Épinal grades C+ overall: better than 39% of compared French towns, and #20 of 27 in Vosges. Its weakest subject is safety (D): an average of 14 recorded violent incidents and 20.7 recorded burglaries, vehicle thefts, thefts from vehicles and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025. At the median price of €1,473/m², a 70 m² home costs 4.2 times the median annual income per consumption unit (an income adjusted for household size) in the Communauté d'agglomération d'Épinal. Its strongest is walkability (A): 87% of residents live within 800 m of a bakery, and 25% of working residents walk, cycle or take public transport to work.
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 Épinal 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 Épinal.
Work & commuteJobs & income C−
More people in Épinal are out of work than in Vosges’ towns or across compared French towns: 16.9%
In the comparison, Épinal comes above both Vosges’ towns (12.8%) and compared French towns (10.1%). Épinal has 24,050 jobs for 12,150 working residents, 2 per worker. At the census, 25.3% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
25%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2023
Driving69%
On foot12%
Public transport9%
Bicycle4%
Motorbike or scooter1%
24,050
jobs based in Épinal, 2 per working resident
16.9%
unemployment rate, ages 15 to 64 in the labor force · median of compared French towns 10.1%
€22,490
median annual income per consumption unit, 2023 · median of compared French towns €25,970
5%
worked without traveling (at or from home)
A
Walkability: better than 93% of compared French towns
Source: INSEE, census 2023 (commuting, employment, jobs at place of work); INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Safety
Épinal records more crime per resident than 90% of compared French towns
Police and gendarmerie recorded 1,099 offenses in the graded categories in Épinal in 2025. Of the graded crimes in Épinal, criminal damage came up most often (2025). For armed robbery, this figure isn’t published when it’s small (five or fewer in at least one of the last three years); the index uses the département’s average instead, 0.1% of the index here.
14recorded violent incidents per 1,000 residents a yearDSafety Grade
Recorded by type · 2025
Criminal damage442
Other physical violence186
Family violence180
Burglary105
Sexual violence91
Theft from vehicles59
Vehicle theft36
Theft without violence343
Drug use208
Fraud197
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.
14
recorded violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025 average
20.7
recorded burglaries, vehicle thefts, thefts from vehicles and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025 average
1,099
offenses recorded in the graded categories in 2025
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
History
27 historic monuments and a protected historic area since 2024
France has no History Grade yet: this card describes, it doesn’t grade.
The Culture ministry lists 27 historic monuments in Épinal: 4 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 23 inscrit (the second level). Part of the town has been a protected historic area, a site patrimonial remarquable, since 2024.
Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée (Licence Ouverte 2.0) · INSEE, census 2023, homes by build period
HousingCost of living B+
Épinal gets a B+ for cost of living
Rents are the ministry’s estimates of advertised rents, not rents actually paid.
The median price, €1,473/m², comes from 1,310 sales of houses and apartments in Épinal from July 2023 to June 2026. The estimated advertised rent is €10.28/m² a month, close to Vosges’ towns (€9.54/m²) and below compared French towns (€12.41/m²). Houses in Épinal sell for €1,763/m² and apartments for €1,352/m².
€1,473/m²median sale price
Median sale price per m² · Jul 2023 to Jun 2026
Épinal€1,473/m²
Median of towns€2,430/m²
Vosges median€1,349/m²
By type
Median per m²
Sales
Houses
€1,763/m²
463
Apartments
€1,352/m²
847
€10.28/m²
estimated advertised apartment rent a month, charges included (€8.07 to €13.08/m² a month)
4.2
times the median annual income per consumption unit in the intercommunality, for 70 m² at the median price
€9.33/m²
estimated advertised house rent a month, charges included
€24,670
median annual income per consumption unit, Communauté d'agglomération d'Épinal
Source: DGFiP, DVF property sales (Etalab geolocated); Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
HealthHealth C+
Épinal’s death rate, adjusted for age and care homes, is higher than in 58% of compared French towns
Care access and life expectancy are shown for context, not graded.
From 2016 to 2025, 3,234 residents of Épinal died, against 3,203 expected from France’s death rates at each age: 1% more. Its six care homes for older people (356 places) count their residents as Épinal’s; allowing for them, deaths were 9% below expected. The adjustment lowers most towns’ figures, so the comparison is what counts: the median of compared French towns is 12% below expected. The care-home adjustment is a TownRatings modeling step, not an official statistic.
−9%deaths against expected, after care homesC+Health Grade
Deaths per 100 expected · 2016–2025
Raw101
Adjusted91
Median town88
Expected100
48
GPs in Épinal · 5 GP consultations a year per resident within reach (APL)
0.3 mi
to the nearest emergency department, Centre hospitalier Interco E Durkheim Plateau de la Justice
0.3 mi
to the nearest maternity unit, Centre hospitalier Interco E Durkheim Plateau de la Justice
84.2 · 78.6
years of life expectancy at birth, women · men, Vosges, 2025 (provisional) · France 85.9 · 80.3
Maison dite du Bailli: Photo: Ji-Elle · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chapelle Saint-Michel: Photo: ArKaNuM · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Imagerie Pellerin (bâtiments et machines qu'ils renferment): Photo: photography taken by Christophe.Finot · CC BY-SA 3.0
Émile Durkheim: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain · Nacer Bouhanni: Jérémy-Günther-Heinz Jähnick, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Valérie Donzelli: Yann Caradec from Paris, France, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Fabien Claude: Pavel Hrdlička (Czech Wikipedia user Packa ), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Daniel-Rops: Studio Harcourt, Public domain · Nicolas Mathieu: ActuaLitté, CC BY-SA 2.0
Épinal’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 Épinal
Is Épinal safe?
It grades D for safety, #23 of 27 in Vosges. In 2025 police and gendarmerie recorded 105 burglaries and 442 acts of criminal damage.
Are schools in Épinal good?
They grade B−, better than 47% of compared French towns and #14 of 25 in Vosges. The lycée stands out: 99% of 143 candidates passed the bac at Ensemble scolaire Notre-Dame - Saint-Joseph (lycée) in 2025, a point above the expected rate given its pupils’ backgrounds. Primary schools aren’t graded: France doesn’t publish their results by school.
Is Épinal expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most compared French towns: the median sale price from July 2023 to June 2026 was €1,473/m², against €2,430/m² for the median of compared French towns. Incomes are lower than in most compared French towns too, so Épinal grades B+ for cost of living.
About Épinal
Commune in Vosges, Grand Est
Épinal is a commune of 32,251 people in the Communauté d'agglomération d'Épinal. 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.
