Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 163 in Ariège, Occitanie.
Besset is too small to grade: French towns get subject grades from 1,000 residents.
The one thing Besset does most differently from other towns.
The Culture ministry lists no building in Besset as a monument historique. That’s true of 25% of compared French towns too.
The nearest classé monument is Porte d'Avail, in Mirepoix, 1.5 mi away.
18% 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 Besset.
Graduates make up just over two in five adults. 29% of residents are 65 or over, above both Ariège’s towns (27%) and compared French towns (22%). Those aged 15 to 24 account for 7% of residents.
48% women, 52% men
About 109 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Ariège 52.2%, France 51.8%.
| Besset | Ariège median | France median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 15% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 7% | 10% | 11% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 22% | 23% |
| 45–64 | 38% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 29% | 27% | 22% |
| No diploma | 15% | 21% | 19% |
| CAP or BEP | 18% | 26% | 26% |
| Baccalauréat | 17% | 20% | 18% |
| Higher education | 42% | 25% | 30% |
INSEE, census 2023 · Ariège median and France median: the median of compared communes
At the census, 5.6% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, below both Ariège’s towns (15.5%) and compared French towns (13.4%). Nearly a tenth of the labour force are out of work.
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.
The bac pass rate near Besset is 96.0%, higher than both Ariège’s towns (94.1%) and compared French towns (92.9%). A collège lies 1.9 mi away. At the general lycée, 97% of 117 candidates passed the bac, a point above the expected rate.
| School | Level | Candidates | Passed, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cité scolaire de Mirepoix - collègeNearest collègeCollège | Collège | 102 | 85%−6 pts |
| Cité scolaire de Mirepoix - lycée polyvalentNearest lycéeGeneral lycée | General lycée | 117 | 97%+1 pt |
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.
3 houses and apartments changed hands in Besset from July 2023 to June 2026.
Source: Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Heritage, museums and other places to visit in and near Besset. Best known first.
CathedralCathédrale Saint-Maurice de Mirepoix2.6 km northeast, in MirepoixHistoric houseHistoric housePalais épiscopal de Mirepoix2.5 km northeast, in MirepoixAttractionAttractionMaisons, 50 place du Maréchal-Leclerc2.6 km northeast, in MirepoixChâteauChâteauChâteau de Roques4.2 km west, in TeilhetArt galleryArt galleryArt Mania2.5 km northeast, in MirepoixArt galleryArt galleryGalerie d'Art2.6 km northeast, in MirepoixPhotos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence (our copy, resized).
Nothing in Besset is on the monuments historiques list. These are the nearest classé monuments, within 15.5 mi.
Wikidata has nobody with a French article born in Besset yet.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Besset | 163 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mirepoix | 3,172 | 1.6 | B− | B− | B | C |
| La Tour-du-Crieu | 3,230 | 9.8 | A− | C | A+ | A− |
| Lavelanet | 5,987 | 10 | C+ | A− | D | C+ |
| Varilhes | 3,487 | 11 | A | B+ | B+ | A |
| Saint-Jean-du-Falga | 2,851 | 11 | B+ | B | B+ | B |
| Pamiers | 16,473 | 12 | C | B+ | D | C |
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
Commune in Ariège, Occitanie
Besset is a commune of 163 people in the Communauté de communes du Pays de Mirepoix. 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.