Saint-AmbroiseQuebec

This town in Quebec has a population of 4,262. Statistics Canada places it in the Le Saguenay-et-son-Fjord census division.

5 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Interaction Qui Ltée · Public domain

Population

4,262

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

44.8

years · Quebec’s towns: 44.8

Postsecondary

57%

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

#137 of 2,556

Is Saint-Ambroise a good place to live?

Where it does best is cost of living (A+). Saint-Ambroise’s overall grade of A puts it better than 93% of Canadian towns, #82 of 499 in Quebec. People here tend to be in good health (A−). Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for jobs & income, C+ for walkability and C+ for hazard risk.

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.

StrongestA⁺Cost of living A⁻Health

What makes Saint-Ambroise stand out

The 3 things Saint-Ambroise does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

2.4 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $180,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

4% unemployment

Of the labour force, against 10% for the median of Canadian towns

59% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

Cost of living

Better than 96%

of Canadian towns on cost of living

Its cost of living grade: A+.

How Saint-Ambroise grades

Each subject compares Saint-Ambroise 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

Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnA⁺Open →HealthAmong the healthiest places comparedA⁻Open →SafetyAhead of most towns comparedB⁺Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesC⁺Open →Hazard riskAbout average among the towns comparedC⁺Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workB⁻Open →

SchoolsWe don’t grade schools in Quebec. The reason: the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Saint-Ambroise.

HousingCost of living A⁺

Rent takes less of local pay in Saint-Ambroise than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 12% of household income

Shelter took 30% or more of income for 7% of households, lower than both Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%). Households that own their home make up 80%.

$180,000median home value, 2021A⁺Cost of living Grade

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

Saint-Ambroise$180,000

Quebec$300,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Saint-Ambroise	Quebec	Canada
Rent as a share of income	12%	18%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	7%	13%	18%
Households owning their home	80%	70%	74%

$516

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$870

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageSaint-Ambroise’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$516 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living2.4 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $180,000, against the median household income Owners and renters80% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.

HealthHealth A⁻

Saint-Ambroise’s health region reports 66% in very good or excellent health, ahead of the typical Canadian town’s 52%

Closer to home, a hospital is 18 km from the average resident of Saint-Ambroise, further than the usual 3.7 km. At 11%, the share of adults who smoke sits under the 12% for Quebec. Across the region, life runs to 81.8 years on average: women 83.2, men 80.4, in 2022/2024. The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 15% of adults, between Quebec’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%).

66%very good or excellent healthA⁻Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Saint-Ambroise66%

Quebec’s towns56%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Saint-Ambroise	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

18 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

11%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

16 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageSaint-Ambroise’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey66% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care18 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 16 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 · Not measured by town: health survey and life expectancy (the Région du Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean)

Climate

Winter nights bite in Saint-Ambroise: January lows of −20.4°C, colder than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns

There are 188 days of frost in a typical year, above both Quebec’s towns (161) and Canadian towns (159). The frost-free season runs from 20 May to 27 September, 128 days. Saint-Ambroise sees July afternoons of 24.5°C on average. Most of the snow comes in December, about 65 cm.

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	Saint-Ambroise	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 pageSaint-Ambroise’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 station35 km to the station · Bagotville

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

SafetySafety B⁺

For safety, Saint-Ambroise gets a B+

Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over Fjord-du-Saguenay MRC

Property crime in its police area ran at 11.4 per 1,000 residents a year, below Quebec’s towns (16.6) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike. Where it is policed, 10.2 violent incidents per 1,000 residents are recorded each year.

49Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202346

202454

202546

2023–2025	Saint-Ambroise	Quebec	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	11.4	16.6	31.2
Crime Severity Index	49	56	67
Violent crime	10.2	12.4	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

53%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageSaint-Ambroise’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety49 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Saint-Ambroise’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Saint-Ambroise safe?”

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

Hazards in Saint-Ambroise: wildfire low, radon over the guideline in 2.8% of tested homes

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

The expected yearly loss to earthquakes is $0.22 for each $1,000 of buildings, above Quebec’s towns ($0.14) and Canadian towns ($0.030) alike. Burn scars are few around Saint-Ambroise, with 0.3% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.008% a year). Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town.

Lowwildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

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

Saint-Ambroise2.8%

Quebec’s towns8.2%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Saint-Ambroise	Quebec	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.22	$0.14	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	2.8%	8.2%	6.6%

$0.22

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

Low

wildfire band

10 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageSaint-Ambroise’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon2.8% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.3% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.22 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

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

Weather

In Saint-Ambroise, November normally means 2°C afternoons and −5°C nights

November usually brings some 39 cm of snow. Expect about 66 mm of rain and snow over November. The year peaks in July (25°C) and bottoms out in January (−20°C). The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Alma.

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 pageSaint-Ambroise’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

Saint-Ambroise spends less per resident than 78% of Québec’s local municipalities

Saint-Ambroise is in Jonquière, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Mario Simard of the Bloc Québécois.

Full pageSaint-Ambroise’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itMunicipality Provincial legislatureDubuc

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade D

Bibliotheque De Shipshaw (Riviere) and Bibliothèque Publique De Saint-Ambroise are Saint-Ambroise’s two public libraries

Saint-Ambroise has no library board of its own in the provincial statistics, so no visit or loan figures appear here.

Full pageSaint-Ambroise’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

The libraries2 Libraries Places to belong2.1 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Little of the land around Saint-Ambroise is protected: 0.1% within 10 km

The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. The closest provincial park is Pointe-Taillon National Park (Québec), 22 km from the edge of town. The largest named area nearby is 02351R065 Biological Refuge, 172 ha, 8.6 km away.

0.1%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Saint-Ambroise0.1%

Quebec’s towns4.9%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Saint-Ambroise	Quebec	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0.1%	4.9%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	2	10	4

22 km

to Pointe-Taillon National Park (Québec)

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageSaint-Ambroise’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas02351R065 Biological Refuge National & provincial parks22 km to a provincial park · Pointe-Taillon National Park (Québec)

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

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁻

More commuters in Saint-Ambroise drive than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 94%

Commutes averaged 26 min, about level with both Quebec’s towns (27 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).

5%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van94%

Walk4%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Saint-Ambroise	Quebec	Canada
Car or van	94%	90%	89%
Average trip	26 min	27 min	26 min

$74,500

median household income, 2020

10%

worked from home, May 2021

30%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageSaint-Ambroise’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Getting to work5% walk, cycle or take transit Unemployment4.3% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Where people commute to770 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Saguenay

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.

Who lives here

31% of Saint-Ambroise’s adults live common-law

Children under 15 make up 18% of residents. Both official languages: 16% of residents, below Quebec’s towns (44%) but above Canadian towns (7.5%). People 65 and over make up just over a fifth of the town.

44.8median age

Saint-AmbroiseQuebecCanada

QuebecCanada

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

18%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree23%

Postsecondary qualification57%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 47.6% of Saint-Ambroise

Here the census found 2,030 men and 1,845 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.

Who lives in Saint-Ambroise
	Saint-Ambroise	Quebec	Canada
Under 15	18%	17%	16%
15 to 64	62%	62%	64%
65+	21%	20%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	23%	19%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	57%	59%	56%

Full pageSaint-Ambroise’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages44.8 median age · 21% are 65 or over Households1,695 households · 2.3 people per household Immigrants1% are immigrants · 0% belong to a visible minority English and French16% speak both · 84% speak French but not English

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

Schools

The nearest high school to Saint-Ambroise is 17 km away

2schools within 3 km

School	Level	Students	System
Collège Saint-AmbroiseIn Saint-AmbroiseElementary	Elementary	–	French public

See all 2 schools →

Schools within 3 km	Saint-Ambroise	Quebec	Canada
Nearest secondary school	17 km	1.2 km	1.2 km

17 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageSaint-Ambroise’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school2 elementary schools Language0 of 2 teach in English · 10% of schools in Quebec Questions“What schools are there in Saint-Ambroise?”

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.

Nearby attractions

Saint-François-Xavier Cathedral and 3 more within 40 km

Nothing to visit is mapped within 5 km of Saint-Ambroise; these are the best known within 40 km.

All attractions →

CathedralSaint-François-Xavier Cathedral25 km east

MuseumOld Chicoutimi Pulp Mill24 km east

MuseumAir Defence Museum35 km southeast

National parkNational park · SépaqMonts-Valin National Park40 km northeast

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

Photo credits (3)

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

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Saint-Ambroise

15pages on Saint-Ambroise

The big questions

SafetyB⁺Crime Severity Index 49 Housing & costA⁺Homes 2.4 × income Property pricesSchools2 schools within 3 km HealthA⁻Life expectancy 81.8 in its region Work & commuteB⁻59% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors0.1% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 25°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 44.8 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Famous people from around Saint-Ambroise

2 notable people were born in Saint-Ambroise; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.

Their page →

Véronyque TremblayCanadian journalist · born 1974

Jean-Paul LapointeCanadian painter · 1935–2007

Danielle GoyetteCanadian ice hockey player · born in Saint-Nazaire · born 1966

Antonio FlamandCanadian politician · born in Saint-Honoré · born 1933

Frank HudonCanadian singer-songwriter · born in Labrecque · born 1985

Roger PiloteCanadian politician · born in Saint-Nazaire · 1934–2023

Saint-Ambroise’s neighbours

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

Saint-David-de-FalardeauSaint-NazaireLabrecqueSaint-HonoréLaroucheSaint-Ambroise

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Saint-Ambroise	4,262	—	A	A⁺	B⁺	A⁻
Saint-David-de-Falardeau	3,128	18	B⁺	A⁻	B⁺	A⁻
Saint-Nazaire	2,167	18	—	A	B⁺	A
Labrecque	1,375	18	—	A⁺	B⁺	A⁻
Saint-Honoré	6,984	18	A⁺	A	B⁺	A
Larouche	1,734	19	—	A	B⁺	A

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

Questions about Saint-Ambroise

Who are the people of Saint-Ambroise?

At the 2021 census, 1% were immigrants and 0% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 3% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

Has Saint-Ambroise grown?

It grew from 3,781 people in 2016 to 3,883 in 2021, up 2.7%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 4,262.

What kind of homes are in Saint-Ambroise?

68% 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 2.3 people; 27% are one person living alone.

About Saint-Ambroise

Town in Quebec

TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Saint-Ambroise is one municipality in Quebec, figures and all.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 4,262 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Quebec
Census division: Le Saguenay-et-son-Fjord
Census subdivision: 2494255

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).