France›Haute-Saône›Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

ValayHaute-Saône

A town of 638 in Haute-Saône, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.

Population

638

INSEE, census 2023 · commune

Rent

€10.04

per m² a month · apartments · estimated advertised rents · median of compared French towns €12.41/m²

Median income

€23,780

a year per consumption unit · median of compared French towns €25,970

Walk, cycle, transit

of working residents · median of compared French towns 13%

Is Valay a good place to live?

Valay is too small to grade: French towns get subject grades from 1,000 residents.

Anciennes forges de Grand-Valay · Classé · Photo: JGS25 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Valay’s story

Valay in pictures

The Culture ministry lists 4 historic monuments in Valay: 1 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 3 inscrit (the second level).

The oldest protected part dates from the 13th century; the first monument here was protected in 1983.

34% of its homes were built before 1919, against 7.4% in the median compared French town.

1994First protected: Ermitage Sainte-Cécile
2021Most recently protected: Monument Pétremand de Valay

Explore the history →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Valay.

Who lives here

A younger town: only 17% of people in Valay are 65 or over, fewer than in both Haute-Saône’s towns and compared French towns

Graduates make up 16% of adults. 19% are under 15, above Haute-Saône’s towns (15%) and compared French towns (17%) alike. Valay has a median age of 40.7.

40.7median age

ValayHaute-Saône medianFrance median

Haute-Saône medianFrance median

Ages · share of residents

11%

Highest diploma · residents 15 and older who have left education

No diploma32%

CAP or BEP28%

Baccalauréat19%

Higher education16%

Women and men · all residents

50% women, 50% men

About an even split. Median share of women: Haute-Saône 51.4%, France 51.8%.

Ages and diplomas in Valay
	Valay	Haute-Saône median	France median
Under 15	19%	15%	17%
15–24	11%	11%	11%
25–44	27%	21%	23%
45–64	27%	26%	26%
65+	17%	24%	22%
No diploma	32%	25%	19%
CAP or BEP	28%	27%	26%
Baccalauréat	19%	17%	18%
Higher education	16%	22%	30%

Full pageValay’s Who lives here pageOpen the page

Ages40.7 median age · 17% are 65 or over Households270 households · 2.2 people per household Born abroad0.8% immigrants · Born abroad, not French at birth Questions“What is the population of Valay?”

INSEE, census 2023 · Haute-Saône median and France median: the median of compared communes

History

Old homes shape Valay: 34% were built before 1919, more than in both Haute-Saône’s towns and compared French towns

France has no History Grade yet: this card describes, it doesn’t grade.

The Culture ministry lists 4 historic monuments in Valay: 1 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 3 inscrit (the second level). Among the classé monuments locally is Anciennes forges de Grand-Valay. Its oldest listed monument dates from the 13th century.

4historic monuments

Monuments by protection · Mérimée

Classé1

Inscrit3

Among them · Classé

Anciennes forges de Grand-Valay 17th & 18th c.

13th c.

oldest protected part

1983

first monument protected

Full pageValay’s history pageOpen the page

Age of homes34% built before 1919 · Older homes Map4 historic monuments Classé1 classé · France’s highest protection Questions“How many historic monuments are there in Valay?”

Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée (Licence Ouverte 2.0) · INSEE, census 2023, homes by build period

Work & commute

Valay has lower unemployment than Haute-Saône’s towns or compared French towns: 6.3%

The median disposable income was €23,780 a year per consumption unit, above Haute-Saône’s towns (€22,560) but below compared French towns (€25,970). Valay has 150 jobs for 300 working residents, 0.5 per worker. Nearly one in ten commuters left the car at home at the census, walking, cycling or taking public transport.

8%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2023

Driving84%

On foot6%

Motorbike or scooter2%

Public transport2%

Bicycle1%

150

jobs based in Valay, 0.5 per working resident

6.3%

unemployment rate, ages 15 to 64 in the labor force · median of compared French towns 10.1%

€23,780

median annual income per consumption unit, 2023 · median of compared French towns €25,970

worked without traveling (at or from home)

Full pageValay’s work & commute pageOpen the page

Jobs based here150 jobs based here · 0.5 per working resident Getting to work8% walk, cycle or take transit Median income€23,780 a year · Median income per consumption unit

Source: INSEE, census 2023 (commuting, employment, jobs at place of work); INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte

Housing

Renting in Valay costs an estimated advertised €10.04/m² a month, against €8.86/m² in Haute-Saône’s towns and €12.41/m² in compared French towns

Rents are the ministry’s estimates of advertised rents, not rents actually paid.

Between July 2023 and June 2026, buyers took 16 homes in Valay. House rents are put at about €9.12/m² a month.

€10.04/m²estimated apartment rent a month

Estimated advertised apartment rent per m² a month

Valay€10.04/m²

Median of towns€12.41/m²

Haute-Saône median€8.86/m²

€10.04/m²

estimated advertised apartment rent a month, charges included (€7.90 to €12.76/m² a month)

€9.12/m²

estimated advertised house rent a month, charges included

Full pageValay’s cost of living pageOpen the page

Renting€10.04/m² a month · Estimated advertised apartment rent

Source: Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Valay

11pages on Valay

The big questions

Health0 GPs · nearest emergency department 7.8 mi away Work & commute150 jobs based here Housing16 sales on record, the last three years Flood & hazards

Out and about

OutdoorsClimateWeather

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 40.7 History4 historic monuments Town HallFamous people2 notable people born here

Landmarks

The Culture ministry lists 4 historic monuments in Valay: 1 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 3 inscrit (the second level).

All monuments →

Ermitage Sainte-CécileReligious building · 13th c.

Monument Pétremand de ValayFunerary monument · 19th c.

Photo credits

Ermitage Sainte-Cécile: Photo: Ginette Mathis · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Monument Pétremand de Valay: Photo: Krakitos · CC BY-SA 3.0

Famous people from Valay

2 notable people were born in Valay.

Their page →

Frédéric VichotFrench cyclist · born 1959

Bernard BouvardFrench racing cyclist · 1924–2009

Valay’s neighbors

The nearest towns of 2,500 or more. The map uses IGN’s commune boundaries. See them on the map →

All towns in Haute-Saône →

GraySaint-VitAuxonneLes AuxonsMiserey-SalinesÉcole-ValentinValay

How the neighbors grade

Town	People	Miles	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Valay	638	—	—	—	—	—
Gray	5,365	7.5	C⁻	A	D⁻	C
Saint-Vit Doubs	5,133	13	A⁻	C⁺	B⁻	B⁺
Auxonne Côte-d'Or	7,581	15	C⁺	A⁻	C⁺	C
Les Auxons Doubs	2,533	15	—	C	—	A⁻
Miserey-Salines Doubs	2,661	16	—	C⁻	—	A
École-Valentin Doubs	2,579	17	A⁻	C⁻	B⁺	A⁺

People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.

About Valay

Commune in Haute-Saône, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Valay is a commune of 638 people in the Communauté de communes Val de Gray. 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

Population: 638 (INSEE, census 2023)
Intercommunality: Communauté de communes Val de Gray
Département: Haute-Saône (70)
Région: Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Area: 6.7 sq mi (17.4 km²)
INSEE code: 70514

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.