Montbrison grades A− overall: better than 77% of compared French towns, and #24 of 48 in Loire. Its weakest subject is safety (C−): an average of 12.6 recorded violent incidents and 15.8 recorded burglaries, vehicle thefts, thefts from vehicles and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025. At the median price of €1,988/m², a 70 m² home costs 5.3 times the median annual income per consumption unit (an income adjusted for household size) in the Communauté d'agglomération Loire Forez Agglomération. Its strongest is walkability (A): 91% of residents live within 800 m of a bakery, and 17% of working residents walk, cycle or take public transport to work.
Hazard risk isn’t graded in France yet: national flood maps cover only some areas. The overall grade uses the other six subjects.
Each subject compares Montbrison with other French towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far its rank is from the middle. American and UK towns are graded separately.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Montbrison.
History
19 historic monuments, the oldest from Antiquity
France has no History Grade yet: this card describes, it doesn’t grade.
Its heritage reaches back to Antiquity. Part of the town has been a protected historic area, a site patrimonial remarquable, since 2013. Relative to its size, Montbrison keeps 12 protected monuments per 10,000 residents. Among the classé monuments here is Chapelle Sainte-Eugénie, à Moingt.
Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée (Licence Ouverte 2.0) · INSEE, census 2023, homes by build period
Work & commuteJobs & income B−
A walkable place: Montbrison beats 87% of compared French towns on foot
The jobless rate is 11.0%. Jobs located in Montbrison: 9,250, for 6,600 residents in work (1.4 each). At the census, 2.7% of working residents in Montbrison didn’t travel to work at all.
17%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2023
Driving79%
On foot10%
Public transport4%
Bicycle3%
Motorbike or scooter1%
9,250
jobs based in Montbrison, 1.4 per working resident
11.0%
unemployment rate, ages 15 to 64 in the labor force · median of compared French towns 10.1%
€25,330
median annual income per consumption unit, 2023 · median of compared French towns €25,970
3%
worked without traveling (at or from home)
A
Walkability: better than 87% of compared French towns
Source: INSEE, census 2023 (commuting, employment, jobs at place of work); INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Schools
98.0% of candidates passed the brevet at the two collèges within 5 km, 3 points above the expected rate
Primary schools aren’t graded: France doesn’t publish their results by school.
The bac pass rate near Montbrison is 96.2%, above Loire’s towns (93.4%) and compared French towns (92.9%) alike. The town’s schools place #7 of 50 in Loire on results.
98%passed the bac (general and technological)ASchool Grade
Ministry of Education (DEPP) · brevet and bac 2025, value added (IVAC, IVAL) · Licence Ouverte
Safety
For crime per resident, Montbrison sits above 76% of compared French towns
Over 2025, Montbrison logged 464 recorded offenses. The graded crime recorded most locally was criminal damage (2025).
12.6recorded violent incidents per 1,000 residents a yearC−Safety Grade
Recorded by type · 2025
Criminal damage152
Other physical violence92
Family violence66
Sexual violence53
Burglary46
Vehicle theft29
Theft from vehicles26
Theft without violence109
Fraud106
Drug use86
Not in the gradeTheft without violence, drug use and fraud are shown for information but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence plus burglaries, vehicle thefts, thefts from vehicles and criminal damage per resident.
12.6
recorded violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025 average
15.8
recorded burglaries, vehicle thefts, thefts from vehicles and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025 average
464
offenses recorded in the graded categories in 2025
0.2%
of the index rests on the département’s average, used where small counts aren’t published
Source: SSMSI (Interior Ministry), recorded crime by commune, 2023–2025 · Licence Ouverte · Small counts of armed robbery go unpublished (five or fewer in at least one of the last three years); the département’s average stands in, 0.2% of the index here. The count covers the offense categories the Safety Grade uses.
HousingCost of living B+
Montbrison is graded a B+ for cost of living
Rents are the ministry’s estimates of advertised rents, not rents actually paid.
A house in Montbrison goes for €2,234/m², an apartment for €1,793/m². The median price, €1,988/m², comes from 615 sales of houses and apartments locally from July 2023 to June 2026. Advertised rents are estimated at €10.16/m² a month, near Loire’s towns (€10.17/m²) and lower than compared French towns (€12.41/m²).
€1,988/m²median sale price
Median sale price per m² · Jul 2023 to Jun 2026
Montbrison€1,988/m²
Median of towns€2,430/m²
Loire median€2,075/m²
By type
Median per m²
Sales
Houses
€2,234/m²
313
Apartments
€1,793/m²
302
€10.16/m²
estimated advertised apartment rent a month, charges included (€7.70 to €13.40/m² a month)
5.3
times the median annual income per consumption unit in the intercommunality, for 70 m² at the median price
€9.33/m²
estimated advertised house rent a month, charges included
€26,420
median annual income per consumption unit, Communauté d'agglomération Loire Forez Agglomération
Source: DGFiP, DVF property sales (Etalab geolocated); Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Who lives here
Students and young workers shape Montbrison: 12% are 15 to 24, above Loire’s towns and compared French towns
Children under 15 make up 16%, below Loire’s towns (17%) and compared French towns (17%) alike. Degrees are held by 27% of adults. Retirement age and beyond: a quarter of residents are 65 or older.
44.6median age
MontbrisonLoire medianFrance median
Ages · share of residents
12%
Under 1515–2425–4445–6465+
Highest diploma · residents 15 and older who have left education
No diploma21%
CAP or BEP27%
Baccalauréat19%
Higher education27%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
WomenFrance medianMen
About 89 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Loire 52.0%, France 51.8%.
INSEE, census 2023 · Loire median and France median: the median of compared communes
HealthHealth B−
Montbrison has a higher adjusted death rate than 51% of compared French towns
Care access and life expectancy are shown for context, not graded.
In Loire, life expectancy at birth reaches 85.6 years for women and 80.8 for men (2025), next to 85.9 and 80.3 for France. 1,796 deaths in Montbrison between 2016 and 2025, where France’s rates at each age predict 1,734: 4% above. Its two care homes for older people (288 places) count their residents as Montbrison’s; allowing for them, deaths were 12% below expected. The town has 16 family doctors.
−12%deaths against expected, after care homesB−Health Grade
Deaths per 100 expected · 2016–2025
Raw104
Adjusted88
Median town88
Expected100
16
GPs in Montbrison · 3.3 GP consultations a year per resident within reach (APL)
0.9 mi
to the nearest emergency department, Ch du Forez site de Montbrison
1.1 mi
to the nearest maternity unit, Ch du Forez site de Montbrison
85.6 · 80.8
years of life expectancy at birth, women · men, Loire, 2025 (provisional) · France 85.9 · 80.3
Théâtre mixte gallo-romain: Photo: Robin Chubret · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Église Notre-Dame: Photo: Velvet · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Salle La Diana ou Salle des Etats de Forez et maison dite Maison Latour: Photo: Daniel VILLAFRUELA . · CC BY-SA 3.0
Pierre Boulez: Franganillo, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Marie-Anne Pierrette Paulze: Jacques-Louis David, Public domain · Guillaume Cizeron: AudeMugnier(photos), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Muriel Robin: Francis Hannaway, CC BY-SA 4.0 · William Howard: Timan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Yves Triantafilos: Panini, Public domain
Montbrison’s neighbors
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more. The map uses IGN’s commune boundaries. See them on the map →
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
Questions about Montbrison
Is Montbrison safe?
It grades C− for safety, #38 of 48 in Loire. In 2025 police and gendarmerie recorded 46 burglaries and 152 acts of criminal damage.
Are schools in Montbrison good?
They grade A, better than 87% of compared French towns and #7 of 50 in Loire. 98% of 99 candidates passed the bac at Lycée Saint-Paul Forez in 2025, a point below the expected rate given its pupils’ backgrounds. Primary schools aren’t graded: France doesn’t publish their results by school.
Is Montbrison expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most compared French towns: the median sale price from July 2023 to June 2026 was €1,988/m², against €2,430/m² for the median of compared French towns. Incomes are lower than in most compared French towns too, so Montbrison grades B+ for cost of living.
About Montbrison
Commune in Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Montbrison is a commune of 16,123 people in the Communauté d'agglomération Loire Forez Agglomération. 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
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.
