Health is its weak spot (D): after allowing for care homes, deaths from 2016 to 2025 were 7% above expected, against 12% below for the median of compared French towns. Jobs & income is weaker too — 1 job per working resident; 28.7% unemployment. 35% of homes here are second homes. Over-65s are 31% of the population.
Figures: deaths, INSEE (by commune of residence, 2016–2025) · employment, INSEE census 2023. La Désirade has subject grades but no overall grade: French towns get one from 2,500 residents.
Hazard risk isn’t graded in France yet: national flood maps cover only some areas.
Each subject compares La Désirade with other French towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far its rank is from the middle. American and UK towns are graded separately.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in La Désirade.
HealthHealth D
Deaths in La Désirade run above what its ages would predict: 107 per 100 expected, more than compared French towns
Care access and life expectancy are shown for context, not graded.
At birth, a girl in Guadeloupe can expect 84.7 years and a boy 78.1 (2025); across France, 85.9 and 80.3. 166 deaths in La Désirade between 2016 and 2025, where France’s rates at each age predict 155: 7% above. The nearest emergency department to La Désirade is Centre hospitalier Universitaire de Pointe A Pitre, 30.2 mi away. There are 2 general practitioners here.
+7%deaths against expected, after care homesDHealth Grade
Deaths per 100 expected · 2016–2025
Raw107
Adjusted107
Median town88
Expected100
2
GPs in La Désirade · 3.7 GP consultations a year per resident within reach (APL)
30.2 mi
to the nearest emergency department, Centre hospitalier Universitaire de Pointe A Pitre
27.7 mi
to the nearest maternity unit, Pole Parent Enfant site Palais Royal
84.7 · 78.1
years of life expectancy at birth, women · men, Guadeloupe, 2025 (provisional) · France 85.9 · 80.3
INSEE, census 2023 · France median: the median of compared communes (Guadeloupe has none of its own)
History
3 historic monuments, none of them classé
France has no History Grade yet: this card describes, it doesn’t grade.
La Désirade has 3 historic monuments on the Culture ministry’s list, none at the highest level (classé). 0% of its homes were built before 1919, against 7.4% in the median compared French town.
Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée (Licence Ouverte 2.0) · INSEE, census 2023, homes by build period
Work & commuteJobs & income C−
Unemployment in La Désirade, 28.7%, runs above compared French towns
La Désirade holds 400 jobs; 350 of its residents are in work, so 1 jobs each. 15.2% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train at the census, higher than compared French towns (13.4%). At the census, 6.4% of working residents in La Désirade didn’t travel to work at all.
15%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2023
Driving57%
Motorbike or scooter21%
On foot10%
Bicycle4%
Public transport2%
400
jobs based in La Désirade, 1 per working resident
28.7%
unemployment rate, ages 15 to 64 in the labor force · median of compared French towns 10.1%
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
Questions about La Désirade
Is La Désirade safe?
La Désirade has no Safety Grade: over a quarter of its index would rest on the département’s average. Recorded figures: an average of 15.7 recorded violent incidents and 18.8 recorded burglaries, vehicle thefts, thefts from vehicles and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025.
About La Désirade
Commune in Guadeloupe
La Désirade is a commune of 1,306 people in the Communauté d'agglomération La Riviera du Levant. 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
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.
