Istres
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Well served 80.6/100 · confidence: high· Better served than 70 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
Istres (INSEE 13047) is in Bouches-du-Rhône (13), part of Métropole d'Aix-Marseille-Provence. Population 44,292 (2023). [1]
INSEE density class: Centres urbains intermédiaires (level 2). [2]
Data vintages: INSEE BPE 2025 · INSEE SIRENE 2026-09 · INSEE census (RP) 2023 · INSEE COG 2026 · INSEE density grid 2026 · Commune website 2026-09-29 · DATAtourisme 2026-10-22.
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/13047-istres
Vitality score
Vitality score 80.6/100 — Well served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: high.
Better served than 70 % of the 512 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 | 0.73 | 25 | 18.27 |
| Social | 0.98 | 20 | 19.56 |
| Education | 0.83 | 10 | 8.26 |
| Health | 0.82 | 10 | 8.24 |
| Public & culture | 0.35 | 5 | 1.77 |
| Population trend | 0.76 | 10 | 7.6 |
| Housing mix | 0.96 | 5 | 4.81 |
Services
What is here, at a glance
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink. [3,4]
20 × Bakery (boulangerie) (BOULANGERIE MARIE BLACHERE · ANGE · LE MOULIN DU BERGER · ASTERIA). [3,4]
6 × Butcher (boucherie) (BOUCHERIE TAYEB · BOUCHERIE LA PREDINA · DUMAS LYSE · MK BOUCHERIE · BOUCHERIE DE L'OLIVIER). [3,4]
11 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette) (ALIMENTATION DU PREPAOU · CHOUPETO · LA FRENCH SHOP · SLOGA). [3,4]
6 × Supermarket (LIDL · SODISTRES · ALDI MARCHE · LGP DISTRIBUTION · U EXPRESS). [3,4]
1 × Cheese shop (fromagerie) (FROMAGERIE MANUE). [4]
2 × Fishmonger (NATURE MAREE). [3,4]
90 × Restaurant (BROCHE DE L'ESPILLIER · THELLIER MARGARET · PHAN THI PHUNG · LE SERAC · AROMATIK). [3,4]
25 × Café / bar (CHEZ ALDO · SPORT BAR · AUX DISQUES BLEUS · O'BOULEVARD DES BIERES · O'COURS). [4]
11 × Nursery school (maternelle) (ECOLE MATERNELLE PRIVEE HORS CONTRAT MONTESSORI GRANDIR · ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE · ECOLE MATERNELLE PIERRE ARMANET · ECOLE MATERNELLE CLOS DE LA ROCHE · EC MATERNELLE REINE MARIE CASIMIR GOUIN). [3]
14 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PRIVEE HORS CONTRAT MONTESSORI GRANDIR · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE JULES FERRY · ECOLE PRIMAIRE RENE CALAMAND · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE RAOUL ORTOLLAN · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE ELISE ET JEAN MILLE). [3]
4 × Collège (COLLEGE ALAIN SAVARY · COLLEGE ELIE COUTAREL · COLLEGE ALPHONSE DAUDET · COLLEGE LOUIS PASTEUR). [3]
29 × GP (médecin généraliste) (GHISLAINE GASC, MÉDECIN · JEAN-CLAUDE HAUWELLE, MÉDECIN · GIL DELHOUME, MÉDECIN · DOMINIQUE DENIS, MÉDECIN · MICHEL AIM, MÉDECIN). [3]
9 × Pharmacy (EURL PHARMACIE DES ALLEES · PHARMACIE DES BAUMES · SELARL PHARMACIE MISTRAL · PHARMACIE DU GEANT · SELARL PHARMACIE DU LAVANDIN). [3,4]
4 × Post office / agence postale (ISTRES COGNETS SUD RP · ISTRES ENTRESSEN AP · LA POSTE). [3]
3 × Library (MÉDIATHÈQUE INTERCOMMUNALE ENTRESSEN · MÉDIATHÈQUE INTERCOMMUNALE D'ISTRES · MEDIATHEQUE INTERCOMMUNALE AIX MARSEILLE PROVENCE METROPOLE AIX MARSEILLE PROVENCE). [3]
1 × Cinema (LE COLUCHE). [3]
8 × Gym / sports hall (COMPLEXE SPORTIF O ARCELLI · COMPLEXE SPORTIF DU CEC LES HEURES CLAIRES · GYMNASE PAUL CAVALONI · COMPLEXE SPORTIF DONADIEU). [3]
9 × Bank (BANQUE POPULAIRE MEDITERRANEE · CAISSE DE CREDIT MUTUEL ISTRES · CL CREDIT AGRICOLE ISTRES · INITIATIVE OUEST PROVENCE · SOCIETE GENERALE). [3]
60 × Hairdresser (SARL LES COIFFEURS STUDIO · GIL CREA O SALON · MEELTING CUT). [3,4]
5 × Fuel station (STATION SERVICE). [3,4]
7 × Hotel (ARIANE HOTEL · HOTEL LE CASTELLAN · TOP MOTEL · HOTEL LE MIRAGE · IBIS - ISTRES TRIGANCE). [3,4]
1 × Campsite (CAMPING VALLON DES CIGALES). [3,4]
Not counted, because the business register records them as closed: 5 × Bakery (boulangerie), 2 × Butcher (boucherie), 4 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette), 1 × Supermarket, 32 × Restaurant, 1 × Nursery school (maternelle), 1 × Primary school (élémentaire), 4 × Pharmacy, 1 × Bank, 19 × Hairdresser.
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 20 | BOULANGERIE MARIE BLACHERE · ANGE · LE MOULIN DU BERGER · ASTERIA | INSEE BPE 20 / INSEE SIRENE 21 [3,4] |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 6 | BOUCHERIE TAYEB · BOUCHERIE LA PREDINA · DUMAS LYSE · MK BOUCHERIE · BOUCHERIE DE L'OLIVIER | INSEE BPE 6 / INSEE SIRENE 10 [3,4] |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 11 | ALIMENTATION DU PREPAOU · CHOUPETO · LA FRENCH SHOP · SLOGA | INSEE BPE 11 / INSEE SIRENE 20 [3,4] |
| Supermarket | 6 | LIDL · SODISTRES · ALDI MARCHE · LGP DISTRIBUTION · U EXPRESS | INSEE BPE 6 / INSEE SIRENE 8 [3,4] |
| Cheese shop (fromagerie) | 1 | FROMAGERIE MANUE | INSEE SIRENE 1 [4] |
| Fishmonger | 2 | NATURE MAREE | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Restaurant | 90 | BROCHE DE L'ESPILLIER · THELLIER MARGARET · PHAN THI PHUNG · LE SERAC · AROMATIK | INSEE BPE 90 / INSEE SIRENE 178 [3,4] |
| Café / bar | 25 | CHEZ ALDO · SPORT BAR · AUX DISQUES BLEUS · O'BOULEVARD DES BIERES · O'COURS | INSEE SIRENE 25 [4] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 11 | ECOLE MATERNELLE PRIVEE HORS CONTRAT MONTESSORI GRANDIR · ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE · ECOLE MATERNELLE PIERRE ARMANET · ECOLE MATERNELLE CLOS DE LA ROCHE · EC MATERNELLE REINE MARIE CASIMIR GOUIN | INSEE BPE 11 [3] |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 14 | ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PRIVEE HORS CONTRAT MONTESSORI GRANDIR · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE JULES FERRY · ECOLE PRIMAIRE RENE CALAMAND · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE RAOUL ORTOLLAN · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE ELISE ET JEAN MILLE | INSEE BPE 14 [3] |
| Collège | 4 | COLLEGE ALAIN SAVARY · COLLEGE ELIE COUTAREL · COLLEGE ALPHONSE DAUDET · COLLEGE LOUIS PASTEUR | INSEE BPE 4 [3] |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 29 | GHISLAINE GASC, MÉDECIN · JEAN-CLAUDE HAUWELLE, MÉDECIN · GIL DELHOUME, MÉDECIN · DOMINIQUE DENIS, MÉDECIN · MICHEL AIM, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 29 [3] |
| Pharmacy | 9 | EURL PHARMACIE DES ALLEES · PHARMACIE DES BAUMES · SELARL PHARMACIE MISTRAL · PHARMACIE DU GEANT · SELARL PHARMACIE DU LAVANDIN | INSEE BPE 9 / INSEE SIRENE 17 [3,4] |
| Nurse | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Dentist | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Post office / agence postale | 4 | ISTRES COGNETS SUD RP · ISTRES ENTRESSEN AP · LA POSTE | INSEE BPE 4 [3] |
| Library | 3 | MÉDIATHÈQUE INTERCOMMUNALE ENTRESSEN · MÉDIATHÈQUE INTERCOMMUNALE D'ISTRES · MEDIATHEQUE INTERCOMMUNALE AIX MARSEILLE PROVENCE METROPOLE AIX MARSEILLE PROVENCE | INSEE BPE 3 [3] |
| Cinema | 1 | LE COLUCHE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Gym / sports hall | 8 | COMPLEXE SPORTIF O ARCELLI · COMPLEXE SPORTIF DU CEC LES HEURES CLAIRES · GYMNASE PAUL CAVALONI · COMPLEXE SPORTIF DONADIEU | INSEE BPE 8 [3] |
| Swimming pool | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Bank | 9 | BANQUE POPULAIRE MEDITERRANEE · CAISSE DE CREDIT MUTUEL ISTRES · CL CREDIT AGRICOLE ISTRES · INITIATIVE OUEST PROVENCE · SOCIETE GENERALE | INSEE BPE 9 [3] |
| Hairdresser | 60 | SARL LES COIFFEURS STUDIO · GIL CREA O SALON · MEELTING CUT | INSEE BPE 60 / INSEE SIRENE 82 [3,4] |
| Fuel station | 5 | STATION SERVICE | INSEE BPE 5 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
| Hotel | 7 | ARIANE HOTEL · HOTEL LE CASTELLAN · TOP MOTEL · HOTEL LE MIRAGE · IBIS - ISTRES TRIGANCE | INSEE BPE 7 / INSEE SIRENE 11 [3,4] |
| Campsite | 1 | CAMPING VALLON DES CIGALES | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
Market and village life
Weekly market (reported, unverified): Tuesday. [5]
Trajectory
Population 42,944 (2012) → 44,292 (2023): 3.1 % over 10 years. [6,1]
Population 35,163 (1990) → 44,292 (2023): 26 % over 30 years. [7,1]
Dwellings (2023): 21,340, of which 1.9 % second homes and 3.8 % vacant. [8]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (Istres): 0.3 km to the south-west (straight line). [9]
Food shop (Istres): 0.3 km to the south-west (straight line). [9]
GP (Istres): 0.5 km to the south-west (straight line). [9]
Pharmacy (Istres): 0.3 km to the south (straight line). [9]
Primary school (Istres): 0.7 km to the west (straight line). [9]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 53 days a year at or above 30 °C and 15 days at or below 0 °C, over 30 complete years in 1995–2024. [10]
Measured at the ISTRES weather station, 5.1 km away at 23 m; the village itself is at 10 m. [10]
Muggy days — a dew point at or above 18 °C — average 9 days a summer. [10]
Humidity measured at ISTRES, 5.1 km away at 23 m, over 30 summers. [10]
An average of 549 mm of rain a year, spread over 54 days — about 10.2 mm on a day it rains. [10]
Rainfall measured at ISTRES, 5.1 km away at 23 m. Rainfall is not adjusted for altitude: unlike temperature it has no simple gradient to correct by. [10]
Uncertainties
The market day comes from DATAtourisme and has not been confirmed by a second source. [5]
References
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 13047/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- DATAtourisme 2026-01— https://data.datatourisme.fr/58/a4a775ce-6ebe-35b5-90b9-0df80b1c97b9— “Ville et Terre de Provence, Istres offre l'un des plus grands marchés du département le mardi matin dans son centre-ville.”(unverified)
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 13047/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 13047/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 13047/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 13047
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salon-de-Provence | 13 | 16 km NE | 44,194 | 85.2 | Well served | Similar summers, colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 100 % · winter 69 % · humidity 57 % |
| Charleville-Mézières | 08 | 695 km N | 45,560 | 83.9 | Well served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 5 % · winter 41 % · humidity 36 % |
| Thionville | 57 | 656 km N | 42,658 | 82.8 | Well served | Cooler summers and colder winters.summer 0 % · winter 32 % |
| Châlons-en-Champagne | 51 | 607 km N | 42,971 | 81 | Well served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 3 % · winter 50 % · humidity 50 % |
| Châteauroux | 36 | 448 km NW | 42,963 | 78.6 | Served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 21 % · winter 53 % · humidity 43 % |
| Alès | 30 | 100 km NW | 46,125 | 84.1 | Well served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 49 % · winter 62 % · humidity 71 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salon-de-Provence | 13 | 16 km NE | 44,194 | 85.2 | Well served | Similar summers, colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 100 % · winter 69 % · humidity 57 % |
| Alès | 30 | 100 km NW | 46,125 | 84.1 | Well served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 49 % · winter 62 % · humidity 71 % |
| Châteauroux | 36 | 448 km NW | 42,963 | 78.6 | Served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 21 % · winter 53 % · humidity 43 % |
| Châlons-en-Champagne | 51 | 607 km N | 42,971 | 81 | Well served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 3 % · winter 50 % · humidity 50 % |
| Thionville | 57 | 656 km N | 42,658 | 82.8 | Well served | Cooler summers and colder winters.summer 0 % · winter 32 % |
| Charleville-Mézières | 08 | 695 km N | 45,560 | 83.9 | Well served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 5 % · winter 41 % · humidity 36 % |
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 Istres'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marignane | 13 | 21 km SE | 33,692 | 74.2 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 97 % · winter 93 % · humidity 93 % |
| Miramas | 13 | 7.1 km N | 26,203 | 75.4 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 100 % · humidity 100 % |
| Châteauneuf-les-Martigues | 13 | 21 km SE | 18,455 | 63.8 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 97 % · winter 93 % · humidity 93 % |
Elsewhere
Commune website · Wikipedia (en) ·Wikipedia (fr) · INSEE dossier complet · OpenStreetMap · Web search · Map
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/13047-istres