Lac-EtcheminQuebec
Some 4,089 people live in this town, in Quebec. The population grew 5% between 2016 and 2021.
Is Lac-Etchemin a good place to live?
A town of contrasts. It is a safe place by the numbers (A+). Hazard risk is higher than most (C−). Owners valued their homes at a median $170,000 in 2021, which is 2.7 years of the typical household’s pay. All told, that adds up to an A overall, better than 90% of Canadian towns. That places it #103 of 499 in Quebec. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B for health, C+ for jobs & income and B for walkability.
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.
What makes Lac-Etchemin stand out
The 3 things Lac-Etchemin does most differently from other towns.
How Lac-Etchemin grades
Each subject compares Lac-Etchemin 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 Lac-Etchemin.
Violent crime weighs less where Lac-Etchemin is policed than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 49
Where it is policed, 7.4 violent incidents per 1,000 residents are recorded each year. The index for the force that serves it came to 31, below Quebec’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67) alike. In addition, across its police area, there are 8.1 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Lac-Etchemin 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 Etchemins MRC.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Lac-Etchemin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 8.1 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 31 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 49 | 88 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 7.4 | 12.4 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Rent takes less of local pay in Lac-Etchemin than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 15% of household income
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 8% of households, below Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. The owner-occupied share of households is 73%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Lac-Etchemin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 8% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 15% | 18% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $170,000 | $300,000 | $406,000 |
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.
Flood mapping exists for Lac-Etchemin: 1 on record, latest by Gouvernement du Québec
NRCan’s model puts the yearly earthquake loss at $0.052 per $1,000 of building value, below Quebec’s towns ($0.14) and close to Canadian towns ($0.030). More homes than usual carry radon here, 13% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Behind radon tests sits data gathered across the Chaudiere-Appalaches health region, with Lac-Etchemin one part of it.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Lac-Etchemin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 13% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.052 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Lac-Etchemin has cooler summers than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: July highs of 23.5°C
A normal December brings 81 cm of snow, the most of any month. Some 367 cm of snow falls in a typical year, higher than both Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). The coldest nights come in January, when Lac-Etchemin averages a low of −17.5°C.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Lac-Etchemin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 367 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 23.5°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,284 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 197 | 161 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (St Camille)
A hospital trip from Lac-Etchemin means 31 km on average, in a straight line
Smoking takes in 13% of adults, age-standardised, above both Quebec’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (12%). Across the region, nearly three in five adults say their health is very good or excellent, much as in Quebec (57%). Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 82.8, women 84.4 and men 81.3 (2022/2024).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Lac-Etchemin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 59% | 56% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Smokers | 13% | 12% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 82.8 | 82.5 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Health survey and life expectancy: one figure for all of the Région de la Chaudière-Appalaches
24% of Lac-Etchemin’s residents speak English and French (Quebec’s towns: 44%; Canadian towns: 7.5%)
2.4% of residents belong to a visible minority, below both Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 1.3% of residents, below both Quebec’s towns (1.5%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).
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 51.1% of Lac-Etchemin
By the 2021 count the town had 2,060 women and 1,975 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.
| Lac-Etchemin | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 52% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 36% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 27% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 51% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Commuters in Lac-Etchemin have a short way to work, 22 min on average, less than in Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
At the census, 92% of commuters went by car.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Lac-Etchemin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 22 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 92% | 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.
6 named trails run within 2 km of Lac-Etchemin
There is a beach within 5 km, unnamed on the map. For a provincial park, Frontenac National Park (Québec) lies 60 km off.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Lac-Etchemin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 10 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
What November brings in Lac-Etchemin: −5°C at night, 3°C by day
Snow is normal by November, about 31 cm over the month. Then December: −4°C by day, −12°C at night. A normal November brings 90 mm of rain and snow. Over the year, July is warmest at 24°C by day and January coldest at −18°C by night.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −6°C | −15°C | 300 mm |
| Spring | 8°C | −3°C | 279 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 10°C | 388 mm |
| Autumn | 10°C | 1°C | 317 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (St Camille); the forecast is on the Weather page
Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis turned out at 67% in 2021, higher than 79% of Canada’s ridings
Lac-Etchemin has 6 councillors and a mayor, Joan Gagnon.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Lac-Etchemin has one public library, Bibliothèque L'Élan
It sits 0.3 km from the centre of Lac-Etchemin.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
The nearest high school to Lac-Etchemin is 11 km away
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École du Petit-ChercheurIn Lac-EtcheminElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| Schools within 3 km | Lac-Etchemin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 11 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · The schools grade is given only where results are open; in Quebec, the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.
Before 1961: 34% of the homes in Lac-Etchemin
| Heritage | Lac-Etchemin | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 34% | 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 Lac-Etchemin
Famous people from Lac-Etchemin
5 notable people were born in Lac-Etchemin.
Photo credits
Marie-Michèle Gagnon: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Denis Bernard: Bull-Doser, Public domain · Joseph-Damase Bégin: Unknown author, Public domain · Ernest Ouellet: J. E. Livernois Ltée, Public domain
Lac-Etchemin’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lac-Etchemin | 4,089 | — | A | A− | A+ | B |
| Sainte-Justine | 1,822 | 11 | — | A+ | A+ | B |
| Saint-Odilon-de-Cranbourne | 1,460 | 13 | — | A+ | A− | B+ |
| Saint-Léon-de-Standon | 1,033 | 13 | — | B | A | B |
| Saint-Benjamin | 1,267 | 18 | — | A+ | A+ | B+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Lac-Etchemin
Do people in Lac-Etchemin speak French?
French comes first: 76.3% speak it alone, while 24% manage both languages (Canadian towns: 8%).
Is Lac-Etchemin a young town or an old one?
56.8 is the median age, 45.2 the median among Canadian towns; 36% of residents are 65 or over and 12% under 15.
What kind of homes are in Lac-Etchemin?
75% 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 2.1 people; 37% are one person living alone.
Is Lac-Etchemin growing?
It grew from 3,822 people in 2016 to 4,028 in 2021, up 5.4%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 4,089.
About Lac-Etchemin
Town in Quebec
Every figure TownRatings gives for Lac-Etchemin 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
- 4,089 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Les Etchemins
- Census subdivision
- 2428053
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).