Quebec · Census Metropolitan Area
Québec by the numbers
Québec is Canada's 8th largest metro area, home to about 904K people, growing slower than the country since 2021 (+7.0% vs +9.3%). A two-bedroom rents for about $1,276, the median age is 43.2 and January averages -12°C.
People
Population of Québec
The Québec census metropolitan area had an estimated 903,607 people on July 1, 2025, up +7.0% since 2021 (Canada grew +9.3%). The 2021 Census counted 839,311 people, +4.1% more than in 2016.
The City of Québec itself had an estimated 592,658 residents in 2025.
Municipalities in the Québec area
| Municipality | 2025 estimate | 2021 Census | 2016–21 growth | People / km² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Québec | 592,658 | 549,459 | +3.3% | 1,215 |
| Lévis | 160,882 | 149,683 | +4.4% | 334 |
| Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures | 20,864 | 19,907 | +5.8% | 232 |
| L'Ancienne-Lorette | 17,876 | 16,970 | +2.6% | 2,197 |
| Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury | 10,147 | 9,682 | +15.8% | 14 |
| Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval | 9,084 | 8,468 | +15.2% | 78 |
| Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier | 9,830 | 8,442 | +9.6% | 70 |
| Boischatel | 9,250 | 8,231 | +8.5% | 404 |
| Lac-Beauport | 8,524 | 8,164 | +4.7% | 132 |
| Saint-Apollinaire | 9,218 | 7,968 | +30.4% | 82 |
| Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon | 7,551 | 6,817 | +2.6% | 64 |
| Shannon | 7,088 | 6,432 | +6.6% | 101 |
| Saint-Henri | 6,048 | 5,813 | +3.6% | 47 |
| Neuville | 4,579 | 4,475 | +1.9% | 62 |
| Château-Richer | 4,732 | 4,425 | +7.2% | 19 |
| L'Ange-Gardien | 4,106 | 3,842 | +4.0% | 72 |
| Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier | 3,400 | 3,223 | -4.7% | 8 |
| Beaumont | 3,188 | 2,968 | +0.9% | 67 |
| Fossambault-sur-le-Lac | 2,505 | 2,327 | +18.7% | 203 |
| Wendake | 2,234 | 2,200 | +3.1% | 1,262 |
| Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans | 1,704 | 1,743 | -12.5% | 55 |
| Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly | 1,747 | 1,682 | +5.3% | 28 |
| Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans | 1,659 | 1,607 | +4.9% | 45 |
| Sainte-Pétronille | 1,015 | 1,055 | +2.1% | 244 |
| Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans | 1,006 | 1,026 | -3.1% | 24 |
Showing the 25 largest of 30 municipalities in the metro area.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0148-01, Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0155-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0003-01
2021 Census
Who lives in Québec
Age
Median age is 43.2 (Canada: 41.6). 21.7% of residents are 65 or older and 15.9% are under 15.
Languages
41.5% can speak both official languages. At home, 1.2% speak mostly English, 94.8% mostly French and 2.4% mostly another language.
Immigration
6.7% of residents are immigrants (Canada: 23.0%), and 1.8% arrived between 2016 and 2021.
Education: 33.8% of 25 to 64 year olds hold a bachelor's degree or higher; 22.3% have a college or CEGEP diploma and 18.6% a trades certificate.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0030-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0223-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0227-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0302-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0384-01
Money
Income and jobs in Québec
Half of Québec households made more than $76,500 in 2020 and half made less. Across Canada the median was $84,000.
Unemployment rate
In September 2026, the unemployment rate was 4.3% and 63.5% of adults had a job.
Prices: the Consumer Price Index for Québec was up +3.3% over the year to September 2026 (Canada: +3.1%).
Gas prices
Regular gas averaged 195.0¢ a litre in September 2026, +22.8% from a year earlier (Canada: 184.3¢). Compare gas prices across Canada →
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0061-01, Statistics Canada, Table 14-10-0459-01, Statistics Canada, Table 18-10-0004-01, Statistics Canada, Table 18-10-0001-01
Housing
Housing in Québec
Average rent (October 2025)
A two-bedroom apartment rented for $1,276 a month on average, +10.1% from a year earlier and +41.8% over five years. The rental vacancy rate was 2.6%.
New homes being built
Builders started 9,293 new homes in the Québec area in the 12 months to September 2026, +12.2% from the year before. That is 10.3 new homes per 1,000 residents. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 34-10-0154-01 (CMHC housing starts)
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0258-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0256-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0253-01, Statistics Canada, Table 34-10-0133-01, Statistics Canada, Table 34-10-0127-01
Commuting
Getting around Québec
Census day 2021 fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, so transit use is lower than in normal years.
Safety
Crime in Québec
The Crime Severity Index weighs each police-reported crime by how serious it is. Canada in 2006 = 100. Québec's index fell -1.0% in the latest year.
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0026-01
Every crime type in Québec → Car theft, break-ins, fraud, homicides and more.
Climate
Québec weather and climate
30-year averages (1981–2010) from the Lauzon weather station, 8.2 km from the city centre.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010
Official city data
Québec open data & fun facts
Ville de Lévis – données ouvertes (on Données Québec) · 15 datasets
Ville de Québec – données ouvertes (on Données Québec) · 35 datasets
- Arbres répertoriés Inventory of trees recorded by the Ville de Québec, with species, diameter and location.
- Permis délivrés à la Ville de Québec Building, renovation and subdivision permits issued since 2020.
- Réseau cyclable The Ville de Québec cycling network.
- Fontaines à boire Locations of public drinking fountains.
Out of all Canadian metro areas with data
How Québec ranks
Compare
Municipality profiles
Cities and towns in the Québec area
Cities near Québec
Interactive timeline
History of Québec
Indigenous peoples used the narrows of the St. Lawrence for close to 10,000 years, and the St. Lawrence Iroquoian village of Stadacona stood here when Jacques Cartier wintered in 1535. Samuel de Champlain founded Québec in 1608, and it served as the capital of New France until the British siege and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759, then as capital of the Province of Quebec, Lower Canada and, since 1867, the province of Quebec. The fortified city hosted the 1864 conference that drafted Confederation and the wartime Allied conferences, and its old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.
FAQ
Québec questions, answered
What is the population of Québec?
The Québec metro area had an estimated 903,607 people on July 1, 2025 (Statistics Canada). The City of Québec itself had about 592,658.
How much is rent in Québec?
In October 2025 the average rent in Québec was $1,107 for a one-bedroom and $1,276 for a two-bedroom apartment (CMHC Rental Market Survey).
What is the average household income in Québec?
The median household income in Québec was $76,500 before tax in 2020 ($65,500 after tax), according to the 2021 Census. The average was $93,800.
What is the unemployment rate in Québec?
The unemployment rate in Québec was 4.3% in September 2026 (Labour Force Survey, three-month moving average, seasonally adjusted).
How cold does it get in Québec?
January averages -12.0°C, with average lows of -16.7°C. Québec gets about 275 cm of snow a year, and in July the average daily high is 24.6°C (1981–2010 climate normals).
Is Québec bilingual?
41.5% of people in Québec can speak both English and French; 0.3% speak English only and 57.9% French only (2021 Census).
What is the median age in Québec?
The median age in Québec was 43.2 in the 2021 Census, compared with 41.6 for Canada.
Is Québec safe?
Québec had a Crime Severity Index of 55.0 in 2025, compared with 75.0 for Canada as a whole. A lower number means less, and less serious, police-reported crime.
Built October 30, 2026 from the latest published official data.