For Lestre, that is above both Manche’s towns (12%) and compared French towns (7.4%). The Culture ministry lists 2 historic monuments in Lestre: 1 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 1 inscrit (the second level). Among the classé monuments in Lestre is Ruines de la chapelle Saint-Michel.

2historic monuments

Monuments by protection · Mérimée

Classé1

Inscrit1

Among them · Classé

Ruines de la chapelle Saint-Michel

18th c.

oldest protected part

1862

first monument protected

Full pageLestre’s history pageOpen the page

Age of homes32% built before 1919 · Older homes Map2 historic monuments Classé1 classé · France’s highest protection Questions“How many historic monuments are there in Lestre?”

Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée (Licence Ouverte 2.0) · INSEE, census 2023, homes by build period

Who lives here

Fewer people in Lestre hold a degree than in Manche’s towns or compared French towns: 17%

Lestre sits below both Manche’s towns (22%) and compared French towns (30%) on this measure. Children under 15 make up 18% of residents.

46.2median age

LestreManche medianFrance median

Manche medianFrance median

Ages · share of residents

21%

Highest diploma · residents 15 and older who have left education

No diploma25%

CAP or BEP38%

Baccalauréat13%

Higher education17%

Women and men · all residents

44% women, 56% men

About 77 women for every 100 men. Median share of women: Manche 52.0%, France 51.8%.

Ages and diplomas in Lestre
	Lestre	Manche median	France median
Under 15	18%	13%	17%
15–24	9.7%	9.3%	11%
25–44	22%	20%	23%
45–64	30%	26%	26%
65+	21%	29%	22%
No diploma	25%	24%	19%
CAP or BEP	38%	29%	26%
Baccalauréat	13%	17%	18%
Higher education	17%	22%	30%

Full pageLestre’s Who lives here pageOpen the page

Ages46.2 median age · 21% are 65 or over Households110 households · 2.3 people per household Born abroad1.2% immigrants · Born abroad, not French at birth Questions“What is the population of Lestre?”

INSEE, census 2023 · Manche median and France median: the median of compared communes

Work & commute

Fewer commuters in Lestre walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Manche’s towns or compared French towns: 4.7%

That puts Lestre below both Manche’s towns (9.6%) and compared French towns (13.4%). The median disposable income is €23,340 a year per consumption unit. Lestre has 50 jobs for 100 working residents, 0.6 per worker.

5%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2023

Driving83%

On foot3%

Motorbike or scooter2%

Bicycle1%

Public transport1%

jobs based in Lestre, 0.6 per working resident

9.5%

unemployment rate, ages 15 to 64 in the labor force · median of compared French towns 10.1%

€23,340

median annual income per consumption unit, 2023 · median of compared French towns €25,970

10%

worked without traveling (at or from home)

Full pageLestre’s work & commute pageOpen the page

Getting to work5% walk, cycle or take transit Jobs based here50 jobs based here · 0.6 per working resident Median income€23,340 a year · Median income per consumption unit

Source: INSEE, census 2023 (commuting, employment, jobs at place of work); INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte

Housing

The estimated advertised rent of an apartment in Lestre is €10.29/m² a month

Rents are the ministry’s estimates of advertised rents, not rents actually paid.

Too few homes sold here for a reliable median price.

€10.29/m²estimated apartment rent a month

Estimated advertised apartment rent per m² a month

Lestre€10.29/m²

Median of towns€12.41/m²

Manche median€9.90/m²

€10.29/m²

estimated advertised apartment rent a month, charges included (€8.10 to €13.06/m² a month)

€8.03/m²

estimated advertised house rent a month, charges included

Full pageLestre’s cost of living pageOpen the page

Renting€10.29/m² a month · Estimated advertised apartment rent

Source: Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Lestre

12pages on Lestre

The big questions

Health0 GPs · nearest emergency department 6.7 mi away Work & commute50 jobs based here Housing15 sales on record, the last three years Flood & hazards

Out and about

Outdoors100% of the commune is protected nature Attractions5 places to visit mapped in town ClimateWeather

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 46.2 History2 historic monuments Town HallFamous people2 notable people born here

Landmarks

The Culture ministry lists 2 historic monuments in Lestre: 1 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 1 inscrit (the second level).

All monuments →

Château de TourvilleChâteau · 18th c.

Ruines de la chapelle Saint-MichelChapel

Photo credits

Château de Tourville: Photo: Xfigpower · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ruines de la chapelle Saint-Michel: Photo: Niki.L · CC BY-SA 4.0

Famous people from Lestre

2 notable people were born in Lestre.

Their page →

Allain LeprestFrench singer (1954–2011)

VanberFrench painter (1905-1994)

Lestre’s neighbors

The nearest towns of 2,500 or more. The map uses IGN’s commune boundaries. See them on the map →

All towns in Manche →

ValognesSainte-Mère-ÉglisePicauvilleBricquebec-en-CotentinCarentan-les-MaraisCherbourg-en-CotentinLestre

How the neighbors grade

Town	People	Miles	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Lestre	242	—	—	—	—	—
Valognes	6,969	7	B⁺	B⁻	B⁻	C⁻
Sainte-Mère-Église	2,896	8	—	B	—	D
Picauville	3,228	11	B⁺	B⁺	A⁺	C⁻
Bricquebec-en-Cotentin	5,893	15	A⁺	A⁻	A⁺	A⁻
Carentan-les-Marais	10,218	16	B⁻	B	C⁺	C
Cherbourg-en-Cotentin	78,258	16	B⁻	C	B⁻	C⁻

People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.

About Lestre

Commune in Manche, Normandy

Lestre is a commune of 242 people in the Communauté d'agglomération du Cotentin. 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

Population: 242 (INSEE, census 2023)
Intercommunality: Communauté d'agglomération du Cotentin
Département: Manche (50)
Région: Normandy
Area: 3 sq mi (7.8 km²)
INSEE code: 50268

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.