Vue sur le massif du Pilat et "les 3 dents" depuis Pélussin

Pélussin, #1 on this list · Photo: Daniel CULSAN (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Loire · 2026

Best places to live in Loire

Pélussin ranks first of 48 ranked towns of 2,500 or more in Loire, and #12 of 3,798 French towns. 25 of the 48 grade A− or better; scores run from 81.2 down to 37.2.

The overall score, sorted within the département; the letter compares each town with every French town of 2,500+, and its rank among French towns sits beside it. How grades work

Pélussin

3,727 people

A⁺

Score 81.2·#12 of 3,798 French towns

Strongest: safety A, jobs & income A⁻·lowest: walkability B⁺

Chazelles-sur-Lyon

5,543 people

A⁺

Score 79.9·#19 of 3,798 French towns

Strongest: schools A⁺, safety A·lowest: jobs & income B

Commelle-Vernay

3,050 people

A⁺

Score 75.6·#59 of 3,798 French towns

Strongest: safety A⁺, health A⁻·lowest: walkability C

All 48 towns, ranked

By overall score against French towns; ranks are within the département, and each French rank links to the national list.

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48 towns

#TownScoreGrade · French rankWhat drives it

1Pélussin3,727 people81.2top 0.3%A⁺#12 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A, jobs & income A⁻·lowest: walkability B⁺

2Chazelles-sur-Lyon5,543 people79.9top 0.5%A⁺#19 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: schools A⁺, safety A·lowest: jobs & income B

3Commelle-Vernay3,050 people75.6top 1.5%A⁺#59 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁺, health A⁻·lowest: walkability C

4Bourg-Argental2,886 people73.9top 2.4%A⁺#93 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A, schools A·lowest: jobs & income B⁻

5Savigneux3,509 people73.1top 2.9%A⁺#112 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, schools A·lowest: cost of living B⁻

6Villerest5,172 people72.8top 3.1%A⁺#117 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A, health A·lowest: walkability B⁻

7Saint-Marcellin-en-Forez5,116 people70.7top 4.8%A⁺#182 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A, health A⁻·lowest: walkability C⁺

8Veauche8,975 people67.9top 7.1%A#269 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, health A·lowest: cost of living C⁺

9Saint-Romain-le-Puy4,142 people66.3top 9.6%A#364 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: health A⁺, safety A·lowest: schools C⁻

10Bonson4,557 people66.2top 9.7%A#370 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁺, health A⁻·lowest: jobs & income C⁺

11Montrond-les-Bains5,652 people65.8top 10.5%A#401 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, health A⁻·lowest: cost of living B⁻

12Le Coteau6,845 people65.6top 10.8%A#410 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: jobs & income C⁺

13Villars7,664 people65.2top 11.4%A#432 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: health A, walkability A·lowest: safety C

14Saint-Martin-la-Plaine3,764 people64.9top 11.9%A#451 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: health A, safety A⁻·lowest: cost of living C

15Sury-le-Comtal6,621 people63.0top 14.6%A#557 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: health A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: jobs & income C⁻

16Riorges11,139 people62.7top 15.2%A⁻#580 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: schools A⁻, cost of living B⁺·lowest: jobs & income C⁺

17Saint-Jean-Bonnefonds6,563 people62.7top 15.4%A⁻#584 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: health A⁻, schools B⁺·lowest: cost of living C

18Feurs8,367 people61.9top 17.0%A⁻#648 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, schools A·lowest: health C⁺

19L'Étrat2,879 people61.7top 17.4%A⁻#660 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, health A⁻·lowest: cost of living C⁻

20Charlieu3,766 people60.4top 19.7%A⁻#750 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living A·lowest: safety C⁻

21Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert15,764 people59.3top 22.2%A⁻#844 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, safety B⁺·lowest: health C⁺

22Roche-la-Molière9,843 people59.0top 22.9%A⁻#871 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, schools B⁺·lowest: cost of living C⁺

23Saint-Galmier5,829 people59.0top 23.0%A⁻#875 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A⁺, safety A·lowest: health C⁻

24Montbrison16,123 people59.0top 23.1%A⁻#877 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, schools A·lowest: safety C⁻

25Saint-Paul-en-Jarez4,699 people58.1top 24.9%A⁻#948 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: schools A⁻, walkability A⁻·lowest: cost of living C⁻

26Fraisses3,872 people57.6top 26.3%B⁺#998 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, safety B⁺·lowest: schools C⁺

27Mably7,233 people57.4top 26.6%B⁺#1,011 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: schools A⁻, cost of living A⁻·lowest: jobs & income C⁺

28Saint-Priest-en-Jarez6,471 people57.0top 27.6%B⁺#1,050 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, jobs & income A·lowest: safety C⁻

29Roanne35,409 people56.4top 28.9%B⁺#1,100 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, cost of living A·lowest: safety D

30Saint-Genest-Lerpt6,181 people55.7top 30.6%B⁺#1,164 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: schools B⁺, jobs & income B·lowest: cost of living B⁻

31La Fouillouse4,630 people55.4top 31.4%B⁺#1,193 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A⁺, safety B⁺·lowest: schools C

32Sorbiers8,116 people55.0top 32.0%B⁺#1,217 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: health A⁻, jobs & income A⁻·lowest: cost of living C⁻

33La Ricamarie8,039 people54.6top 33.4%B⁺#1,270 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A, walkability A·lowest: jobs & income D

34Boën-sur-Lignon3,001 people53.8top 35.6%B#1,354 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁺, schools A·lowest: health C⁻

35Balbigny2,911 people53.8top 35.8%B#1,359 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A, cost of living B·lowest: jobs & income C

36La Talaudière7,133 people53.7top 36.2%B#1,377 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, walkability A·lowest: cost of living C⁻

37Genilac3,839 people52.7top 38.8%B#1,474 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: health A⁻, jobs & income B⁺·lowest: cost of living C

38Unieux8,514 people50.6top 44.9%B#1,707 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: health A, walkability B·lowest: jobs & income D

39Firminy17,060 people49.3top 48.6%B⁻#1,845 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living A·lowest: safety D

40Andrézieux-Bouthéon10,425 people47.4bottom 45.8%B⁻#2,059 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, jobs & income B·lowest: cost of living C

41Saint-Étienne173,136 people46.8bottom 44.1%C⁺#2,124 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, cost of living A⁻·lowest: safety D⁻

42La Grand-Croix4,947 people46.7bottom 43.9%C⁺#2,133 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁺, schools B·lowest: jobs & income C⁻

43Lorette4,983 people45.8bottom 41.4%C⁺#2,224 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, health B⁻·lowest: jobs & income C

44Le Chambon-Feugerolles12,314 people44.8bottom 38.8%C⁺#2,325 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, walkability A⁻·lowest: jobs & income D

45Chavanay2,884 people44.6bottom 38.2%C⁺#2,348 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A⁻, walkability B·lowest: health C⁻

46Saint-Chamond35,646 people40.7bottom 28.8%C#2,706 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living B⁻·lowest: jobs & income D

47L'Horme4,806 people39.8bottom 26.4%C#2,797 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, health B·lowest: jobs & income C⁻

48Rive-de-Gier15,242 people37.2bottom 20.5%C⁻#3,019 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living B·lowest: jobs & income D⁻

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in Loire?

Pélussin ranks first of 48 graded towns of 2,500 or more: safety (A) and jobs & income (A−) are its strongest grades; walkability (B+) is its lowest. Chazelles-sur-Lyon and Commelle-Vernay follow.

How are these towns ranked?

By the overall grade, which blends six graded subjects (cost of living, safety, schools, health, jobs and income, walkability) from public data, each comparing a town with every French town of 1,000 or more. The rank is among the towns of 2,500 or more in Loire, where five or more have an overall grade.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list covers places of 2,500 or more with an overall grade. Smaller places, and towns missing figures the overall grade needs, show their grades on their own pages; every commune is listed on the Loire page.

Photos: Pélussin, Daniel CULSAN (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Chazelles-sur-Lyon, Daniel VILLAFRUELA . (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Commelle-Vernay, Francesco Bonati (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources: TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranking French towns against each other only, run #70 of 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.