Espalion
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Served 65.4/100 · confidence: high· Better served than 92 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
Espalion (INSEE 12096) is in Aveyron (12), part of CC Comtal Lot et Truyère. Population 4,605 (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.
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/12096-espalion
Vitality score
Vitality score 65.4/100 — Served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: high.
Better served than 92 % of the 5,009 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 | 0.66 | 25 | 16.48 |
| Social | 0.98 | 20 | 19.53 |
| Education | 0.39 | 10 | 3.93 |
| Health | 0.61 | 10 | 6.1 |
| Public & culture | 0.31 | 5 | 1.54 |
| Population trend | 0.5 | 10 | 4.98 |
| Housing mix | 0.6 | 5 | 3.01 |
Services
What is here, at a glance
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink. [3,4]
4 × Bakery (boulangerie) (LES DELICES DU PALAIS · LA MIE DU GRIFOUL · BATTUT KLIMAS). [3,4]
5 × Butcher (boucherie) (CHARCUTERIE COMBACAU · CADVAC · LES DRAILLES DE L'AUBRAC · BOUCHERIE ROZIERES). [3,4]
4 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette) (ECOFRAIS · CAVALLARO). [3,4]
2 × Supermarket (SUPER U · HUIT A HUIT). [3,4]
15 × Restaurant (FAIM DE LOUP · EURL L'HOTEL DE VILLE · MARCOU TRAITEUR · LE SOLEIL D'OR · LE FLORE). [3,4]
15 × Café / bar (BISTROT DU MARCHE · CAFE DE L' HAGARD · L'EXCALIBUR · CAFE DES SPORTS · BAR TABAC MARCILLAC). [4]
2 × Nursery school (maternelle) (ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE · ECOLE MATERNELLE ST MICHEL). [3]
2 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE JEAN MONNET · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PRIVEE SAINT-HILARIAN). [3]
2 × Collège (COLLEGE LOUIS DENAYROUZE · COLLEGE PRIVE IMMACULEE CONCEPTION). [3]
7 × GP (médecin généraliste) (MIHAI IOAN, MÉDECIN · MADELEINE MIROUZE, MÉDECIN · MARIE-CHARLOTTE LEMOUZY, MÉDECIN · MAUD FALINE, MÉDECIN · CAROLE SCHMITT, MÉDECIN). [3]
2 × Pharmacy (PHARMACIE MARTY · PHARMACIE DE L'EUROPE). [3,4]
1 × Post office / agence postale (LA POSTE). [3]
2 × Library (BIBLIOTHÈQUE MUNICIPALE D'ESPALION · COMMUNAUTÉ DE COMMUNES COMTAL LOT ET TRUYÈRE). [3]
1 × Cinema (REX). [3]
2 × Gym / sports hall (CENTRE FRANCIS POULENC · LYCEE IMMACULEE CONCEPTION GYMNASE). [3]
7 × Bank (CAISSE D'EPARGNE ET DE PREVOYANCE DE MIDI PYRENEES · CAISSE LOCALE CREDIT AGRICOLE MUTUEL · AGENCE ESPALION · BANQUE CIC SUD OUEST · BANQUE POPULAIRE OCCITANE). [3]
9 × Hairdresser (SALON DU QUAI · VISAGIS). [3,4]
3 × Fuel station (STATION SERVICE). [3,4]
1 × Hotel (LE FRANCE). [3,4]
1 × Campsite (CAMPING MUNICIPAL). [3,4]
Not counted, because the business register records them as closed: 1 × Bakery (boulangerie), 1 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette), 4 × Restaurant, 1 × Hairdresser, 1 × Hotel, 1 × Campsite.
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 4 | LES DELICES DU PALAIS · LA MIE DU GRIFOUL · BATTUT KLIMAS | INSEE BPE 4 / INSEE SIRENE 4 [3,4] |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 5 | CHARCUTERIE COMBACAU · CADVAC · LES DRAILLES DE L'AUBRAC · BOUCHERIE ROZIERES | INSEE BPE 5 / INSEE SIRENE 5 [3,4] |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 4 | ECOFRAIS · CAVALLARO | INSEE BPE 4 / INSEE SIRENE 6 [3,4] |
| Supermarket | 2 | SUPER U · HUIT A HUIT | 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 | 15 | FAIM DE LOUP · EURL L'HOTEL DE VILLE · MARCOU TRAITEUR · LE SOLEIL D'OR · LE FLORE | INSEE BPE 15 / INSEE SIRENE 22 [3,4] |
| Café / bar | 15 | BISTROT DU MARCHE · CAFE DE L' HAGARD · L'EXCALIBUR · CAFE DES SPORTS · BAR TABAC MARCILLAC | INSEE SIRENE 15 [4] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 2 | ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE · ECOLE MATERNELLE ST MICHEL | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 2 | ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE JEAN MONNET · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PRIVEE SAINT-HILARIAN | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| Collège | 2 | COLLEGE LOUIS DENAYROUZE · COLLEGE PRIVE IMMACULEE CONCEPTION | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 7 | MIHAI IOAN, MÉDECIN · MADELEINE MIROUZE, MÉDECIN · MARIE-CHARLOTTE LEMOUZY, MÉDECIN · MAUD FALINE, MÉDECIN · CAROLE SCHMITT, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 7 [3] |
| Pharmacy | 2 | PHARMACIE MARTY · PHARMACIE DE L'EUROPE | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [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 | 2 | BIBLIOTHÈQUE MUNICIPALE D'ESPALION · COMMUNAUTÉ DE COMMUNES COMTAL LOT ET TRUYÈRE | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| Cinema | 1 | REX | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Gym / sports hall | 2 | CENTRE FRANCIS POULENC · LYCEE IMMACULEE CONCEPTION GYMNASE | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| Swimming pool | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Bank | 7 | CAISSE D'EPARGNE ET DE PREVOYANCE DE MIDI PYRENEES · CAISSE LOCALE CREDIT AGRICOLE MUTUEL · AGENCE ESPALION · BANQUE CIC SUD OUEST · BANQUE POPULAIRE OCCITANE | INSEE BPE 7 [3] |
| Hairdresser | 9 | SALON DU QUAI · VISAGIS | INSEE BPE 9 / INSEE SIRENE 9 [3,4] |
| Fuel station | 3 | STATION SERVICE | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Hotel | 1 | LE FRANCE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
| Campsite | 1 | CAMPING MUNICIPAL | INSEE SIRENE 1 / INSEE BPE 0 [3,4] |
Market and village life
Market day: unknown — nothing found in the datasets or on the commune website.
Trajectory
Population 4,291 (2012) → 4,605 (2023): 7.3 % over 10 years. [5,1]
Population 4,614 (1990) → 4,605 (2023): -0.2 % over 30 years. [6,1]
Dwellings (2023): 3,276, of which 19.9 % second homes and 9.6 % vacant. [7]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (Espalion): 0.2 km to the north-east (straight line). [8]
Food shop (Espalion): 0 km to the south (straight line). [8]
GP (Espalion): 0.4 km to the north-east (straight line). [8]
Pharmacy (Espalion): 0.1 km to the south-east (straight line). [8]
Primary school (Espalion): 0.3 km to the north (straight line). [8]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 46 days a year at or above 30 °C and 65 days at or below 0 °C, over 22 complete years in 1995–2024. [9]
Measured at the ST-COME-D'OLT weather station, 5.3 km away at 380 m; the village itself is at 347 m. [9]
Muggy days — a dew point at or above 18 °C — average 2 days a summer. [9]
Humidity measured at ST-COME-D'OLT, 5.3 km away at 380 m, over 23 summers. [9]
An average of 1,014 mm of rain a year, spread over 123 days — about 8.2 mm on a day it rains. [9]
Rainfall measured at ESPALION, 0.9 km away at 360 m. Rainfall is not adjusted for altitude: unlike temperature it has no simple gradient to correct by. [9]
Uncertainties
No specific uncertainties flagged.
References
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 12096/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 12096/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 12096/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 12096/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 12096
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sévérac d'Aveyron | 12 | 32 km SE | 4,026 | 56.2 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.summer 31 % · winter 69 % |
| Vittel | 88 | 477 km NE | 4,780 | 58.4 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 15 % · winter 91 % · humidity 93 % |
| Grand-Bourg | 971 | 6,733 km W | 4,617 | 64.4 | Served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 0 % · winter 12 % · humidity 0 % |
| Sospel | 06 | 381 km E | 3,791 | 53 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 46 % · winter 16 % · humidity 7 % |
| Vinon-sur-Verdon | 83 | 259 km E | 4,464 | 55.6 | Partly served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 41 % · winter 80 % · humidity 86 % |
| Plateau d'Hauteville | 01 | 275 km NE | 4,857 | 49.9 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 10 % · winter 70 % · humidity 86 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sévérac d'Aveyron | 12 | 32 km SE | 4,026 | 56.2 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.summer 31 % · winter 69 % |
| Vinon-sur-Verdon | 83 | 259 km E | 4,464 | 55.6 | Partly served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 41 % · winter 80 % · humidity 86 % |
| Plateau d'Hauteville | 01 | 275 km NE | 4,857 | 49.9 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 10 % · winter 70 % · humidity 86 % |
| Sospel | 06 | 381 km E | 3,791 | 53 | Partly served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 46 % · winter 16 % · humidity 7 % |
| Vittel | 88 | 477 km NE | 4,780 | 58.4 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 15 % · winter 91 % · humidity 93 % |
| Grand-Bourg | 971 | 6,733 km W | 4,617 | 64.4 | Served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 0 % · winter 12 % · humidity 0 % |
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 Espalion'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentat-sur-Dordogne | 19 | 91 km NW | 2,881 | 71.9 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 87 % · winter 97 % · humidity 93 % |
| Sainte-Tulle | 04 | 253 km E | 3,558 | 46.4 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 90 % · winter 100 % · humidity 86 % |
| Béligneux | 01 | 237 km NE | 3,535 | 42.8 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 97 % · humidity 93 % |
| Saint-Uze | 26 | 181 km NE | 2,139 | 50.2 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 87 % · winter 85 % · humidity 100 % |
| Ventabren | 13 | 230 km SE | 5,839 | 56.6 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 87 % · winter 88 % · humidity 100 % |
| Saint-Maurice-de-Gourdans | 01 | 239 km NE | 2,903 | 57.6 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · 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/12096-espalion