LysterQuebec

With 1,679 residents, it is a town in Quebec. It lies in L'Érable.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Hayden Soloviev · CC BY 4.0

Population

1,679

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · Quebec’s towns: 44.8

Postsecondary

44%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Lyster a good place to live?

Housing is within reach (A). Walkability is its weak spot (C−). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B for safety, B for health and C+ for jobs & income.

An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Lyster has its subject grades alone.

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.

StrongestACost of livingWeakestC⁻Walkability

How Lyster grades

Each subject compares Lyster 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 grading works

An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Lyster has its subject grades alone.

Cost of livingAmong the best of the towns comparedAOpen →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carC⁻Open →Hazard riskLess exposed to natural hazards than mostB⁺Open →HealthAbove the middle of the towns comparedBOpen →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentBOpen →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentC⁺Open →

SchoolsWith no open results to compare (the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school), there’s no schools grade in Quebec.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Lyster stand out

The 3 things Lyster does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

2.4 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $139,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

6% unemployment

Of the labour force, against 10% for the median of Canadian towns

61% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

27% are 65 or over

Midway across Canadian towns: 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Lyster.

HousingCost of living A

Renting in Lyster costs 15% of household income, less than in Quebec’s towns and across Canadian towns

$139,000median home value, 2021ACost of living Grade

Owners make up 78% of households, about level with Canadian towns (74%) and above Quebec’s towns (70%). 8% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than both Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%).

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Lyster$139,000

Quebec$300,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Lyster	Quebec	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	8%	13%	18%
Rent as a share of income	15%	18%	20%
Households owning their home	78%	70%	74%

$500

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$624

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageLyster’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$500 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living2.4 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $139,000, against the median household income Owners and renters78% own their home

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.

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁺

Lyster earns a B+ for hazard risk

Lowwildfire bandB⁺Hazard risk Grade

The radon tests numbers here cover the Mauricie et Centre-du-Quebec health region

The expected yearly loss to earthquakes is $0.12 for each $1,000 of buildings, near Quebec’s towns ($0.14) and higher than Canadian towns ($0.030). No one has filed a flood map for Lyster on the national inventory.

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Lyster0%

Quebec’s towns8.2%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Lyster	Quebec	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	0%	8.2%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.12	$0.14	$0.030

$0.12

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Low

wildfire band

23 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageLyster’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.12 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon0% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

HealthHealth B

Very good or excellent health for 61% of adults around Lyster; the typical Canadian town: 52%

61%very good or excellent healthBHealth Grade

On average 14% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, close to Quebec’s towns (15%) and below Canadian towns (17%). A baby born in the region can expect 81.6 years, 83.3 for a girl and 79.9 for a boy (2022/2024). For Lyster itself, the measure is access: 35 km to the nearest hospital on average, with 100% of homes beyond 30 km. For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the Région de la Mauricie et du Centre-du-Québec, Lyster included.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Lyster61%

Quebec’s towns56%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Lyster	Quebec	Canada
Very good or excellent health	61%	56%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	14%	15%	17%
Smokers	13%	12%	12%
Life expectancy at birth	81.6	82.5	81.5

81.6

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

35 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

13%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.9 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageLyster’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey61% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care35 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.9 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.3, men 79.9 Conditions and habits14% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Climate

Lyster has colder winters than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −16.9°C

25.5°CJuly afternoons

Some 253 cm of snow falls in a typical year, above both Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). A normal July brings 133 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. December is the snowiest month, with 59 cm on average.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−4.9°C

Spring9.7°C

Summer24.4°C

Autumn12.2°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Lyster	Quebec	Canada
Snowfall a year	253 cm	217 cm	141 cm
Precipitation a year	1,138 mm	1,041 mm	883 mm
January night low	−16.9°C	−14.7°C	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	175	161	159

253 cm

of snow a year

175

days with frost a year

141

days with precipitation a year

Full pageLyster’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 25.5°C, January lows −16.9°C Rain and snow1,138 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow253 cm of snow a year Weather station35 km to the station · Fortierville

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Fortierville)

SafetySafety B

Lyster earns a B for safety

56Crime Severity Index

For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 15 violent incidents are reported each year. Where it is policed, thefts, break-ins and damage came to 16.4 per 1,000 a year, about level with Quebec’s towns (16.6) and below Canadian towns (31.2). Nobody publishes Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 for Lyster alone, so this card uses the figure for Érable MRC.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202361

202456

202550

2023–2025	Lyster	Quebec	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	16.4	16.6	31.2
Violent crime	15	12.4	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

55%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageLyster’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety56 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Lyster’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Lyster safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁺

The car carries 95% of commuters in Lyster, more than in Quebec’s towns and across Canadian towns

5%walk, cycle or take transit

The average trip to work took 26 min, in line with Quebec’s towns (27 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van95%

Walk5%

Census 2021	Lyster	Quebec	Canada
Car or van	95%	90%	89%
Average trip	26 min	27 min	26 min

$57,600

median household income, 2020

14%

worked from home, May 2021

36%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageLyster’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Getting to work5% walk, cycle or take transit Unemployment5.6% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Where people commute to50 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Plessisville

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.

Outdoors

The nearest provincial park to Lyster is Frontenac National Park (Québec), 46 km away

0.3%of the land within 10 km protected

Within 10 km are 8 protected areas. The largest is Land set aside Seigneurie-de-Joly: 1,822 ha, 8.6 km from the edge of town. 0.3% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). La Mauricie National Park is the closest national park, 89 km from town.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Lyster0.3%

Quebec’s towns4.9%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Lyster	Quebec	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0.3%	4.9%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	1	10	4

89 km

to La Mauricie National Park

46 km

to Frontenac National Park (Québec)

beaches within 5 km

public protected area within 10 km

Full pageLyster’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas8 protected areas within 10 km · Land set aside Seigneurie-de-Joly National & provincial parks89 km to a national park · La Mauricie National Park

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

Weather

Expect November days around 5°C in Lyster, nights around −3°C

5°Ca normal November afternoon

Looking ahead to December, expect highs near −3°C and lows near −11°C. November normally sees 82 mm of precipitation. About 19 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Donnacona forecast, on the Weather page.

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November5°C

December−3°C

January−7°C

February−5°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−5°C	−15°C	250 mm
Spring	10°C	−1°C	264 mm
Summer	24°C	13°C	343 mm
Autumn	12°C	3°C	281 mm

−3°C

a normal November night

82 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageLyster’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Fortierville); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Yves Boissonneault heads the council of Lyster as mayor

For federal votes, Lyster belongs to Mégantic—L’Érable—Lotbinière, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP); Luc Berthold (Conservative Party of Canada) holds it.

Full pageLyster’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

council seats7 Provincial legislatureArthabaska

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁻

Bibliothèque De Lyster (Graziella-Ouellet) is Lyster’s public library

It sits 1.2 km from the centre of Lyster.

Full pageLyster’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

The libraries1 Libraries

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

20% of Lyster’s residents speak English and French (Quebec’s towns: 44%; Canadian towns: 7.5%)

48median age

0.7% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, below Quebec’s towns (2.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%) alike. Visible minorities make up 3.9% of the population, higher than Quebec’s towns (3.5%) yet lower than Canadian towns (15%).

LysterQuebecCanada

QuebecCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

27%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree33%

Postsecondary qualification44%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 48.3% of Lyster

The 2021 census counted 765 women and 820 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Lyster
	Lyster	Quebec	Canada
Under 15	17%	17%	16%
15 to 64	56%	62%	64%
65+	27%	20%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	33%	19%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	44%	59%	56%

Full pageLyster’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

English and French20% speak both · 79% speak French but not English Ages48 median age · 27% are 65 or over Households680 households · 2.2 people per household Immigrants1% are immigrants · 4% belong to a visible minority

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Schools

The nearest high school to Lyster is 23 km away

1school within 3 km

School	Level	Students	System
École Sainte-Julie-Bon-PasteurIn LysterElementary	Elementary	–	French public

Schools within 3 km	Lyster	Quebec	Canada
Nearest secondary school	23 km	1.2 km	1.2 km

23 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageLyster’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school1 elementary school Language0 of 1 teach in English · 10% of schools in Quebec Questions“What schools are there in Lyster?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · In Quebec, no schools grade. The ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.

History

Older housing stands out in Lyster: 43% predates 1961

43%built before 1961

43%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Lyster	Quebec	Canada
Homes built before 1961	43%	21%	18%

Full pageLyster’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes43% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Lyster have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Lyster

15pages on Lyster

The big questions

SafetyBCrime Severity Index 56 Housing & costAHomes 2.4 × income Property pricesSchoolsOne school within 3 km HealthBLife expectancy 81.6 in its region Work & commuteC⁺61% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors0.3% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 26°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 48 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Chemin du Roy and 4 more within 40 km

Nothing to visit is mapped within 5 km of Lyster; these are the best known within 40 km.

All attractions →

AttractionChemin du Roy38 km northwest

GardenJoly de Lotbinière Estate37 km northwest

National historic siteMoulin du Portage34 km west

MuseumMaison de Pointe-Platon37 km northwest

National historic siteMaison Quézel39 km north

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (5)

Chemin du Roy: Azumanga1, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Joly de Lotbinière Estate: Fralambert, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Moulin du Portage: René Beaudoin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Maison de Pointe-Platon: Fralambert, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Maison Quézel: JeffT, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from Lyster

3 notable people were born in Lyster.

See all 3 →

Hélène LeBlancCanadian politician · born 1958

Napoléon Kemner LaflammeCanadian politician · 1865–1929

Gaston Pelletier1933–2021

About Lyster

Town in Quebec

TownRatings counts Lyster as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in Quebec; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 1,679 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Quebec
Census division: L'Érable
Census subdivision: 2432065

Lyster’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

LauriervilleVal-AlainSaint-Janvier-de-JolySaint-FlavienSainte-Agathe-de-LotbinièreLaurier-StationLyster

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Lyster	1,679	—	—	A	B	B
Laurierville	1,368	11	—	A	B	B
Val-Alain	1,084	12	—	A	A⁻	B⁺
Saint-Janvier-de-Joly	1,204	14	—	A	A⁻	B⁺
Saint-Flavien	1,682	15	—	A⁻	A⁻	B
Sainte-Agathe-de-Lotbinière	1,042	16	—	A	A⁻	B
Laurier-Station	2,838	18	A	B	A⁻	B

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Lyster

Who are the people of Lyster?

Visible minorities are 4% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 1%, and Indigenous people 4%.

Do people in Lyster speak French?

French comes first: 79.4% speak it alone, while 20% manage both languages (Canadian towns: 8%).

What kind of homes are in Lyster?

Single-detached houses make up 85% 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 2.2.

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).