Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 651 people, this town lies in Hautes-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
Orcières is too small to grade: French towns get subject grades from 1,000 residents. 89% of its homes are second homes.
The one thing Orcières does most differently from other towns.
The Culture ministry lists no building in Orcières as a monument historique. That’s true of 25% of compared French towns too.
The nearest classé monument is Église Saint-Victor, in Chorges, 10.3 mi away.
17% of its homes were built before 1919, against 7.4% in the median compared French town.
Explore the history →Nothing in Orcières is on the monuments historiques list. These are the nearest classé monuments, within 15.5 mi.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Orcières.
Degrees are held by 38% of adults. People 65 and over make up 23% of the town, about level with compared French towns (22%) and below Hautes-Alpes’ towns (29%). At 47.5, the median resident of Orcières sits in the middle of the age range.
49% women, 51% men
About 105 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Hautes-Alpes 52.7%, France 51.8%.
| Orcières | Hautes-Alpes median | France median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 6.3% | 9% | 11% |
| 25–44 | 25% | 20% | 23% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 27% | 26% |
| 65+ | 23% | 29% | 22% |
| No diploma | 11% | 16% | 19% |
| CAP or BEP | 23% | 24% | 26% |
| Baccalauréat | 22% | 20% | 18% |
| Higher education | 38% | 32% | 30% |
INSEE, census 2023 · Hautes-Alpes median and France median: the median of compared communes
30.8% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train at the census, higher than both Hautes-Alpes’ towns (23.1%) and compared French towns (13.4%). Jobs located in Orcières: 600, for 350 residents in work (1.8 each). Per consumption unit, the median disposable income is €25,760 a year.
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.
Advertised rents are estimated at €11.96/m² a month, lower than Hautes-Alpes’ towns (€12.78/m²) and near compared French towns (€12.41/m²). The sales split: 7% houses, the rest apartments. Estimated advertised rent for houses: €9.98/m² a month.
| By type | Median per m² | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Apartments | €2,543/m² | 314 |
Source: DGFiP, DVF property sales (Etalab geolocated); Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Family days out, museums and other places to visit in and near Orcières. Best known first.
Wikidata places 2 people here, but for none of them do the articles confirm Orcières as the birthplace, so nobody is listed.
Commune in Hautes-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Orcières is a commune of 651 people in the Communauté de communes Champsaur-Valgaudemar. 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orcières | 651 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chorges | 3,146 | 10 | B+ | D | A | B− |
| La Bâtie-Neuve | 2,628 | 10 | — | C− | — | B+ |
| Embrun | 6,412 | 12 | B− | D | B | C+ |
| Gap | 41,293 | 15 | B+ | C | C | A− |
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
Sources: INSEE, census 2023 (population, employment, commuting) · INSEE, Filosofi 2023 (income per consumption unit, poverty) · DGFiP, DVF property sales, July 2023 to June 2026 · 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 9, 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.