Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 690 in Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
Fontanès is too small to grade: French towns get subject grades from 1,000 residents.
The Culture ministry lists no building in Fontanès as a monument historique. That’s true of 25% of compared French towns too.
The nearest classé monument is maison des Chanoines, in Saint-Chamond, 5.8 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 Fontanès.
People 65 and over make up 18% of the town. 20% are under 15, above both Loire’s towns (17%) and compared French towns (17%). The age that splits Fontanès in two is 40.9.
48% women, 52% men
About 106 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Loire 52.0%, France 51.8%.
| Fontanès | Loire median | France median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 13% | 11% | 11% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 22% | 23% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 18% | 25% | 22% |
| No diploma | 14% | 20% | 19% |
| CAP or BEP | 30% | 29% | 26% |
| Baccalauréat | 22% | 18% | 18% |
| Higher education | 31% | 28% | 30% |
INSEE, census 2023 · Loire median and France median: the median of compared communes
For its 350 residents in work, Fontanès has 50 jobs: 0.2 each. After tax and benefits, the median income is €28,170 a year per consumption unit. At the census, 8.1% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, below both Loire’s towns (11.9%) and compared French towns (13.4%).
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.
For collège, the closest is 3.1 mi away.
| School | Level | Candidates | Passed, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collège Joseph Collard PrivateNearest collègeCollège | Collège | 185 | 98%+3 pts |
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.
Between July 2023 and June 2026, buyers took 15 homes in Fontanès. Houses made up 93% of the homes sold; apartments the rest.
Source: Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Nothing in Fontanès is on the monuments historiques list. These are the nearest classé monuments, within 15.5 mi.
One notable person was born in Fontanès.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fontanès | 690 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Saint-Héand | 3,665 | 3.2 | — | C+ | — | B− |
| Sorbiers | 8,116 | 3.6 | B+ | C− | B | A− |
| La Talaudière | 7,133 | 4.5 | B | C− | C | B+ |
| L'Étrat | 2,879 | 4.9 | A− | C− | B | A− |
| Saint-Priest-en-Jarez | 6,471 | 5.6 | B+ | C | C− | A |
| Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise Rhône | 3,785 | 6.1 | A+ | B | B+ | B− |
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
Commune in Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Fontanès is a commune of 690 people in the Saint-Etienne Métropole. 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.