Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 590 in Drôme, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
Saou is too small to grade: French towns get subject grades from 1,000 residents.
The one thing Saou does most differently from other towns.
The Culture ministry lists 2 historic monuments in Saou, none of them classé, France’s highest protection.
The oldest protected part dates from the 14th century; the first monument here was protected in 1926.
40% of its homes were built before 1919, against 7.4% in the median compared French town.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Saou.
France has no History Grade yet: this card describes, it doesn’t grade.
That puts Saou above both Drôme’s towns (8.7%) and compared French towns (7.4%). The Culture ministry lists 2 historic monuments in Saou, none of them classé, France’s highest protection.
Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée (Licence Ouverte 2.0) · INSEE, census 2023, homes by build period
On this, Saou is above both Drôme’s towns (32%) and compared French towns (30%). Young adults of 15 to 24 are 6.6% of the population.
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Drôme 51.8%, France 51.8%.
| Saou | Drôme median | France median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 6.6% | 9.8% | 11% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 23% | 23% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 24% | 23% | 22% |
| No diploma | 9% | 20% | 19% |
| CAP or BEP | 18% | 25% | 26% |
| Baccalauréat | 19% | 18% | 18% |
| Higher education | 49% | 32% | 30% |
INSEE, census 2023 · Drôme median and France median: the median of compared communes
In the comparison, Saou comes below both Drôme’s towns (€25,300) and compared French towns (€25,970). Unemployment stands at 12.2%. Saou has 150 jobs for 250 working residents, 0.7 per worker.
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.
For Saou, that is below both Drôme’s towns (€11.33/m²) and compared French towns (€12.41/m²).
Source: Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Heritage, museums and other places to visit in and near Saou. Best known first.
The list names few of Saou’s 2 monuments; beside them, the nearest classé monuments in other towns, within 15.5 mi.
Donjon de Lastic: Photo: Celeda · CC BY-SA 4.0
Wikidata has nobody with a French article born in Saou 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saou | 590 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aouste-sur-Sye | 2,733 | 5 | C+ | C | B− | A− |
| Crest | 8,658 | 6.3 | D | C | C− | B− |
| Dieulefit | 3,289 | 8.2 | B− | C | A | C+ |
| Allex | 2,698 | 11 | — | C+ | — | A |
| Montmeyran | 2,960 | 14 | C+ | C | A | B |
| Montboucher-sur-Jabron | 2,592 | 14 | — | C− | — | A |
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
Commune in Drôme, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Saou is a commune of 590 people in the Communauté de communes du Val de Drôme en Biovallée. 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.