Saint-Charles-de-BellechasseQuebec
Statistics Canada places it in the Bellechasse census division. It is a town of 2,739 residents in Quebec.
Is Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse a good place to live?
Some subjects shine; others lag. Recorded crime is low (A). Housing is within reach (A−). Natural hazards weigh more here (D). Overall, that makes an A+, better than almost every Canadian town. The ranking puts it #15 of 499 in Quebec.
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-Charles-de-Bellechasse grades
Each subject compares Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse 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-Charles-de-Bellechasse stand out
The 3 things Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse.
On hazards, Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse comes out behind 91% of Canadian towns
Measured across the Chaudiere-Appalaches health region: radon tests
Seismic risk runs high: $0.13 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. In Health Canada’s survey, 13% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Flood mapping: none on the national inventory for Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 13% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.13 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
The police who cover Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse record less serious crime than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 40
Its police area records 9 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Violent incidents in its police area came to 8.5 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Quebec’s towns (12.4) and Canadian towns (12). Behind Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 sits data gathered across Bellechasse MRC, with Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse one part of it.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 9 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 40 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent crime | 8.5 | 12.4 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 73 | 88 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
A larger share of people aged 15 to 64 are in work in Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse than in 93% of Canadian towns
Commutes averaged 25 min, below both Quebec’s towns (27 min) and Canadian towns (26 min). The car carried 92% of commuters at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 25 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 92% | 90% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse has just 7% of households spending at least 30% of income on shelter, where the typical Canadian town has 18%
Rent took 15% of household income, lower than both Quebec’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (20%). Owners make up 79% of households.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 7% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 15% | 18% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 79% | 70% | 74% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.
More adults feel healthy around Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse: 59% say very good or excellent (52% for the typical Canadian town)
A child born in the region can expect 82.8 years, close to Quebec’s towns (82.5) and above Canadian towns (81.5). The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse’s is long: 18 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical. A pharmacy is nearer: 1.5 km on average, with 1.0 within 3 km of the typical home. Figures for health survey and life expectancy are published for the Région de la Chaudière-Appalaches as a whole, not for Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse alone.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 59% | 56% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Smokers | 13% | 12% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 82.8 | 82.5 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse is wetter than nine in ten Canadian towns: 1,216 mm of rain and snow a year
December is the snowiest month, with 77 cm on average. July is the wettest month, with 129 mm of rain and snow on average. Snowfall adds up to 299 cm a year, above both Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Summer highs in Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse reach 25.1°C in July.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 299 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| Precipitation a year | 1,216 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 25.1°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −16.0°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Saint Michel)
Children make up 23% of Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse, above Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
People 65 and over make up 16% of the town, below Quebec’s towns (20%) and Canadian towns (19%) alike. Visible minorities make up 2.7% of the population, below both Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%).
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 48.0% of Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse
The 2021 census counted 1,240 women and 1,345 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 23% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 61% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 16% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 67% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse and its edges hold 4 schools: 3 elementary schools and 1 secondary school
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École de l'ÉtincelleIn Saint-Charles-de-BellechasseElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| École secondaire de Saint-CharlesIn Saint-Charles-de-BellechasseSecondary | Secondary | – | French public |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Ungraded on schools in Quebec, because the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.
What November brings in Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse: −3°C at night, 4°C by day
Expect about 84 mm of rain and snow over November. A normal December brings highs of −3°C, lows of −11°C. November usually brings some 24 cm of snow. Also worth knowing: the forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Québec.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −5°C | −14°C | 261 mm |
| Spring | 8°C | −1°C | 270 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 13°C | 366 mm |
| Autumn | 12°C | 3°C | 319 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Saint Michel); the forecast is on the Weather page
Turnout in Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis reached 67% in 2021, above 79% of ridings
Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse sends one MNA (Member of the National Assembly, Québec’s legislature) to the National Assembly of Québec from Bellechasse, though no open record we can reuse gives the name.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse has one public library, Bibliothèque Jacques-Labrie
From the centre of Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse, it is 0.7 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Jacques-Cartier National Park (Québec), 45 km away, is the closest provincial park to Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse
Protected areas cover 3.6% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%. No national park lies within 100 km. The 10 km around town hold 32 protected areas. Biggest among them: I.O. Saint-Jean Ouest Water Fowl Gathering Area, 990 ha, 5.2 km off.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 13 | 10 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 3.6% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
The registers record 9 historic places in Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse
Its oldest building on the record is Église Saint-Charles-Borromée, from 1827. Homes from before 1961 make up just over a third of the stock, above Quebec’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
| Heritage | Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 35% | 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-Charles-de-Bellechasse
Vin Artisanal Le Ricaneux and 12 more within 40 km
One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse; with it, the best known within 40 km.
MuseumMusée national des beaux-arts du Québec22 km west · 324K visitors a year
MuseumMusée de la civilisation21 km west · 497K visitors a year
WaterfallMontmorency Falls21 km west
CastleQuébec Citadel21 km west
CathedralNotre-Dame Roman Catholic Cathedral21 km westPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec: colros, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Musée de la civilisation: Claude Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Montmorency Falls: Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Québec Citadel: chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Notre-Dame Roman Catholic Cathedral: Pierre-Olivier Fortin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse
8 notable people were born in Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse.
Photo credits
Jean Royer: RoyerL,ouis, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Joseph Oscar Lefebre Boulanger: Unknown author, Public domain · Louise Chabot: Le Collectif d'analyse politique (CAP) publie les Nouveaux Cahiers du socialisme / CAPNCS, CC BY 3.0
About Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse
Town in Quebec
TownRatings counts Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in Quebec; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 2,739 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Bellechasse
- Census subdivision
- 2419097
Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse | 2,739 | — | A+ | A− | A | B+ |
| Saint-Gervais | 2,235 | 7.2 | — | A− | A | B+ |
| Beaumont | 3,188 | 8 | A | B+ | A | A− |
| Saint-Michel-de-Bellechasse | 1,902 | 12 | — | A− | A | B+ |
| Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans | 1,659 | 12 | — | C+ | A+ | A+ |
| Saint-Henri | 6,048 | 13 | A | B− | A | A− |
| Saint-Raphaël | 2,488 | 15 | — | A | A | B+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse
What kind of homes are in Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse?
Mostly 78% 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 28% have just one.
Has Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse grown?
Yes: the census counted 2,396 in 2016 and 2,583 in 2021, a rise of 7.8%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 2,739.
How old are the people of Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse?
The median resident is 36.8 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 23% are under 15 and 16% are 65 or over.
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).