Safety is its weak spot (D−) — an average of 13.7 recorded violent incidents and 41.9 recorded burglaries, vehicle thefts, thefts from vehicles and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025. Lille grades D overall and ranks #164 of 189 in Nord. Nationally, it does better than 5% of compared French towns. It lags on cost of living as well — at the median price, a 70 m² home costs 10 times the median annual income per consumption unit in the intercommunality. Its strongest is walkability: 100% of residents live within 800 m of a bakery, and 56% of working residents walk, cycle or take public transport to work. Schools do well: bac results at the expected rate; brevet results 1.8 points above the expected rate.
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 Lille 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 Lille.
Who lives here
Lille is a graduates’ town: 52% hold a degree, more than in Nord’s towns or compared French towns
The 15-to-24 age group: 26%, higher than both Nord’s towns (12%) and compared French towns (11%). Over-65s are just over a tenth of the population. Children under 15 count for 14% of the people here.
29.4median age
LilleNord medianFrance median
Ages · share of residents
26%
Under 1515–2425–4445–6465+
Highest diploma · residents 15 and older who have left education
No diploma17%
CAP or BEP12%
Baccalauréat14%
Higher education52%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
WomenFrance medianMen
About 93 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Nord 51.9%, France 51.8%.
INSEE, census 2023 · Nord median and France median: the median of compared communes
Safety
Recorded crime per resident is higher in Lille than in 99% of compared French towns
Recorded offenses in Lille came to 13,122 in 2025. With 183,850 jobs for 103,000 working residents, Lille draws people in from neighbouring communes. The graded crime recorded most here was theft from vehicles (2025).
13.7recorded violent incidents per 1,000 residents a yearD−Safety Grade
Recorded by type · 2025
Theft from vehicles4,517
Criminal damage3,043
Other physical violence1,561
Burglary1,301
Family violence949
Vehicle theft864
Sexual violence823
Armed robbery64
Theft without violence7,276
Drug use3,977
Fraud1,759
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.
13.7
recorded violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025 average
41.9
recorded burglaries, vehicle thefts, thefts from vehicles and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025 average
13,122
offenses recorded in the graded categories in 2025
under 0.1%
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. Crimes are counted in the commune where they happen, then divided by its residents, so a town that draws people in from around can look higher.
Work & commuteJobs & income C−
56.5% of commuters in Lille go to work without a car, more than in Nord’s towns and compared French towns
Households’ median disposable income: €22,470 a year per consumption unit. 15.7% of the labour force were unemployed, above both Nord’s towns (13.2%) and compared French towns (10.1%). Public transport took 36.1% of Lille’s working residents to work at the census.
56%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2023
Driving39%
Public transport36%
On foot12%
Bicycle9%
Motorbike or scooter1%
183,850
jobs based in Lille, 1.8 per working resident
15.7%
unemployment rate, ages 15 to 64 in the labor force · median of compared French towns 10.1%
€22,470
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 almost every compared French town
Source: INSEE, census 2023 (commuting, employment, jobs at place of work); INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
HousingCost of living D−
Homes in Lille cost more than in Nord’s towns or across compared French towns, with a median sale of €3,488/m²
Rents are the ministry’s estimates of advertised rents, not rents actually paid.
Advertised rents are estimated at €15.76/m² a month, above Nord’s towns (€11.81/m²) and compared French towns (€12.41/m²) alike. The split in Lille: €2,777/m² for houses, €3,732/m² for apartments. The market here: 9,845 sales of houses and apartments between July 2023 and June 2026.
€3,488/m²median sale price
Median sale price per m² · Jul 2023 to Jun 2026
Lille€3,488/m²
Median of towns€2,430/m²
Nord median€1,810/m²
By type
Median per m²
Sales
Houses
€2,777/m²
2,525
Apartments
€3,732/m²
7,320
€15.76/m²
estimated advertised apartment rent a month, charges included (€12.22 to €20.33/m² a month)
10
times the median annual income per consumption unit in the intercommunality, for 70 m² at the median price
€12.74/m²
estimated advertised house rent a month, charges included
€24,430
median annual income per consumption unit, Métropole Européenne de Lille
Source: DGFiP, DVF property sales (Etalab geolocated); Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
HealthHealth C−
More deaths than expected: Lille is above 84% of compared French towns once ages and care homes are allowed for
Care access and life expectancy are shown for context, not graded.
Ages and care homes taken into account, deaths in Lille come to 103 per 100 predicted. 14,656 deaths here between 2016 and 2025, where France’s rates at each age predict 12,195: 20% above. At birth, a girl in Nord can expect 84.5 years and a boy 78.8 (2025); across France, 85.9 and 80.3. This Nord town has 309 family doctors.
+3%deaths against expected, after care homesC−Health Grade
Deaths per 100 expected · 2016–2025
Raw120
Adjusted103
Median town88
Expected100
309
GPs in Lille · 6.2 GP consultations a year per resident within reach (APL)
1.1 mi
to the nearest emergency department, Etablissement de Sante Saint Vincent Lille
1.1 mi
to the nearest maternity unit, Etablissement de Sante Saint Vincent Lille
84.5 · 78.8
years of life expectancy at birth, women · men, Nord, 2025 (provisional) · France 85.9 · 80.3
A secteur sauvegardé since 1967, and 211 historic monuments
France has no History Grade yet: this card describes, it doesn’t grade.
Its heritage reaches back to the 10th century. Part of the town has been protected as a historic area since 1967. Lille has 8.9 protected monuments per 10,000 residents, above Nord’s towns (0) and compared French towns (2.5) alike. Among the classé monuments locally is Palais Rihour.
Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée (Licence Ouverte 2.0) · INSEE, census 2023, homes by build period
Schools
Bac near Lille: 93.5% passed, against 90.4% in Nord’s towns and 92.9% in compared French towns
Primary schools aren’t graded: France doesn’t publish their results by school.
The bac pro: 83% of 1,213 candidates passed at the 13 vocational lycées within 5 km. On results, collèges and lycées here come #70 of 195 in Nord. Near Lille, 87.3% of collège pupils passed the brevet, close to both Nord’s towns (85.9%) and compared French towns (87.5%).
97%passed the bac (general and technological)B+School Grade
Jean Perrin: Agence de presse Meurisse, Public domain · Raphaël Varane: Антон Зайцев, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Émile Bernard: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Public domain · Iris Mittenaere: Seblinux 89, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Nabil Bentaleb: Елена Рыбакова, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Édouard Lalo: Léon Joliot, Public domain
Lille’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 Lille
Is Lille safe?
It grades D− for safety, #183 of 189 in Nord. In 2025 police and gendarmerie recorded 1,301 burglaries and 3,043 acts of criminal damage.
Are schools in Lille good?
They grade B+, better than 66% of compared French towns and #70 of 195 in Nord. 91% of 169 candidates passed the bac at Lycée Fénelon in 2025, 5 points below the expected rate given its pupils’ backgrounds. Primary schools aren’t graded: France doesn’t publish their results by school.
Is Lille expensive to live in?
Incomes are lower than in most compared French towns, so Lille grades D− for cost of living.
About Lille
Commune in Nord, Hauts-de-France
Lille is a commune of 238,246 people in the Métropole Européenne de Lille. 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.
