L'Argentière-la-Bessée
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Served 67.3/100 · confidence: high· Better served than 98 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
L'Argentière-la-Bessée (INSEE 05006) is in Hautes-Alpes (05), part of CC du Pays des Ecrins. Population 2,288 (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 2026-10-24 · DATAtourisme 2026-10-22.
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/05006-l-argentiere-la-bessee
Vitality score
Vitality score 67.3/100 — Served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: high.
Better served than 98 % of the 8,757 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 | 0.63 | 25 | 15.8 |
| Social | 0.89 | 20 | 17.75 |
| Education | 0.63 | 10 | 6.32 |
| Health | 0.63 | 10 | 6.29 |
| Public & culture | 0.39 | 5 | 1.97 |
| Population trend | 0.54 | 10 | 5.44 |
| Housing mix | 0.72 | 5 | 3.61 |
Services
What is here, at a glance
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink. [3,4]
2 × Bakery (boulangerie) (L'EDELWEISS · L'ARBRE A PAIN). [3,4]
2 × Butcher (boucherie) (SOCIETE ALPINE DE BOUCHERIE CHARCUTERIE · BOUCHERIE DES ECRINS). [3,4]
1 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette) (LA GOUSSE D'AIL). [3,4]
2 × Supermarket (ALDI MARCHE · CARREFOUR CONTACT). [3,4]
13 × Restaurant (STOCK GHISLAINE · ALLAMANNO ESTHER). [3,4]
3 × Café / bar (CASA ANTICA · LA DURANCE · POLE DURANCE). [4]
2 × Nursery school (maternelle) (ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE DE L' EGLISE · ECOLE MATERNELLE PLAN D'ERGUE). [3]
1 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE L'ARGENTIERE LA BESSEE). [3]
1 × Collège (COLLEGE GIRAUDES (LES). [3]
4 × GP (médecin généraliste) (CHLOE LECARPENTIER, MÉDECIN · KARINE MARTIN, MÉDECIN · JUSTINE WYTS, MÉDECIN · CLÉMENCE CHAVOT, MÉDECIN). [3]
1 × Pharmacy (SELAS PHIE DE L ARGENTIERE LA BESSEE). [3,4]
1 × Post office / agence postale (LA POSTE). [3]
1 × Library (MÉDIATHÈQUE MUNICIPALE). [3]
1 × Cinema (L EAU VIVE). [3]
2 × Gym / sports hall (COMPLEXE SPORTIF DU QUARTZ · COLLEGE LES GIRAUDES). [3]
1 × Swimming pool (BASE NAUTIQUE). [3]
2 × Bank (AGENCE DE L'ARGENTIERE · ECUREUIL). [3]
5 × Hairdresser (LES FEES M'HAIR COIFFURE · A TEMPS TIF · LS BEAUTY COIFFURE ET ESTHETIQUE · STUDIO 6.O). [3,4]
1 × Fuel station (STATION SERVICE). [3]
2 × Hotel (CAFE HOTEL DE LA MAIRIE · HOTEL GLAIZETTE). [3,4]
1 × Campsite (CAMPING LES ECRINS). [3,4]
Not counted, because the business register records them as closed: 1 × Hotel.
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 2 | L'EDELWEISS · L'ARBRE A PAIN | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 2 | SOCIETE ALPINE DE BOUCHERIE CHARCUTERIE · BOUCHERIE DES ECRINS | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 1 | LA GOUSSE D'AIL | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Supermarket | 2 | ALDI MARCHE · CARREFOUR CONTACT | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Cheese shop (fromagerie) | 0 | INSEE SIRENE 0 [4] | |
| Fishmonger | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] | |
| Restaurant | 13 | STOCK GHISLAINE · ALLAMANNO ESTHER | INSEE BPE 13 / INSEE SIRENE 16 [3,4] |
| Café / bar | 3 | CASA ANTICA · LA DURANCE · POLE DURANCE | INSEE SIRENE 3 [4] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 2 | ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE DE L' EGLISE · ECOLE MATERNELLE PLAN D'ERGUE | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 1 | ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE L'ARGENTIERE LA BESSEE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Collège | 1 | COLLEGE GIRAUDES (LES | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 4 | CHLOE LECARPENTIER, MÉDECIN · KARINE MARTIN, MÉDECIN · JUSTINE WYTS, MÉDECIN · CLÉMENCE CHAVOT, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 4 [3] |
| Pharmacy | 1 | SELAS PHIE DE L ARGENTIERE LA BESSEE | 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 MUNICIPALE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Cinema | 1 | L EAU VIVE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Gym / sports hall | 2 | COMPLEXE SPORTIF DU QUARTZ · COLLEGE LES GIRAUDES | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| Swimming pool | 1 | BASE NAUTIQUE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Bank | 2 | AGENCE DE L'ARGENTIERE · ECUREUIL | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| Hairdresser | 5 | LES FEES M'HAIR COIFFURE · A TEMPS TIF · LS BEAUTY COIFFURE ET ESTHETIQUE · STUDIO 6.O | INSEE BPE 5 / INSEE SIRENE 5 [3,4] |
| Fuel station | 1 | STATION SERVICE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3] |
| Hotel | 2 | CAFE HOTEL DE LA MAIRIE · HOTEL GLAIZETTE | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 6 [3,4] |
| Campsite | 1 | CAMPING LES ECRINS | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
Market and village life
Weekly market (reported, unverified): Friday. [5]
Trajectory
Population 2,318 (2012) → 2,288 (2023): -1.3 % over 10 years. [6,1]
Population 2,191 (1990) → 2,288 (2023): 4.4 % over 30 years. [7,1]
Dwellings (2023): 1,427, of which 13.9 % second homes and 10.7 % vacant. [8]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (L'Argentière-la-Bessée): 0.1 km to the north (straight line). [9]
Food shop (L'Argentière-la-Bessée): 0.1 km to the south (straight line). [9]
GP (L'Argentière-la-Bessée): 0.5 km to the north (straight line). [9]
Pharmacy (L'Argentière-la-Bessée): 0.5 km to the north (straight line). [9]
Primary school (L'Argentière-la-Bessée): 0.2 km to the north (straight line). [9]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 23 days a year at or above 30 °C and 111 days at or below 0 °C, over 30 complete years in 1995–2024. [10]
Measured at the PELVOUX weather station, 10 km away at 1,270 m; the village itself is at 977 m. [10]
The village sits 293 m below the station, so each day's reading was shifted by 5.21 °C per km of altitude before the days were counted. Expect the result to be within about 0.68 °C. [10]
Muggy days — a dew point at or above 18 °C — average 0 days a summer. [10]
Humidity measured at ST CREPIN, 10.4 km away at 906 m, over 18 summers. [10]
That station sits 71 m below the village, so each day's humidity was shifted by 4.57 °C per km before the muggy days were counted. [10]
An average of 945 mm of rain a year, spread over 91 days — about 10.4 mm on a day it rains. [10]
Rainfall measured at PUY-ST-VINCENT, 6.6 km away at 1,388 m. Rainfall is not adjusted for altitude: unlike temperature it has no simple gradient to correct by. [10]
What property sold for
70 houses sold between 2021 and 2025, at a median of 228,200 € — 2,400 € per m² of built surface. [11]
66 flats sold over the same window, at a median of 151,000 € — 1,959 € per m². [11]
The median across Hautes-Alpes is 2,500 € per m², so this commune sits about level with it. [11]
These are recorded sale prices, not valuations or asking prices, and a median over five years spans five different markets. Built surface excludes land, which carries much of a rural property's value.
Uncertainties
The market day comes from DATAtourisme and has not been confirmed by a second source. [5]
References
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 05006/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- DATAtourisme 2026-01— https://data.datatourisme.fr/13/a65155c6-5928-3c4a-88aa-b00caba42452— “Le marché de l'Argentière réunit tout au long de l'année des commerçants et producteurs le vendredi matin près de la Mairie.”(unverified)
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 05006/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 05006/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 05006/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 05006
- Météo-France daily climatology 1995-2024
- DVF (DGFiP property transactions) 2021-2025
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamastre | 07 | 157 km W | 2,327 | 68.8 | Served | Similar summers, milder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 97 % · winter 0 % · humidity 93 % |
| Saint-Jean-du-Gard | 30 | 226 km W | 2,586 | 61.6 | Served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 15 % · winter 19 % · humidity 71 % |
| Bourganeuf | 23 | 397 km W | 2,364 | 64 | Served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 64 % · winter 11 % · humidity 93 % |
| Prayssac | 46 | 426 km W | 2,519 | 69.8 | Served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 51 % · winter 11 % · humidity 21 % |
| Craponne-sur-Arzon | 43 | 221 km W | 1,998 | 63.2 | Served | Cooler summers, similar winters.summer 64 % · winter 93 % |
| Remoulins | 30 | 185 km SW | 2,278 | 71.1 | Served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 0 % · winter 0 % · humidity 29 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamastre | 07 | 157 km W | 2,327 | 68.8 | Served | Similar summers, milder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 97 % · winter 0 % · humidity 93 % |
| Remoulins | 30 | 185 km SW | 2,278 | 71.1 | Served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 0 % · winter 0 % · humidity 29 % |
| Craponne-sur-Arzon | 43 | 221 km W | 1,998 | 63.2 | Served | Cooler summers, similar winters.summer 64 % · winter 93 % |
| Saint-Jean-du-Gard | 30 | 226 km W | 2,586 | 61.6 | Served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 15 % · winter 19 % · humidity 71 % |
| Bourganeuf | 23 | 397 km W | 2,364 | 64 | Served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 64 % · winter 11 % · humidity 93 % |
| Prayssac | 46 | 426 km W | 2,519 | 69.8 | Served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 51 % · winter 11 % · humidity 21 % |
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 L'Argentière-la-Bessée'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boëge | 74 | 158 km N | 1,983 | 61.3 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 87 % · winter 93 % · humidity 100 % |
| Saint-Éloy-les-Mines | 63 | 328 km NW | 3,480 | 46 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 87 % · winter 88 % · humidity 93 % |
| Saint-Jeoire | 74 | 150 km N | 3,457 | 45.7 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 92 % · winter 92 % · humidity 100 % |
| Arbent | 01 | 181 km N | 3,555 | 41.6 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 91 % · humidity 100 % |
| Châteauroux-les-Alpes | 05 | 20 km S | 1,234 | 46.8 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 89 % · humidity 100 % |
| La Mure | 38 | 62 km W | 4,963 | 69.9 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 90 % · winter 93 % · humidity 100 % |
Elsewhere
Commune website · Wikipedia (en) ·Wikipedia (fr) · INSEE dossier complet · OpenStreetMap · Web search · Map
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/05006-l-argentiere-la-bessee