Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 102 in Charente-Maritime, Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
Messac is too small to grade: French towns get subject grades from 1,000 residents.
The 2 things Messac does most differently from other towns.
The Culture ministry lists no building in Messac as a monument historique. That’s true of 25% of compared French towns too.
The nearest classé monument is Croix de l'ancien cimetière, in Chantillac, 3.6 mi away.
67% 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 Messac.
30% of residents have reached 65. Children under 15 make up 12%, close to Charente-Maritime’s towns (12%) and below compared French towns (17%). Aged 15 to 24: 9.9% of residents.
42% women, 58% men
About 71 women for every 100 men. Median share of women: Charente-Maritime 53.1%, France 51.8%.
| Messac | Charente-Maritime median | France median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 12% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 9.9% | 7.6% | 11% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 17% | 23% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 27% | 26% |
| 65+ | 30% | 36% | 22% |
| No diploma | 20% | 19% | 19% |
| CAP or BEP | 34% | 29% | 26% |
| Baccalauréat | 25% | 18% | 18% |
| Higher education | 19% | 27% | 30% |
INSEE, census 2023 · Charente-Maritime median and France median: the median of compared communes
17.4% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train at the census, above Charente-Maritime’s towns (10.6%) and compared French towns (13.4%) alike. At the census, 4.3% of working residents in Messac didn’t travel to work at all.
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.
5 houses and apartments changed hands in Messac from July 2023 to June 2026. House rents are put at about €7.54/m² a month.
Source: Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Nothing in Messac 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 Messac 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messac | 102 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Montendre | 3,222 | 6 | C+ | B | C− | C+ |
| Jonzac | 3,602 | 8.9 | D | C+ | D− | D |
| Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire Charente | 4,726 | 12 | B− | B+ | C− | C+ |
| Saint-Yzan-de-Soudiac Gironde | 2,586 | 15 | C− | C+ | B+ | D− |
| Saint-Ciers-sur-Gironde Gironde | 3,175 | 15 | B− | B+ | B− | C− |
| Saint-Savin Gironde | 3,582 | 15 | B− | B− | A− | C+ |
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
Commune in Charente-Maritime, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Messac is a commune of 102 people in the Communauté de communes de la Haute Saintonge. 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.