Bretteville-sur-Odon, #1 on this list · Photo: Roi.dagobert (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Calvados · 2026

Best places to live in Calvados

Bretteville-sur-Odon ranks first of 46 ranked towns of 2,500 or more in Calvados, and #356 of 3,798 French towns. 10 of the 46 grade A− or better; scores run from 66.5 down to 20.6.

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

Bretteville-sur-Odon

4,494 people

Score 66.5·#356 of 3,798 French towns

Strongest: jobs & income A, health A·lowest: cost of living D

Douvres-la-Délivrande

5,143 people

Score 65.3·#426 of 3,798 French towns

Strongest: safety A, jobs & income A·lowest: cost of living C

Troarn

3,439 people

Score 65.1·#438 of 3,798 French towns

Strongest: safety A, jobs & income A⁻·lowest: cost of living C

All 46 towns, ranked

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

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46 towns

#TownScoreGrade · French rankWhat drives it

1Bretteville-sur-Odon4,494 people66.5top 9.3%A#356 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, health A·lowest: cost of living D

2Douvres-la-Délivrande5,143 people65.3top 11.2%A#426 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A, jobs & income A·lowest: cost of living C

3Troarn3,439 people65.1top 11.5%A#438 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A, jobs & income A⁻·lowest: cost of living C

4Verson4,059 people63.9top 13.3%A#506 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A⁺, schools A·lowest: cost of living C⁻

5Valdallière5,696 people62.4top 15.9%A⁻#606 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A, safety A⁻·lowest: walkability D

6Thue et Mue6,182 people60.4top 19.6%A⁻#745 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁺, jobs & income A⁻·lowest: walkability C

7Le Molay-Littry3,124 people59.9top 20.8%A⁻#792 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁺, schools A⁻·lowest: health C

8Luc-sur-Mer3,275 people59.0top 23.0%A⁻#876 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A, walkability A·lowest: cost of living C⁻

9Villers-Bocage3,088 people58.6top 23.7%A⁻#902 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, safety A⁻·lowest: cost of living C

10Isigny-sur-Mer3,543 people58.5top 24.0%A⁻#912 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, safety B⁺·lowest: health C

11Bourguébus2,613 people57.1top 27.3%B⁺#1,037 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A, jobs & income A·lowest: cost of living C

12Saint-Martin-de-May4,529 people56.5top 28.8%B⁺#1,094 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁺, health B⁺·lowest: schools C⁻

13Les Monts d'Aunay4,777 people56.2top 29.6%B⁺#1,124 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A, cost of living B⁺·lowest: jobs & income C⁻

14Pont-l'Évêque5,145 people53.7top 36.1%B#1,373 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: schools A⁻, walkability B⁺·lowest: cost of living C⁻

15Cormelles-le-Royal5,377 people53.4top 36.6%B#1,392 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, safety A⁻·lowest: cost of living C⁻

16Thury-Harcourt-le-Hom3,600 people52.8top 38.4%B#1,460 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁻, cost of living B⁺·lowest: schools C⁻

17Carpiquet3,428 people50.4top 45.7%B⁻#1,737 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, safety B⁺·lowest: cost of living C⁻

18Vire Normandie17,457 people48.3bottom 48.7%B⁻#1,950 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living B⁺, walkability B·lowest: schools C⁻

19Noues de Sienne4,207 people47.9bottom 47.4%B⁻#2,000 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A, safety A·lowest: schools D⁻

20Blainville-sur-Orne6,106 people47.5bottom 46.2%B⁻#2,042 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, safety A⁻·lowest: schools D⁻

21Souleuvre en Bocage8,629 people47.5bottom 46.2%B⁻#2,045 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A, safety A⁻·lowest: walkability D

22Ifs11,937 people47.1bottom 45.0%B⁻#2,089 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, health A⁻·lowest: cost of living C⁻

23Giberville5,077 people45.4bottom 40.4%C⁺#2,263 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, health B·lowest: schools C⁻

24Condé-en-Normandie5,985 people45.3bottom 40.0%C⁺#2,278 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A, walkability B·lowest: health C⁻

25Ouistreham9,212 people43.7bottom 36.3%C⁺#2,421 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, schools A⁻·lowest: cost of living D

26Fleury-sur-Orne5,941 people43.1bottom 34.9%C#2,473 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, health B⁺·lowest: cost of living D

27Mézidon Vallée d'Auge9,766 people42.5bottom 33.0%C#2,544 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living B, health B·lowest: schools D

28La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur2,527 people42.2bottom 32.5%C#2,563 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁻, schools B·lowest: health D

29Argences3,959 people42.1bottom 32.5%C#2,565 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁻, walkability B⁺·lowest: schools D⁻

30Bayeux12,659 people42.0bottom 32.3%C#2,571 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, schools B⁺·lowest: safety D

31Saint-Pierre-en-Auge7,100 people41.3bottom 30.7%C#2,632 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, walkability B⁻·lowest: schools C⁻

32Livarot-Pays-d'Auge6,207 people39.7bottom 26.0%C#2,809 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety B⁺, cost of living B·lowest: schools D⁻

33Moult-Chicheboville3,441 people39.5bottom 25.8%C#2,818 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁻, jobs & income B⁻·lowest: schools D⁻

34Courseulles-sur-Mer4,268 people39.2bottom 24.9%C⁻#2,851 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, jobs & income B⁻·lowest: schools D

35Hérouville-Saint-Clair23,470 people38.0bottom 21.9%C⁻#2,966 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, safety C⁺·lowest: jobs & income D

36Lisieux19,645 people36.3bottom 18.3%C⁻#3,104 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living C⁺·lowest: jobs & income C⁻

37Falaise7,680 people35.8bottom 17.4%C⁻#3,138 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living B·lowest: health D

38Caen109,400 people34.1bottom 14.0%D#3,266 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, health B⁻·lowest: safety D

39Colombelles7,243 people34.1bottom 14.0%D#3,267 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, health C⁺·lowest: cost of living C⁻

40Mondeville10,331 people33.0bottom 12.0%D#3,344 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, jobs & income C⁺·lowest: safety C⁻

41Deauville3,539 people32.7bottom 11.5%D#3,360 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, jobs & income B⁺·lowest: safety D⁻

42Touques3,913 people29.7bottom 7.2%D#3,523 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, schools C⁺·lowest: cost of living D

43Honfleur6,640 people27.8bottom 4.7%D⁻#3,620 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, schools B·lowest: safety D

44Trouville-sur-Mer4,619 people26.0bottom 2.8%D⁻#3,690 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, schools C⁺·lowest: cost of living D⁻

45Dives-sur-Mer5,122 people21.2bottom 0.7%D⁻#3,771 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, safety C·lowest: cost of living D⁻

46Cabourg3,725 people20.6bottom 0.6%D⁻#3,776 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, jobs & income B⁻·lowest: cost of living D⁻

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in Calvados?

Bretteville-sur-Odon ranks first of 46 graded towns of 2,500 or more: jobs & income (A) and health (A) are its strongest grades; cost of living (D) is its lowest. Douvres-la-Délivrande and Troarn 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 Calvados, 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 Calvados page.

Photos: Bretteville-sur-Odon, Roi.dagobert (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Douvres-la-Délivrande, René Hourdry (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Troarn, Ikmo-ned (CC BY-SA 3.0), 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.