Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension: data for people moving in

Crime and safety

Police located 1,732 criminal acts in Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension over the most recent full year of data, against 1,717 the year before, a change of 0.9%. That puts the trend as stable, and the rate of 23.6 relative to the number of dwellings leaves the borough close to the city average, ranking 14 among Montréal's boroughs when they are ordered from the lowest rate upward.

The most frequent category is thefts from vehicles, at 30.1% of all located acts. Break-ins total 404, a rate of 5.5 against 5.8 for the city as a whole, which makes them close to the city average; the year-over-year direction is stable.

One caveat on the data: 15.2% of acts published by the police service citywide carry no location, so borough totals are a floor rather than a complete count.

Housing stock

The assessment roll lists 73,424 dwellings here, and the median construction year of 1956 places the typical building in the early post-war period. Older stock dominates: 63.0% of dwellings predate the post-war building wave, which in practice means plexes, walk-ups and duplexes rather than towers.

Condominium tenure is rare, covering 7.3% of units. Buyers looking for a turnkey condo will find a narrow market; those open to a plex, including owner-occupied units with rental income, have far more to choose from. Older buildings also mean inspections matter: roofing, wiring, plumbing and balcony structures are the usual items on a report.

Parks and outdoor life

The City's inventory counts 61 parks and large parks in the borough, together covering 14.4% of its land against 10.1% citywide. This inventory includes municipal parks and large parks only, so schoolyards, institutional grounds and private green space are not part of the tally.

Measured per household, green space is below the city average: 32,360.0 square metres of park relative to the number of dwellings, compared with 46,596.0 for Montréal. Dense residential blocks explain much of the gap. The largest single park is Parc Frédéric-Back.

For families, the facility count matters more than the hectares. There are 68 children's playgrounds, 46 outdoor sports facilities and 15 outdoor recreation sites, part of 215 outdoor recreational, sports and cultural facilities across the borough.

What rent looks like regionally

CMHC publishes average rents for the Montréal census metropolitan area, not for individual boroughs, so treat these as a regional benchmark rather than a price list for Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension. For the 2025 survey, bachelor units averaged $1,005 and smaller units $1,131.

Family-sized units averaged $1,346, while the largest units came in at $1,625. Older plex apartments in a borough like this one often sit below the regional average, and renovated units above it; the published averages blend both.

Practical notes for newcomers

Because break-ins here run close to the city average and thefts from vehicles lead the local crime mix, the sensible precautions are ordinary ones: a secured entry door, nothing visible left in a parked car, and a tenant or homeowner policy whose contents coverage you have actually read.

Buyers should expect to be looking at older construction given the median construction year of 1956, so budget for an inspection and ask for recent work records. Mortgage pre-approval before visits is useful in a market where plexes draw several offers, and insurers price older electrical and plumbing systems differently, which is worth checking before you sign.

Renters comparing listings can use the regional 2025 averages as a reference point while remembering they cover the whole metropolitan area.