Buying a home costs less than in most towns: at the median price, a 70 m² home costs 3.1 times the median annual income per consumption unit in the intercommunality. It also does well on walkability (B+): 60% of residents live within 800 m of a bakery, and 10% of working residents walk, cycle or take public transport to work. Put together, the subjects come to a D overall, ranking #152 of 189 in Nord. Nationally, it does better than 8% of compared French towns. Residents’ health trails most towns: after allowing for care homes, deaths from 2016 to 2025 were 21% above expected, against 12% below for the median of compared French towns.
Figures: prices, DVF · income per consumption unit (an income adjusted for household size), INSEE Filosofi · amenities, INSEE BPE 2025 · commuting and employment, INSEE census 2023 · deaths, INSEE (by commune of residence, 2016–2025).
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 Fresnes-sur-Escaut 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.
Ancienne fosse du Sarteau: Photo: Jérémy-Günther-Heinz Jähnick · Public domain · Château Desandrouin et son parc incluant le temple dit de l’Amour: Photo: Autrot · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Château dit des Douaniers: Photo: Jérémy-Günther-Heinz Jähnick · CC BY-SA 3.0
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Fresnes-sur-Escaut.
HealthHealth D−
Deaths in Fresnes-sur-Escaut run above what its ages would predict: 121 per 100 expected, more than Nord’s towns or compared French towns
+21%deaths against expected, after care homesD−Health Grade
Care access and life expectancy are shown for context, not graded.
643 deaths in Fresnes-sur-Escaut between 2016 and 2025, where France’s rates at each age predict 530: 21% above. In Nord, women can expect to live 84.5 years and men 78.8 (2025), against 85.9 and 80.3 across France. There are 6 general practitioners here.
Deaths per 100 expected · 2016–2025
Raw121
Adjusted121
Median town88
Expected100
6
GPs in Fresnes-sur-Escaut · 4.7 GP consultations a year per resident within reach (APL)
5.7 mi
to the nearest emergency department, Polyclinique Vauban
4.3 mi
to the nearest maternity unit, Clinique Maternite du Parc Saint Saulve
84.5 · 78.8
years of life expectancy at birth, women · men, Nord, 2025 (provisional) · France 85.9 · 80.3
Fresnes-sur-Escaut sees more crime per resident than 85% of compared French towns
12.2recorded violent incidents per 1,000 residents a yearC−Safety Grade
Violence against people ran at 12.2 per 1,000 residents a year and the graded property crimes at 19.4 (2023–2025 average). In 2025, 271 offenses were recorded in Fresnes-sur-Escaut. More of the graded crimes here were criminal damage than anything else (2025).
Recorded by type · 2025
Criminal damage82
Family violence59
Burglary42
Vehicle theft28
Other physical violence22
Sexual violence20
Theft from vehicles18
Armed robbery0
Drug use59
Theft without violence40
Fraud39
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.
12.2
recorded violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025 average
19.4
recorded burglaries, vehicle thefts, thefts from vehicles and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025 average
271
offenses recorded in the graded categories in 2025
0.4%
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 · The count covers the offense categories the Safety Grade uses.
History
Fresnes-sur-Escaut is rich in protected monuments: 6.8 per 10,000 residents, more than Nord’s towns or compared French towns
5historic monuments
France has no History Grade yet: this card describes, it doesn’t grade.
Among the classé monuments in Fresnes-sur-Escaut is Ancienne fosse du Sarteau. This Nord town has 5 historic monuments on the Culture ministry’s list: 1 classé, the highest protection, and 4 inscrit, the second level. The earliest of these monuments dates from the 19th century. Homes from before 1919 make up 11% of the total.
Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée (Licence Ouverte 2.0) · INSEE, census 2023, homes by build period
Work & commuteJobs & income D−
More people in Fresnes-sur-Escaut are out of work than in Nord’s towns or across compared French towns: 20.3%
10%walk, cycle or take transit
Median disposable income comes to €20,160 a year per consumption unit. Bus, tram or train carried 4.7% of working residents in Fresnes-sur-Escaut to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2023
Driving87%
Public transport5%
On foot4%
Bicycle2%
Motorbike or scooter1%
900
jobs based in Fresnes-sur-Escaut, 0.4 per working resident
20.3%
unemployment rate, ages 15 to 64 in the labor force · median of compared French towns 10.1%
€20,160
median annual income per consumption unit, 2023 · median of compared French towns €25,970
2%
worked without traveling (at or from home)
B+
Walkability: better than 66% of compared French towns
Source: INSEE, census 2023 (commuting, employment, jobs at place of work); INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
HousingCost of living B+
A home in Fresnes-sur-Escaut sells for €978/m², less than in Nord’s towns or compared French towns
€978/m²median sale price
Rents are the ministry’s estimates of advertised rents, not rents actually paid.
The estimated advertised rent is €10.41/m² a month, below both Nord’s towns (€11.81/m²) and compared French towns (€12.41/m²). Estimated advertised rent for houses: €8.54/m² a month. The market in Fresnes-sur-Escaut: 193 sales of houses and apartments between July 2023 and June 2026.
Median sale price per m² · Jul 2023 to Jun 2026
Fresnes-sur-Escaut€978/m²
Median of towns€2,430/m²
Nord median€1,810/m²
By type
Median per m²
Sales
Houses
€978/m²
191
€10.41/m²
estimated advertised apartment rent a month, charges included (€8.65 to €12.54/m² a month)
3.1
times the median annual income per consumption unit in the intercommunality, for 70 m² at the median price
€8.54/m²
estimated advertised house rent a month, charges included
€22,000
median annual income per consumption unit, Communauté d'agglomération Valenciennes Métropole
Source: DGFiP, DVF property sales (Etalab geolocated); Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Schools
77.1% of candidates passed the brevet at the five collèges within 5 km, 1.5 points above the expected rate
95%passed the bac (general and technological)C+School Grade
Primary schools aren’t graded: France doesn’t publish their results by school.
The bac pass rate near Fresnes-sur-Escaut is 83.5%, lower than both Nord’s towns (90.4%) and compared French towns (92.9%). Ranked by results, schools here are #130 of 195 in Nord.
Ministry of Education (DEPP) · brevet and bac 2025, value added (IVAC, IVAL) · Licence Ouverte
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Fresnes-sur-Escaut than in Nord’s towns or across compared French towns: 16% of adults
40.6median age
Children are 19% of the town. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 13% of residents, higher than both Nord’s towns (12%) and compared French towns (11%). Fresnes-sur-Escaut has a median age of 40.6.
Fresnes-sur-EscautNord medianFrance median
Ages · share of residents
13%
Under 1515–2425–4445–6465+
Highest diploma · residents 15 and older who have left education
No diploma29%
CAP or BEP28%
Baccalauréat20%
Higher education16%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
WomenFrance medianMen
About an even split. Median share of women: Nord 51.9%, France 51.8%.
Fresnes-sur-Escaut is a commune of 7,354 people in the Communauté d'agglomération Valenciennes Métropole. 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
7,354 (INSEE, census 2023)
Intercommunality
Communauté d'agglomération Valenciennes Métropole
Département
Nord (59)
Région
Hauts-de-France
Area
4.5 sq mi (11.7 km²)
INSEE code
59253
Fresnes-sur-Escaut’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 Fresnes-sur-Escaut
Is Fresnes-sur-Escaut safe?
It grades C− for safety, #142 of 189 in Nord. In 2025 police and gendarmerie recorded 42 burglaries and 82 acts of criminal damage.
Are schools in Fresnes-sur-Escaut good?
They grade C+, better than 37% of compared French towns and #130 of 195 in Nord. The lycée stands out: 95% of 208 candidates passed the bac at Lycée polyvalent du Pays de Condé in 2025, 6 points above the expected rate given its pupils’ backgrounds. Primary schools aren’t graded: France doesn’t publish their results by school.
Is Fresnes-sur-Escaut expensive to live in?
Incomes are lower than in most compared French towns too, so Fresnes-sur-Escaut grades B+ for cost of living.
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.
