Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 555 in Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
Mars is too small to grade: French towns get subject grades from 1,000 residents.
The Culture ministry lists no building in Mars as a monument historique. That’s true of 25% of compared French towns too.
The nearest classé monument is Château de Gatellier (également sur commune de Charlieu), in Saint-Denis-de-Cabanne, 2.8 mi away.
48% 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 Mars.
The age that splits Mars in two is 47.9. Children under 15 make up 18%, near both Loire’s towns (17%) and compared French towns (17%). Over-65s are nearly a quarter of the population.
49% women, 51% men
About 105 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Loire 52.0%, France 51.8%.
| Mars | Loire median | France median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 6.8% | 11% | 11% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 22% | 23% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 24% | 25% | 22% |
| No diploma | 18% | 20% | 19% |
| CAP or BEP | 32% | 29% | 26% |
| Baccalauréat | 18% | 18% | 18% |
| Higher education | 27% | 28% | 30% |
INSEE, census 2023 · Loire median and France median: the median of compared communes
At the census, 4.0% of commuters got to work without a car. Jobs based in Mars number 50, against 250 residents in work (0.2 per worker).
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.
Between July 2023 and June 2026, buyers took 20 homes in Mars.
Source: Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Heritage and family days out in and near Mars. Best known first.
Nothing in Mars is on the monuments historiques list. These are the nearest classé monuments, within 15.5 mi.
One notable person was born in Mars.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mars | 555 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Charlieu | 3,766 | 4 | A− | A | C− | B+ |
| Cours Rhône | 4,306 | 5 | A− | A+ | B− | C+ |
| Chauffailles Saône-et-Loire | 3,638 | 5.6 | A | A | C+ | B+ |
| Pouilly-sous-Charlieu | 2,588 | 6.7 | — | A | — | A+ |
| Thizy-les-Bourgs Rhône | 5,771 | 8.3 | A− | A+ | C+ | B |
| Mably | 7,233 | 10 | B+ | A− | C+ | B− |
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
Commune in Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Mars is a commune of 555 people in the Communauté de communes Charlieu-Belmont. 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.