Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Some 223 people live in this town, in Nièvre, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Sémelay falls below the line for grades. Holiday and other second homes account for just over a third of homes. 40% of residents are 65 or over.
The 2 things Sémelay does most differently from other towns.
The Culture ministry lists 1 historic monument in Sémelay: 1 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 0 inscrit (the second level).
The oldest protected part dates from the 12th century; the first monument here was protected in 1889.
70% 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 Sémelay.
25% of adults hold a degree. People 65 and over make up 40% of the town, above both Nièvre’s towns (32%) and compared French towns (22%). At 59.2, the median resident of Sémelay sits in the middle of the age range.
47% women, 53% men
About 113 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Nièvre 53.7%, France 51.8%.
| Sémelay | Nièvre median | France median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 14% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 2.9% | 8.7% | 11% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 19% | 23% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 40% | 32% | 22% |
| No diploma | 23% | 28% | 19% |
| CAP or BEP | 27% | 31% | 26% |
| Baccalauréat | 19% | 17% | 18% |
| Higher education | 25% | 19% | 30% |
INSEE, census 2023 · Nièvre median and France median: the median of compared communes
France has no History Grade yet: this card describes, it doesn’t grade.
The oldest protected building goes back to the 12th century.
Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée (Licence Ouverte 2.0) · INSEE, census 2023, homes by build period
12.9% of the labour force were unemployed, lower than Nièvre’s towns (14.2%) yet higher than compared French towns (10.1%). Sémelay has 50 jobs for 50 working residents, 0.5 per worker. At the census, nearly one in ten commuters got to work without a car.
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.
Sales in Sémelay from July 2023 to June 2026: 20 houses and apartments.
Source: Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Sémelay has one historic monument; beside it, the nearest classé monuments in other towns, within 15.5 mi.
Wikidata has nobody with a French article born in Sémelay yet.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sémelay | 223 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bourbon-Lancy Saône-et-Loire | 4,674 | 17 | A+ | A+ | A | B |
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
Commune in Nièvre, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Sémelay is a commune of 223 people in the Communauté de communes Bazois Loire Morvan. 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 November 4, 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.