PortneufQuebec
With 3,410 residents, it is a town in Quebec.
Is Portneuf a good place to live?
Some subjects shine; others lag. Health is its strong suit (A+). The drawback is jobs & income (C+). It lags on hazard risk as well (C). Put together, the subjects come to an A overall, ranking #145 of 499 in Quebec. Set against the rest, it does better than 86% of Canadian towns. Its other grades sit near the middle: B for cost of living and B for walkability.
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 Portneuf stand out
The 3 things Portneuf does most differently from other towns.
How Portneuf grades
Each subject compares Portneuf 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 Portneuf.
Portneuf’s grade for health: an A+
Measured across the Région de la Capitale-Nationale: health survey and life expectancy
Smokers make up a tenth of the region’s adults, below Quebec’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike, while the survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 62%, ahead of the 57% for Quebec. For Portneuf itself the measure is access, and it lags: 12 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical. Women in the region live to 84.7 and men to 81.1, 82.9 years taken together (2022/2024).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Portneuf | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 62% | 56% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Smokers | 9.6% | 12% | 12% |
| 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
Portneuf’s grade for safety: an A−
The index for the force that serves it came to 45, below Quebec’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67) alike. For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 10.9 property crimes are reported each year. Where it is policed, 9.8 violent incidents per 1,000 residents are recorded each year. For Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, the only official count covers all of Portneuf MRC, Portneuf included.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Portneuf | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 10.9 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 45 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 72 | 88 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 9.8 | 12.4 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Wildfire low, radon 8.8%: how Portneuf stands on hazards
NRCan’s model puts the yearly earthquake loss at $0.11 per $1,000 of building value, close to Quebec’s towns ($0.14) and above Canadian towns ($0.030). No flood study for Portneuf is on the national inventory. Nobody publishes radon tests for Portneuf alone, so this card uses the figure for the Capitale-Nationale health region.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Portneuf | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.11 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8.8% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Few places match Portneuf for protected land nearby: more than nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns
55 km from town is Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec), the nearest provincial park. For a national park, La Mauricie National Park is 46 km away. Count 29 protected areas within 10 km of town. OpenStreetMap shows 6 unnamed beaches within 5 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Portneuf | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 9.8% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 27 | 10 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Households in Portneuf earn less than those in 80% of Canadian towns
Workers spend 24 min getting to work, on average. 92% of commuters drove, near Quebec’s towns (90%) and higher than Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Portneuf | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 24 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.
Precipitation in Portneuf tops that of 84% of Canadian towns: 1,138 mm a year
For the wettest month, look to July: 133 mm on average. Some 253 cm of snow falls in a typical year, above Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. January nights in Portneuf drop to −16.9°C on average. December is the snowiest month, with 59 cm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Portneuf | 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 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Fortierville)
Only 9% of households in Portneuf spend 30% or more of their income on shelter, against 18% in the typical Canadian town
Rent took 17% of household income, below both Quebec’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (20%). Households that own their home make up 76%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Portneuf | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 9% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 18% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 76% | 70% | 74% |
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.
An older town: 27% of people in Portneuf are 65 or over, more than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns
1.8% of residents belong to a visible minority, below Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. Children are 14% of the town.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
48.7% of Portneuf’s residents are women
In 2021 there were 1,625 women to 1,710 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.
| Portneuf | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 58% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 27% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 19% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 53% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Expect November days around 5°C in Portneuf, nights around −3°C
Next comes December, with normal highs of −3°C and lows of −11°C. Precipitation in November averages 82 mm. Snowfall in a normal November: 19 cm. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Donnacona.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| 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 |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Fortierville); the forecast is on the Weather page
More of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier voted in 2021 than in most ridings: 69%, ahead of 89%
Portneuf is in the riding of the same name for the National Assembly of Québec, whose current MNA (Member of the National Assembly, Québec’s legislature) no open source we can use records yet.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Portneuf has two public libraries, Bibliothèque de Portneuf and Bibliothèque La Decouverte (Notre-Dame-De-Portneuf)
Its libraries report as part of a wider system, so there are no figures for Portneuf in particular.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
No high school in or near Portneuf: the closest is 12 km off
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École des Sentiers-et-de-la-Riveraine (Riveraine, de la)In PortneufElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| Schools within 3 km | Portneuf | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 12 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Towns in Quebec aren’t in the schools rankings: the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.
Portneuf keeps a building from 1761: Manoir de la Baronnie-de-Portneuf
Older housing, built before 1961, accounts for just over two in five homes, higher than both Quebec’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). All told the heritage lists hold 3 historic places within the town, and 2 sit in the top tier. The record has a municipal citation.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
| Heritage | Portneuf | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 42% | 21% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Chemin du Roy and 2 more in and around Portneuf
Sights in Portneuf and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
AttractionChemin du Roy2.2 km outside town, to the east
GardenJoly de Lotbinière Estate2.7 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumMaison de Pointe-Platon2.7 km outside town, to the southeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Chemin du Roy: Azumanga1, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Joly de Lotbinière Estate: Fralambert, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Maison de Pointe-Platon: Fralambert, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Everything we know about Portneuf
Famous people from around Portneuf
2 notable people were born in Portneuf; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Lynda Lemay: Pinpin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Arthur Delisle: J.E. Livernois, Public domain · Chantal Petitclerc: Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf, CC BY-SA 4.0
Portneuf’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portneuf | 3,410 | — | A | B | A− | A+ |
| Saint-Basile | 2,918 | 7.2 | A | A− | A− | A+ |
| Cap-Santé | 3,885 | 7.5 | A+ | A | A− | A |
| Deschambault-Grondines | 2,251 | 9.7 | — | B | A− | A+ |
| Donnacona | 7,785 | 13 | A− | B− | A− | A |
| Saint-Marc-des-Carrières | 2,961 | 13 | A− | B− | A− | A+ |
| Saint-Édouard-de-Lotbinière | 1,295 | 15 | — | A | A− | B+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Portneuf
Do people in Portneuf speak French?
French comes first: 73.1% speak it alone, while 27% manage both languages (Canadian towns: 8%).
What kind of homes are in Portneuf?
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 people; 37% are one person living alone.
Has Portneuf grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 3,187 to 3,329 residents (up 4.5%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 3,410.
Is Portneuf a young town or an old one?
The median resident is 49.6 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 14% are under 15 and 27% are 65 or over.
About Portneuf
Town in Quebec
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Portneuf is one census subdivision in Quebec, and TownRatings describes all of it.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 3,410 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census subdivision
- 2434048
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).