Lac-Saint-CharlesQuébec
A neighbourhood in Québec, home to 9,985 people. Québec is split into 35 neighbourhoods, and this is one.
Is Lac-Saint-Charles a good place to live?
Strong in places, weak in others. Its strongest is health (A+). Lac-Saint-Charles ranks #117 of 499 in Quebec, with an A overall. Set against the rest, it does better than 89% of Canadian towns. Work and incomes are strong (A). Homes were valued at a median $274,000 at the 2021 census, 3 times the typical household’s income. Hazards are a real consideration (C−). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for safety and B− for walkability.
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 less sure: this is the whole city's figure, because the city doesn't publish open neighbourhood crime rates. 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 Lac-Saint-Charles grades
Each subject compares Lac-Saint-Charles 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 Lac-Saint-Charles stand out
The 3 things Lac-Saint-Charles does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Lac-Saint-Charles.
Health in Lac-Saint-Charles beats almost every Canadian town
Age-standardised, 62% of the region’s adults put their health at very good or excellent, higher than both Quebec’s towns (56%) and Canadian towns (52%). For 2022/2024, the region’s figure is 82.9 years at birth, 84.7 for women and 81.1 for men. At 9.6%, the share of adults who smoke sits under the 12% for Quebec. Closer to home, a hospital is 5.5 km from the average resident of Lac-Saint-Charles, further than the usual 3.7 km. Lac-Saint-Charles doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the Région de la Capitale-Nationale.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Lac-Saint-Charles | 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
Working-age people in Lac-Saint-Charles are more likely to have a job than in 84% of Canadian towns
Commutes averaged 24 min, below Quebec’s towns (27 min) and Canadian towns (26 min) alike.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Lac-Saint-Charles | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 24 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.
Lac-Saint-Charles is on Canada’s flood inventory: 3 listed, led by Ville de Québec
About as many homes carry radon around Lac-Saint-Charles as elsewhere, 8.8% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. The expected yearly loss to earthquakes is $0.14 for each $1,000 of buildings, near Quebec’s towns ($0.14) and higher than Canadian towns ($0.030). Figures for radon tests are published for the Capitale-Nationale health region as a whole, not for Lac-Saint-Charles alone.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Lac-Saint-Charles | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.14 | $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 · Earthquake risk: the city of Québec
More households own their home in Lac-Saint-Charles than in Quebec’s towns or across Canadian towns: 89%
The rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom numbers here cover the Québec metro area
A year’s rent came to 17% of the median household income, lower than both Quebec’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (20%). 6% of 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 | Lac-Saint-Charles | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 6% | 13% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 89% | 70% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 18% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $274,000 | $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.
More rain and snow fall on Lac-Saint-Charles than on 87% of Canadian towns: 1,173 mm a year
The frost-free season runs from 10 May to 5 October, 148 days. A normal July brings 119 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. Snow totals 299 cm over the year, above Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. Lac-Saint-Charles sees July afternoons of 25.0°C on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Lac-Saint-Charles | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 299 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| Precipitation a year | 1,173 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 25.0°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −16.7°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Québec Jean Lesage (Airport))
Children make up 21% of Lac-Saint-Charles, above Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
Those 65 and older account for 15% of residents. Both official languages: 30% of residents, between Quebec’s towns (44%) and Canadian towns (7.5%).
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 49.0% of Lac-Saint-Charles
Of the 2021 count, 4,900 were women and 5,090 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Lac-Saint-Charles | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 21% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 65% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 15% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 18% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 60% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
What November brings in Lac-Saint-Charles: −4°C at night, 4°C by day
The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Vanier. Next comes December, with normal highs of −3°C and lows of −11°C. Expect around 24 cm of snow in November. A normal November brings 91 mm of rain and snow.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −5°C | −15°C | 249 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | −2°C | 264 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 13°C | 342 mm |
| Autumn | 11°C | 2°C | 318 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Québec Jean Lesage (Airport)); the forecast is on the Weather page
Bibliothèque de Québec draws 8.5 visits per person served, ahead of 90% of Quebec’s town libraries
Bibliothèque de Québec serves the whole of Québec, so the library figures on this page are the city’s: 594,443 people, Lac-Saint-Charles among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Lac-Saint-Charles is 14 km from Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec)
The largest is Tourbière-de-Shannon Ecological Reserve: 169 ha, 7.7 km from the edge of town. 21 protected areas lie within 10 km. Within 100 km there is no national park. The protected share of the 10 km around the town is 1%, lower than both Quebec’s towns (4.9%) and Canadian towns (2.3%).
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Lac-Saint-Charles | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 1% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 10 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
14 schools in and around Lac-Saint-Charles: 12 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools
None of them teaches in English, though one in ten schools in Quebec do. Teenagers have 4 km to go to the closest secondary school, above Quebec’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km) alike.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École de l'Arc-en-CielIn Lac-Saint-CharlesElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| École Le SommetNearest secondary school, 1.9 kmSecondary | Secondary | – | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Lac-Saint-Charles | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 4 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Source note: the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school, so there’s no schools grade in Quebec.
Lac-Saint-Charles earns a B− for safety
Violent incidents in its police area came to 15.1 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Quebec’s towns (12.4) and Canadian towns (12). Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 22.1 per 1,000 residents a year where it is policed. For Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, the only official count covers all of the Québec service area, Lac-Saint-Charles included.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Lac-Saint-Charles | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 22.1 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 15.1 | 12.4 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Everything we know about Lac-Saint-Charles
Onhwa' Lumina and 6 more in and around Lac-Saint-Charles
From museums to parks and historic sites: Lac-Saint-Charles’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
MuseumHuron-Wendat Museum3.1 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumVillage Huron Site Traditionnel1.7 km outside town, to the southeastTheme parkTheme parkVillage Vacances Valcartier3.3 km outside town, to the westAttractionAttractionIce Hotel3.3 km outside town, to the westWater parkWater parkBora Parc3.4 km outside town, to the westPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Huron-Wendat Museum: Pierre-Olivier Fortin from Québec, Canada, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Lac-Saint-Charles
One notable person was born in Lac-Saint-Charles; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Mitsou Gélinas: proacguy1, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Geneviève Castrée: Photograph by Julio Enriquez ., CC BY 2.0 · Alden Penner: Jessica Nguyen from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
About Lac-Saint-Charles
Neighbourhood in Québec
Census areas put together by TownRatings make up Lac-Saint-Charles, one part of Québec; the city’s map or OpenStreetMap gives it its name.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 9,985 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- City
- Québec
- Census subdivision
- 2423027
Lac-Saint-Charles’ neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lac-Saint-Charles | 9,985 | — | A | B+ | B− | A+ |
| Wendake | 2,234 | 4 | — | — | C+ | A+ |
| Saint-Émile | 16,893 | 4.4 | A+ | A− | B− | A+ |
| Notre-Dame-des-Laurentides | 16,222 | 4.6 | A | B+ | B− | A+ |
| Loretteville | 15,653 | 5.3 | B+ | C− | B− | A+ |
| Val-Bélair | 30,003 | 6.6 | A | B+ | B− | A+ |
| Des Châtels | 14,836 | 7 | A | B | B− | A+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Lac-Saint-Charles
Do people in Lac-Saint-Charles speak French?
French is the common language here.
How old are the people of Lac-Saint-Charles?
At 40.2, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns.
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).