WaterlooQuebec
It lies in La Haute-Yamaska. Some 5,714 people live in this town, in Quebec.
Is Waterloo a good place to live?
Plenty in its favour, and one clear drawback. People here tend to be in good health (A). With a B+ overall, Waterloo sits #247 of 499 in Quebec. On that grade it does better than 71% of Canadian towns. Getting around on foot or by bus is easy (A−). The typical owner put their home at $234,000 in 2021: 3.9 years of the median household’s income. What counts against it is jobs & income (C−).
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 Waterloo grades
Each subject compares Waterloo 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 Waterloo stand out
The 3 things Waterloo does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Waterloo.
For health, Waterloo is ahead of 85% of Canadian towns
Measured across the Région de l'Estrie: health survey and life expectancy
Across the region, life runs to 82.9 years on average: women 84.8, men 81.0, in 2022/2024. On average 14% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, below Quebec’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%) alike. The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 57%; Quebec as a whole is at 57%. What sets Waterloo apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 17 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Waterloo | 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
Waterloo earns an A− for safety
The index for the force that serves it came to 45, lower than both Quebec’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67). Where it is policed, 9.4 violent incidents per 1,000 residents are recorded each year. Across its police area, there are 11.2 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Waterloo doesn’t get its own Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures; the ones here come from Haute-Yamaska MRC.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Waterloo | 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
Household incomes in Waterloo are lower than in 89% of Canadian towns
Workers spend 24 min getting to work, on average. Just over nine in ten commuters drove, about level with both Quebec’s towns (90%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Waterloo | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 24 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 91% | 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.
Precipitation in Waterloo tops that of 91% of Canadian towns: 1,226 mm a year
A normal winter brings 262 cm of snow, higher than both Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Rain and snow peak in July, at 122 mm. Snow peaks in January: 59 cm in a normal year. Gardeners get 154 frost-free days, from 6 May to 8 October.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Waterloo | 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)
Only 13% of households in Waterloo spend 30% or more of their income on shelter, against 18% in the typical Canadian town
A year’s rent came to 17% of the median household income, close to Quebec’s towns (18%) and below Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Waterloo | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $234,000 | $300,000 | $406,000 |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 13% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 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.
A flood study covers Waterloo: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Gouvernement du Québec
Waterloo’s survey area, 8.2% over the radon guideline, is close to the typical town’s 6.6%. Seismic risk in Waterloo sits near the middle: $0.051 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Waterloo | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.051 | $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 · Radon tests: the Monteregie health region
What November brings in Waterloo: −2°C at night, 6°C by day
In November, the normal is 92 mm of rain and snow. November usually brings some 22 cm of snow. The year peaks in July (26°C) and bottoms out in January (−13°C). 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 was won by 5,029 votes in 2021, a tighter race than three in four ridings
In the National Assembly of Québec, Waterloo belongs to Brome-Missisquoi; who holds it as MNA (Member of the National Assembly, Québec’s legislature) isn’t on an open record, so no one is named.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
No public library stands in Waterloo: the closest, Bromont Bibliotheque, is 11 km away
No library board reports for Waterloo alone: its libraries belong to a county or regional system, whose figures cover many towns.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Common-law couples: 28% of residents 15 and over in Waterloo
19% are under 15, above both Quebec’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (16%). Those 65 and older account for just over 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
Women make up 51.1% of Waterloo
2,405 men and 2,515 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.
| Waterloo | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 60% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 21% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 32% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 44% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
6.4 km from Waterloo to Yamaska National Park (Québec)
23 protected areas lie within 10 km. There is no national park within 100 km of the town. Within 5 km lie 2 beaches, unnamed on the map.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Waterloo | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 10 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 3.4% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Around Waterloo, 3 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 1 school for every grade: 5 schools in all
The schools around it answer to 2 boards, close to Quebec’s towns (2) and below Canadian towns (3).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École de l'Orée-des-Cantons (Pavillon Saint-Bernardin)In WaterlooElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| École primaire de Waterloo EnglishIn WaterlooAll grades | All grades | – | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Waterloo | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 2 | 3 |
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.
The registers list 3 historic places in Waterloo, one at the top
The earliest construction date, 1864, belongs to Manoir Maplewood. On the list: 2 municipal citations. Before 1961 is when just over a third of the homes went up, above Quebec’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Waterloo | 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 Waterloo
Canadian Fly Fishing Museum Inc. and 6 more within 40 km
One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of Waterloo; with it, the best known within 40 km.
ZooGranby Zoo18 km west
Ski hillSki Bromont11 km southwest
Abbey or priorySaint Benedict Abbey28 km southeast
Ski hillMount Sutton27 km southNational parkNational park · SépaqYamaska National Park11 km northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Granby Zoo: ( Boréal ), CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Ski Bromont: Martin Boyer, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Saint Benedict Abbey: Jean-Philippe Boulet, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mount Sutton: MontSutton, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Waterloo
12 notable people were born in Waterloo.
Photo credits
Claude Fournier: Buzzsleeper, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Michael J. Hart: "The Herald-Press" (St. Joseph, MI)., Public domain · Charles Henry Parmelee: Unknown author , Published by Montreal Perrault Print. Co, Public domain · John Rudolphus Booth: William James Topley, Public domain · Armine Nutting Gosling: The Distaff Magazine, Public domain · Jonathan Robinson: Unknown author, Public domain
About Waterloo
Town in Quebec
TownRatings counts Waterloo 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
- 5,714 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- La Haute-Yamaska
- Census subdivision
- 2447025
Waterloo’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo | 5,714 | — | B+ | C+ | A− | A |
| Shefford | 7,704 | 8.3 | A | B | A− | A |
| Stukely-Sud | 1,242 | 10 | — | B | A− | A− |
| Bromont | 12,413 | 12 | A | B | A | A |
| Saint-Joachim-de-Shefford | 1,552 | 12 | — | C+ | A− | A |
| Lac-Brome | 6,307 | 12 | B | C+ | C+ | A |
| Granby | 72,180 | 18 | B | C− | B− | A+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Waterloo
Do people in Waterloo speak French?
French is the common language here. 45% of residents also speak English (the median of Canadian towns: 8%), and 50.4% speak French but not English.
Is Waterloo growing?
It grew from 4,410 people in 2016 to 4,920 in 2021, up 11.6%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 5,714.
Who are the people of Waterloo?
At the 2021 census, 3% 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 Waterloo?
Mostly 42% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.1 people on average, and 40% have just one.
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).