Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Population 232: a town in Hautes-Pyrénées, Occitanie.
Mérilheu isn’t graded: grades begin at 1,000 residents. Holiday and other second homes account for 11% of homes. Over-65s are just over a third of the population.
The 2 things Mérilheu does most differently from other towns.
The Culture ministry lists no building in Mérilheu as a monument historique. That’s true of 25% of compared French towns too.
The nearest classé monument is Château de l'Angle, in Pouzac, 1.7 mi away.
25% of its homes were built before 1919, against 7.4% in the median compared French town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Mérilheu.
Children under 15 make up 13%, below both Hautes-Pyrénées’ towns (14%) and compared French towns (17%). Those aged 15 to 24 account for 8.4% of residents. Graduates make up just over a fifth of adults.
48% women, 52% men
About 109 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Hautes-Pyrénées 53.4%, France 51.8%.
| Mérilheu | Hautes-Pyrénées median | France median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 14% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 8.4% | 9.6% | 11% |
| 25–44 | 14% | 20% | 23% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 35% | 29% | 22% |
| No diploma | 23% | 18% | 19% |
| CAP or BEP | 33% | 29% | 26% |
| Baccalauréat | 19% | 19% | 18% |
| Higher education | 21% | 26% | 30% |
INSEE, census 2023 · Hautes-Pyrénées median and France median: the median of compared communes
9.6% of people in the labour force have no job. Mérilheu has 50 jobs for 100 working residents, 0.4 per worker. Also worth knowing: half of residents lived on more than €23,920 a year per consumption unit, near Hautes-Pyrénées’ towns (€23,985) and lower than compared French towns (€25,970).
Source: INSEE, census 2023 (commuting, employment, jobs at place of work); INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Primary schools aren’t graded: France doesn’t publish their results by school.
The bac pass rate near Mérilheu is 89.5%, lower than both Hautes-Pyrénées’ towns (93.2%) and compared French towns (92.9%). The closest collège is 2.6 mi off. At the general lycée, 99% of 90 candidates passed the bac, a point above the expected rate.
| School | Level | Candidates | Passed, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collège Blanche OdinNearest collègeCollège | Collège | 136 | 98%+7 pts |
| Lycée polyvalent Victor DuruyNearest lycéeGeneral lycée | General lycée | 90 | 99%+1 pt |
Ministry of Education (DEPP) · brevet and bac 2025, value added (IVAC, IVAL) · Licence Ouverte
Rents are the ministry’s estimates of advertised rents, not rents actually paid.
Mérilheu recorded 3 home sales from July 2023 to June 2026.
Source: Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Nothing in Mérilheu is on the monuments historiques list. These are the nearest classé monuments, within 15.5 mi.
One notable person was born in Mérilheu.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mérilheu | 232 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bagnères-de-Bigorre | 7,114 | 2.6 | C+ | B− | C− | C |
| Barbazan-Debat | 3,478 | 7.6 | A+ | A− | A+ | A+ |
| Soues | 2,988 | 8.5 | A− | B+ | A+ | B+ |
| Odos | 3,265 | 9.2 | — | B | — | A− |
| Séméac | 5,236 | 9.8 | B | B | B | B |
| Juillan | 3,999 | 10 | — | B | — | B− |
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
Commune in Hautes-Pyrénées, Occitanie
Mérilheu is a commune of 232 people in the Communauté de communes de la Haute-Bigorre. 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 8, 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.