ThursoQuebec
3,439 people call this town in Quebec home. Its population rose 9% from 2016 to 2021.
Is Thurso a good place to live?
The picture is mixed. Incomes are on the low side (D). It lags on cost of living as well (C). Fewer journeys need a car (A). Put together, the subjects come to a C− overall, ranking #445 of 499 in Quebec. That leaves it better than 22% of Canadian towns. Hazard risk is weaker too (D). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for safety and B for health.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. 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 Thurso grades
Each subject compares Thurso 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 Thurso stand out
The 3 things Thurso does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Thurso.
Trips to work from Thurso take longer than from Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 33 min on average
The car took 91% of commuters, in line with Quebec’s towns (90%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Thurso | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 33 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 91% | 90% | 89% |
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.
Hazard risk in Thurso is higher than in 88% of Canadian towns
In Health Canada’s survey, 13% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Seismic risk runs high: $0.12 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory for Thurso.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Thurso | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 13% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.12 | $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 Outaouais health region, not by town
Renting in Thurso eats 28% of household income, more than in Quebec’s towns and across Canadian towns
Home ownership covers 64% of households. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 14% of households, between Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%). Thurso doesn’t get its own rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom figures; the ones here come from the Ottawa-Gatineau metro area.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Thurso | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 28% | 18% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 64% | 70% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 13% | 18% |
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.
Thurso has more protected land around it than 8 in 10 Canadian towns
Within 100 km there is no national park. 30 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. 14% of the town lies within a protected area.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Thurso | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 22 | 10 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 8% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Thurso has colder winter nights than 78% of Canadian towns
Frost usually lifts by 26 May and returns around 22 September: 119 days without it. The thermometer drops below freezing on 179 days a year, higher than both Quebec’s towns (161) and Canadian towns (159). The most precipitation falls in June: 95 mm in a normal year. January is the snowiest month, with 45 cm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Thurso | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days with frost a year | 179 | 161 | 159 |
| Snowfall a year | 185 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| January night low | −16.5°C | −14.7°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 26.2°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Angers)
Smoking runs high around Thurso: 17% of adults, the typical Canadian town 12%
Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the Région de l'Outaouais
Measured from where people live, the nearest hospital is 13 km away, above both Quebec’s towns (5.3 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km). Self-rated health is ordinary for Quebec: 55% of the region’s adults say very good or excellent, the province 57%. Lives in the region last 80.7 years on average (2022/2024): 82.2 for women, 79.1 for men.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Thurso | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17% | 12% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.7 | 82.5 | 81.5 |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 55% | 56% | 52% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
2 schools in and around Thurso: 1 elementary school and 1 secondary school
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École Maria-GorettiIn ThursoElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| École Sainte-Famille/aux Trois-CheminsIn ThursoSecondary | Secondary | – | French public |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Source note: the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school, so there’s no schools grade in Quebec.
In Thurso, November normally means 5°C afternoons and −4°C nights
Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Papineau forecast, on the Weather page. A normal November brings 72 mm of rain and snow. Into December, the normals move to −2°C and −11°C. A typical November adds 16 cm of snow.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −4°C | −14°C | 191 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | −1°C | 223 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 12°C | 275 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 2°C | 249 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Angers); the forecast is on the Weather page
Bibliothèque De Thurso/Lochaber-Partie-Ouest is Thurso’s public library
It stands 0.4 km from the centre of Thurso.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
27% of Thurso’s adults live common-law
43% speak both English and French, about level with Quebec’s towns (44%) and above Canadian towns (7.5%). The share of residents under 15 is 18%. Retirement age and beyond: 20% of residents are 65 or older.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
51.1% of Thurso’s residents are women
Of the 2021 count, 1,575 were women and 1,510 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Thurso | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 62% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 20% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 33% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 39% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Thurso is graded a B− for safety
For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 17.5 violent incidents are reported each year. Property crime in the area its police cover: 13.9 per 1,000 people a year. The violent index for its police area came to 107, above Quebec’s towns (88) and Canadian towns (86) alike. For Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, the only official count covers all of Papineau MRC, Thurso included.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Thurso | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 13.9 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 17.5 | 12.4 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 107 | 88 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
36% of Thurso’s homes were built before 1961
| Heritage | Thurso | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 36% | 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 Thurso
Clarence-Rockland Museum and 12 more within 40 km
One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of Thurso; with it, the best known within 40 km.
MuseumClarence-Rockland Museum3.4 km outside town, to the south
MuseumHumanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park14 km southwest
MuseumCanada Science and Technology Museum37 km southwest · 348K visitors a year
CastleRideau Hall and Landscaped Grounds39 km southwest
MuseumCanada Aviation and Space Museum36 km southwest
ZooPapanack Park Zoo11 km eastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Clarence-Rockland Museum: Safyrr, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Humanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park: Dmitri Lytov, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Canada Science and Technology Museum: Ajadams94, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rideau Hall and Landscaped Grounds: Peregrine981, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Canada Aviation and Space Museum: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Papanack Park Zoo: Ber'Zophus, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Thurso
4 notable people were born in Thurso.
Photo credits
Guy Lafleur: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Gordon Cameron Edwards: Unknown author, Public domain
About Thurso
Town in Quebec
TownRatings counts Thurso 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
- 3,439 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Papineau
- Metro area
- Ottawa - Gatineau (partie du Québec / Quebec part)
- Census subdivision
- 2480050
Thurso’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thurso | 3,439 | — | C− | C | B− | B |
| Lochaber-Partie-Ouest | 1,016 | 6.8 | — | B− | B− | B |
| Rockland Ontario | 30,375 | 7.7 | B | C− | A | C |
| Plaisance | 1,191 | 10 | — | C+ | B− | B |
| L'Ange-Gardien | 7,068 | 13 | A | B+ | A+ | B |
| Vallée-de-la-Lièvre | 15,388 | 14 | C | C− | B− | B+ |
| Cumberland Ontario | 6,139 | 17 | A | C+ | A+ | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Thurso
Do people in Thurso speak French?
French is the common language here. 43% of residents also speak English (the median of Canadian towns: 8%), and 56% speak French but not English.
Is Thurso growing?
It added people: 2,818 in 2016, 3,084 in 2021, 9.4% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 3,439.
Who are the people of Thurso?
1% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 5% have an Indigenous identity and 1% are immigrants.
What kind of homes are in Thurso?
A household averages 2.2 people; 36% are one person living alone.
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).