Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town in Haute-Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, home to 620 people.
At under 1,000 residents, Araules is too small for the grades other French towns get. Holiday and other second homes account for 43% of homes.
The one thing Araules does most differently from other towns.
The Culture ministry’s list holds 1 historic monument in Araules; none is classé, France’s top protection.
The oldest protected part dates from the 16th century; the first monument here was protected in 1997.
30% 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 Araules.
France has no History Grade yet: this card describes, it doesn’t grade.
The Culture ministry’s list holds 1 historic monument in Araules; none is classé, France’s top protection. The earliest of these monuments dates from the 16th century.
Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée (Licence Ouverte 2.0) · INSEE, census 2023, homes by build period
Half of Araules is older than 49, half younger. Children under 15 make up 16%, in line with Haute-Loire’s towns (16%) and compared French towns (17%). Among adults, 28% have a degree.
48% women, 52% men
About 110 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Haute-Loire 51.9%, France 51.8%.
| Araules | Haute-Loire median | France median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 16% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 8.2% | 11% | 11% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 21% | 23% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 27% | 26% |
| 65+ | 24% | 25% | 22% |
| No diploma | 18% | 19% | 19% |
| CAP or BEP | 29% | 27% | 26% |
| Baccalauréat | 17% | 19% | 18% |
| Higher education | 28% | 27% | 30% |
INSEE, census 2023 · Haute-Loire median and France median: the median of compared communes
For its 300 residents in work, Araules has 200 jobs: 0.7 each. 5.5% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train at the census, lower than both Haute-Loire’s towns (9.7%) and compared French towns (13.4%). Also worth knowing: the typical income here, after tax and benefits, is €24,710 a year per consumption unit.
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.
Houses accounted for 96% of sales, apartments for the rest. Araules recorded 25 home sales from July 2023 to June 2026.
Source: Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Heritage and other places to visit in and near Araules. Best known first.
Araules has one historic monument; beside it, the nearest classé monuments in other towns, within 15.5 mi.
Wikidata has nobody with a French article born in Araules 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Araules | 620 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Yssingeaux | 7,415 | 5 | A | A− | B | C |
| Tence | 3,111 | 7.1 | — | A | — | C |
| Le Chambon-sur-Lignon | 2,501 | 7.2 | — | A− | — | B |
| Saint-Germain-Laprade | 3,432 | 9.9 | — | B+ | — | B |
| Saint-Maurice-de-Lignon | 2,688 | 10 | — | A− | — | C |
| Retournac | 3,007 | 11 | A | A | A | B− |
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
Commune in Haute-Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Araules is a commune of 620 people in the Communauté de communes des Sucs. 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 November 4, 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.