OrfordQuebec
With 5,698 residents, it is a town in Quebec. It belongs to the Sherbrooke metropolitan area.
Is Orford a good place to live?
Good on most counts; one lags. Health is a strength (A). Taken together, its subjects give Orford an A overall, better than 90% of Canadian towns. Its place in the ranking is #102 of 499 in Quebec. Owners valued their homes at a median $400,000 in 2021, which is 4.1 years of the typical household’s pay. The catch is walkability (D).
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. 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 Orford grades
Each subject compares Orford 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 Orford stand out
The 3 things Orford does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Orford.
Health in Orford beats 92% of Canadian towns
The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the Région de l'Estrie
A hospital lies 9.2 km from the typical home, above Quebec’s towns (5.3 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km) alike. For 2022/2024, the region’s figure is 82.9 years at birth, 84.8 for women and 81.0 for men. In the health survey, 57% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, close to Quebec’s 57%.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Orford | 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
Crime runs lighter where Orford is policed than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns, at an index of 40
Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over Memphrémagog MRC
Violent incidents in its police area came to 8.2 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Quebec’s towns (12.4) and Canadian towns (12). For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 7.9 property crimes are reported each year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Orford | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 7.9 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 40 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 58 | 88 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 8.2 | 12.4 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Commuters in Orford travel further than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns, 29 min on average
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Orford | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 29 min | 27 min | 26 min |
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.
Orford is a town of owners: 93% of households own their home, above Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
A year’s rent came to 13% of the median household income, below both Quebec’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (20%). Just over one in ten households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below both Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Orford | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 93% | 70% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 13% | 18% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 11% | 13% | 18% |
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. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: one figure for all of the Sherbrooke metro area
A flood study covers Orford: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Ville de Sherbrooke
Shared with the rest of the Estrie health region: radon tests
Radon is about average around Orford: 7.3% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. NRCan’s model puts the yearly earthquake loss at $0.042 per $1,000 of building value, below Quebec’s towns ($0.14) and close to Canadian towns ($0.030).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Orford | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.042 | $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
Orford is more bilingual than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 58% speak both languages
Just over a fifth of residents are 65 or over, above Quebec’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (19%) alike. Children under 15 count for 16% of the people here.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
49.7% of Orford’s residents are women
Census 2021 put women at 2,490 and men at 2,520; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| Orford | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 62% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 22% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 9.6% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 78% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Orford runs from −3°C to 6°C
Next comes December, with normal highs of −1°C and lows of −10°C. Expect around 17 cm of snow in November. A normal November brings 70 mm of rain and snow. At the extremes, July afternoons reach 26°C and January nights −15°C.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −2°C | −13°C | 217 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | −1°C | 235 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 12°C | 305 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 3°C | 258 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Lennoxville); the forecast is on the Weather page
Alain Brisson leads Orford as mayor
Of the 78 Commons seats from Quebec, the Liberal Party of Canada holds 44.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
The nearest public library to Orford is Bibliothèque De Magog (Secteur Omerville), 6.7 km away
The next is Bibliothèque Municipale Memphrémagog (Magog), 8.4 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
The climate in Orford sits close to the middle of Canadian towns
Snow totals 269 cm over the year, higher than both Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Most of the snow comes in December, about 65 cm. August is the wettest month, with 104 mm of rain and snow on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Orford | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 269 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 25.7°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,015 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 167 | 161 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Lennoxville)
39% of the ground inside Orford is protected
Named trails close by number 4, the Sentier de l'Estrie, Zone Orford and Sentier de l'Estrie Zone Brompton among them. The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. Of the country within 10 km, 9.3% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%. Within 10 km are 44 protected areas.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Orford | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 9.3% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 3 | 10 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
2 of the 5 schools around Orford are independent
In or within 3 km of Orford: 3 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools. Young children have 6.1 km to the nearest elementary school, above both Quebec’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École des Deux-Soleils (Deux Soleils, pavillon 2, des)Nearest elementary school, 0.9 kmElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| École secondaire Montessori Orford IndependentIn OrfordSecondary | Secondary | – | Independent |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Orford | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest elementary school | 6.1 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 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.
Everything we know about Orford
Mont Orford and 5 more in and around Orford
Sights in Orford and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
MuseumMaison Merry4.2 km outside town, to the southeastNational parkNational park · SépaqMont-Orford National Parkin townMuseumMuseumMusée d’art naïf de Magog4.1 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumCentre d'arts visuels et Musée d'art naïf4.1 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumCentre D'Interprétation Du Marais1.2 km outside town, to the southPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Maison Merry: Citoyenne Outlet, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Orford
No notable person born in Orford is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Al Langlois: TGC Topps Gum Cards, Public domain · Nicolas Fontaine: Kiki117, CC BY 4.0 · Alvin Head Moore: Publisher: Montreal, Lovell, Public domain
About Orford
Town in Quebec
For Orford, TownRatings uses Statistics Canada’s census-subdivision boundary in Quebec, and every figure on its pages covers that whole area.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 5,698 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Memphrémagog
- Metro area
- Sherbrooke
- Census subdivision
- 2445115
Orford’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orford | 5,698 | — | A | B | A− | A |
| Magog | 30,764 | 7.8 | A− | C− | A− | A+ |
| Eastman | 2,706 | 8.3 | A | B− | A− | A |
| Austin | 1,959 | 9.8 | — | B | A− | A |
| Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley | 2,938 | 14 | A− | C+ | A− | A |
| Saint-Denis-de-Brompton | 5,249 | 15 | A | B+ | A− | A |
| Racine | 1,441 | 15 | — | A− | A− | A− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Orford
Do people in Orford speak French?
French is the common language here. 58% of residents also speak English (the median of Canadian towns: 8%), and 40.6% speak French but not English.
Has Orford grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 4,337 to 5,007 residents (up 15.4%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 5,698.
Who are the people of Orford?
At the 2021 census, 5% were immigrants and 1% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 1% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Orford?
Single-detached houses make up 86% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 29% 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).