Conques-sur-Orbiel, #1 on this list · Photo: Jcb-caz-11 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Aude · 2026

Best places to live in Aude

Conques-sur-Orbiel ranks first of 22 ranked towns of 2,500 or more in Aude, and #188 of 3,798 French towns. 1 of the 22 grade A− or better; scores run from 70.6 down to 13.7.

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

Conques-sur-Orbiel

2,523 people

A⁺

Score 70.6·#188 of 3,798 French towns

Strongest: health A⁺, safety A·lowest: jobs & income C⁻

Pennautier

2,895 people

Score 53.0·#1,436 of 3,798 French towns

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

Ouveillan

2,713 people

Score 51.9·#1,566 of 3,798 French towns

Strongest: safety A, walkability B⁺·lowest: jobs & income D⁻

All 22 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 Aude →

Find a town

22 towns

#TownScoreGrade · French rankWhat drives it

1Conques-sur-Orbiel2,523 people70.6top 4.9%A⁺#188 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: health A⁺, safety A·lowest: jobs & income C⁻

2Pennautier2,895 people53.0top 37.8%B#1,436 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁺, cost of living B⁻·lowest: health D

3Ouveillan2,713 people51.9top 41.2%B#1,566 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A, walkability B⁺·lowest: jobs & income D⁻

4Villemoustaussou4,401 people51.8top 41.6%B#1,581 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁺, health B⁺·lowest: jobs & income C⁻

5Quillan2,978 people51.0top 43.7%B#1,660 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: jobs & income D

6Bram3,233 people50.1top 46.3%B⁻#1,759 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: schools A⁻, walkability B⁺·lowest: safety C

7Castelnaudary12,151 people47.1bottom 44.9%C⁺#2,093 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: safety D

8Trèbes5,361 people40.2bottom 27.3%C#2,761 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, health B·lowest: schools D⁻

9Limoux10,532 people39.5bottom 25.7%C#2,822 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, cost of living B⁺·lowest: jobs & income C⁻

10Carcassonne46,080 people35.1bottom 15.8%C⁻#3,198 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living B·lowest: safety D⁻

11Sallèles-d'Aude3,179 people33.7bottom 13.5%D#3,286 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A, walkability B·lowest: schools D⁻

12Cuxac-d'Aude4,079 people30.8bottom 8.6%D#3,471 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability B, cost of living B⁻·lowest: jobs & income D⁻

13Sigean5,657 people30.1bottom 7.9%D#3,498 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, safety C⁺·lowest: schools D

14Salles-d'Aude3,369 people29.5bottom 7.0%D#3,531 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety B⁺, walkability B·lowest: schools D⁻

15Lézignan-Corbières10,343 people29.3bottom 6.7%D#3,545 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, cost of living B⁻·lowest: safety D

16Vinassan2,662 people29.2bottom 6.6%D#3,546 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability B, safety C⁺·lowest: schools D

17Coursan5,737 people28.8bottom 6.0%D#3,572 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, cost of living B⁻·lowest: jobs & income D⁻

18Port-la-Nouvelle5,852 people28.6bottom 5.7%D#3,582 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, schools B⁺·lowest: health D⁻

19Narbonne57,587 people23.3bottom 1.2%D⁻#3,753 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, health C·lowest: safety D⁻

20Fleury4,246 people19.5bottom 0.4%D⁻#3,783 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, health C⁻·lowest: safety D⁻

21Leucate4,562 people18.3bottom 0.2%D⁻#3,789 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, jobs & income C⁻·lowest: safety D⁻

22Gruissan5,032 people13.7bottom 0.1%D⁻#3,798 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, jobs & income D·lowest: safety D⁻

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in Aude?

Conques-sur-Orbiel ranks first of 22 graded towns of 2,500 or more: health (A+) and safety (A) are its strongest grades; jobs & income (C−) is its lowest. Pennautier and Ouveillan 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 Aude, 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 Aude page.

Photos: Conques-sur-Orbiel, Jcb-caz-11 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Pennautier, Krzysztof Golik (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Ouveillan, Tylwyth Eldar (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 #64 of November 8, 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.