Athies-sous-Laon (Aisne) city limit sign

Athies-sous-Laon, #1 on this list · Photo: Havang(nl) (CC0)

Aisne · 2026

Best places to live in Aisne

Athies-sous-Laon ranks first of 23 ranked towns of 2,500 or more in Aisne, and #654 of 3,798 French towns. 2 of the 23 grade A− or better; scores run from 61.8 down to 28.7.

The overall score, sorted within the département; the letter compares each town with every French town of 2,500+, and its rank among French towns sits beside it. How grades work

Athies-sous-Laon

2,578 people

A⁻

Score 61.8·#654 of 3,798 French towns

Strongest: safety A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: health C⁺

Fresnoy-le-Grand

2,890 people

A⁻

Score 60.3·#755 of 3,798 French towns

Strongest: cost of living A, walkability A·lowest: health D⁻

Charly-sur-Marne

2,594 people

Score 53.6·#1,380 of 3,798 French towns

Strongest: walkability A, safety A⁻·lowest: health D

All 23 towns, ranked

By overall score against French towns; ranks are within the département, and each French rank links to the national list.

Every town in Aisne →

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23 towns

#TownScoreGrade · French rankWhat drives it

1Athies-sous-Laon2,578 people61.8top 17.2%A⁻#654 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: health C⁺

2Fresnoy-le-Grand2,890 people60.3top 19.9%A⁻#755 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A, walkability A·lowest: health D⁻

3Charly-sur-Marne2,594 people53.6top 36.3%B#1,380 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, safety A⁻·lowest: health D

4Villeneuve-Saint-Germain2,616 people52.1top 40.6%B#1,544 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁻, walkability A⁻·lowest: health C⁻

5Vervins2,549 people50.1top 46.3%B⁻#1,760 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, schools A·lowest: health D

6Crouy3,049 people49.2top 48.7%B⁻#1,852 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁻, schools B⁺·lowest: health C⁻

7Belleu3,659 people47.1bottom 45.2%B⁻#2,082 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, safety A⁻·lowest: health D⁻

8Bohain-en-Vermandois5,605 people45.1bottom 39.7%C⁺#2,289 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁺, walkability A·lowest: health D⁻

9Soissons28,046 people43.2bottom 35.0%C⁺#2,467 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, schools B⁺·lowest: jobs & income D

10Fère-en-Tardenois2,836 people42.8bottom 33.9%C#2,511 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, cost of living B⁺·lowest: jobs & income D

11Guise4,490 people42.7bottom 33.8%C#2,514 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A, walkability A·lowest: health D⁻

12Essômes-sur-Marne2,691 people41.5bottom 31.1%C#2,617 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁻, walkability B⁻·lowest: health D

13Saint-Michel3,199 people39.3bottom 25.3%C#2,839 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A, walkability B·lowest: jobs & income D⁻

14Beautor2,579 people38.3bottom 22.5%C⁻#2,943 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, walkability B⁺·lowest: jobs & income D⁻

15La Fère2,796 people36.8bottom 19.6%C⁻#3,054 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: health D⁻

16Hirson8,469 people36.3bottom 18.5%C⁻#3,095 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: safety D⁻

17Laon24,220 people36.1bottom 17.9%C⁻#3,118 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living B⁺·lowest: safety D⁻

18Chauny11,596 people34.0bottom 13.9%D#3,270 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living B⁺·lowest: safety D

19Tergnier13,045 people32.9bottom 11.9%D#3,347 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, cost of living A⁻·lowest: jobs & income D

20Villers-Cotterêts10,489 people32.9bottom 11.8%D#3,351 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, cost of living C⁺·lowest: jobs & income D

21Gauchy5,183 people32.0bottom 10.4%D#3,403 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, cost of living B·lowest: health D⁻

22Château-Thierry15,097 people30.7bottom 8.5%D#3,477 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living C⁺·lowest: safety D

23Saint-Quentin52,813 people28.7bottom 5.8%D#3,579 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, cost of living B·lowest: safety D⁻

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in Aisne?

Athies-sous-Laon ranks first of 23 graded towns of 2,500 or more: safety (A) and cost of living (A−) are its strongest grades; health (C+) is its lowest. Fresnoy-le-Grand and Charly-sur-Marne follow.

How are these towns ranked?

By the overall grade, which blends six graded subjects (cost of living, safety, schools, health, jobs and income, walkability) from public data, each comparing a town with every French town of 1,000 or more. The rank is among the towns of 2,500 or more in Aisne, where five or more have an overall grade.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list covers places of 2,500 or more with an overall grade. Smaller places, and towns missing figures the overall grade needs, show their grades on their own pages; every commune is listed on the Aisne page.

Photos: Athies-sous-Laon, Havang(nl) (CC0) · Fresnoy-le-Grand, René Hourdry (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Charly-sur-Marne, Gérald Garitan (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources: TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranking French towns against each other only, run #70 of November 9, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).

Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.