Rouyn-NorandaQuebec
43,270 people call this town in Quebec home.
Is Rouyn-Noranda a good place to live?
Jobs & income is where it shines (A−). Rouyn-Noranda’s overall grade, B+, puts it better than nearly three quarters of Canadian towns. The ranking puts it #227 of 499 in Quebec. Homes were valued at a median $276,000 at the 2021 census, 3.7 times the typical household’s income. Walkability is another plus (A−). The rest of its grades are middling: B− for safety and B for health.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
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 Rouyn-Noranda stand out
The 3 things Rouyn-Noranda does most differently from other towns.
How Rouyn-Noranda grades
Each subject compares Rouyn-Noranda 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 Rouyn-Noranda.
Rouyn-Noranda faces few natural hazards: little fire nearby, low seismic risk, radon over the guideline in 4.3% of tested homes
The expected yearly loss to earthquakes is $0.024 for each $1,000 of buildings, lower than Quebec’s towns ($0.14) and near Canadian towns ($0.030). Fire seldom reaches Rouyn-Noranda: since 1986, 1.4% of the land within 25 km has burned (0.04% a year). Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town. Figures for radon tests are published for the Abitibi-Temiscamingue health region as a whole, not for Rouyn-Noranda alone.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Rouyn-Noranda | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.024 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 4.3% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Commuters in Rouyn-Noranda have a short way to work, 21 min on average, less than in Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
86% of commuters took the car to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Rouyn-Noranda | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 21 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 86% | 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.
Few places match Rouyn-Noranda for protected land nearby: more than nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Protected areas take in 14% of the town itself. Within 100 km there is no national park. The tally of protected areas open to the public within 10 km is 89, higher than both Quebec’s towns (10) and Canadian towns (4). Walkers have 15 mapped routes close by, starting with the Sentier Cédrière and Sentier Clintonie.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Rouyn-Noranda | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 89 | 10 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 11% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Summers stay cool in Rouyn-Noranda: July afternoons reach 23.7°C, below Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
The coldest nights come in January, when Rouyn-Noranda averages a low of −20.1°C. There are 188 days of frost in a typical year, above Quebec’s towns (161) and Canadian towns (159) alike. A normal August brings 90 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Rouyn-Noranda | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 23.7°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −20.1°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 188 | 161 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 787 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Rouyn)
Expect 79.5 years of life in the region around Rouyn-Noranda, 2.0 under the typical Canadian town
Smokers make up 15% of the region’s adults, above Quebec’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. On self-rated health the region tracks the province: 57% very good or excellent, 57% for Quebec. Measured from where Rouyn-Noranda’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 7.1 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km. For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the Région de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda included.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Rouyn-Noranda | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.5 | 82.5 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 57% | 56% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
In Rouyn-Noranda, November normally means 1°C afternoons and −6°C nights
Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Rouyn-Noranda forecast, on the Weather page. Precipitation in November averages 63 mm.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −8°C | −18°C | 138 mm |
| Spring | 7°C | −4°C | 170 mm |
| Summer | 22°C | 11°C | 251 mm |
| Autumn | 9°C | 1°C | 229 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Rouyn); the forecast is on the Weather page
3,330 residents per council seat in Rouyn-Noranda, a higher ratio than 94% of Quebec municipalities
The mayor of Rouyn-Noranda is Gilles Chapadeau, who sits with 12 councillors.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
9 public library branches serve Rouyn-Noranda
The population Rouyn-Noranda public library serves is 43,229.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
36% of Rouyn-Noranda’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. The share of residents under 15 is 17%. The 65-and-over age group makes up 20% of residents.
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 49.9% of Rouyn-Noranda
21,205 men and 21,105 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.
| Rouyn-Noranda | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 63% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 20% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 22% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 58% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Shelter costs push only 11% of Rouyn-Noranda’s households past 30% of income, fewer than the 18% of the typical Canadian town
A year’s rent came to 16% of the median household income, below both Quebec’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Rouyn-Noranda | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 11% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 16% | 18% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $276,000 | $300,000 | $406,000 |
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. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom published for the Rouyn-Noranda metro area, not by town
Violent crime weighs more on Rouyn-Noranda than on Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 113
Violent crime runs at 17.2 per 1,000 residents a year. Property crime runs at 16 per 1,000 people a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Rouyn-Noranda | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 17.2 | 12.4 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 113 | 88 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 16 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
5 school boards share Rouyn-Noranda
Within 3 km of Rouyn-Noranda are 24 elementary schools and 16 schools for every grade. Schooling in English is on offer at one of the 40; in Quebec, 10% of schools teach in it.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amo Ososwan SchoolIn Rouyn-NorandaElementary | Elementary | – | Other |
| École D'IbervilleIn Rouyn-NorandaAll grades | All grades | – | French public |
| École Noranda EnglishTeaches in EnglishAll grades | All grades | – | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Rouyn-Noranda | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 5 | 2 | 3 |
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.
One top designation among Rouyn-Noranda’s 3 historic places
Homes from before 1961 make up 31% of the stock, higher than both Quebec’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). Site patrimonial de la Maison-Dumulon, begun in 1923, is the oldest by its record. The list takes in a municipal citation and a Recognized Federal Heritage Building.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Rouyn-Noranda | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 31% | 21% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Saint Joseph Cathedral and 4 more in and around Rouyn-Noranda
What there is to see in Rouyn-Noranda and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
CathedralSaint Joseph Cathedralin townMuseumMuseumMA Art Museumin townNational parkNational park · SépaqAiguebelle National Parkin townMuseumMuseumMagasin général Dumulon (1924)in townArt galleryArt galleryÉcartin townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Saint Joseph Cathedral: François Ruph, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Everything we know about Rouyn-Noranda
Famous people from Rouyn-Noranda
103 notable people were born in Rouyn-Noranda.
Photo credits
Bruce Greenwood: Mike Muegel, CC BY 2.0 · Valérie Plante: Evan Schneider / United Nations, CC BY 2.0 · Dave Keon: Unknown author, Public domain · Olivia Baril: Kakoula10, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pit Martin: Ralston-Purina Company, makers of Chex cereals, Public domain · Jacques Cloutier: Resolute, CC BY-SA 3.0
Questions about Rouyn-Noranda
Do people in Rouyn-Noranda speak French?
Almost everyone does. 36% are bilingual, where the median of Canadian towns is 8%, and 63.8% speak French and no English.
What kind of homes are in Rouyn-Noranda?
Single-detached houses make up 53% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments.
Is Rouyn-Noranda growing?
No: the census counted 42,334 in 2016 and 42,313 in 2021, 0% fewer, against growth of 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 43,270.
About Rouyn-Noranda
Town in Quebec
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Rouyn-Noranda 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
- 43,270 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census subdivision
- 2486042
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).