Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 136 in Cantal, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
Besse is too small to grade: French towns get subject grades from 1,000 residents.
The 2 things Besse does most differently from other towns.
The Culture ministry lists no building in Besse as a monument historique. That’s true of 25% of compared French towns too.
The nearest classé monument is Ruines du château fort de Branzac, in Pleaux, 1.8 mi away.
31% 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 Besse.
14% are under 15, between Cantal’s towns (12%) and compared French towns (17%). People 65 and over make up 37% of the town. Graduates make up 21% of adults.
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Cantal 53.4%, France 51.8%.
| Besse | Cantal median | France median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 12% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 4.8% | 10% | 11% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 20% | 23% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 27% | 26% |
| 65+ | 37% | 28% | 22% |
| No diploma | 23% | 20% | 19% |
| CAP or BEP | 34% | 27% | 26% |
| Baccalauréat | 17% | 19% | 18% |
| Higher education | 21% | 26% | 30% |
INSEE, census 2023 · Cantal median and France median: the median of compared communes
The typical income here, after tax and benefits, is €23,490 a year per consumption unit. At the census, 3.8% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, below both Cantal’s towns (17.9%) and compared French towns (13.4%).
Source: INSEE, census 2023 (commuting, employment, jobs at place of work); INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Rents are the ministry’s estimates of advertised rents, not rents actually paid.
Sales in Besse from July 2023 to June 2026: 5 houses and apartments.
Source: Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Heritage in and near Besse. Best known first.
Nothing in Besse 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 Besse 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Besse | 136 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mauriac | 3,449 | 8.5 | A | A+ | C | B− |
| Aurillac | 26,214 | 13 | A− | A | C+ | C+ |
| Ytrac | 4,339 | 13 | — | A | — | B− |
| Arpajon-sur-Cère | 6,361 | 15 | A | A− | A+ | B− |
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
Commune in Cantal, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Besse is a commune of 136 people in the Communauté de communes du Pays de Salers. 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.