MRC de La Vallée-du-Richelieu

Snapshot of the
MRC de La Vallée-du-Richelieu

(Centraide’s territory covers only part of the MRC, namely the cities of Carignan, Chambly and Saint-Basile-le-Grand.)

Discover key facts

📍 Population – steady growth and strong presence of youth

Between 2016 and 2021, the MRC de La Vallée-du-Richelieu recorded population growth of +8%, a rate equivalent to that of the MRC de Roussillon. These two areas stand out for having the fastest growth among the five MRCs within Centraide’s territory, exceeding both the average across MRCs (+6%) and that of Montreal (+3%). Carignan saw the most significant increase (+24%). The MRC and its three main municipalities also stand out for their high proportion of children aged 0–17 (25%), one of the highest on Centraide’s territory.

👪 Families – strong concentration

Families account for 44% of all households in the MRC, a proportion higher than that of the South Shore (37%) and comparable to Laval (41%). Most are two-parent families. Chambly alone represents half of all families in the Centraide-covered portion of the MRC (5,340 out of 10,300 families).

🏚️ Poverty – lowest on Centraide’s territory

Only 3% of the MRC’s population (1,560 people) live on a low income—the lowest proportion among all MRCs and across the entire Centraide of Greater Montreal territory. The three municipalities show similar rates, but Chambly has the largest number of low-income residents (965 people). Generally, the northern South Shore MRCs, composed mainly of suburban areas rather than rural ones, are more affluent, with median after-tax household incomes (2020) ranging from $83,000 in Chambly to $101,000 in Carignan.

🌎 Immigrant population – low but rapidly growing

With 9% immigrants (5,300 people), La Vallée-du-Richelieu—along with the South Shore MRCs (10%)—has one of the lowest immigrant shares on Centraide’s territory, compared with the overall average of 33%. However, growth was rapid between 2016 and 2021: +70% in the MRC, +83% in Carignan, and +85% in Chambly, compared to +16% across Centraide’s territory. Over half of immigrants in the MRC live in Chambly (2,870 people).

👨🏾‍🤝‍👨🏼 Diversity – low representation of visible minority groups

Only 10% of the population (5,310 people) belong to visible minority groups—a much lower share than on Centraide’s territory overall (32%). However, growth has been notable (+134% since 2016). The majority of these residents live in Chambly (3,045 people).

Dashboard

Consult this dashboard to access a wide range of demographic, socio-cultural/economic, and living-condition data.