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France›Allier›Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

ChapeauAllier

A town of 231 in Allier, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

Is Chapeau a good place to live?

Chapeau is too small to grade: French towns get subject grades from 1,000 residents.

Château de la Cour-en-Chapeau
Château de la Cour-en-Chapeau · Classé · Photo: jean-louis Zimmermann · CC BY 2.0
Chapeau’s story

Chapeau in pictures

The Culture ministry lists 2 historic monuments in Chapeau: 1 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 1 inscrit (the second level).

The oldest protected part dates from the 15th century; the first monument here was protected in 1972.

30% of its homes were built before 1919, against 7.4% in the median compared French town.

  • 1972First protected: Château de la Cour-en-Chapeau
  • 2008Most recently protected: Château des Chevennes
Explore the history →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Chapeau.

History

Old homes shape Chapeau: 30% were built before 1919, more than in Allier’s towns or compared French towns

France has no History Grade yet: this card describes, it doesn’t grade.

On this, Chapeau is above both Allier’s towns (9.2%) and compared French towns (7.4%). The Culture ministry lists 2 historic monuments in Chapeau: 1 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 1 inscrit (the second level). Among the classé monuments in Chapeau is Château de la Cour-en-Chapeau.

2historic monuments

Monuments by protection · Mérimée

Classé1
Inscrit1

Among them · Classé

15th c.
oldest protected part
1972
first monument protected

Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée (Licence Ouverte 2.0) · INSEE, census 2023, homes by build period

Who lives here

Few people in Chapeau are 15 to 24: 7.2%, fewer than in Allier’s towns and compared French towns

In the comparison, Chapeau comes below both Allier’s towns (9.3%) and compared French towns (11%). 23% of residents are 65 or over.

42.7median age
ChapeauAllier medianFrance median

Ages · share of residents

Highest diploma · residents 15 and older who have left education

No diploma17%
CAP or BEP29%
Baccalauréat14%
Higher education36%

Women and men · all residents

49% women, 51% men

About an even split. Median share of women: Allier 52.6%, France 51.8%.

Ages and diplomas in Chapeau
ChapeauAllier medianFrance median
Under 1517%14%17%
15–247.2%9.3%11%
25–4429%19%23%
45–6424%27%26%
65+23%30%22%
No diploma17%24%19%
CAP or BEP29%29%26%
Baccalauréat14%17%18%
Higher education36%22%30%

INSEE, census 2023 · Allier median and France median: the median of compared communes

Work & commute

Fewer people in Chapeau are out of work than in Allier’s towns or across compared French towns: 6.4%

For Chapeau, that is below both Allier’s towns (12.1%) and compared French towns (10.1%). Chapeau has 50 jobs for 100 working residents, 0.3 per worker. At the census, 0.9% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.

1%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2023

Driving95%
Bicycle1%
On foot0%
Public transport0%
Motorbike or scooter0%
50
jobs based in Chapeau, 0.3 per working resident
6.4%
unemployment rate, ages 15 to 64 in the labor force · median of compared French towns 10.1%
€27,070
median annual income per consumption unit, 2023 · median of compared French towns €25,970
4%
worked without traveling (at or from home)

Source: INSEE, census 2023 (commuting, employment, jobs at place of work); INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte

Housing

Renting in Chapeau costs less than in Allier’s towns or compared French towns, at an estimated advertised €6.86/m² a month

Rents are the ministry’s estimates of advertised rents, not rents actually paid.

Chapeau sits below both Allier’s towns (€9.45/m²) and compared French towns (€12.41/m²) on this measure.

€6.86/m²estimated apartment rent a month

Estimated advertised apartment rent per m² a month

Chapeau€6.86/m²
Median of towns€12.41/m²
Allier median€9.45/m²
€6.86/m²
estimated advertised apartment rent a month, charges included (€5.25 to €8.96/m² a month)
€7.57/m²
estimated advertised house rent a month, charges included

Source: Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte

Nearby attractions

Château de la Cour-en-Chapeau and 2 more in and around Chapeau

Heritage and family days out in and near Chapeau. Best known first.

All attractions →
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Keep exploring

Everything we know about Chapeau

12pages on Chapeau

Landmarks

The Culture ministry lists 2 historic monuments in Chapeau: 1 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 1 inscrit (the second level).

All monuments →
Photo credits

Château de la Cour-en-Chapeau: Photo: jean-louis Zimmermann · CC BY 2.0

Famous people from Chapeau

One notable person was born in Chapeau.

Their page →

Chapeau’s neighbors

The nearest towns of 2,500 or more. The map uses IGN’s commune boundaries. See them on the map →

All towns in Allier →
Dompierre-sur-BesbreYzeureMoulinsAvermesVarennes-sur-AllierBourbon-LancyDompierre-sur-BesbreYzeureMoulinsAvermesVarennes-sur-AllierBourbon-LancyChapeau
How the neighbors grade
TownPeopleMilesOverallCostSafetyHealth
Chapeau231—————
Dompierre-sur-Besbre2,9597.9A−A+A+B−
Yzeure12,8979.5AA−BB+
Moulins19,20611B+A−C−B+
Avermes4,07412A+A−AA
Varennes-sur-Allier3,54913C−ACD
Bourbon-Lancy Saône-et-Loire4,67415A+A+AB

People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.

About Chapeau

Commune in Allier, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Chapeau is a commune of 231 people in the Communauté d'agglomération Moulins Communauté. TownRatings compares communes, France’s local unit: each has its own mayor and its own statistics. Its area takes in the town and the countryside around it.

Built from INSEE’s 2026 official geography (COG) and IGN Admin Express boundaries

Population
231 (INSEE, census 2023)
Intercommunality
Communauté d'agglomération Moulins Communauté
Département
Allier (03)
Région
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Area
13 sq mi (33.7 km²)
INSEE code
03054

Sources: INSEE, census 2023 (population, employment, commuting) · INSEE, Filosofi 2023 (income per consumption unit, poverty) · Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025 · SSMSI, recorded crime by commune, 2023–2025 · Ministry of Education (DEPP), brevet and bac results and value-added indicators, 2025 · INSEE, deaths by commune of residence 2016–2025 and censuses 2012–2023; Eurostat, death rates by age (© European Union); INSEE, BPE 2025 (care homes, emergency and maternity units, GPs, pharmacies); DREES, APL 2024; INSEE, life expectancy by département 2025 (provisional) · INSEE, BPE 2025 and Filosofi 200 m grid (walking distances) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranking French towns against each other only, updated October 30, 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.