Lac-MéganticQuebec
Statistics Canada places it in the Le Granit census division. This town in Quebec has a population of 5,947.
Is Lac-Mégantic a good place to live?
People here tend to be in good health (A+). Walkability is a strength too (A). Housing is expensive (C). The overall grade comes out at A−, #170 of 499 in Quebec. It comes out better than 83% of Canadian towns.
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-Mégantic stand out
The 3 things Lac-Mégantic does most differently from other towns.
How Lac-Mégantic grades
Each subject compares Lac-Mégantic 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-Mégantic.
For health, Lac-Mégantic gets an A+
Adults who call their own health very good or excellent: 57%, close to Quebec’s towns (56%) and above Canadian towns (52%). Closer to home, a hospital is just 1.8 km from the average resident of Lac-Mégantic, nearer than the usual 3.7 km. Women in the region live to 84.8 and men to 81.0, 82.9 years taken together (2022/2024).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Lac-Mégantic | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 57% | 56% | 52% |
| 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 · Area behind the health survey and life expectancy figures: the Région de l'Estrie
For safety, Lac-Mégantic gets a B+
The Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 numbers here cover Granit MRC
Property crime in its police area ran at 10.3 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Quebec’s towns (16.6) and Canadian towns (31.2). The index for the force that serves it came to 48, below both Quebec’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Lac-Mégantic | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 10.3 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 48 | 56 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Home ownership in Lac-Mégantic, 54%, runs below Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 19% of households, higher than Quebec’s towns (13%) and near Canadian towns (18%). Owners put the median home at $180,000, below Quebec’s towns ($300,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000) alike.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Lac-Mégantic | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 54% | 70% | 74% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $180,000 | $300,000 | $406,000 |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 19% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 21% | 18% | 20% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.
Summers stay cool in Lac-Mégantic: July afternoons reach 24.5°C, below Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
February is the snowiest month, with 65 cm on average. A normal winter brings 287 cm of snow, above Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. The most precipitation falls in July: 115 mm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Lac-Mégantic | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 287 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 24.5°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 187 | 161 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 1,130 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (St Ludger)
Lac-Mégantic’s hazards at a glance: a low wildfire record and 7.3% of area homes over the radon guideline
Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Estrie health region
Shaking is about as much of a worry in Lac-Mégantic as in most places, at $0.037 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). The national flood inventory has no study of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Lac-Mégantic | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.037 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 7.3% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
26% of Lac-Mégantic’s residents speak English and French (Quebec’s towns: 44%; Canadian towns: 7.5%)
2.2% of residents belong to a visible minority, below Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 2.6% of residents, above Quebec’s towns (1.5%) but below 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 52.6% of Lac-Mégantic
Here the census found 2,725 men and 3,025 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Lac-Mégantic | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 54% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 33% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 25% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 49% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Little of the land around Lac-Mégantic is protected: 0.2% within 10 km
For a swim, Plage de la Baie-des-Sables is the nearest of 2 beaches within 5 km. La Louise White-Tailed Deer Yard (7,238 ha) is the biggest, 8.4 km from town. There is no national park within 100 km of the town.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Lac-Mégantic | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.2% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 1 | 10 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
3 schools serve Lac-Mégantic, 2 elementary schools and 1 secondary school
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École Notre-Dame-de-FatimaIn Lac-MéganticElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| Polyvalente MontignacIn Lac-MéganticSecondary | Secondary | – | French public |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Why no schools grade in Quebec? The ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.
Expect November days around 5°C in Lac-Mégantic, nights around −4°C
Over the year, July is warmest at 25°C by day and January coldest at −16°C by night. About 24 cm of snow falls in a normal November. By December, a normal day reaches −2°C and a night falls to −11°C. Precipitation in November averages 80 mm.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −4°C | −14°C | 261 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | −2°C | 262 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 11°C | 335 mm |
| Autumn | 12°C | 2°C | 273 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (St Ludger); the forecast is on the Weather page
Lac-Mégantic public library logs 13.2 visits per person served, more than 95% of Quebec’s town libraries
Lac-Mégantic public library serves 5,955 people from a single building.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Trips to work from Lac-Mégantic are shorter than from Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 13 min on average
Driving is how 87% of commuters got to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Lac-Mégantic | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 13 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 87% | 90% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Older housing stands out in Lac-Mégantic: 38% predates 1961
Federal, provincial and local lists together give 3 historic places here. The oldest dated place, Édifice Eastern-Townships-Bank, goes back to 1890. Counted by designation, there are 2 municipal citations and a heritage railway station.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
| Heritage | Lac-Mégantic | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 38% | 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-Mégantic
Famous people from Lac-Mégantic
9 notable people were born in Lac-Mégantic.
Photo credits
Nelly Arcan: JLEG21, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Laurier LaPierre: Samuell, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Jacques Rancourt: POULAMON, CC BY-SA 4.0
Lac-Mégantic’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lac-Mégantic | 5,947 | — | A− | C | B+ | A+ |
| Nantes | 1,412 | 4.5 | — | A | B+ | A |
| Frontenac | 1,855 | 4.7 | — | A | B+ | A |
| Lac-Drolet | 1,066 | 18 | — | A+ | B+ | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Lac-Mégantic
How old are the people of Lac-Mégantic?
53.6 is the median age, 45.2 the median among Canadian towns; 33% of residents are 65 or over and 13% under 15.
What kind of homes are in Lac-Mégantic?
49% 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; 47% are one person living alone.
Is Lac-Mégantic growing?
Yes: the census counted 5,654 in 2016 and 5,747 in 2021, a rise of 1.6%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 5,947.
About Lac-Mégantic
Town in Quebec
Lac-Mégantic is a municipality in Quebec, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 5,947 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Le Granit
- Census subdivision
- 2430030
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).