Alma Profile

Explore population, households, income, employment, education, commute, occupation, industry, languages, and dwellings for Alma. Compare trends since 2016 and dig into the full profile below.

National Rank:153 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Alma Population

Total Population (2021)

30,331

Total Population (2016)

30,771

Population Growth

-1.4% (-440)

Growth Rank

#633 of 688Same geo level

Male

49.3%14,960

Female

50.7%15,370

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.973

Average Age

45.6

Median Age

Age Rank

#499 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

1,325(4.4%)

5–9

1,540(5.1%)

10–14

1,775(5.9%)

15–19

1,580(5.2%)

20–24

1,390(4.6%)

25–29

1,445(4.8%)

30–34

1,510(5.0%)

35–39

1,695(5.6%)

40–44

1,905(6.3%)

45–49

1,620(5.3%)

50–54

1,605(5.3%)

55–59

2,480(8.2%)

60–64

2,870(9.5%)

65–69

2,405(7.9%)

70–74

1,785(5.9%)

75–79

1,440(4.7%)

80–84

960(3.2%)

85+

980(3.2%)

Alma Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.1

Total Private Dwellings

14,493

Occupied Private Dwellings

13,815

Size Distribution

1 Person

4,910 (35.5%)

2 Persons

5,305 (38.4%)

3 Persons

1,555 (11.3%)

4 Persons

1,360 (9.8%)

5+ Persons

690 (5.0%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

2,845(20.6%)

Couples without children

4,370(31.6%)

One-parent families

1,120(8.1%)

One-person households

4,910(35.5%)

Multigenerational

70(0.5%)

Multiple-family

15(0.1%)

Alma Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$69,100After tax

Median Household Income

$59,600After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$39,280After tax

Median Individual Income

$35,600After tax

Income Rank

#585 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

76.8%

Employment Income

61.3%

Government Transfers

23.2%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

1,570(6.5%)

$10k–$20k

3,315(13.7%)

$20k–$30k

4,050(16.7%)

$30k–$40k

3,210(13.2%)

$40k–$50k

3,280(13.5%)

$50k–$60k

2,640(10.9%)

$60k–$70k

1,690(7.0%)

$70k–$80k

1,165(4.8%)

$80k–$90k

980(4.0%)

$90k–$100k

600(2.5%)

$100k+

1,765(7.3%)

Alma Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

55.5%

Unemployment Rate

5.3%

Total Labour Force

14,470

Employed

13,705

Unemployed

765

Not in Labour Force

10,215

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

12.1%

Children (0–17)

8.2%

Adults (18–64)

9.8%

Seniors (65+)

21.2%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.2890 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.249

Alma Education

Highest certificate, diploma or degree for the population aged 15 and over, Census 2021. The highest-credential groups are mutually exclusive. Bachelor's degree, master's degree, and medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine sit inside “bachelor's degree or higher” and are not extra slices of the population. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Highest credential

Population aged 15 and over

24,685

No certificate, diploma or degree

4,855 (19.7%)

High school diploma or equivalency

5,045 (20.4%)

Postsecondary credential

14,780 (59.9%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

2,320 (9.4%)72.0% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

480 (1.9%)14.9% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

105 (0.4%)3.3% of bachelor's or higher

Those credentials are published parts of bachelor's degree or higher. They do not add up to that count. Earned doctorates and other university credentials above the bachelor level stay inside the published total and are not separate columns in this extract.

Share of the population aged 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree

4,855(19.7%)

High school diploma or equivalency

5,045(20.4%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

5,830(23.6%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

4,920(19.9%)

University certificate below bachelor

815(3.3%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

3,220(13.0%)

Alma Commute

Place of work for the employed labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Worked at home is the census count of people who worked at home, shown as a share of that employed labour force. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Worked at home

9.9%

1,350 people

Share of 13,705 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

1,350(9.9%)

Usual place of work

10,660(77.8%)

No fixed workplace address

1,685(12.3%)

Worked outside Canada

10(0.1%)

Alma Occupation

Broad category for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021, using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Legislative and senior management is broad category 0, not every job with “manager” in the title. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

14,465

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

185(1.3%)

Business, finance and administration

1,940(13.4%)

Natural and applied sciences

800(5.5%)

Health

1,300(9.0%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

1,845(12.8%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

240(1.7%)

Sales and service

3,930(27.2%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

2,765(19.1%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

330(2.3%)

Manufacturing and utilities

830(5.7%)

Alma Industry

Industry sector for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

14,465

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

355(2.5%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

120(0.8%)

Utilities

185(1.3%)

Construction

1,165(8.1%)

Manufacturing

1,820(12.6%)

Wholesale trade

275(1.9%)

Retail trade

2,160(14.9%)

Transportation and warehousing

555(3.8%)

Information and cultural industries

75(0.5%)

Finance and insurance

355(2.5%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

90(0.6%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

675(4.7%)

Management of companies and enterprises

0(0.0%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

475(3.3%)

Educational services

1,145(7.9%)

Health care and social assistance

2,415(16.7%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

135(0.9%)

Accommodation and food services

885(6.1%)

Other services (except public administration)

670(4.6%)

Public administration

610(4.2%)

Alma Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

20 (0.1%)

French Only

24,315 (81.0%)

English & French

5,655 (18.8%)

Neither

20 (0.1%)

Mother Tongue

English

125 (0.4%)

French

29,550 (98.5%)

Non-official languages

215 (0.7%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

French

29,550(98.5%)

English

125(0.4%)

Spanish

70(0.2%)

Arabic

15(0.0%)

Italian

10(0.0%)

Portuguese

10(0.0%)

Vietnamese

10(0.0%)

Mandarin

5(0.0%)

Alma Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

7,150(51.8%)

Semi-detached

1,065(7.7%)

Row house

250(1.8%)

Duplex

1,890(13.7%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

3,230(23.4%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

30(0.2%)

Other attached

130(0.9%)

Movable

70(0.5%)

Housing · Alma (CA), Que.

These figures are published for Alma (CA), Que., a census agglomeration, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Alma alone. Shares are calculated on this site from the published household counts in tables 98-10-0252-01 and 98-10-0253-01.

Tenure

Private households

13,770

Owner households

9,145 (66.4%)

Renter households

4,625 (33.6%)

Owners with a mortgage

5,700 (62.3%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

3,445 (37.7%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

385 (8.3%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

4,240 (91.7%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$685All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$840All households, 2021

Owners, median

$920

Renters, median

$576

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,190

Owners without a mortgage, median

$412

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

1,465 (10.6%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

675 (7.4%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

785 (17.0%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

0 (0.0%)

Monthly shelter cost

Published household counts by shelter-cost band. Census counts are randomly rounded, so the bands can differ slightly from the household total.

Less than $500

3,870(28.1%)

$500 to $749

3,560(25.9%)

$750 to $999

2,025(14.7%)

$1,000 to $1,249

1,745(12.7%)

$1,250 to $1,499

1,220(8.9%)

$1,500 to $1,999

940(6.8%)

$2,000 to $2,499

255(1.9%)

$2,500 to $2,999

95(0.7%)

$3,000 and over

70(0.5%)

Shelter cost is the census monthly amount. For owners it includes mortgage payments, property taxes and condominium fees, along with electricity, heat, water and other municipal services. For renters it includes rent and those utility payments when the tenant pays them. Current consumer prices are a separate series on the cost-of-living page. Data sources.

Community snapshot

About Alma

Alma is a city in Québec’s Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, on the Grande Décharge at the outlet of Lac Saint-Jean. It grew with pulp, paper, and aluminum industry along the river channels that drain the lake. The waterfront, islands, and winter outdoor culture remain central to daily life. About 30,000 people live in Alma.

Known for

Gateway at the outlet of Lac Saint-Jean
Pulp, paper, and aluminum industrial heritage
River islands and waterfront promenades
Winter outdoor culture in the Lac-Saint-Jean region
Dam and power infrastructure on the Grande Décharge

See & do

Promenade du Lac-Saint-Jean / waterfront
Shore walks facing the lake outlet and channels.
Île Maligne and river islands
Islands and bridges in the Grande Décharge channels.
Musée du fromage cheddar
Local cheddar museum reflecting Lac-Saint-Jean food culture.
Parc des Aulnaies / riverside parks
Green space along the river corridors.
Downtown Alma
Commercial core and civic square of the regional city.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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Data sources → Census profiles, housing tables, and consumer prices