Ainay-le-Château
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Served 61.8/100 · confidence: high· Better served than 97 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
Ainay-le-Château (INSEE 03003) is in Allier (03), part of CC du Pays de Tronçais. Population 989 (2023). [1]
INSEE density class: Bourgs ruraux (level 5). [2]
Data vintages: INSEE BPE 2025 · INSEE SIRENE 2026-09 · INSEE census (RP) 2023 · INSEE COG 2026 · INSEE density grid 2026 · Commune website 2026-10-25 · DATAtourisme 2026-10-22.
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/03003-ainay-le-chateau
Vitality score
Vitality score 61.8/100 — Served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: high.
Better served than 97 % of the 14,397 communes of a similar size.
Compare this with communes of a similar size. The score measures how well a place is served relative to its own size band, and larger communes score higher as a rule — so it reads meaningfully against another village, and misleadingly against a town.
Measured but not scored in this model: Market. See the methodology for why.
| Component | Value (0–1) | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily food | 0.42 | 25 | 10.54 |
| Social | 0.95 | 20 | 19 |
| Education | 0.63 | 10 | 6.32 |
| Health | 0.79 | 10 | 7.91 |
| Public & culture | 0.63 | 5 | 3.16 |
| Population trend | 0.18 | 10 | 1.78 |
| Housing mix | 0.76 | 5 | 3.81 |
Services
What is here, at a glance
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink. [3,4]
1 × Bakery (boulangerie). [3,4]
1 × Supermarket (INTERMARCHE). [3,4]
3 × Restaurant (DORANGEVILLE · PIZZA QUALIDADE). [3,4]
3 × Café / bar (LES 3 MARCHES D'AINAY · LE COMMERCE). [4]
1 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE PRIMAIRE). [3]
3 × GP (médecin généraliste) (ADRIAN TECUCEANU, MÉDECIN · PANAGIOTIS KOUSTAS, MÉDECIN · JEAN TAILLANDIER, MÉDECIN). [3]
1 × Pharmacy (PHARMACIE DU PORCHE). [3,4]
1 × Post office / agence postale (LA POSTE). [3]
1 × Library (MÉDIATHÈQUE D'AINAY-LE-CHÂTEAU). [3]
3 × Bank (CAISSE REG CREDIT AGRIC MUT CTRE FRANCE · BANQUE POPULAIRE AUVERGNE RHONE ALPES · CAISSE LOCALE DE CREDIT AGRICOLE MUTUEL DE TRONCAIS). [3]
2 × Hairdresser (M'COIFFER). [3,4]
1 × Fuel station (STATION SERVICE). [3]
Not found in the commune: Butcher (boucherie), Grocery (épicerie / supérette), Nursery school (maternelle). [3,4]
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 1 | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] | |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] | |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 0 | INSEE SIRENE 1 / INSEE BPE 0 [4] | |
| Supermarket | 1 | INTERMARCHE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Cheese shop (fromagerie) | 0 | INSEE SIRENE 0 [4] | |
| Fishmonger | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] | |
| Restaurant | 3 | DORANGEVILLE · PIZZA QUALIDADE | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 4 [3,4] |
| Café / bar | 3 | LES 3 MARCHES D'AINAY · LE COMMERCE | INSEE SIRENE 3 [4] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 1 | ECOLE PRIMAIRE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Collège | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 3 | ADRIAN TECUCEANU, MÉDECIN · PANAGIOTIS KOUSTAS, MÉDECIN · JEAN TAILLANDIER, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 3 [3] |
| Pharmacy | 1 | PHARMACIE DU PORCHE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Nurse | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Dentist | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Post office / agence postale | 1 | LA POSTE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Library | 1 | MÉDIATHÈQUE D'AINAY-LE-CHÂTEAU | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Cinema | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Gym / sports hall | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Swimming pool | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Bank | 3 | CAISSE REG CREDIT AGRIC MUT CTRE FRANCE · BANQUE POPULAIRE AUVERGNE RHONE ALPES · CAISSE LOCALE DE CREDIT AGRICOLE MUTUEL DE TRONCAIS | INSEE BPE 3 [3] |
| Hairdresser | 2 | M'COIFFER | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
| Fuel station | 1 | STATION SERVICE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3] |
| Hotel | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] | |
| Campsite | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] |
Market and village life
A market is recorded here, but no source gives the day. [5]
Trajectory
Population 1,021 (2012) → 989 (2023): -3.1 % over 10 years. [6,1]
Population 1,458 (1990) → 989 (2023): -32.2 % over 30 years. [7,1]
Dwellings (2023): 731, of which 11.9 % second homes and 21.2 % vacant. [8]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (Ainay-le-Château): 0.4 km to the north-east (straight line). [9]
Food shop (Ainay-le-Château): 0.5 km to the south-east (straight line). [9]
GP (Ainay-le-Château): 0.5 km to the east (straight line). [9]
Pharmacy (Ainay-le-Château): 0.5 km to the south-east (straight line). [9]
Primary school (Ainay-le-Château): 0.1 km to the south-east (straight line). [9]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 26 days a year at or above 30 °C and 58 days at or below 0 °C, over 30 complete years in 1995–2024. [10]
Measured at the ISLE-ET-BARDAIS weather station, 6 km away at 262 m; the village itself is at 220 m. [10]
Muggy days — a dew point at or above 18 °C — average 1 day a summer. [10]
Humidity measured at LURCY-LEVIS SA, 19.6 km away at 225 m, over 30 summers. [10]
An average of 751 mm of rain a year, spread over 124 days — about 6.1 mm on a day it rains. [10]
Rainfall measured at AINAY-LE-CHATE, 0.6 km away at 230 m. Rainfall is not adjusted for altitude: unlike temperature it has no simple gradient to correct by. [10]
Uncertainties
No specific uncertainties flagged.
References
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 03003/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- DATAtourisme 2025-01— https://data.datatourisme.fr/13/c6d5ffb3-4f0c-3a8b-821f-9e8642515282— “Marché d'Ainay-le-Château”(unverified)
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 03003/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 03003/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 03003/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 03003
- Météo-France daily climatology 1995-2024
Villages like this one
Matched on size, density, second homes and which everyday shops and services are present — not on the score, so a village of the same kind that is doing better or worse shows up rather than being hidden.
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pesmes | 70 | 227 km E | 1,083 | 53.8 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 79 % · winter 80 % · humidity 93 % |
| Belle-Isle-en-Terre | 22 | 499 km NW | 1,024 | 53.2 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 38 % · winter 70 % · humidity 100 % |
| Saint-Privat | 19 | 181 km S | 1,034 | 46.7 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 69 % · winter 78 % · humidity 93 % |
| Barenton | 50 | 337 km NW | 1,161 | 48 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.summer 54 % · winter 74 % |
| Pierre-Buffière | 87 | 152 km SW | 1,139 | 42.2 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 72 % · winter 95 % · humidity 71 % |
| La Redorte | 11 | 385 km S | 1,238 | 46.6 | Partly served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 54 % · winter 43 % · humidity 21 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierre-Buffière | 87 | 152 km SW | 1,139 | 42.2 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 72 % · winter 95 % · humidity 71 % |
| Saint-Privat | 19 | 181 km S | 1,034 | 46.7 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 69 % · winter 78 % · humidity 93 % |
| Pesmes | 70 | 227 km E | 1,083 | 53.8 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 79 % · winter 80 % · humidity 93 % |
| Barenton | 50 | 337 km NW | 1,161 | 48 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.summer 54 % · winter 74 % |
| La Redorte | 11 | 385 km S | 1,238 | 46.6 | Partly served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 54 % · winter 43 % · humidity 21 % |
| Belle-Isle-en-Terre | 22 | 499 km NW | 1,024 | 53.2 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 38 % · winter 70 % · humidity 100 % |
Sort and compare these on the full list →
…and in much the same climate
The same match on size and services, narrowed to communes whose summers, winters and summer humidity are all close to Ainay-le-Château's. All three are required, so this section is absent for the 11.8 % of communes with no humidity station near enough to measure: two temperature axes alone cannot tell a muggy coast from a dry one.
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villeneuve-sur-Allier | 03 | 43 km E | 1,024 | 38.3 | Few services | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 97 % · winter 99 % · humidity 93 % |
| Saint-Léger-sur-Dheune | 71 | 149 km E | 1,533 | 50.2 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 97 % · winter 96 % · humidity 100 % |
| Couches | 71 | 145 km E | 1,213 | 45.5 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 96 % · humidity 100 % |
| Villefagnan | 16 | 215 km W | 972 | 66.5 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 93 % · humidity 86 % |
| Le Grand-Serre | 26 | 246 km SE | 973 | 65 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 87 % · winter 88 % · humidity 100 % |
| Salornay-sur-Guye | 71 | 147 km E | 864 | 64.3 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 97 % · humidity 93 % |
Elsewhere
Commune website · Wikipedia (en) ·Wikipedia (fr) · INSEE dossier complet · OpenStreetMap · Web search · Map
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/03003-ainay-le-chateau