Lapalisse
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Partly served 50.9/100 · confidence: high· Better served than 61 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
Lapalisse (INSEE 03138) is in Allier (03), part of CC du Pays de Lapalisse. Population 3,138 (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/03138-lapalisse
Vitality score
Vitality score 50.9/100 — Partly served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: high.
Better served than 61 % of the 6,861 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 | 0.43 | 25 | 10.64 |
| Social | 0.76 | 20 | 15.27 |
| Education | 0.22 | 10 | 2.21 |
| Health | 0.46 | 10 | 4.61 |
| Public & culture | 0.43 | 5 | 2.13 |
| Population trend | 0.37 | 10 | 3.71 |
| Housing mix | 0.94 | 5 | 4.7 |
Services
What is here, at a glance
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink. [3,4]
3 × Bakery (boulangerie) (ANTHONY ET SES DELICES · BOULANGERIE DES FAUBOURGS). [3,4]
1 × Butcher (boucherie) (BOUCHERIE MA FRANCE NATURE - LAPALISSE). [3,4]
3 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette) (MAISON DISTRILUX · TURPIN · L'ALLIER DU VIN). [3,4]
3 × Supermarket (CARREFOUR MARKET · INTERMARCHE · ALDI). [3,4]
9 × Restaurant (HOTEL DU BOURBONNAIS · LES PETITS PLATS DU COIN · PAT'A PIZZ · L'AIRE DES VERITES · RICO BRICOL'TOUT). [3,4]
4 × Café / bar (BAR DU MARCHE · CAFE DU CENTRE). [4]
1 × Nursery school (maternelle) (ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE ARC EN CIEL). [3]
1 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE G. GIRAUD). [3]
1 × Collège (COLLEGE LUCIEN COLON). [3]
3 × GP (médecin généraliste) (GUILLAUME DUCLEROIR, MÉDECIN · DOMINIQUE ALBOUY, MÉDECIN · EMELIE POULAIN DUCLEROIR, MÉDECIN). [3]
2 × Pharmacy (PHARMACIE PASCAL DECLOITRE · PHARMACIE DELPUECH). [3,4]
1 × Post office / agence postale (LA POSTE). [3]
4 × Library (MEDIATHEQUE DU PAYS DE LAPALISSE · POINT RELAIS DE BERT · POINT RELAIS D'ISSERPENT · POINT RELAIS DE SAINT-ETIENNE DE VICQ). [3]
1 × Gym / sports hall (COMPLEXE SPORTIF DE BELLEVUE). [3]
3 × Bank (CAISSE D'EPARGNE ET DE PREVOYANCE D'AUVERGNE ET DU LIMOUSIN · CAISSE LOCALE DE LAPALISSE · CAISSE REG CREDIT AGRIC MUT CTRE FRANCE). [3]
6 × Hairdresser (SARL EVOLUTION RN7 · COIFFURE ALIZA · LES COUP'INES). [3,4]
5 × Fuel station (STATION SERVICE). [3,4]
3 × Hotel (AUBERGE DU MOULIN MARIN · HOTEL DU BOURBONNAIS · INSTITUT GALLAND). [3,4]
Not counted, because the business register records them as closed: 1 × Restaurant, 1 × Hairdresser.
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 3 | ANTHONY ET SES DELICES · BOULANGERIE DES FAUBOURGS | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 1 | BOUCHERIE MA FRANCE NATURE - LAPALISSE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 3 | MAISON DISTRILUX · TURPIN · L'ALLIER DU VIN | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 5 [3,4] |
| Supermarket | 3 | CARREFOUR MARKET · INTERMARCHE · ALDI | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 4 [3,4] |
| Cheese shop (fromagerie) | 0 | INSEE SIRENE 0 [4] | |
| Fishmonger | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] | |
| Restaurant | 9 | HOTEL DU BOURBONNAIS · LES PETITS PLATS DU COIN · PAT'A PIZZ · L'AIRE DES VERITES · RICO BRICOL'TOUT | INSEE BPE 9 / INSEE SIRENE 15 [3,4] |
| Café / bar | 4 | BAR DU MARCHE · CAFE DU CENTRE | INSEE SIRENE 4 [4] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 1 | ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE ARC EN CIEL | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 1 | ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE G. GIRAUD | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Collège | 1 | COLLEGE LUCIEN COLON | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 3 | GUILLAUME DUCLEROIR, MÉDECIN · DOMINIQUE ALBOUY, MÉDECIN · EMELIE POULAIN DUCLEROIR, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 3 [3] |
| Pharmacy | 2 | PHARMACIE PASCAL DECLOITRE · PHARMACIE DELPUECH | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [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 | 4 | MEDIATHEQUE DU PAYS DE LAPALISSE · POINT RELAIS DE BERT · POINT RELAIS D'ISSERPENT · POINT RELAIS DE SAINT-ETIENNE DE VICQ | INSEE BPE 4 [3] |
| Cinema | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Gym / sports hall | 1 | COMPLEXE SPORTIF DE BELLEVUE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Swimming pool | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Bank | 3 | CAISSE D'EPARGNE ET DE PREVOYANCE D'AUVERGNE ET DU LIMOUSIN · CAISSE LOCALE DE LAPALISSE · CAISSE REG CREDIT AGRIC MUT CTRE FRANCE | INSEE BPE 3 [3] |
| Hairdresser | 6 | SARL EVOLUTION RN7 · COIFFURE ALIZA · LES COUP'INES | INSEE BPE 6 / INSEE SIRENE 6 [3,4] |
| Fuel station | 5 | STATION SERVICE | INSEE BPE 5 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
| Hotel | 3 | AUBERGE DU MOULIN MARIN · HOTEL DU BOURBONNAIS · INSTITUT GALLAND | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Campsite | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] |
Market and village life
Weekly market (reported, unverified): Thursday 7h à 13h Place Général Leclerc. [5]
Trajectory
Population 3,122 (2012) → 3,138 (2023): 0.5 % over 10 years. [6,1]
Population 3,603 (1990) → 3,138 (2023): -12.9 % over 30 years. [7,1]
Dwellings (2023): 1,816, of which 3 % second homes and 14.1 % vacant. [8]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (Lapalisse): 0.1 km to the south-west (straight line). [9]
Food shop (Lapalisse): 0.4 km to the south-west (straight line). [9]
GP (Lapalisse): 0.8 km to the west (straight line). [9]
Pharmacy (Lapalisse): 0.4 km to the south-west (straight line). [9]
Primary school (Lapalisse): 1.2 km to the west (straight line). [9]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 25 days a year at or above 30 °C and 55 days at or below 0 °C, over 26 complete years in 1995–2024. [10]
Measured at the ARFEUILLES weather station, 12.1 km away at 450 m; the village itself is at 301 m. [10]
The village sits 149 m below the station, so each day's reading was shifted by 6.06 °C per km of altitude before the days were counted. Expect the result to be within about 0.68 °C. [10]
An average of 884 mm of rain a year, spread over 126 days — about 7 mm on a day it rains. [10]
Rainfall measured at LAPALISSE, 1.4 km away at 287 m. Rainfall is not adjusted for altitude: unlike temperature it has no simple gradient to correct by. [10]
Uncertainties
The market day comes from the commune's own website and has not been confirmed by a second source. [5]
References
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 03138/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- Commune website 2026-10— https://www.ville-lapalisse.fr/au-quotidien/marche.html— “Le marché de Lapalisse est ouvert le jeudi de 7h à 13h.”(unverified)
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 03138/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 03138/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 03138/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 03138
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Grand-Lemps | 38 | 167 km SE | 3,083 | 55.4 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.summer 85 % · winter 72 % |
| Cossé-le-Vivien | 53 | 393 km NW | 3,174 | 43.2 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.summer 72 % · winter 81 % |
| Seltz | 67 | 446 km NE | 3,204 | 44.3 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.summer 90 % · winter 88 % |
| Gasny | 27 | 351 km NW | 3,062 | 40.1 | Partly served | no figures |
| Puiseaux | 45 | 235 km N | 3,299 | 46.4 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.summer 87 % · winter 88 % |
| Brou | 28 | 287 km NW | 3,230 | 51.4 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.summer 69 % · winter 92 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Grand-Lemps | 38 | 167 km SE | 3,083 | 55.4 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.summer 85 % · winter 72 % |
| Puiseaux | 45 | 235 km N | 3,299 | 46.4 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.summer 87 % · winter 88 % |
| Brou | 28 | 287 km NW | 3,230 | 51.4 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.summer 69 % · winter 92 % |
| Gasny | 27 | 351 km NW | 3,062 | 40.1 | Partly served | no figures |
| Cossé-le-Vivien | 53 | 393 km NW | 3,174 | 43.2 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.summer 72 % · winter 81 % |
| Seltz | 67 | 446 km NE | 3,204 | 44.3 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.summer 90 % · winter 88 % |
Elsewhere
Commune website · Wikipedia (en) ·Wikipedia (fr) · INSEE dossier complet · OpenStreetMap · Web search · Map
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/03138-lapalisse