Best neighbourhood for families in Laval in 2026: the six sectors ranked by budget, days on market and living environment

Families · Laval · QPAREB Q2 2026 figures

Six sectors, a $228,000 gap and three transit lines: here is how to choose the family neighbourhood in Laval by budget, commute and what you want on foot.

The best neighbourhood for a family in Laval in 2026 depends on the budget: under $600,000, Fabreville ($547,500 median house, 24 days) and Saint-François-Saint-Vincent ($552,944) offer the city's cheapest house with a yard; between $600,000 and $700,000, Sainte-Rose, Vimont and Auteuil ($649,500, 27 days) add the village, Cité-de-la-Santé hospital, two stations and the Rivière-des-Mille-Îles park, and Chomedey ($637,500) the metro and the Centre de la nature; above, Duvernay ($735,000, Montmorency metro next door, river) and Sainte-Dorothée ($775,500, large lots, train) are the sectors of the large family home. Laval sells in 30 days with 821 houses active: choice exists, but the fast sectors call for a pre-approval before the viewing.

The 2026 ranking, by budget

Laval sold its median house for $633,500 in the second quarter of 2026 (+4 % year over year, +36 % in five years) in 30 days, with 821 active listings; in August, $642,750 in 40 days. For a family, the question is not the city but the sector: the six QPAREB sectors run from $547,500 to $775,500, from 24 to 48 days on market, and do not offer the same transit (metro in Chomedey and Duvernay, train in Sainte-Rose and Sainte-Dorothée, highways elsewhere). The table ranks the sectors from cheapest to most expensive, with what counts for a family; the monthly picture is on Laval's August 2026 report.

Under $600,000: Fabreville and Saint-François

Fabreville is Laval's entry level and its fastest sector (24 days): 1960s to 1980s bungalows and semi-detached homes on reasonable lots, the Mille Îles river and the Bois de l'Équerre at the edge, Highways 13 and 440, and Sainte-Rose station within walking distance for the eastern part. A family buys a house to refresh there and stays. Saint-François and Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, to the east, offer large lots, the Papineau woods and the Pie-IX bridge to Montréal-Nord, with the city's strongest five-year rise (+43 %); it is the car sector.

$600,000 to $700,000: Sainte-Rose-Vimont and Chomedey

Sainte-Rose, Vimont and Auteuil are Laval's family compromise: Vieux-Sainte-Rose and its Berge des Baigneurs, the Rivière-des-Mille-Îles park, Cité-de-la-Santé hospital in Vimont, two stations on the Saint-Jérôme line, and 1980s to 2000s homes that go in 27 days. Chomedey and Laval-des-Rapides offer the metro on foot, the Centre de la nature, Collège Montmorency and 1950s to 1970s bungalows on straight streets, in an urban, multicultural life; Pont-Viau, its duplexes and small homes, is the entry door.

Above $700,000: Duvernay and Sainte-Dorothée

Duvernay sells the 1980s to 2000s family homes near the Montmorency metro and the Rivière des Prairies, with little supply (77 listings): the sector of families who want the metro and the lot. Sainte-Dorothée and Laval-sur-le-Lac sell large lots, waterfront homes and calm, with the Sainte-Dorothée and Île-Bigras stations (REM Deux-Montagnes branch) and Highway 13 to the airport; the market there is the buyer's above $1.12 million and the delay is Laval's longest (48 days), which leaves time to choose.

The three criteria that decide

• The real budget, not the median: a sector's median says where the middle of the market sits; a family buys a specific house, on a specific street, and the price is read on that street's closed sales. Months of inventory by range say whether you will have to fight (under 4 months) or negotiate (over 8).
• The daily commute, measured and not estimated: do it at real hours, on a weekday, before offering. A train or metro station within walking distance is often worth more than an extra bedroom.
• Parks, bike paths and services on foot: the library, the arena, the pool, the grocery store; what lets a twelve-year-old get around alone. Schools are checked with the sector's school service centre, with the current year's catchment areas, never on reputation.

And if the budget buys more elsewhere

With $550,000, a family buys a bungalow in Fabreville, or a newer home in Mascouche ($615,000) and Terrebonne ($583,500) on the North Shore, without the metro but with the train. With $650,000, Sainte-Rose in Laval compares with Saint-Hubert ($602,500) and Longueuil ($623,000) on the South Shore, which have the metro and the REM. With $750,000, Duvernay compares with Blainville ($800,000) and Boucherville ($800,000). Our comparisons Laval vs the North Shore, Laval vs the South Shore and Montreal vs Laval decide.

The full guides for each sector, from living in Fabreville to living in Sainte-Dorothée, are in the index of "Living in" guides; sector prices on house prices in Laval by sector; the first purchase on first-time home buyer in Laval.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best neighbourhood for a family in Laval with a $600,000 budget?

Fabreville or Saint-François for a house with a yard ($547,500 and $552,944 medians), or a Chomedey bungalow for the metro; in Sainte-Rose, that budget leads to a house to renovate.

Which Laval sector has the most houses for sale?

Sainte-Rose-Vimont-Auteuil (234 listings) and downtown (174) in the second quarter of 2026; Duvernay has the fewest (77).

Where are you closest to the metro in Laval?

Chomedey and Laval-des-Rapides (Montmorency, De la Concorde, Cartier) and western Duvernay; Sainte-Rose and Sainte-Dorothée have the train.

Also available in French: version française de ce guide.

Published September 7, 2026 by the Loaa & Manseur team, the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 according to the official RE/MAX ranking. Tell us about your project.