Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 381 in Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
Penol is too small to grade: French towns get subject grades from 1,000 residents.
The Culture ministry lists 1 historic monument in Penol: 1 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 0 inscrit (the second level).
The oldest protected part dates from the 9th century; the first monument here was protected in 1980.
23% 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 Penol.
France has no History Grade yet: this card describes, it doesn’t grade.
Penol sits above both Isère’s towns (8.7%) and compared French towns (7.4%) on this measure. The Culture ministry lists 1 historic monument in Penol: 1 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 0 inscrit (the second level).
Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée (Licence Ouverte 2.0) · INSEE, census 2023, homes by build period
That puts Penol above both Isère’s towns (18%) and compared French towns (17%). People aged 15 to 24 make up 8.4% of the town.
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Isère 51.3%, France 51.8%.
| Penol | Isère median | France median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 8.4% | 11% | 11% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 23% | 23% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 22% | 21% | 22% |
| No diploma | 16% | 19% | 19% |
| CAP or BEP | 30% | 24% | 26% |
| Baccalauréat | 22% | 18% | 18% |
| Higher education | 27% | 33% | 30% |
INSEE, census 2023 · Isère median and France median: the median of compared communes
On this, Penol is below both Isère’s towns (14.1%) and compared French towns (13.4%). Penol has 100 jobs for 150 working residents, 0.6 per worker. 6.9% of the labour force are out of work.
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.
In the comparison, Penol comes below both Isère’s towns (€13.13/m²) and compared French towns (€12.41/m²).
Source: Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Penol 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 Penol 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penol | 381 | — | — | — | — | — |
| La Côte-Saint-André | 4,873 | 3.7 | C− | C+ | D− | C− |
| Saint-Siméon-de-Bressieux | 3,186 | 5.5 | D | B | C | C+ |
| Beaurepaire | 5,010 | 7.3 | A− | A− | C− | B |
| Saint-Jean-de-Bournay | 4,843 | 8.1 | C | C+ | C+ | C |
| Saint-Étienne-de-Saint-Geoirs | 3,425 | 8.5 | B | B− | C+ | B+ |
| Le Grand-Lemps | 3,083 | 12 | B | B | B | B− |
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
Commune in Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Penol is a commune of 381 people in the Communauté de communes Bièvre Isère. 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 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.