — | A | C+ | B− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about La Sarre
Who are the people of La Sarre?
At the 2021 census, 1% were immigrants and 1% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 3% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
Is La Sarre a young town or an old one?
Half its people are older than 50.4 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 14%, people 65 and over 29%.
Do people in La Sarre speak French?
Almost everyone does. 19% are bilingual, where the median of Canadian towns is 8%, and 81.1% speak French and no English.
What kind of homes are in La Sarre?
58% 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 2 people; 41% are one person living alone.
About La Sarre
Town in Quebec
Every figure TownRatings gives for La Sarre covers the municipality as Statistics Canada maps it, one census subdivision in Quebec.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 7,199 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Abitibi-Ouest
- Census subdivision
- 2487090
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).