CivicScore

Quality of life analysis

Democratizing access to public data for informed decisions.

Free
Web
Montreal
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CivicScore analyzes the quality of life at every address in Montreal by combining multiple public data sources. Like a doctor examining vital signs, we evaluate 5 essential aspects of your neighborhood to help you choose where to live.

The problem

Stressful and time-consuming home search
Information scattered across multiple sites
Often subjective or anecdotal data
Difficulty objectively evaluating a neighborhood

5 dimensions analyzed

Safety (30%)

Criminal incidents within 1 km radius over 12 months. Violent crimes, break-ins, thefts weighted by severity.

Tranquility (20%)

Citizen complaints (311) related to noise, nuisances, cleanliness and unsanitary conditions within 500m-1km over 6 months.

Air quality (15%)

Air Quality Index (AQI), fine particles (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) via RSQA stations over 30 days.

Green spaces (15%)

Total park area accessible on foot within 1 km radius (10-15 minute walk).

Transportation (20%)

STM metro access, downtown proximity, transport infrastructure and urban service density.

Data sources

Montreal Police: Criminal incident reports
City of Montreal: Citizen complaints (311 line)
RSQA: Air quality measurement stations
Urban planning: Parks and green spaces maps
STM: Metro stations and bus stops

How to interpret scores

70-75
Exceptional
Top 5% - Very peaceful suburbs with excellent services
60-69
Very good
Above Montreal average
50-59
Good
Typical dynamic urban neighborhoods
40-49
Average
Dense downtown with normal urban trade-offs
< 40
Significant challenges
Areas requiring thorough research

Note

Maximum observed in Montreal: 72.6 (Pointe-Claire). Montreal average: 59.6. A score of 60+ means you're above the island average.

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Free service for all Montrealers.

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In brief

How does CivicScore evaluate a Montreal neighbourhood?

CivicScore computes a quality-of-life index across 5 dimensions, drawn from open datasets published by municipal and provincial agencies. First dimension: safety, based on crime statistics from Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) over a rolling 36-month window. Second: tranquility, derived from noise complaints and bar density tracked by the City. Third: air quality, measured by the 14 stations of the air quality monitoring network (RSQA). Fourth: green space, assessed by the area of accessible parks within a 500-metre radius. Fifth: transit, computed from the frequency of Société de transport de Montréal (STM) lines nearby. CivicScore is provided as a free web app and is meant to inform residents and prospective movers.

Which neighbourhoods does CivicScore cover?

CivicScore covers the 19 boroughs of the City of Montreal and the 15 linked cities of the agglomeration, for a total of 34 administrative entities. Within each borough, the app drills down to the level of Statistics Canada census tracts — roughly 600 micro-zones — to deliver an index at the lived-neighbourhood scale rather than at the macro-administrative one. A side-by-side comparison view contrasts 2 neighbourhoods on the 5 dimensions with a radar chart and a per-dimension ranking. CivicScore is freely accessible on the web at https://civicscore.org, with no account creation, and all source data is downloadable as CSV for academic use. The project is built by mcsÉdition, a Montreal-based software studio.

Frequently asked questions

Is CivicScore a WalkScore alternative for Montreal?

Yes. CivicScore is Montreal-focused and combines 5 dimensions (safety, tranquility, air quality, green space, transit) from open data published by the City of Montreal, SPVM, RSQA and STM.

Is the data up-to-date?

CivicScore relies on open datasets published by municipal and provincial agencies; reference periods are indicated per dimension.