SaguenayQuebec

A town of 151,972 in Quebec. Statistics Canada places it in the Le Saguenay-et-son-Fjord census division.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: SaguenayMaville · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

151,972

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · Quebec’s towns: 44.8

Postsecondary

64%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

TownGrade

#221 of 2,556

Is Saguenay a good place to live?

Saguenay’s strongest is health (A). Work and incomes are strong (B+). The typical owner put their home at $220,000 in 2021: 3.2 years of the median household’s income. Overall, that makes an A, good for #125 of 499 in Quebec. That leaves it better than 88% of Canadian towns.

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. 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.

StrongestAHealth

What makes Saguenay stand out

The 3 things Saguenay does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Immigrants

Who lives here

1% are immigrants

Where the typical figure for Canadian towns is 6%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Health

Better than 94%

of Canadian towns on health

Its health grade: A.

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

6% unemployment

The median of Canadian towns: 10%

57% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

How Saguenay grades

Each subject compares Saguenay 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 grading works

HealthGraded on how healthy residents areAOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work beat most townsB⁺Open →WalkabilityAbove the middle of the towns comparedB⁺Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentB⁺Open →Cost of livingNear typical for the towns comparedBOpen →Hazard riskBased on earthquake losses and radon in homes; a high wildfire risk can pull it downC⁺Open →

SchoolsNo schools grade in Quebec: the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

Nearby attractions

Saint-François-Xavier Cathedral and 11 more in and around Saguenay

A first look at Saguenay’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.

All attractions →

CathedralSaint-François-Xavier Cathedralin town

MuseumAir Defence Museumin town

MuseumOld Chicoutimi Pulp Millin town

MuseumMusée du Fjordin town MuseumMuseumMusée de la Petite Maison Blanchein town MuseumMuseumArvida Heritage Centrein town

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · ODCAF · federal and Québec heritage registers · CPCAD

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (4)

Saint-François-Xavier Cathedral: Chris-13~commonswiki, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Air Defence Museum: Cantons-de-l'Est, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Old Chicoutimi Pulp Mill: Chicoutimi, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Musée du Fjord: Adqproductions, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Saguenay.

HealthHealth A

Saguenay gets an A for health

Measured from where Saguenay’s residents live, a hospital is 3.6 km away, near the 3.7 km most towns see. Smoking is rarer than in the province: just over one in ten adults, against 12% for Quebec. In the health survey, 66% of adults in the region rated their health very good or excellent, above both Quebec’s towns (56%) and Canadian towns (52%). Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 81.8, women 83.2 and men 80.4 (2022/2024). Saguenay shares its health survey and life expectancy numbers with the rest of the Région du Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean.

66%very good or excellent healthAHealth Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Saguenay66%

Quebec’s towns56%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Saguenay	Quebec	Canada
Very good or excellent health	66%	56%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	15%	15%	17%
Smokers	11%	12%	12%
Life expectancy at birth	81.8	82.5	81.5

81.8

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

11%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

2.7 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageSaguenay’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey66% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care3.6 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 2.7 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.2, men 80.4 Conditions and habits15% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Climate

Saguenay has colder winters than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −20.4°C

There are 188 days of frost in a typical year, above Quebec’s towns (161) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Between the last spring frost, 20 May, and the first in autumn, 27 September, lie 128 days. A July afternoon in Saguenay typically reaches 24.5°C. A normal December brings 65 cm of snow, the most of any month.

24.5°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−7.4°C

Spring7.8°C

Summer23.4°C

Autumn10.1°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Saguenay	Quebec	Canada
Snowfall a year	302 cm	217 cm	141 cm
January night low	−20.4°C	−14.7°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	24.5°C	26.5°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	188	161	159

302 cm

of snow a year

188

days with frost a year

128

frost-free days, 20 May to 27 Sep

143

days with precipitation a year

Full pageSaguenay’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 24.5°C, January lows −20.4°C Rain and snow928 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow302 cm of snow a year Weather station11 km to the station · Bagotville

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Bagotville)

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁺

Trips to work from Saguenay are shorter than from Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 18 min on average

The car took 92% of commuters, in line with Quebec’s towns (90%) and Canadian towns (89%).

6%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van92%

Walk4%

Public transit2%

Bicycle0%

Census 2021	Saguenay	Quebec	Canada
Average trip	18 min	27 min	26 min
Car or van	92%	90%	89%

$69,000

median household income, 2020

14%

worked from home, May 2021

93%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageSaguenay’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment5.5% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work6% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to1,055 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Alma

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.

SafetySafety B⁺

Saguenay gets a B+ for safety

Property crime accounts for 16.2 incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Violent incidents came to 13.3 per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Quebec’s towns (12.4) and Canadian towns (12).

53Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202353

202457

202550

2023–2025	Saguenay	Quebec	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	16.2	16.6	31.2
Violent crime	13.3	12.4	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

53%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageSaguenay’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety53 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Saguenay’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Saguenay safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

HousingCost of living B

Fewer households own their home in Saguenay than in Quebec’s towns or across Canadian towns: 62%

Area-wide: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, counted over the Saguenay metro area

Shelter took 30% or more of income for just over one in ten households, about level with Quebec’s towns (13%) and below Canadian towns (18%). Rent took 17% of household income, close to Quebec’s towns (18%) and below Canadian towns (20%).

$220,000median home value, 2021BCost of living Grade

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Saguenay$220,000

Quebec$300,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Saguenay	Quebec	Canada
Households owning their home	62%	70%	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	12%	13%	18%
Median home value, 2021	$220,000	$300,000	$406,000
Rent as a share of income	17%	18%	20%

$986

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,010

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageSaguenay’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters62% own their home Cost of living3.2 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $220,000, against the median household income Renting$986 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey

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.

Outdoors

A provincial park at Saguenay’s edge: Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park

The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. Protected areas open to the public, within 10 km of the town: 25, above Quebec’s towns (10) and Canadian towns (4) alike. In addition, 6% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). For a swim, Battures aux Loups Marins is the nearest of 11 beaches within 5 km.

6%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Saguenay6%

Quebec’s towns4.9%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Saguenay	Quebec	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	25	10	4
Protected land within 10 km	6%	4.9%	2.3%

At the edge

to Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageSaguenay’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas29 protected areas within 10 km · Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

A flood study covers Saguenay: 6 on the national inventory, the newest from Gouvernement du Québec

Measured across the Saguenay - Lac-Saint-Jean health region: radon tests

Little of the land around Saguenay has burned: 0.8% within 25 km since 1986, or 0.02% a year. The expected yearly loss to earthquakes is $0.21 for each $1,000 of buildings, above Quebec’s towns ($0.14) and Canadian towns ($0.030) alike. In Health Canada’s survey, just 2.8% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical).

Lowwildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Saguenay2.8%

Quebec’s towns8.2%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Saguenay	Quebec	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.21	$0.14	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	2.8%	8.2%	6.6%

$0.21

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Low

wildfire band

0.4 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageSaguenay’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Flood6 flood studies on record WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.8% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Earthquakes$0.21 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon2.8% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

Weather

In Saguenay, November normally means 2°C afternoons and −5°C nights

Rain and snow over a typical November come to 66 mm. About 39 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Over the year, July is warmest at 25°C by day and January coldest at −20°C by night. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Saguenay forecast.

2°Ca normal November afternoon

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November2°C

December−5°C

January−10°C

February−7°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−7°C	−18°C	171 mm
Spring	8°C	−4°C	197 mm
Summer	23°C	11°C	301 mm
Autumn	10°C	1°C	260 mm

−5°C

a normal November night

66 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageSaguenay’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Bagotville); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Each seat on Saguenay’s council stands for 9,500 residents, more than in 99% of Quebec municipalities

The mayor of Saguenay is Luc Boivin, who sits with 15 councillors.

Full pageSaguenay’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Member of ParliamentRichard Martel council seats16

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C

Saguenay has 10 public library branches

The population Saguenay public library serves is 151,972.

Full pageSaguenay’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

A year at the library3.7 visits per person served Places to belong1.5 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Schools

3 school boards share Saguenay

Of the 60, 2 teach in English (10% of schools in Quebec). Counting a 3 km margin, Saguenay has 45 elementary schools, 11 secondary schools and 4 schools for every grade. Teenagers have 2.3 km to go to the closest secondary school, higher than both Quebec’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km).

60schools within 3 km

School	Level	Students	System
ÉcolACTion IndependentIn SaguenayElementary	Elementary	–	Independent
École polyvalente ArvidaIn SaguenaySecondary	Secondary	–	French public
École primaire régionale Riverside EnglishTeaches in EnglishElementary	Elementary	–	English public

See all 60 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

French public55

Independent3

English public2

Schools within 3 km	Saguenay	Quebec	Canada
School boards	3	2	3
Nearest secondary school	2.3 km	1.2 km	1.2 km

2.3 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageSaguenay’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The boards3 school boards · Centre de services scolaire des Rives-du-Saguenay Every school60 schools within 3 km · 45 elementary schools, 11 secondary schools and 4 schools for every grade Language2 of 60 teach in English · 10% of schools in Quebec Questions“What schools are there in Saguenay?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Why no schools grade in Quebec? The ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.

Who lives here

Saguenay skews older, with 25% of residents 65 or over, more than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns

2% of residents belong to a visible minority, lower than both Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%). Both official languages: 24% of residents, between Quebec’s towns (44%) and Canadian towns (7.5%).

46median age

SaguenayQuebecCanada

QuebecCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

25%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree16%

Postsecondary qualification64%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 50.3% of Saguenay

By the 2021 count the town had 72,790 women and 71,935 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.

Who lives in Saguenay
	Saguenay	Quebec	Canada
Under 15	15%	17%	16%
15 to 64	60%	62%	64%
65+	25%	20%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	16%	19%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	64%	59%	56%

Full pageSaguenay’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages46 median age · 25% are 65 or over Households67,525 households · 2.1 people per household Immigrants1% are immigrants · 2% belong to a visible minority English and French24% speak both · 75% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

History

Saguenay has 112 historic places on the registers, 16 in the top tier

Go back to 1840 and you reach 8782, chemin de la Batture, the oldest of them. Among the places are 95 municipal citations and a Recognized Federal Heritage Building. One more stands just outside, within 5 km of the town’s edge.

112historic places

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations16

Other federal designations1

Provincial and local listings95

Among them

1840

oldest construction date on the record

26%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

historic place just outside the town

National Historic Sites

Heritage	Saguenay	Quebec	Canada
Homes built before 1961	26%	21%	18%

Full pageSaguenay’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers112 historic places inside the town Highest designations16 top designations · Old Chicoutimi Pulp Mill Older homes26% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Saguenay have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Saguenay

15pages on Saguenay

The big questions

SafetyB⁺Crime Severity Index 53 Housing & costBHomes 3.2 × income Property pricesSchools60 schools within 3 km HealthALife expectancy 81.8 in its region Work & commuteB⁺57% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors6% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 25°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 46 History112 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from Saguenay

270 notable people were born in Saguenay.

See all 270 →

John KricfalusiCanadian animator · born 1955

Valérie MaltaisCanadian speed skater · born 1990

Georges VézinaIce Hockey Goaltender · 1887–1926

Marc GagnonCanadian short track speed skater · born 1975

Stan StasiakCanadian professional wrestler · 1937–1997

Antoine DuchesneCanadian cyclist · born 1991

Photo credits

John Kricfalusi: 48states, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Valérie Maltais: Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Georges Vézina: Unknown author, Public domain · Marc Gagnon: Alex Sirac, CC BY 4.0 · Stan Stasiak: This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1931 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice . For further explanation, see Commons, Public domain · Antoine Duchesne: Jérémy-Günther-Heinz Jähnick, CC BY-SA 3.0

Saguenay’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

Saint-FulgenceSaint-HonoréSaguenay

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Saguenay	151,972	—	A	B	B⁺	A
Saint-Fulgence	2,202	14	—	B	B⁺	A
Saint-Honoré	6,984	14	A⁺	A	B⁺	A

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Saguenay

Do people in Saguenay speak French?

It is a French-speaking town: 75.3% know French alone, and 24% can talk in English too, against 8% for the median of Canadian towns.

What kind of homes are in Saguenay?

Single-detached houses make up 48% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 2% are in high-rise apartments. 36% of households are one person, and the average is 2.1.

Has Saguenay grown?

It went from 145,949 people in 2016 to 144,723 in 2021, down 0.8%, while the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 151,972.

About Saguenay

Town in Quebec

The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Saguenay 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: 151,972 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Quebec
Census division: Le Saguenay-et-son-Fjord
Census subdivision: 2494068

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).