Vals-les-Bains
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Partly served 53.1/100 · confidence: high· Better served than 64 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
Vals-les-Bains (INSEE 07331) is in Ardèche (07), part of CC du Bassin d'Aubenas. Population 3,474 (2023). [1]
INSEE density class: Ceintures urbaines (level 4). [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.
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/07331-vals-les-bains
Vitality score
Vitality score 53.1/100 — Partly served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: high.
Better served than 64 % of the 6,311 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 | 0.46 | 25 | 11.51 |
| Social | 0.8 | 20 | 16.02 |
| Education | 0.39 | 10 | 3.93 |
| Health | 0.55 | 10 | 5.53 |
| Public & culture | 0.22 | 5 | 1.11 |
| Population trend | 0.45 | 10 | 4.49 |
| Housing mix | 0.51 | 5 | 2.56 |
Services
What is here, at a glance
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink. [3,4]
4 × Bakery (boulangerie) (PATISSERIE LAURENT DIDIER · MON BOULANGER · BOULANGERIE PATISSERIE ISSARTEL · BOULANGERIE CHAZOT). [3,4]
1 × Butcher (boucherie) (BOUCHERIE BORRELY VALS). [3,4]
3 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette) (LE CARRE DES MAITRES · PROXI SUPER · LA VALSOISE). [3,4]
14 × Restaurant (SARL M.I.G · LA CAPUCHE · CLM). [3,4]
4 × Café / bar (BAR GLACIER LA BODEGA · LA CLEF D'OR · L'ESCALE). [4]
1 × Nursery school (maternelle) (ECOLE MATERNELLE). [3]
2 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE · ECOLE PRIMAIRE PRIVEE SAINT MARTIN). [3]
1 × Collège (COLLEGE GEORGES GOUY). [3]
5 × GP (médecin généraliste) (ERIC DELCOUR, MÉDECIN · ISABELLE FAY, MÉDECIN · PATRICK DARQUIN, MÉDECIN · ERIC JOURET, MÉDECIN · CATALINA-DANIELA GHETU-PLACSIM, MÉDECIN). [3]
2 × Pharmacy (GRANDE PHARMACIE DE VALS · PHARMACIE FEIT). [3,4]
1 × Post office / agence postale (LA POSTE). [3]
1 × Library (BIBLIOTHÈQUE LA VALSE DES LIVRES). [3]
1 × Cinema (CINEMA LES QUINCONCES). [3]
1 × Gym / sports hall (GYMNASE). [3]
3 × Bank (CAISSE EPARGNE PREVO LOIRE DROME ARDECHE · CAISSE REGIONALE DE CREDIT AGRICOLE MUTUEL SUD RHONE ALPES · BANQUE MARZE PAR BANQUE POPULAIRE DU SUD). [3]
6 × Hairdresser (TEOULLE RAPHAELE · DUMAS CORINE · CHROMATIQUE · LE SALON DE LAURE). [3,4]
4 × Hotel (HÔTEL SAINT JACQUES · CIRCUS CASINO DE VALS-LES-BAINS - HOTEL HELVIE - · GRAND HOTEL DES BAINS · GRAND HOTEL DE LYON). [3,4]
1 × Campsite (CAMPING AU FIL DE LA VOLANE). [3,4]
Not counted, because the business register records them as closed: 1 × Bakery (boulangerie), 2 × Butcher (boucherie), 2 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette), 7 × Restaurant, 2 × Hairdresser, 4 × Hotel.
Not found in the commune: Supermarket. [3,4]
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 4 | PATISSERIE LAURENT DIDIER · MON BOULANGER · BOULANGERIE PATISSERIE ISSARTEL · BOULANGERIE CHAZOT | INSEE BPE 4 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 1 | BOUCHERIE BORRELY VALS | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 3 | LE CARRE DES MAITRES · PROXI SUPER · LA VALSOISE | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 4 [3,4] |
| Supermarket | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] | |
| Cheese shop (fromagerie) | 0 | INSEE SIRENE 0 [4] | |
| Fishmonger | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] | |
| Restaurant | 14 | SARL M.I.G · LA CAPUCHE · CLM | INSEE BPE 14 / INSEE SIRENE 23 [3,4] |
| Café / bar | 4 | BAR GLACIER LA BODEGA · LA CLEF D'OR · L'ESCALE | INSEE SIRENE 4 [4] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 1 | ECOLE MATERNELLE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 2 | ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE · ECOLE PRIMAIRE PRIVEE SAINT MARTIN | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| Collège | 1 | COLLEGE GEORGES GOUY | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 5 | ERIC DELCOUR, MÉDECIN · ISABELLE FAY, MÉDECIN · PATRICK DARQUIN, MÉDECIN · ERIC JOURET, MÉDECIN · CATALINA-DANIELA GHETU-PLACSIM, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 5 [3] |
| Pharmacy | 2 | GRANDE PHARMACIE DE VALS · PHARMACIE FEIT | 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 | 1 | BIBLIOTHÈQUE LA VALSE DES LIVRES | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Cinema | 1 | CINEMA LES QUINCONCES | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Gym / sports hall | 1 | GYMNASE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Swimming pool | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Bank | 3 | CAISSE EPARGNE PREVO LOIRE DROME ARDECHE · CAISSE REGIONALE DE CREDIT AGRICOLE MUTUEL SUD RHONE ALPES · BANQUE MARZE PAR BANQUE POPULAIRE DU SUD | INSEE BPE 3 [3] |
| Hairdresser | 6 | TEOULLE RAPHAELE · DUMAS CORINE · CHROMATIQUE · LE SALON DE LAURE | INSEE BPE 6 / INSEE SIRENE 7 [3,4] |
| Fuel station | 0 | INSEE SIRENE 1 / INSEE BPE 0 [4] | |
| Hotel | 4 | HÔTEL SAINT JACQUES · CIRCUS CASINO DE VALS-LES-BAINS - HOTEL HELVIE - · GRAND HOTEL DES BAINS · GRAND HOTEL DE LYON | INSEE BPE 4 / INSEE SIRENE 7 [3,4] |
| Campsite | 1 | CAMPING AU FIL DE LA VOLANE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
Market and village life
Weekly market (reported, unverified): Thursday matin place du Foiral (seasonal). [5]
Trajectory
Population 3,412 (2012) → 3,474 (2023): 1.8 % over 10 years. [6,1]
Population 3,661 (1990) → 3,474 (2023): -5.1 % over 30 years. [7,1]
Dwellings (2023): 2,878, of which 24.4 % second homes and 10.1 % vacant. [8]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (Vals-les-Bains): 0.1 km to the north-east (straight line). [9]
Food shop (Vals-les-Bains): 0.1 km to the north-east (straight line). [9]
GP (Vals-les-Bains): 0.2 km to the south-east (straight line). [9]
Pharmacy (Vals-les-Bains): 0.2 km to the north-east (straight line). [9]
Primary school (Vals-les-Bains): 0.1 km to the north-east (straight line). [9]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 41 days a year at or above 30 °C and 33 days at or below 0 °C, over 30 complete years in 1995–2024. [10]
Measured at the VALS-LES-BAINS weather station, 0.6 km away at 283 m; the village itself is at 255 m. [10]
Muggy days — a dew point at or above 18 °C — average 3 days a summer. [10]
Humidity measured at ANTRAIGUES SA, 5.3 km away at 600 m, over 27 summers. [10]
That station sits 345 m above the village, so each day's humidity was shifted by 3.69 °C per km before the muggy days were counted. [10]
An average of 1,245 mm of rain a year, spread over 87 days — about 14.3 mm on a day it rains. [10]
Rainfall measured at VALS-LES-BAINS, 0.6 km away at 283 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 — 07331/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- Commune website 2026-10— https://www.vals-les-bains.fr/le-traditionnel-marche-aux-chataignes-a-debute/— “Chaque jeudi matin et durant toute la période de production, se tient sur la place du Foiral le traditionnel Marché aux Châtaignes”(unverified)
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 07331/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 07331/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 07331/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 07331
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Châteauneuf-Grasse | 06 | 236 km SE | 3,815 | 51.2 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 54 % · winter 57 % · humidity 36 % |
| Tourrettes-sur-Loup | 06 | 239 km SE | 4,165 | 47.2 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 26 % · winter 62 % · humidity 50 % |
| Hermanville-sur-Mer | 14 | 624 km NW | 3,323 | 37 | Few services | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 3 % · winter 92 % · humidity 86 % |
| Bischoffsheim | 67 | 487 km NE | 3,342 | 44.7 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 18 % · winter 85 % · humidity 93 % |
| La Turbie | 06 | 263 km E | 3,045 | 50.4 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 13 % · winter 61 % · humidity 64 % |
| Saint-Cergues | 74 | 232 km NE | 3,869 | 44.7 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 36 % · winter 81 % · humidity 86 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Cergues | 74 | 232 km NE | 3,869 | 44.7 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 36 % · winter 81 % · humidity 86 % |
| Châteauneuf-Grasse | 06 | 236 km SE | 3,815 | 51.2 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 54 % · winter 57 % · humidity 36 % |
| Tourrettes-sur-Loup | 06 | 239 km SE | 4,165 | 47.2 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 26 % · winter 62 % · humidity 50 % |
| La Turbie | 06 | 263 km E | 3,045 | 50.4 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 13 % · winter 61 % · humidity 64 % |
| Bischoffsheim | 67 | 487 km NE | 3,342 | 44.7 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 18 % · winter 85 % · humidity 93 % |
| Hermanville-sur-Mer | 14 | 624 km NW | 3,323 | 37 | Few services | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 3 % · winter 92 % · humidity 86 % |
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 Vals-les-Bains'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renage | 38 | 115 km NE | 3,348 | 45.4 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 91 % · humidity 100 % |
| La Buisse | 38 | 124 km NE | 3,500 | 40.1 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 92 % · winter 99 % · humidity 93 % |
| Malissard | 26 | 54 km NE | 3,294 | 43.1 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 85 % · humidity 100 % |
| Simiane-Collongue | 13 | 162 km SE | 5,780 | 53 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 92 % · humidity 100 % |
| Gréasque | 13 | 166 km SE | 4,554 | 52.9 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 99 % · humidity 93 % |
| Bédoin | 84 | 88 km SE | 3,106 | 53.1 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 90 % · winter 88 % · humidity 86 % |
Elsewhere
Commune website · Wikipedia (en) ·Wikipedia (fr) · INSEE dossier complet · OpenStreetMap · Web search · Map
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/07331-vals-les-bains