SheffordQuebec
With 7,704 residents, it is a town in Quebec. Statistics Canada places it in the La Haute-Yamaska census division.
Is Shefford a good place to live?
A strong record with one exception. Health outcomes beat most towns (A). Jobs and pay hold up well (A−). At $348,000, the median home value in 2021 came to 3.6 times local household income. What counts against it is walkability (D). The overall grade lands at A, #121 of 499 in Quebec. On that grade it does better than 88% of Canadian towns.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
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 Shefford grades
Each subject compares Shefford 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 Shefford stand out
The 3 things Shefford does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Shefford.
For health, Shefford gets an A
The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the Région de l'Estrie
Closer to home, a hospital is 10 km from the average resident of Shefford, further than the usual 3.7 km. Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect 14% of the region’s adults on average, below both Quebec’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%). About as many adults call their health very good or excellent here as across Quebec, 57% against 57%. Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 82.9, women 84.8 and men 81.0 (2022/2024).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Shefford | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 57% | 56% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 82.9 | 82.5 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Shefford has 0.2 jobs for every resident in work, so most commute out
Commutes averaged 27 min, close to Quebec’s towns (27 min) and above Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Shefford | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 27 min | 27 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
For safety, Shefford gets an A−
The index for the force that serves it came to 45, below both Quebec’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67). Across its police area, there are 11.2 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. The force’s area logs 9.4 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Shefford | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 11.2 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 45 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent crime | 9.4 | 12.4 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 74 | 88 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Data for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 covers Haute-Yamaska MRC
Wet weather: 1,226 mm of rain and snow a year falls on Shefford, more than on 91% of Canadian towns
For the wettest month, look to July: 122 mm on average. Snowfall adds up to 262 cm a year, above both Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Gardeners get 154 frost-free days, from 6 May to 8 October. Snow peaks in January: 59 cm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Shefford | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 262 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| Precipitation a year | 1,226 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 25.6°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 154 | 161 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Granby)
More households own their home in Shefford than in Quebec’s towns or across Canadian towns: 92%
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 8% of households, lower than both Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%). Rent took 15% of household income, lower than both Quebec’s towns (18%) and Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Shefford | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 92% | 70% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 8% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 15% | 18% | 20% |
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.
A flood study covers Shefford: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Gouvernement du Québec
About as many homes carry radon around Shefford as elsewhere, 8.2% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Averaged over the years, quake damage costs $0.052 per $1,000 of buildings, below Quebec’s towns ($0.14) and close to Canadian towns ($0.030).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Shefford | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.052 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8.2% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Not measured by town: radon tests (the Monteregie health region)
Expect November days around 6°C in Shefford, nights around −2°C
July brings the warmest days, 26°C; January the coldest nights, −13°C. November usually brings some 22 cm of snow. Expect about 92 mm of rain and snow over November. ECCC’s forecast for Granby is on the Weather page, hour by hour.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −3°C | −11°C | 267 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | 1°C | 290 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 15°C | 355 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 5°C | 314 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Granby); the forecast is on the Weather page
Shefford has no public library of its own; the nearest is Bromont Bibliotheque, 6.1 km away
The next is Bibliothèque Paul-O Trépanier (Granby), 8.8 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Around Shefford, 7 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 1 school for every grade: 9 schools in all
From the town centre, high school starts 7.4 km away, above both Quebec’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km). One of the 9 teaches in English, against 10% of schools in Quebec.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École du ZénithIn SheffordElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| École primaire de Waterloo EnglishNearest secondary school, 0.7 kmAll grades | All grades | – | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Shefford | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 7.4 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| School boards | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Nearest elementary school | 2.5 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
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).
0.3 km from Shefford to Yamaska National Park (Québec)
There is no national park within 100 km of the town. The 10 km around town hold 34 protected areas. Within 5 km are 7 beaches; Plage Darby is the nearest.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Shefford | 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
More people in Shefford speak English and French than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 53%
Visible minorities make up 1.2% of the population, below both Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%). The 65-and-over age group makes up a fifth of residents.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
48.3% of Shefford’s residents are women
By the 2021 count the town had 3,505 women and 3,750 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.
| Shefford | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 64% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 20% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 16% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 63% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Everything we know about Shefford
Granby Zoo and 13 more in and around Shefford
Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near Shefford, the best known first.
ZooGranby Zoo4.5 km outside town, to the west
Ski hillSki Bromont3 km outside town, to the south
MuseumLac Boivin Natural Interpretation Centre1.6 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumLe Musée du chocolat de la confiserie Bromont2.6 km outside town, to the southNational parkNational park · SépaqYamaska National Park2.5 km outside town, to the northSki hillSki hillBromont Montagne d'Expérience3.9 km outside town, to the southPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Granby Zoo: ( Boréal ), CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Ski Bromont: Martin Boyer, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lac Boivin Natural Interpretation Centre: SamuelFreli, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Shefford
2 notable people were born in Shefford; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
John Edward Martin: Aegidius Fauteux, Public domain · Palmer Cox: Nahl Brothers, Artists, San Francisco, Public domain · Andrew Ranger: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Antoine Bertrand: TVA Nouvelles, CC BY 3.0 · Denis Gougeon: Bull-Doser, Public domain
About Shefford
Town in Quebec
Statistics Canada treats Shefford as a single census subdivision in Quebec, and TownRatings keeps to that line.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 7,704 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- La Haute-Yamaska
- Census subdivision
- 2447035
Shefford’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shefford | 7,704 | — | A | B | A− | A |
| Bromont | 12,413 | 7.3 | A | B | A | A |
| Waterloo | 5,714 | 8.3 | B+ | C+ | A− | A |
| Granby | 72,180 | 9.7 | B | C− | B− | A+ |
| Roxton Pond | 4,884 | 12 | A | B− | A− | A |
| Saint-Joachim-de-Shefford | 1,552 | 12 | — | C+ | A− | A |
| Saint-Alphonse-de-Granby | 3,545 | 13 | A+ | A− | A− | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Shefford
Do people in Shefford speak French?
It is a French-speaking town: 45% know French alone, and 53% can talk in English too, against 8% for the median of Canadian towns.
Who are the people of Shefford?
1% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 2% have an Indigenous identity and 3% are immigrants.
What kind of homes are in Shefford?
A household averages 2.5 people; 19% are one person living alone.
Is Shefford growing?
It added people: 6,947 in 2016, 7,253 in 2021, 4.4% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 7,704.
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).