Quick answer
Quebec's cities have lower rents and lower crime than the Canadian average, alongside sharp contrasts between Montreal Island, its North and South Shore suburbs, and the rest of the province. On Montreal Island, independent enclaves Mont-Royal ($123,000 median household income, $101,000 full-time worker median) and Westmount ($117,000 household, 63% university graduates) top the income table, followed by South Shore suburbs Candiac ($111,000) and Boucherville ($110,000) and North Shore Blainville ($105,000). Regional cities such as Trois-Rivières ($60,400), Drummondville ($61,200) and Sherbrooke ($62,400) have the lowest household incomes — and 2021 median rents under $700/month.
Immigrant communities are heavily concentrated in Greater Montreal: Côte-Saint-Luc (43% immigrants), Brossard (41% immigrants, 16% Chinese), Dollard-Des Ormeaux (40% immigrants, 12% South Asian) and Montréal (33% immigrants: 12% Black, 8% Arab), while cities outside Greater Montreal and Gatineau are 90%–99% Canadian-born. Crime is lowest in Repentigny (26.5), Blainville (31.9), Lévis (35.0), Vaudreuil-Dorion (37.9), Terrebonne (39.0) and Candiac (39.8), and highest in Montréal (78.4).
26 Quebec cities at a glance
Household income is the 2020 median from the 2021 Census. The crime figure is Statistics Canada's Crime Severity Index for 2025 for the police service covering that municipality (Canada = 75.0, Quebec = 61.6). On Montreal Island, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) covers both the City of Montréal and the 15 demerged island suburbs (such as Westmount, Mont-Royal, Côte-Saint-Luc, Pointe-Claire and Dollard-Des Ormeaux); on the South Shore, Longueuil Police covers Longueuil, Brossard and Boucherville.
| City | Population (2021) | Median household income | Immigrants | Largest groups | Renters | Crime index 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montréal | 1,762,949 | $63,600 | 33% | Black 12%, Arab 8%, South Asian 5% | 64% | Montréal Police: 78.4 |
| Laval | 438,366 | $85,000 | 32% | Arab 11%, Black 9%, South Asian 3% | 33% | Laval Police: 52.9 |
| Longueuil | 254,483 | $71,500 | 21% | Black 10%, Latin American 5%, Arab 4% | 48% | Longueuil Police: 52.8 |
| Brossard | 91,525 | $84,000 | 41% | Chinese 16%, Arab 7%, Black 6% | 30% | Longueuil Police: 52.8 |
| Boucherville | 41,743 | $110,000 | 9% | — | 16% | Longueuil Police: 52.8 |
| Châteauguay | 50,815 | $79,000 | 21% | Black 12%, Arab 3%, Latin American 3% | 28% | Châteauguay Police: 47.7 |
| Candiac | 22,997 | $111,000 | 17% | Chinese 5%, Arab 3%, Latin American 3% | 20% | Roussillon Regional: 39.8 |
| Terrebonne | 119,944 | $95,000 | 13% | Black 11%, Arab 3% | 24% | Terrebonne Police: 39.0 |
| Repentigny | 86,100 | $91,000 | 13% | Black 10%, Arab 4% | 23% | Repentigny Police: 26.5 |
| Blainville | 59,819 | $105,000 | 12% | Arab 4%, Black 3% | 22% | Blainville Police: 31.9 |
| Mirabel | 61,108 | $90,000 | 6% | — | 34% | Mirabel Police: 48.9 |
| Saint-Jérôme | 80,213 | $62,800 | 6% | Black 3% | 49% | Saint-Jérôme Police: 69.9 |
| Vaudreuil-Dorion | 43,268 | $89,000 | 23% | South Asian 10%, Black 6%, Arab 4% | 27% | Vaudreuil-Soulanges SQ: 37.9 |
| Dollard-Des Ormeaux | 48,403 | $96,000 | 40% | South Asian 12%, Arab 8%, Black 7% | 25% | Montréal Police: 78.4 |
| Pointe-Claire | 33,488 | $92,000 | 27% | Chinese 8%, South Asian 4%, Black 3% | 31% | Montréal Police: 78.4 |
| Côte-Saint-Luc | 34,504 | $72,500 | 43% | Black 6%, Filipino 5%, West Asian 5% | 54% | Montréal Police: 78.4 |
| Mont-Royal | 20,953 | $123,000 | 35% | Arab 9%, Chinese 7%, Southeast Asian 4% | 35% | Montréal Police: 78.4 |
| Westmount | 19,658 | $117,000 | 28% | Chinese 6%, Arab 3% | 46% | Montréal Police: 78.4 |
| Québec (City) | 549,459 | $70,500 | 8% | Black 4% | 49% | Québec City Police: 63.5 |
| Lévis | 149,683 | $84,000 | 4% | — | 34% | Lévis Police: 35.0 |
| Gatineau | 291,041 | $82,000 | 15% | Black 10%, Arab 4% | 40% | Gatineau Police: 67.1 |
| Sherbrooke | 172,950 | $62,400 | 9% | Black 3% | 50% | Sherbrooke Police: 53.8 |
| Saguenay | 144,723 | $69,000 | 1% | — | 38% | Saguenay Police: 49.8 |
| Trois-Rivières | 139,163 | $60,400 | 5% | Black 3% | 46% | Trois-Rivières Police: 57.8 |
| Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu | 97,873 | $74,500 | 4% | — | 40% | Saint-Jean Police: 51.5 |
| Drummondville | 79,258 | $61,200 | 4% | — | 46% | Drummond SQ: 72.3 |
"Largest groups" are visible minority groups of 3% or more of the population, as defined by Statistics Canada.
Income: households, individuals and low income
Because Quebec has a much higher share of renters and single-person apartments than Ontario or Alberta, city-wide median household incomes look lower in urban centres such as Montréal ($63,600, 64% renters), Québec City ($70,500, 49% renters) and Sherbrooke ($62,400, 50% renters). In homeowner suburbs — Mont-Royal ($123,000), Westmount ($117,000), Candiac ($111,000), Boucherville ($110,000) and Blainville ($105,000) — household and full-time worker incomes match those of suburban Ontario.
| City | Median household income | Median individual income | Full-time, full-year worker | Low-income rate | University degree | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mont-Royal | $123,000 | $52,000 | $101,000 | 10.7% | 60% | 42.0 |
| Westmount | $117,000 | $56,000 | $100,000 | 12.5% | 63% | 48.8 |
| Candiac | $111,000 | $54,000 | $82,000 | 4.9% | 38% | 42.0 |
| Boucherville | $110,000 | $54,400 | $84,000 | 4.3% | 40% | 48.0 |
| Blainville | $105,000 | $48,000 | $70,000 | 5.1% | 24% | 42.0 |
| Dollard-Des Ormeaux | $96,000 | $39,200 | $62,000 | 8.3% | 35% | 43.6 |
| Terrebonne | $95,000 | $45,600 | $62,000 | 5.8% | 16% | 40.8 |
| Pointe-Claire | $92,000 | $44,800 | $74,000 | 8.1% | 40% | 49.2 |
| Repentigny | $91,000 | $45,200 | $63,200 | 5.9% | 18% | 44.4 |
| Mirabel | $90,000 | $46,400 | $60,400 | 6.6% | 15% | 37.2 |
| Vaudreuil-Dorion | $89,000 | $44,400 | $60,000 | 6.6% | 24% | 40.8 |
| Laval | $85,000 | $40,400 | $60,400 | 8.7% | 25% | 42.8 |
| Brossard | $84,000 | $39,600 | $64,000 | 11.1% | 36% | 42.8 |
| Lévis | $84,000 | $47,600 | $62,400 | 6.8% | 25% | 44.0 |
| Gatineau | $82,000 | $47,200 | $66,500 | 9.9% | 28% | 40.0 |
| Châteauguay | $79,000 | $39,600 | $56,800 | 9.6% | 16% | 42.8 |
| Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu | $74,500 | $42,400 | $57,600 | 9.6% | 16% | 43.6 |
| Côte-Saint-Luc | $72,500 | $38,000 | $57,600 | 14.1% | 42% | 44.8 |
| Longueuil | $71,500 | $41,200 | $58,000 | 11.9% | 25% | 41.6 |
| Québec (City) | $70,500 | $44,400 | $59,600 | 10.5% | 29% | 43.2 |
| Saguenay | $69,000 | $41,600 | $57,200 | 11.6% | 18% | 46.0 |
| Montréal | $63,600 | $36,800 | $58,400 | 17.4% | 36% | 38.8 |
| Saint-Jérôme | $62,800 | $38,000 | $52,000 | 14.0% | 12% | 45.2 |
| Sherbrooke | $62,400 | $38,400 | $54,400 | 14.5% | 25% | 41.2 |
| Drummondville | $61,200 | $38,000 | $50,800 | 14.5% | 14% | 44.8 |
| Trois-Rivières | $60,400 | $38,400 | $54,400 | 15.0% | 20% | 47.2 |
Incomes are for 2020 (2021 Census). Low-income rate is the after-tax low-income measure (LIM-AT). University degree: share of residents aged 15 and over with a bachelor's degree or higher. For current wages by province, see salary by province.
Immigrants and communities
French-speaking immigration from North Africa, the Caribbean, West Africa and the Middle East gives Quebec a different demographic profile from Ontario or B.C. Black (12% in Montréal, 12% in Châteauguay, 11% in Terrebonne, 10% in Repentigny, Longueuil and Gatineau) and Arab (11% in Laval, 9% in Mont-Royal, 8% in Montréal and Dollard-Des Ormeaux, 7% in Brossard) communities are the largest visible minority groups across Greater Montreal, while Brossard has a 16% Chinese community and Dollard-Des Ormeaux (12%) and Vaudreuil-Dorion (10%) have large South Asian communities.
| City | Immigrants | Arrived 2016–2021 | Visible minority | Largest groups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brossard | 41% | 5.7% | 50% | Chinese 16%, Arab 7%, Black 6% |
| Dollard-Des Ormeaux | 40% | 3.9% | 43% | South Asian 12%, Arab 8%, Black 7% |
| Montréal | 33% | 6.0% | 39% | Black 12%, Arab 8%, South Asian 5% |
| Laval | 32% | 3.8% | 33% | Arab 11%, Black 9%, South Asian 3% |
| Mont-Royal | 35% | 6.3% | 32% | Arab 9%, Chinese 7%, Southeast Asian 4% |
| Vaudreuil-Dorion | 23% | 2.9% | 29% | South Asian 10%, Black 6%, Arab 4% |
| Côte-Saint-Luc | 43% | 6.7% | 27% | Black 6%, Filipino 5%, West Asian 5% |
| Longueuil | 21% | 4.0% | 25% | Black 10%, Latin American 5%, Arab 4% |
| Pointe-Claire | 27% | 3.3% | 25% | Chinese 8%, South Asian 4%, Black 3% |
| Châteauguay | 21% | 2.2% | 23% | Black 12%, Arab 3%, Latin American 3% |
| Westmount | 28% | 5.0% | 20% | Chinese 6%, Arab 3% |
| Gatineau | 15% | 3.5% | 19% | Black 10%, Arab 4% |
| Candiac | 17% | 3.0% | 18% | Chinese 5%, Arab 3%, Latin American 3% |
| Terrebonne | 13% | 1.0% | 18% | Black 11%, Arab 3% |
| Repentigny | 13% | 0.9% | 18% | Black 10%, Arab 4% |
| Blainville | 12% | 1.3% | 12% | Arab 4%, Black 3% |
| Sherbrooke | 9% | 2.4% | 10% | Black 3% |
| Boucherville | 9% | 1.4% | 9% | — |
| Québec (City) | 8% | 2.3% | 9% | Black 4% |
| Mirabel | 6% | 0.8% | 7% | — |
| Saint-Jérôme | 6% | 1.0% | 6% | Black 3% |
| Trois-Rivières | 5% | 1.1% | 6% | Black 3% |
| Drummondville | 4% | 1.2% | 6% | — |
| Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu | 4% | 0.8% | 4% | — |
| Lévis | 4% | 0.9% | 4% | — |
| Saguenay | 1% | 0.3% | 2% | — |
2021 Census, population in private households. Visible minority is Statistics Canada's term for people who are neither Indigenous nor white.
Crime by police service, 2025
Quebec's Crime Severity Index fell 5.1% in 2025 to 61.6, well below the national average of 75.0. Every major Montreal suburb — Repentigny (26.5), Blainville (31.9), Vaudreuil-Soulanges (37.9), Terrebonne (39.0), Roussillon / Candiac (39.8), Châteauguay (47.7), Mirabel (48.9), Longueuil / Brossard / Boucherville (52.8) and Laval (52.9) — and Lévis (35.0) across from Québec City are well below both the provincial and national averages.
| Police service | Cities on this page | Crime index | Violent crime index | Change from 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montréal Police (SPVM) | Montréal, Westmount, Mont-Royal, Côte-Saint-Luc, Pointe-Claire, Dollard-Des Ormeaux | 78.4 | 114.0 | −3.5% |
| Drummond Region (SQ) | Drummondville | 72.3 | 129.8 | +4.1% |
| Saint-Jérôme Police | Saint-Jérôme | 69.9 | 132.5 | −11.6% |
| Gatineau Police | Gatineau | 67.1 | 102.8 | −0.6% |
| Québec City Police | Québec (City) | 63.5 | 89.0 | +0.8% |
| Trois-Rivières Police | Trois-Rivières | 57.8 | 96.1 | −9.1% |
| Sherbrooke Police | Sherbrooke | 53.8 | 86.1 | −4.5% |
| Laval Police | Laval | 52.9 | 78.9 | −9.0% |
| Longueuil Police (SPAL) | Longueuil, Brossard, Boucherville | 52.8 | 74.7 | −1.0% |
| Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Police | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu | 51.5 | 88.0 | −14.2% |
| Saguenay Police | Saguenay | 49.8 | 89.6 | −12.3% |
| Mirabel Police | Mirabel | 48.9 | 67.1 | −2.9% |
| Châteauguay Police | Châteauguay | 47.7 | 82.6 | −2.2% |
| Roussillon Regional Police | Candiac (and La Prairie, Saint-Constant) | 39.8 | 57.6 | −9.8% |
| Terrebonne Police | Terrebonne | 39.0 | 70.0 | −16.0% |
| Vaudreuil-Soulanges Region (SQ) | Vaudreuil-Dorion | 37.9 | 66.0 | −4.9% |
| Lévis Police | Lévis | 35.0 | 67.1 | −4.8% |
| Blainville Police | Blainville | 31.9 | 38.6 | −13.3% |
| Repentigny Police | Repentigny | 26.5 | 42.5 | −3.3% |
| Quebec | 61.6 | 98.0 | −5.1% | |
| Canada | 75.0 | 97.2 | — |
Statistics Canada table 35-10-0187-01 (police services in Quebec) and 35-10-0026-01 (Canada), 2025.
What each place is like, in one line
- Montréal: Quebec's largest city (1.76 million in the city proper). Nearly two-thirds of households rent (64%, median $870 in 2021), 36% of adults hold a university degree, and 33% are immigrants (12% Black, 8% Arab).
- Laval: An island suburb of 438,366 people immediately north of Montreal on the Orange Line metro. Two-thirds of households own their home (67%), household income is $85,000, and 32% of residents are immigrants (11% Arab, 9% Black).
- Longueuil: The largest city on Montreal's South Shore, connected by the Yellow Line metro. Nearly half of households rent (48%, $840 median in 2021) and household income is $71,500.
- Brossard: A South Shore hub connected to downtown Montreal by the REM light rail. Half of residents belong to a visible minority (16% Chinese, 7% Arab, 6% Black), 70% own their home, and 36% hold a university degree.
- Boucherville: An older, affluent South Shore suburb (median age 48.0) with 84% homeowners, a $110,000 household income, a 4.3% low-income rate (lowest in Quebec here) and 40% university graduates.
- Châteauguay: On the southwestern South Shore, historically with a large English-speaking minority and a growing Black community (12%), with a $79,000 household income and 47.7 crime index.
- Candiac: A leafy South Shore suburb on commuter rail with the highest off-island household income ($111,000), $82,000 full-time worker median and a 39.8 crime index.
- Terrebonne and Repentigny: Large northeast family suburbs along the Rivière des Mille Îles and Rivière L'Assomption, with $95,000 and $91,000 household incomes, 10%–11% Black communities and very low crime (39.0 and 26.5).
- Blainville: On the North Shore in the Laurentians foothills, combining a $105,000 household income, 78% homeowners and the second-lowest crime index in Quebec (31.9).
- Mirabel: By far the fastest-growing city on this list (+21.0% from 2016 to 2021) and the youngest municipality (median age 37.2), with a $90,000 household income and 6% immigrants.
- Saint-Jérôme: The gateway to the Laurentians and terminus of the Exo commuter train, with 49% renters ($820 median in 2021), a $62,800 household income and a 69.9 crime index.
- Vaudreuil-Dorion: Just off the western tip of Montreal Island along the Ottawa River, growing fast (+13.5% from 2016 to 2021) with an $89,000 household income, a 10% South Asian community and a 37.9 crime index.
- Dollard-Des Ormeaux and Pointe-Claire: West Island suburbs with large English-speaking populations; Dollard-Des Ormeaux has 40% immigrants (12% South Asian, 8% Arab, 7% Black) and a $96,000 household income, while Pointe-Claire is the oldest municipality on this list (median age 49.2, 40% university degree).
- Côte-Saint-Luc: An independent city on Montreal Island where 43% of residents are immigrants (highest here) and 54% of households rent.
- Mont-Royal (Town of Mount Royal) and Westmount: Two independent garden-city enclaves next to central Montreal. They have the highest household incomes ($123,000 and $117,000), highest full-time worker earnings ($101,000 and $100,000) and highest university degree shares (60% and 63%) in Quebec.
- Québec (City) and Lévis: The provincial capital (549,459 people, $70,500 household income, 8% immigrants, CSI 63.5) and its South Shore counterpart Lévis ($84,000 household income, 66% homeowners, 4% immigrants, CSI 35.0).
- Gatineau: Across the river from Ottawa, where federal public-service jobs lift full-time worker pay to $66,500 and household income to $82,000; see the Ottawa–Gatineau breakdown for Hull–Aylmer vs Kanata, Barrhaven and Orléans.
- Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Saguenay, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Drummondville: Regional cities with very low 2021 median rents ($632–$785/month), 1%–9% immigrants, and moderate crime indexes (49.8–57.8, except Drummondville SQ at 72.3).
Inside Montreal Island: Plateau, Downtown, NDG, Saint-Laurent, Villeray and West Island
The City of Montréal's $63,600 median household income averages across student and artist neighbourhoods, immigrant family districts and high-rise financial districts. Here are 12 federal electoral districts across Montreal Island (2021 Census, 2023 representation order):
| Montreal Island district | Population (2021) | Median household income | Full-time worker | Low-income rate | Immigrants | Largest groups | Renters (2021 median rent) | University degree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierrefonds–Dollard (West Island) | 108,335 | $90,000 | $61,200 | 9.3% | 39% | South Asian 10%, Black 10%, Arab 8% | 28% ($930) | 33% |
| Saint-Laurent | 107,395 | $74,000 | $60,000 | 15.7% | 52% | Arab 19%, Black 10%, South Asian 9% | 53% ($970) | 38% |
| Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount | 109,655 | $70,500 | $70,000 | 17.0% | 33% | Black 9%, Chinese 5%, Arab 4% | 61% ($970) | 51% |
| Dorval–Lachine–LaSalle | 111,295 | $66,000 | $57,200 | 15.5% | 31% | Black 15%, South Asian 7%, Chinese 5% | 57% ($850) | 27% |
| Ahuntsic-Cartierville | 107,310 | $64,500 | $60,400 | 16.3% | 37% | Black 13%, Arab 13%, South Asian 5% | 61% ($800) | 37% |
| LaSalle–Émard–Verdun | 109,880 | $63,200 | $58,400 | 15.9% | 23% | Black 8%, Chinese 4%, Latin American 4% | 66% ($860) | 33% |
| Saint-Léonard–Saint-Michel | 110,750 | $63,200 | $48,000 | 17.4% | 48% | Arab 18%, Black 17%, Latin American 8% | 68% ($840) | 19% |
| Outremont (Outremont & Côte-des-Neiges) | 112,445 | $62,800 | $64,500 | 19.8% | 32% | Arab 7%, Black 6%, South Asian 4% | 71% ($1,000) | 53% |
| Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie | 110,430 | $61,600 | $64,000 | 16.1% | 20% | Black 5%, Arab 4%, Latin American 4% | 69% ($850) | 45% |
| Ville-Marie–Le Sud-Ouest–Île-des-Sœurs (Downtown / Griffintown) | 112,100 | $60,400 | $73,000 | 25.8% | 33% | Chinese 10%, Arab 9%, South Asian 7% | 66% ($1,200) | 56% |
| Laurier–Sainte-Marie (Plateau Mont-Royal / Mile End) | 111,790 | $59,200 | $66,000 | 21.4% | 25% | Black 5%, Chinese 4%, Arab 4% | 72% ($990) | 52% |
| Papineau (Villeray / Parc-Extension) | 109,900 | $57,200 | $55,600 | 20.7% | 34% | South Asian 13%, Black 8%, Arab 7% | 72% ($810) | 35% |
| Bourassa (Montréal-Nord) | 102,330 | $56,800 | $46,000 | 19.5% | 39% | Black 29%, Arab 12%, Latin American 7% | 71% ($785) | 17% |
Official municipal, school service centre, childcare & flood zone portals by Quebec city
Before renting or buying in Quebec, check four official local and provincial databases: (1) your municipality's property assessment roll (rôle d'évaluation foncière) and tax rate, (2) French School Service Centres (Centres de services scolaires) and English School Boards (which require an English eligibility certificate under Bill 101 / Bill 96), (3) Quebec's centralized subsidized daycare portal (Portail d'inscription aux services de garde / La Place 0-5), and (4) the Quebec Flood Zone Maps (Zones inondables):