Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 140 in Ardennes, Grand Est.
Balham is too small to grade: French towns get subject grades from 1,000 residents.
The 2 things Balham does most differently from other towns.
The Culture ministry lists 1 historic monument in Balham, none of them classé, France’s highest protection.
The oldest protected part dates from the 15th century; the first monument here was protected in 1926.
27% of its homes were built before 1919, against 7.4% in the median compared French town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Balham.
Balham sits above both Ardennes’ towns (16%) and compared French towns (17%) on this measure. Those 65 and older account for 14% of residents.
48% women, 52% men
About 109 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Ardennes 52.2%, France 51.8%.
| Balham | Ardennes median | France median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 24% | 16% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 8.6% | 10% | 11% |
| 25–44 | 33% | 22% | 23% |
| 45–64 | 21% | 27% | 26% |
| 65+ | 14% | 25% | 22% |
| No diploma | 16% | 30% | 19% |
| CAP or BEP | 31% | 28% | 26% |
| Baccalauréat | 32% | 16% | 18% |
| Higher education | 16% | 17% | 30% |
INSEE, census 2023 · Ardennes median and France median: the median of compared communes
France has no History Grade yet: this card describes, it doesn’t grade.
That puts Balham above both Ardennes’ towns (10%) and compared French towns (7.4%). The Culture ministry lists 1 historic monument in Balham, none of them classé, France’s highest protection.
Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée (Licence Ouverte 2.0) · INSEE, census 2023, homes by build period
On this, Balham is below both Ardennes’ towns (18.5%) and compared French towns (10.1%). Balham has 0 jobs for 50 working residents, 0.1 per worker. 1.4% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census.
Source: INSEE, census 2023 (commuting, employment, jobs at place of work); INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Primary schools aren’t graded: France doesn’t publish their results by school.
In the comparison, Balham comes below both Ardennes’ towns (83.7%) and compared French towns (87.5%).
| School | Level | Candidates | Passed, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collège multisite Asfeld-Chateau PorcienNearest collègeCollège | Collège | 118 | 78%−8 pts |
Ministry of Education (DEPP) · brevet and bac 2025, value added (IVAC, IVAL) · Licence Ouverte
Rents are the ministry’s estimates of advertised rents, not rents actually paid.
Too few homes sold here for a reliable median price.
Source: Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Balham has one historic monument; beside it, the nearest classé monuments in other towns, within 15.5 mi.
Wikidata places 1 person here, but the articles don’t both confirm Balham as the birthplace, so nobody is listed.
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more. The map uses IGN’s commune boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balham | 140 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Villeneuve-sur-Aisne Aisne | 2,792 | 9.1 | — | A− | — | C+ |
| Rethel | 7,444 | 9.4 | C− | A− | D | C+ |
| Warmeriville Marne | 2,749 | 10 | B | B− | A+ | C |
| Witry-lès-Reims Marne | 4,950 | 14 | B+ | C− | B | C+ |
| Bétheny Marne | 6,975 | 15 | B | C | C+ | A+ |
| Saint-Brice-Courcelles Marne | 3,566 | 18 | C | C | C− | C+ |
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
Commune in Ardennes, Grand Est
Balham is a commune of 140 people in the Communauté de communes du Pays Rethélois. 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
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.