RimouskiQuebec
This town in Quebec has a population of 51,756. It is part of Rimouski-Neigette, a census division.
Is Rimouski a good place to live?
Real strengths, and real weak spots. Its best grade is for health (A). Overall, Rimouski earns an A, better than 88% of Canadian towns. It ranks #126 of 499 in Quebec. Safety is a strength too (A−). Owners valued their homes at a median $224,000 in 2021, which is 3.4 years of the typical household’s pay. What holds it back is hazard risk (D).
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
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 Rimouski stand out
The 3 things Rimouski does most differently from other towns.
How Rimouski grades
Each subject compares Rimouski 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 →
Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père and 10 more in and around Rimouski
A first look at Rimouski’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
MuseumSite historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Pèrein town · 60K visitors a year
CathedralSaint-Germain Cathedralin town
MuseumMaison Lamontagnein town
MuseumMusée de Rimouskiin town
National historic site · Parks CanadaLight Towerin town
Historic shipHMCS Onondaga100 m outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père: Composition par Orbitale - Auteurs des photographies se retrouvant sur Wikimedia Commons : Supérieur gauche : Image:Onondaga musée.jpg par Alcide55 Inférieur gauche : Image:Empress of Ireland museum 2, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Saint-Germain Cathedral: JF Lepage, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Maison Lamontagne: ChristianT, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Musée de Rimouski: ChristianT, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Light Tower: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- HMCS Onondaga: Letartean, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Rimouski.
Rimouski faces more hazards than 88% of Canadian towns
In Health Canada’s survey, 14% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Seismic risk runs high: $0.091 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. The national flood inventory has no study for Rimouski. For radon tests, the only official count covers all of the Bas-Saint-Laurent health region, Rimouski included.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Rimouski | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 14% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.091 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
For health, Rimouski is ahead of 86% of Canadian towns
The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Rimouski live 4.1 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km. By their own account, three in five adults here are in very good or excellent health, above Quebec’s towns (56%) and Canadian towns (52%) alike. Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 81.7, women 83.1 and men 80.3 (2022/2024).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Rimouski | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 60% | 56% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.7 | 82.5 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Health survey and life expectancy: one figure for all of the Région du Bas-Saint-Laurent
The police who cover Rimouski record less serious crime than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 44
Property crime in its police area ran at 10.9 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Quebec’s towns (16.6) and Canadian towns (31.2). The violent index for its police area came to 76, below both Quebec’s towns (88) and Canadian towns (86). Figures for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 are published for Rimouski-Neigette MRC as a whole, not for Rimouski alone.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Rimouski | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 10.9 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 44 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 76 | 88 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Rimouski has cooler summers than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: July highs of 23.5°C
October is the wettest month, with 96 mm of rain and snow on average. A normal winter brings 279 cm of snow, higher than both Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Most of the snow comes in December, about 66 cm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Rimouski | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 23.5°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 279 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| Precipitation a year | 965 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Rimouski)
Protected land around Rimouski beats 8 in 10 Canadian towns
48 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name. The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. 43 areas within 10 km are protected for nature.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Rimouski | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 41 | 10 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 8.8% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Commuters in Rimouski have a short way to work, 16 min on average, less than in Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Rimouski | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 16 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 88% | 90% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.
The 22 schools of Rimouski: 14 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools and 6 schools for every grade
No English-language school is among them; in Quebec, 10% of schools are.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École de l'Aquarelle (Aquarelle, de l')In RimouskiElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| École de Mont-Saint-Louis-Saint-RosaireIn RimouskiAll grades | All grades | – | French public |
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.
What November brings in Rimouski: −2°C at night, 4°C by day
The month after, December, normally sees −3°C afternoons and −9°C nights. Snowfall in a normal November: 21 cm. November normally sees 78 mm of precipitation. At the extremes, July afternoons reach 24°C and January nights −15°C.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −5°C | −12°C | 226 mm |
| Spring | 8°C | −1°C | 219 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 13°C | 255 mm |
| Autumn | 11°C | 4°C | 265 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Rimouski); the forecast is on the Weather page
Guy Caron leads Rimouski as mayor
Rimouski sends one MNA (Member of the National Assembly, Québec’s legislature) to the National Assembly of Québec from the riding of the same name, though no open record we can reuse gives the name.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
More visits per person served than 85% of Quebec’s town libraries: Rimouski public library counts 7.1
From 6 branches, Rimouski public library serves 51,188 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
28% of Rimouski’s residents speak English and French (Quebec’s towns: 44%; Canadian towns: 7.5%)
2.5% 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 1.7% of residents, higher than Quebec’s towns (1.5%) yet lower than 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 52.0% of Rimouski
Women numbered 25,450 and men 23,485 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.
| Rimouski | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 60% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 26% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 14% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 65% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Rimouski has just 13% of households spending at least 30% of income on shelter, where the typical Canadian town has 18%
Shared with the rest of the Rimouski metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom
Rent took 17% of household income, near Quebec’s towns (18%) and lower than Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Rimouski | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $224,000 | $300,000 | $406,000 |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 13% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 18% | 20% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.
Rimouski’s oldest designated place, Maison Lamontagne, dates from 1744
The lists give 20 historic places here, 5 in the top tier. The record has 10 municipal citations, 3 Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings, a heritage railway station and a heritage lighthouse. Outside the boundary but close by, there is one more.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Rimouski | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 20% | 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 Rimouski
Famous people from Rimouski
87 notable people were born in Rimouski.
Photo credits
Pierre Harvey: Letartean, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Isabelle Charest: JuliaGirard, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Patrick Côté: Stryder1975 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Charlie Bilodeau: Luu, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Denis Grondin: Daniel Abel / photographe, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Marcelle Gauvreau: Inconnu (voir source), CC BY-SA 4.0
Rimouski’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rimouski | 51,756 | — | A | B− | A− | A |
| Saint-Anaclet-de-Lessard | 3,018 | 7.3 | A+ | A | A− | A− |
| Sainte-Luce | 2,808 | 18 | A− | A− | B− | B+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Rimouski
Do people in Rimouski speak French?
French comes first: 71.8% speak it alone, while 28% manage both languages (Canadian towns: 8%).
How old are the people of Rimouski?
The median resident is 47.2 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 14% are under 15 and 26% are 65 or over.
What kind of homes are in Rimouski?
Single-detached houses make up 49% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 2% are in high-rise apartments. 39% of households are one person, and the average is 2.
Has Rimouski grown?
It grew from 48,664 people in 2016 to 48,935 in 2021, up 0.6%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 51,756.
About Rimouski
Town in Quebec
Rimouski 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
- 51,756 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Rimouski-Neigette
- Census subdivision
- 2410043
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).