Saint-ZénonQuebec
1,435 residents make their home in this town in Quebec. It lies in Matawinie.
Is Saint-Zénon a good place to live?
Where it does best is hazard risk (B+). Work and incomes lag (D−). Homes are dear (C−). Elsewhere it is close to typical: B for safety, B for health and B− for walkability.
Canadian towns get an overall grade from 2,500 residents, so Saint-Zénon has subject grades only.
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. Crime here is counted against the people who live here, but many visitors or second-home owners add to it, so the rate per resident runs higher than residents' own risk. 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 Saint-Zénon stand out
The 3 things Saint-Zénon does most differently from other towns.
How Saint-Zénon grades
Each subject compares Saint-Zénon with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Canadian towns get an overall grade from 2,500 residents, so Saint-Zénon has subject grades only.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Saint-Zénon.
Commuters in Saint-Zénon travel further than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns, 31 min on average
The car took 86% of commuters, lower than Quebec’s towns (90%) and near Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Saint-Zénon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 31 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.
More households own their home in Saint-Zénon than in Quebec’s towns or across Canadian towns: 82%
Owners put the median home at $200,000, lower than both Quebec’s towns ($300,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000). Shelter took 30% or more of income for just over one in ten households, 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-Zénon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 82% | 70% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 11% | 13% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $200,000 | $300,000 | $406,000 |
| Rent as a share of income | 21% | 18% | 20% |
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.
Hazards in Saint-Zénon are mild: low wildfire and earthquake risk, and 3.9% of area homes above the radon guideline
For earthquakes Saint-Zénon is middling, $0.042 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Saint-Zénon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 3.9% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.042 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Radon tests: one figure for all of the Lanaudiere health region
A median age of 60.8: Saint-Zénon is older than 99% of Canadian towns
1.9% of residents belong to a visible minority, below Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. Both official languages: 28% of residents, between Quebec’s towns (44%) and Canadian towns (7.5%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
44.5% of Saint-Zénon’s residents are women
Here the census found 585 women and 730 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| Saint-Zénon | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 6.8% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 57% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 36% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 25% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 47% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Saint-Zénon gets more frosts than 89% of Canadian towns
Winter lows average −18.3°C in January, lower than both Quebec’s towns (−14.7°C) and Canadian towns (−13.5°C). Between the last spring frost, 28 May, and the first in autumn, 15 September, lie 110 days. Midsummer afternoons in Saint-Zénon peak at about 25.3°C.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Saint-Zénon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days with frost a year | 196 | 161 | 159 |
| January night low | −18.3°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 25.3°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 948 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (St-Jovite)
A national route near Saint-Zénon: the Sentier National
The nearest national park is La Mauricie National Park, 39 km away. Within 5 km lie 2 beaches, unnamed on the map. A provincial park, Mont-Tremblant National Park (Québec), lies 5.7 km away. Public parks and reserves within 10 km: 42, above both Quebec’s towns (10) and Canadian towns (4).
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Saint-Zénon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 42 | 10 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 7% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
For safety, Saint-Zénon gets a B
Property crime in its police area ran at 14.7 per 1,000 residents a year, below Quebec’s towns (16.6) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike. Violent crime in the area its police cover: 10.8 per 1,000 people a year. For Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, the only official count covers all of Matawinie MRC, Saint-Zénon included.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Saint-Zénon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 14.7 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 10.8 | 12.4 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
The nearest hospital is 64 km from the average home in Saint-Zénon
Area-wide: health survey and life expectancy, counted over the Région de Lanaudière
On average 15% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, about level with Quebec’s towns (15%) and below Canadian towns (17%). Lives in the region last 82.0 years on average (2022/2024): 83.7 for women, 80.3 for men. Across the region, 56% of adults say their health is very good or excellent, much as in Quebec (57%).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Saint-Zénon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Smokers | 14% | 12% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 56% | 56% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 82.0 | 82.5 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Saint-Zénon in November: highs near 5°C, lows near −5°C
A normal November brings 75 mm of rain and snow. Then December: −3°C by day, −13°C at night. Also worth knowing: over the year, July is warmest at 25°C by day and January coldest at −18°C by night. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Saint-Michel-des-Saints forecast.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −4°C | −16°C | 195 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | −4°C | 209 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 10°C | 284 mm |
| Autumn | 12°C | 0°C | 260 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (St-Jovite); the forecast is on the Weather page
Each seat on Saint-Zénon’s council speaks for just 210 residents, fewer than in 79% of Quebec municipalities
Saint-Zénon sends one MP to Ottawa from Joliette—Manawan, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP): Gabriel Ste-Marie (Bloc Québécois).
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Saint-Zénon’s public library is Bibliothèque De Saint-Zenon (Daniele-Bruneau)
It sits 2.3 km from the centre of Saint-Zénon.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
No high school in or near Saint-Zénon: the closest is 13 km off
An elementary school stands 2.4 km from the centre, above both Quebec’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École primaire BérardIn Saint-ZénonElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| Schools within 3 km | Saint-Zénon | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 13 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 2.4 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
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.
Everything we know about Saint-Zénon
Saint-Zénon’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Zénon | 1,435 | — | — | C− | B | B |
| Saint-Michel-des-Saints | 2,841 | 13 | B− | B− | B | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Saint-Zénon
Has Saint-Zénon grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 1,120 to 1,317 residents (up 17.6%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 1,435.
Do people in Saint-Zénon speak French?
French is the common language here.
Who are the people of Saint-Zénon?
At the 2021 census, 5% were immigrants and 2% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 2% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Saint-Zénon?
Mostly 92% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 1.8 people on average, and 42% have just one.
About Saint-Zénon
Town in Quebec
TownRatings counts Saint-Zénon 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
- 1,435 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Matawinie
- Census subdivision
- 2462080
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).