Fontenay-sous-Bois’s weakest is cost of living — at the median price, a 70 m² home costs 14.9 times the median annual income per consumption unit in the intercommunality. Police record more crime here than in most towns: an average of 7.4 recorded violent incidents and 19.6 recorded burglaries, vehicle thefts, thefts from vehicles and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025. Fewer journeys need a car (A+): 100% of residents live within 800 m of a bakery, and 70% of working residents walk, cycle or take public transport to work. The overall grade lands at C+, #18 of 44 in Val-de-Marne. Set against the rest, it does better than 38% of compared French towns.
Figures: amenities, INSEE BPE 2025 · commuting, INSEE census 2023 · prices, DVF · income per consumption unit (an income adjusted for household size), INSEE Filosofi · recorded crime, SSMSI (Ministry of the Interior).
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 Fontenay-sous-Bois 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 Fontenay-sous-Bois.
Work & commuteJobs & income A−
Getting about on foot is easier in Fontenay-sous-Bois than in 100% of compared French towns
The median disposable income was €29,690 a year per consumption unit, above Val-de-Marne’s towns (€27,315) and compared French towns (€25,970) alike. Fontenay-sous-Bois has 30,650 jobs for 25,000 working residents, 1.2 per worker. Public transport took 55.8% of Fontenay-sous-Bois’ working residents to work at the census.
70%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2023
Public transport56%
Driving23%
On foot7%
Bicycle7%
Motorbike or scooter3%
30,650
jobs based in Fontenay-sous-Bois, 1.2 per working resident
10.8%
unemployment rate, ages 15 to 64 in the labor force · median of compared French towns 10.1%
€29,690
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−
Buying in Fontenay-sous-Bois costs more than in Val-de-Marne’s towns and across compared French towns: the median sale is €5,955/m²
Rents are the ministry’s estimates of advertised rents, not rents actually paid.
A house in Fontenay-sous-Bois goes for €6,912/m², an apartment for €5,712/m². Advertised rents are estimated at €22.92/m² a month, above both Val-de-Marne’s towns (€20.46/m²) and compared French towns (€12.41/m²). 1,479 houses and apartments changed hands in the town from July 2023 to June 2026.
€5,955/m²median sale price
Median sale price per m² · Jul 2023 to Jun 2026
Fontenay-sous-Bois€5,955/m²
Median of towns€2,430/m²
Val-de-Marne median€4,010/m²
By type
Median per m²
Sales
Houses
€6,912/m²
415
Apartments
€5,712/m²
1,064
€22.92/m²
estimated advertised apartment rent a month, charges included (€18.39 to €28.56/m² a month)
14.9
times the median annual income per consumption unit in the intercommunality, for 70 m² at the median price
€19.55/m²
estimated advertised house rent a month, charges included
€28,050
median annual income per consumption unit, Métropole du Grand Paris
Source: DGFiP, DVF property sales (Etalab geolocated); Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Who lives here
Fontenay-sous-Bois is a graduates’ town: 51% hold a degree, more than in Val-de-Marne’s towns and across compared French towns
Retirement age and beyond: 16% of residents are 65 or older. Just over a tenth of the population is aged 15 to 24, about level with Val-de-Marne’s towns (13%) and above compared French towns (11%). The share of residents under 15 is 19%.
39.5median age
Fontenay-sous-BoisVal-de-Marne medianFrance median
Ages · share of residents
12%
Under 1515–2425–4445–6465+
Highest diploma · residents 15 and older who have left education
No diploma15%
CAP or BEP13%
Baccalauréat16%
Higher education51%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
WomenFrance medianMen
About 95 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Val-de-Marne 52.1%, France 51.8%.
INSEE, census 2023 · Val-de-Marne median and France median: the median of compared communes
Safety
Fontenay-sous-Bois has more crime per resident than 72% of compared French towns
The 2025 count: 1,340 offenses in Fontenay-sous-Bois. More of the graded crimes locally were criminal damage than anything else (2025).
7.4recorded violent incidents per 1,000 residents a yearCSafety Grade
Recorded by type · 2025
Criminal damage421
Burglary214
Theft from vehicles169
Family violence159
Other physical violence155
Vehicle theft141
Sexual violence74
Armed robbery7
Drug use706
Theft without violence586
Fraud448
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.
7.4
recorded violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025 average
19.6
recorded burglaries, vehicle thefts, thefts from vehicles and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025 average
1,340
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.
HealthHealth B+
Fontenay-sous-Bois is graded a B+ for health
Care access and life expectancy are shown for context, not graded.
Its four care homes for older people (406 places) count their residents as Fontenay-sous-Bois’; allowing for them, deaths were 19% below expected. From 2016 to 2025, 3,581 residents of Fontenay-sous-Bois died, against 3,953 expected from France’s death rates at each age: 9% fewer. Women in Val-de-Marne live to 86.7 on average and men to 82.8 (2025), against 85.9 and 80.3 across France. For a family doctor, residents of Fontenay-sous-Bois can choose among 27 GPs.
−19%deaths against expected, after care homesB+Health Grade
Deaths per 100 expected · 2016–2025
Raw91
Adjusted81
Median town88
Expected100
27
GPs in Fontenay-sous-Bois · 3.7 GP consultations a year per resident within reach (APL)
1.2 mi
to the nearest emergency department, Hopital Prive Armand Brillard
1.2 mi
to the nearest maternity unit, Hopital Prive Armand Brillard
86.7 · 82.8
years of life expectancy at birth, women · men, Val-de-Marne, 2025 (provisional) · France 85.9 · 80.3
86.2% of candidates passed the brevet at the 66 collèges within 5 km, 0.9 points below the expected rate
Primary schools aren’t graded: France doesn’t publish their results by school.
The town’s schools place #15 of 47 in Val-de-Marne on results. At the lycées within 5 km of Fontenay-sous-Bois, 90.9% passed the bac, about level with Val-de-Marne’s towns (91.1%) and below compared French towns (92.9%).
94%passed the bac (general and technological)CSchool Grade
Ministry of Education (DEPP) · brevet and bac 2025, value added (IVAC, IVAL) · Licence Ouverte
History
1 historic monument and a protected historic area since 2001
France has no History Grade yet: this card describes, it doesn’t grade.
Protection here reaches back to the 15th century. Since 2001, part of the town has been a site patrimonial remarquable, a protected historic area. 6.8% of homes were built before 1919.
1historic monument
Monuments by protection · Mérimée
Classé0
Inscrit1
15th c.
oldest protected part
1926
first monument protected
2001
protected historic area (site patrimonial remarquable)
Noé Pamarot: Tatono, Public domain · André Luguet: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain · Louis-Xavier de Ricard: Ramon Casas, Public domain · Émile Bertaux: Ramon Casas, Public domain · Luis Vassy: Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Georges Chaudron: B. Chaudron, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fontenay-sous-Bois’ 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 Fontenay-sous-Bois
Is Fontenay-sous-Bois safe?
It grades C for safety, #28 of 44 in Val-de-Marne. In 2025 police and gendarmerie recorded 214 burglaries and 421 acts of criminal damage.
Are schools in Fontenay-sous-Bois good?
They grade C, better than 35% of compared French towns and #15 of 47 in Val-de-Marne. 100% of 101 candidates passed the bac at Lycée Montalembert in 2025, at the expected rate given its pupils’ backgrounds. Primary schools aren’t graded: France doesn’t publish their results by school.
Is Fontenay-sous-Bois expensive to live in?
Incomes are higher than in most compared French towns, so Fontenay-sous-Bois grades D− for cost of living.
About Fontenay-sous-Bois
Commune in Val-de-Marne, Île-de-France
Fontenay-sous-Bois is a commune of 53,757 people in the Métropole du Grand Paris. 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.
