Saint-BonifaceQuebec
With 5,405 residents, it is a town in Quebec. Its population rose 7% from 2016 to 2021.
Is Saint-Boniface a good place to live?
A strong record with one exception. Its strongest subject is cost of living (A). At A+ overall, Saint-Boniface ranks #13 of 499 in Quebec. It comes out better than almost every Canadian town. Health is a strength (A−). The drawback is walkability (C).
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.
How Saint-Boniface grades
Each subject compares Saint-Boniface 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 Saint-Boniface stand out
The 3 things Saint-Boniface does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Saint-Boniface.
Renting in Saint-Boniface costs 13% of household income, less than in Quebec’s towns and across Canadian towns
Home ownership covers 83% of households. 6% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than both Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Saint-Boniface | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 6% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 13% | 18% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 83% | 70% | 74% |
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.
61% of adults around Saint-Boniface call their health very good or excellent, above the typical Canadian town’s 52%
13% of adults smoke, daily or now and then, above Quebec’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. Women in the region live to 83.3 and men to 79.9, 81.6 years taken together (2022/2024). Closer to home, a hospital is 6.7 km from the average resident of Saint-Boniface, further than the usual 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Saint-Boniface | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 61% | 56% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Smokers | 13% | 12% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.6 | 82.5 | 81.5 |
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 de la Mauricie et du Centre-du-Québec)
The police who cover Saint-Boniface record less serious crime than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 44
For violence alone, its police area’s index was 61, below Quebec’s towns (88) and Canadian towns (86) alike. Violent crime in the area its police cover: 9.3 per 1,000 people a year. Property crime in the area its police cover: 12.6 per 1,000 people a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Saint-Boniface | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 12.6 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 61 | 88 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 44 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent crime | 9.3 | 12.4 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: one figure for all of Maskinongé MRC
Flood mapping exists for Saint-Boniface: 1 on record, latest by Gouvernement du Québec
Burn scars are few around Saint-Boniface, with 0.1% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.003% a year).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Saint-Boniface | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 0% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.090 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Radon tests published for the Mauricie et Centre-du-Quebec health region, not by town
Saint-Boniface has fewer jobs than residents in work: 0.5 for each
Workers spend 25 min getting to work, on average.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Saint-Boniface | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 25 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.
More snow falls on Saint-Boniface than on 90% of Canadian towns: about 274 cm a year
July afternoons reach 25.1°C on average, lower than Quebec’s towns (26.5°C) and near Canadian towns (25.5°C). December is the snowiest month, with 69 cm on average. For the wettest month, look to July: 125 mm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Saint-Boniface | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 274 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 25.1°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,101 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 145 | 161 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Trois-Rivières)
Expect November days around 5°C in Saint-Boniface, nights around −1°C
The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Shawinigan. Expect about 88 mm of rain and snow over November. Next comes December, with normal highs of −2°C and lows of −9°C. Snowfall in a normal November: 24 cm.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −4°C | −12°C | 244 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | 0°C | 247 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 15°C | 325 mm |
| Autumn | 12°C | 5°C | 285 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Trois-Rivières); the forecast is on the Weather page
Berthier—Maskinongé was won by 937 votes in 2021, a tighter race than 96% of ridings
Alain Gélinas is mayor of Saint-Boniface, with 6 councillors on the council.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Saint-Boniface’s public library works from 3 branches
They are Bibliothèque De Saint-Boniface, Bibliothèque De Saint-Thomas-De-Caxton (Saint-Étienne-Des-Gres) and Bibliotheque Saint-Jean-Des-Piles.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
A town of families: 20% of people in Saint-Boniface are under 15, more than in Quebec’s towns and across Canadian towns
27% speak both English and French, below Quebec’s towns (44%) but above Canadian towns (7.5%). Over-65s are a fifth of the population.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
49.8% of Saint-Boniface’s residents are women
Census 2021 put women at 2,565 and men at 2,590; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| Saint-Boniface | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 60% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 20% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 64% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
In and around Saint-Boniface, 14 schools: 8 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and 2 schools for every grade
In English: one of the 14 schools, where in Quebec the share is 10%. From the town centre, high school starts 6.2 km away, higher than both Quebec’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École Sainte-MarieIn Saint-BonifaceElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| École secondaire Val-Mauricie (Val-Mauricie, secondaire)Nearest secondary school, 1 kmSecondary | Secondary | – | French public |
| École secondaire de Shawinigan EnglishTeaches in EnglishAll grades | All grades | – | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Saint-Boniface | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 6.2 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| School boards | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Schools grade in Quebec: none (the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school).
Saint-Boniface is 6.3 km from La Mauricie National Park
Named trails close by number 5, the Sentier Citoyen Sud and Sentier Citoyen Nord among them. Mont-Tremblant National Park (Québec) is the closest provincial park, at 74 km. 13 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. Swimmers have 4 beaches within 5 km, Plage municipal the nearest.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Saint-Boniface | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 10 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 3.1% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Saint-Boniface’s 1 historic place is a top designation
20% of its homes were built before 1961, between Quebec’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Saint-Boniface | 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 Saint-Boniface
La Cité de l'Énergie and 4 more in and around Saint-Boniface
The best-known places to visit in and around Saint-Boniface come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
MuseumLa Cité de l'Énergie1.2 km outside town, to the northeastTheme parkTheme parkArbre en Arbre Shawinigan1.4 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumGarage de la Culture4 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumOzias Leduc En Mauricie - National Historic Site of Canada1.8 km outside town, to the northeastZooZooRanch Dupont3.3 km outside town, to the eastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- La Cité de l'Énergie: Sylvain Perron, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Saint-Boniface
2 notable people were born in Saint-Boniface; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Aline Chrétien: Jean_and_Aline_Chretien.jpg : Presidential Press and Information Office derivative work: Jbarta, CC BY 3.0 · Luc Gélinas: Bibliothèques de Montréal, CC BY 3.0 · Jean Chrétien: Michael Ignatieff, CC BY 2.0 · Jacques Plante: Unknown author, Public domain · Allyn Ann McLerie: CBS Television, Public domain · Marcel Pronovost: TGC-Topps Gum Cards, Public domain
About Saint-Boniface
Town in Quebec
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Saint-Boniface 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
- 5,405 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Maskinongé
- Census subdivision
- 2451085
Saint-Boniface’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Boniface | 5,405 | — | A+ | A | A− | A− |
| Charette | 1,178 | 8 | — | A− | A− | B+ |
| Saint-Étienne-des-Grès | 4,675 | 8.4 | A+ | A | A− | A− |
| Saint-Élie-de-Caxton | 2,062 | 9.2 | — | A− | A− | B+ |
| Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel | 6,613 | 11 | A | A | A | A− |
| Shawinigan | 51,739 | 11 | B | B | C+ | A |
| Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc | 1,598 | 12 | — | A | A− | A− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Saint-Boniface
Do people in Saint-Boniface speak French?
French comes first: 73.4% speak it alone, while 27% manage both languages (Canadian towns: 8%).
Who are the people of Saint-Boniface?
At the 2021 census, 1% were immigrants and 1% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 3% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Saint-Boniface?
Mostly 85% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.4 people on average, and 23% have just one.
Is Saint-Boniface growing?
Yes: the census counted 4,832 in 2016 and 5,156 in 2021, a rise of 6.7%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 5,405.
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).