Val-AlainQuebec

It lies in Lotbinière. This town in Quebec has a population of 1,084.

5 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: R. L'Heureux · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

1,084

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

42.8

years · Quebec’s towns: 44.8

Postsecondary

46%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Val-Alain a good place to live?

Val-Alain’s strongest subject is cost of living (A). Work and incomes lag (C−). Hazards are a real consideration (D). It also trails on walkability (C).

Canadian towns get an overall grade from 2,500 residents, so Val-Alain 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. 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.

StrongestACost of living A⁻SafetyWeakestDHazard risk C⁻Jobs & income

What makes Val-Alain stand out

The 3 things Val-Alain does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Immigrants

Who lives here

2% are immigrants

Where the typical figure for Canadian towns is 6%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

2.5 times household income

The middle of Canadian towns: 4.7 times

Median owner’s estimate $160,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

5% unemployment

The median of Canadian towns: 10%

58% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

How Val-Alain grades

Each subject compares Val-Alain 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 grading works

Canadian towns get an overall grade from 2,500 residents, so Val-Alain has subject grades only.

Cost of livingHomes are very affordable for local incomesAOpen →Hazard riskIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →SafetyGraded on crime per residentA⁻Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work trail most townsC⁻Open →WalkabilityBehind most towns comparedCOpen →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areB⁺Open →

SchoolsThe ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school, which leaves towns in Quebec without a schools grade.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Val-Alain.

HousingCost of living A

Renting in Val-Alain costs 14% of household income, less than in Quebec’s towns and across Canadian towns

The owner-occupied share of households is 81%. Just over one in ten households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below both Quebec’s towns (13%) and Canadian towns (18%).

$160,000median home value, 2021ACost of living Grade

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Val-Alain$160,000

Quebec$300,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Val-Alain	Quebec	Canada
Rent as a share of income	14%	18%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	11%	13%	18%
Households owning their home	81%	70%	74%

$496

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$645

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageVal-Alain’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$496 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living2.5 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $160,000, against the median household income Owners and renters81% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.

Natural hazardsHazard risk D

Hazard risk in Val-Alain is higher than in 91% of Canadian towns

Seismic risk runs high: $0.13 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. More homes than usual carry radon here, 13% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory for Val-Alain. Val-Alain doesn’t get its own radon tests figures; the ones here come from the Chaudiere-Appalaches health region.

Lowwildfire bandDHazard risk Grade

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Val-Alain13%

Quebec’s towns8.2%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Val-Alain	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

$0.13

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Low

wildfire band

15 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageVal-Alain’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.13 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon13% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

SafetySafety A⁻

The police who cover Val-Alain record less serious crime than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 43

Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 for Lotbinière MRC

Property crime in its police area ran at 10.3 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Quebec’s towns (16.6) and Canadian towns (31.2). The violent index for its police area came to 73, lower than both Quebec’s towns (88) and Canadian towns (86).

43Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202345

202442

202540

2023–2025	Val-Alain	Quebec	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	10.3	16.6	31.2
Crime Severity Index	43	56	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	73	88	86
Violent crime	10.3	12.4	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

52%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageVal-Alain’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety43 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Val-Alain’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Val-Alain safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁻

Commuters in Val-Alain travel further than in Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns, 30 min on average

The car took 93% of commuters, close to Quebec’s towns (90%) and above Canadian towns (89%).

5%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van93%

Walk5%

Census 2021	Val-Alain	Quebec	Canada
Average trip	30 min	27 min	26 min
Car or van	93%	90%	89%

$62,800

median household income, 2020

12%

worked from home, May 2021

27%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageVal-Alain’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment4.9% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work5% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to100 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Laurier-Station

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.

HealthHealth B⁺

Val-Alain’s health region reports 59% in very good or excellent health, ahead of the typical Canadian town’s 52%

Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the Région de la Chaudière-Appalaches

Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 82.8, women 84.4 and men 81.3 (2022/2024). On average 15% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, between Quebec’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%). What sets Val-Alain apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 23 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).

59%very good or excellent healthB⁺Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Val-Alain59%

Quebec’s towns56%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Val-Alain	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

82.8

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

23 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

13%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

13 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageVal-Alain’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey59% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care23 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 13 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 84.4, men 81.3 Conditions and habits15% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Climate

More rain and snow fall on Val-Alain than on 84% of Canadian towns: 1,138 mm a year

A normal December brings 59 cm of snow, the most of any month. Rain and snow peak in July, at 133 mm. Snow totals 253 cm over the year, higher than both Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Val-Alain sees January nights of −16.9°C on average.

25.5°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−4.9°C

Spring9.7°C

Summer24.4°C

Autumn12.2°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Val-Alain	Quebec	Canada
Snowfall a year	253 cm	217 cm	141 cm
Precipitation a year	1,138 mm	1,041 mm	883 mm
January night low	−16.9°C	−14.7°C	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	175	161	159

253 cm

of snow a year

175

days with frost a year

141

days with precipitation a year

Full pageVal-Alain’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

Rain and snow1,138 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm The yearJuly highs 25.5°C, January lows −16.9°C Snow253 cm of snow a year Weather station24 km to the station · Fortierville

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Fortierville)

Weather

What November brings in Val-Alain: −3°C at night, 5°C by day

A typical November adds 19 cm of snow. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 82 mm. Into December, the normals move to −3°C and −11°C. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Donnacona forecast, on the Weather page.

5°Ca normal November afternoon

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November5°C

December−3°C

January−7°C

February−5°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−5°C	−15°C	250 mm
Spring	10°C	−1°C	264 mm
Summer	24°C	13°C	343 mm
Autumn	12°C	3°C	281 mm

−3°C

a normal November night

82 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageVal-Alain’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Fortierville); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Daniel Turcotte is mayor of Val-Alain

The Liberal Party of Canada has 44 of the 78 MPs elected in Quebec.

Full pageVal-Alain’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Member of ParliamentLuc Berthold Provincial legislatureLotbinière-Frontenac

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade D

Val-Alain has no public library of its own; the nearest is Bibliothèque Adrien-Lambert (Saint-Janvier-De-Joly), 11 km away

After it comes Bibliothèque De Lyster (Graziella-Ouellet) (Lyster), 12 km away.

Full pageVal-Alain’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Schools

No high school in or near Val-Alain: the closest is 21 km off

Counting each board with a school within 3 km gives 2, close to Quebec’s towns (2) and below Canadian towns (3).

3schools within 3 km

School	Level	Students	System
École l'OasisIn Val-AlainElementary	Elementary	–	French public

See all 3 schools →

Schools within 3 km	Val-Alain	Quebec	Canada
Nearest secondary school	21 km	1.2 km	1.2 km
School boards	2	2	3

21 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageVal-Alain’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school3 elementary schools Language0 of 3 teach in English · 10% of schools in Quebec The boards2 school boards · Centre de services scolaire des Bois-Francs Questions“What schools are there in Val-Alain?”

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.

Who lives here

22% of Val-Alain’s residents speak English and French (Quebec’s towns: 44%; Canadian towns: 7.5%)

Visible minorities make up 1% of the population, lower than both Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%). 18% of residents are children under 15. The 65-and-over age group makes up 19% of residents.

42.8median age

Val-AlainQuebecCanada

QuebecCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

18%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree33%

Postsecondary qualification46%

Women and men · all residents

45.2% of Val-Alain’s residents are women

Here the census found 540 men and 445 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.

Who lives in Val-Alain
	Val-Alain	Quebec	Canada
Under 15	18%	17%	16%
15 to 64	63%	62%	64%
65+	19%	20%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	33%	19%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	46%	59%	56%

Full pageVal-Alain’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

English and French22% speak both · 78% speak French but not English Ages42.8 median age · 19% are 65 or over Households435 households · 2.3 people per household Immigrants2% are immigrants · 1% belong to a visible minority

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Outdoors

Land set aside Seigneurie-de-Joly reaches Val-Alain

Within 5 km lie 2 beaches, unnamed on the map. The closest of Canada’s national parks is La Mauricie National Park, at 78 km. A provincial park, Frontenac National Park (Québec), lies 60 km away.

2.9%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Val-Alain2.9%

Quebec’s towns4.9%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Val-Alain	Quebec	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	2	10	4
Protected land within 10 km	2.9%	4.9%	2.3%

78 km

to La Mauricie National Park

60 km

to Frontenac National Park (Québec)

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageVal-Alain’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas9 protected areas within 10 km · Land set aside Seigneurie-de-Joly National & provincial parks78 km to a national park · La Mauricie National Park

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

History

In Val-Alain, 33% of homes go back before 1961

33%built before 1961

33%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Val-Alain	Quebec	Canada
Homes built before 1961	33%	21%	18%

Full pageVal-Alain’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes33% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Val-Alain have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Nearby attractions

Chemin du Roy and 5 more within 40 km

Nothing to visit is mapped within 5 km of Val-Alain; these are the best known within 40 km.

All attractions →

AttractionChemin du Roy32 km northwest

GardenJoly de Lotbinière Estate30 km northwest

National historic siteMoulin du Portage23 km northwest

National historic siteMoulin Michel38 km west

MuseumMaison de Pointe-Platon30 km northwest

MuseumMoulin De La Chevrotière30 km northwest

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (6)

Chemin du Roy: Azumanga1, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Joly de Lotbinière Estate: Fralambert, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Moulin du Portage: René Beaudoin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Moulin Michel: Fralambert, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Maison de Pointe-Platon: Fralambert, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Moulin De La Chevrotière: Harfang, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Val-Alain

15pages on Val-Alain

The big questions

SafetyA⁻Crime Severity Index 43 Housing & costAHomes 2.5 × income Property pricesSchools3 schools within 3 km HealthB⁺Life expectancy 82.8 in its region Work & commuteC⁻58% of adults in work Natural hazardsDWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors2.9% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 26°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 42.8 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Famous people from around Val-Alain

No notable person born in Val-Alain is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

David DesharnaisCanadian ice hockey player · born in Laurier-Station · born 1986

Léopold SimoneauCanadian opera singer · born in Saint-Flavien · 1916–2006

Hélène LeBlancCanadian politician · born in Lyster · born 1958

Napoléon Kemner LaflammeCanadian politician · born in Lyster · 1865–1929

Alain BélangerCanadian ice hockey player · born in Saint-Janvier-de-Joly · born 1956

Eusèbe RobergeCanadian politician and merchant · born in Laurierville · 1874–1957

Photo credits

David Desharnais: Lisa Gansky, CC BY-SA 2.0

Val-Alain’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

Saint-Janvier-de-JolyLysterLauriervilleSaint-FlavienLaurier-StationVal-Alain

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Val-Alain	1,084	—	—	A	A⁻	B⁺
Saint-Janvier-de-Joly	1,204	11	—	A	A⁻	B⁺
Lyster	1,679	12	—	A	B	B
Laurierville	1,368	15	—	A	B	B
Saint-Flavien	1,682	18	—	A⁻	A⁻	B
Laurier-Station	2,838	18	A	B	A⁻	B

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Val-Alain

What kind of homes are in Val-Alain?

Single-detached houses make up 90% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments.

Do people in Val-Alain speak French?

French comes first: 77.8% speak it alone, while 22% manage both languages (Canadian towns: 8%).

Is Val-Alain growing?

It grew from 924 people in 2016 to 986 in 2021, up 6.7%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 1,084.

About Val-Alain

Town in Quebec

TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Val-Alain is one municipality in Quebec, figures and all.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 1,084 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Quebec
Census division: Lotbinière
Census subdivision: 2433070

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).