Cotignac d'Orléans. B. Gouchault. Saint-Ay

Saint-Ay, #1 on this list · Photo: moi (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Loiret · 2026

Best places to live in Loiret

Saint-Ay ranks first of 43 ranked towns of 2,500 or more in Loiret, and #161 of 3,798 French towns. 16 of the 43 grade A− or better; scores run from 71.3 down to 30.9.

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

Saint-Ay

3,766 people

A⁺

Score 71.3·#161 of 3,798 French towns

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

Fay-aux-Loges

3,916 people

A⁺

Score 71.0·#171 of 3,798 French towns

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

La Ferté-Saint-Aubin

7,284 people

Score 67.8·#274 of 3,798 French towns

Strongest: schools A⁻, walkability B⁺·lowest: health B⁻

All 43 towns, ranked

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

Every town in Loiret →

Find a town

43 towns

#TownScoreGrade · French rankWhat drives it

1Saint-Ay3,766 people71.3top 4.2%A⁺#161 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: health A⁻, safety A⁻·lowest: walkability C⁺

2Fay-aux-Loges3,916 people71.0top 4.5%A⁺#171 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A, health A⁻·lowest: walkability C

3La Ferté-Saint-Aubin7,284 people67.8top 7.2%A#274 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: schools A⁻, walkability B⁺·lowest: health B⁻

4Meung-sur-Loire6,670 people67.2top 8.2%A#313 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: schools A, jobs & income A⁻·lowest: safety B⁻

5Ormes4,376 people65.6top 10.7%A#407 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁺, jobs & income A⁺·lowest: cost of living C⁻

6Saint-Cyr-en-Val3,467 people64.8top 11.9%A#452 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A⁺, health A·lowest: cost of living C

7Olivet23,507 people63.3top 14.2%A#541 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A, health A·lowest: cost of living C⁻

8Châtillon-sur-Loire3,065 people62.8top 15.2%A⁻#579 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: schools A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: jobs & income D

9Saint-Denis-de-l'Hôtel3,065 people62.3top 16.2%A⁻#618 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁻, health A⁻·lowest: schools C⁻

10Saint-Pryvé-Saint-Mesmin6,256 people60.3top 19.9%A⁻#758 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: health A, walkability A⁻·lowest: cost of living C⁻

11Pannes3,740 people59.7top 21.4%A⁻#815 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁺, health A⁻·lowest: schools C

12Nogent-sur-Vernisson2,559 people59.5top 21.7%A⁻#825 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, safety A⁻·lowest: jobs & income C⁻

13Traînou3,402 people59.1top 22.7%A⁻#862 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁺, jobs & income B⁺·lowest: walkability C

14Lailly-en-Val3,101 people59.1top 22.8%A⁻#866 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: health C

15Saint-Jean-le-Blanc9,562 people59.0top 22.9%A⁻#872 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: health A, walkability A⁻·lowest: cost of living C⁻

16Beaugency8,024 people58.0top 25.0%A⁻#952 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, health A⁻·lowest: jobs & income C⁻

17Lorris2,996 people57.6top 26.3%B⁺#1,000 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, safety B⁺·lowest: health D

18Chaingy4,116 people56.7top 28.3%B⁺#1,075 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁺, jobs & income A·lowest: schools D

19Neuville-aux-Bois4,987 people56.1top 29.7%B⁺#1,129 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, jobs & income A⁻·lowest: schools D⁻

20Ingré10,062 people55.0top 32.1%B⁺#1,221 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A⁻, health A⁻·lowest: cost of living C

21Saint-Denis-en-Val7,766 people54.4top 34.0%B⁺#1,292 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁺, jobs & income B·lowest: cost of living C⁻

22Chécy9,083 people53.1top 37.4%B#1,422 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A⁻, health A⁻·lowest: schools D

23Courtenay3,772 people51.1top 43.4%B#1,649 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: schools B⁺, cost of living B⁺·lowest: jobs & income D

24La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin11,017 people50.8top 44.3%B#1,684 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: health A⁻, walkability B⁺·lowest: cost of living C

25Puiseaux3,299 people50.4top 45.8%B⁻#1,740 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, safety B·lowest: schools C

26Ferrières-en-Gâtinais3,839 people49.7top 47.5%B⁻#1,803 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁻, walkability B·lowest: health C

27Châteauneuf-sur-Loire8,546 people48.9top 49.9%B⁻#1,895 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income B⁺, walkability B⁺·lowest: schools D

28Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle16,768 people45.6bottom 40.8%C⁺#2,248 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, health B⁻·lowest: jobs & income C⁻

29Saint-Jean-de-Braye23,147 people44.3bottom 37.5%C⁺#2,374 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, safety B⁻·lowest: schools C⁻

30Jargeau4,610 people42.9bottom 34.2%C#2,500 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: safety A⁻, walkability B⁺·lowest: health D⁻

31Fleury-les-Aubrais21,804 people42.6bottom 33.6%C#2,522 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, health B·lowest: jobs & income C

32Le Malesherbois8,016 people41.1bottom 30.1%C#2,655 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, cost of living B⁻·lowest: schools C⁻

33Orléans116,357 people40.7bottom 29.1%C#2,693 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, health B⁺·lowest: cost of living C⁻

34Briare4,911 people40.6bottom 28.7%C#2,709 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, walkability B·lowest: schools D⁻

35Sully-sur-Loire5,124 people40.6bottom 28.6%C#2,712 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, walkability B⁺·lowest: schools D⁻

36Saran17,316 people40.1bottom 27.0%C#2,774 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, jobs & income B⁻·lowest: safety C⁻

37Dordives3,277 people39.5bottom 25.9%C#2,815 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living B⁺, walkability B⁺·lowest: health D

38Villemandeur7,078 people39.5bottom 25.7%C#2,824 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability B, health B·lowest: schools C

39Pithiviers8,856 people37.9bottom 21.6%C⁻#2,976 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living B⁺·lowest: safety D⁻

40Amilly13,582 people37.2bottom 20.6%C⁻#3,014 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability B⁻, jobs & income C⁺·lowest: health C

41Gien13,459 people36.3bottom 18.4%C⁻#3,100 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: cost of living B⁺, walkability B⁺·lowest: health C⁻

42Châlette-sur-Loing12,677 people35.6bottom 17.0%C⁻#3,152 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁻, health C⁺·lowest: jobs & income D

43Montargis14,825 people30.9bottom 8.7%D#3,466 of 3,798 nationallyStrongest: walkability A⁺, cost of living B⁻·lowest: safety D⁻

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in Loiret?

Saint-Ay ranks first of 43 graded towns of 2,500 or more: health (A−) and safety (A−) are its strongest grades; walkability (C+) is its lowest. Fay-aux-Loges and La Ferté-Saint-Aubin 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 Loiret, 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 Loiret page.

Photos: Saint-Ay, moi (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Fay-aux-Loges, VVVCFFrance (CC0) · La Ferté-Saint-Aubin, Croquant (CC BY-SA 4.0), 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.