WatervilleQuebec
The town, home to 2,643 people, lies in Quebec. It is part of the Sherbrooke metro area.
Is Waterville a good place to live?
Waterville does well on nearly every count. Its strongest is health (A). With an A overall, Waterville sits #58 of 499 in Quebec. Nationally, it does better than 95% of Canadian towns. Crime is low (A−). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B for cost of living, B for walkability and B for hazard risk.
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 Waterville grades
Each subject compares Waterville 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 Waterville stand out
The 3 things Waterville does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Waterville.
Waterville is graded an A for health
On average 14% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, lower than both Quebec’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%). Measured from where Waterville’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 11 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km. About as many adults call their health very good or excellent here as across Quebec, 57% against 57%. A baby born in the region can expect 82.9 years, 84.8 for a girl and 81.0 for a boy (2022/2024). Nobody publishes health survey and life expectancy for Waterville alone, so this card uses the figure for the Région de l'Estrie.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Waterville | 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
Waterville is graded an A− for safety
Where it is policed, thefts, break-ins and damage came to 9.9 per 1,000 a year, below both Quebec’s towns (16.6) and Canadian towns (31.2). The index for the force that serves it came to 44, lower than both Quebec’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Waterville | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 9.9 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 44 | 56 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: Coaticook MRC
More of Waterville’s 15-to-64s are in work than in 90% of Canadian towns
The car took 94% of commuters, higher than both Quebec’s towns (90%) and Canadian towns (89%). The average trip to work takes 23 min.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Waterville | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 23 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 94% | 90% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
A flood study covers Waterville: 3 on the national inventory, the newest from Ville de Sherbrooke
Shared with the rest of the Estrie health region: radon tests
Averaged over the years, quake damage costs $0.039 per $1,000 of buildings, about level with Canadian towns ($0.030) and below Quebec’s towns ($0.14). Waterville’s survey area, 7.3% over the radon guideline, is close to the typical town’s 6.6%.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Waterville | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.039 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 7.3% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Waterville is more bilingual than Quebec’s towns or Canadian towns: 52% speak both languages
23% are under 15, higher than both Quebec’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (16%). People 65 and over make up 17% of the town.
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 49.7% of Waterville
Here the census found 1,160 men and 1,145 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Waterville | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 23% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 60% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 17% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 21% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 58% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Only 11% of households in Waterville spend 30% or more of their income on shelter, against 18% in the typical Canadian town
Measured across the Sherbrooke metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom
A year’s rent came to 17% of the median household income, close to Quebec’s towns (18%) and below Canadian towns (20%). Households that own their home make up 74%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Waterville | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 11% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 18% | 20% |
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.
The nearest provincial park to Waterville is Mont-Orford National Park (Québec), 20 km away
One unnamed beach is mapped within 5 km. No national park lies within 100 km. The 10 km around town hold 6 protected areas. Within 10 km of the town, 0.7% of the land is protected, against 2.3% around a typical Canadian town.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Waterville | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.7% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 10 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Waterville in November: highs near 6°C, lows near −3°C
November usually brings some 26 cm of snow. The month after, December, normally sees −1°C afternoons and −10°C nights. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 70 mm. The year peaks in July (26°C) and bottoms out in January (−15°C).
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −2°C | −13°C | 217 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | −1°C | 235 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 12°C | 305 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 3°C | 258 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Lennoxville); the forecast is on the Weather page
Gaétan Lafond heads the council of Waterville as mayor
Federally, Waterville sits in Compton—Stanstead, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), held by Marianne Dandurand of the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Waterville’s public library is Bibliothèque municipale de Waterville
From the centre of Waterville, it is 2.7 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
No extremes in Waterville: its weather tracks the middle of Canadian towns
Some 291 cm of snow falls in a typical year, above Quebec’s towns (217 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. A normal August brings 104 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. Most of the snow comes in December, about 71 cm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Waterville | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 291 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 25.7°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,015 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 167 | 161 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Lennoxville)
2 of the 6 schools around Waterville teach in English
The 3 km around Waterville counts 3 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools and 1 school for every grade. From the middle of town, the first elementary school is 2.8 km off, above both Quebec’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École de la PasserelleIn WatervilleElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| Collège François-Delaplace IndependentIn WatervilleSecondary | Secondary | – | Independent |
| École primaire de Lennoxville EnglishTeaches in EnglishElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Waterville | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Nearest elementary school | 2.8 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Why no schools grade in Quebec? The ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.
Waterville keeps its older homes: 39% from before 1961
Its oldest building on the record is École Milby, from 1825. On the registers, the town counts 3 historic places.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
- École Milby 1825
- Pont de Milby 1873
- Château d'eau de la rue Dominion 1896
| Heritage | Waterville | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 39% | 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 Waterville
Les Sentiers d'à Côté and 5 more in and around Waterville
What there is to see in Waterville and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
MuseumLouis S. St. Laurent3.8 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumUplands Cultural and Heritage Centre2.1 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumLittle Hyatt One-Room Schoolhousein townMuseumMuseumL'Epopée De Capelton - Entrée de la Mine (visite sous terre)1.1 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumLennoxville Ascot Historical and Museum Society2.2 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Louis S. St. Laurent: Mario Hains, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Uplands Cultural and Heritage Centre: Cantons-de-l'Est, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Waterville
4 notable people were born in Waterville.
About Waterville
Town in Quebec
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Waterville is one census subdivision in Quebec, and TownRatings describes all of it.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 2,643 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census division
- Coaticook
- Metro area
- Sherbrooke
- Census subdivision
- 2444080
Waterville’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterville | 2,643 | — | A | B | A− | A |
| Hatley | 2,512 | 3 | A+ | B+ | A− | A |
| Compton | 3,351 | 7.5 | A+ | B− | A− | A |
| Sherbrooke | 184,135 | 11 | B+ | C− | B | A+ |
| Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley | 2,938 | 12 | A− | C+ | A− | A |
| Ascot Corner | 3,725 | 18 | A | B+ | B+ | A |
| Ayer's Cliff | 1,284 | 19 | — | B− | A− | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Waterville
Do people in Waterville speak French?
Yes: this is Quebec. 39.8% of residents speak only French and 52% speak both French and English (Canadian towns’ median: 8%).
Is Waterville growing?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 2,121 to 2,307 residents (up 8.8%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 2,643.
Who are the people of Waterville?
At the 2021 census, 4% 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 Waterville?
Mostly 76% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.5 people on average, and 26% 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).