La Couarde-sur-Mer
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Partly served 53.5/100 · confidence: high· Better served than 87 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
La Couarde-sur-Mer (INSEE 17121) is in Charente-Maritime (17), part of CC de l'Ile de Ré. Population 1,112 (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.
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/17121-la-couarde-sur-mer
Vitality score
Vitality score 53.5/100 — Partly served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: high.
Better served than 87 % of the 13,702 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 | 0.34 | 25 | 8.55 |
| Social | 0.93 | 20 | 18.65 |
| Education | 0.39 | 10 | 3.93 |
| Health | 0.66 | 10 | 6.56 |
| Public & culture | 0.39 | 5 | 1.97 |
| Population trend | 0.58 | 10 | 5.81 |
| Housing mix | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Services
What is here, at a glance
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink. [3,4]
2 × Bakery (boulangerie) (AU PAIN MARIN · SEDOU). [3,4]
1 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette) (ANVIPONT). [3,4]
1 × Supermarket (DISTRIPROX). [3,4]
1 × Fishmonger (POISSONNERIE VERNET). [3,4]
28 × Restaurant (LA PERGOLA · CAT'DAM · NOTBAS · Z'ADORE !... · LA CABANE DU FENEAU). [3,4]
4 × Café / bar (L'ILOT · LES MOUETTES · LE PEU DES HOMMES). [4]
1 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE PRIMAIRE DE LA COUARDE). [3]
5 × GP (médecin généraliste) (GERALDINE GARCIA, MÉDECIN · ALEXANDRA BENAITEAU, MÉDECIN · VALERIE GOMEZ, MÉDECIN · LOUIS DEMONDION, MÉDECIN · ALESSANDRA ANTONINI-DEMONDION, MÉDECIN). [3]
1 × Pharmacy (PHARMACIE D ANTIOCHE). [3,4]
1 × Post office / agence postale (LA POSTE). [3]
1 × Library (BIBLIOTHÈQUE MUNICIPALE). [3]
1 × Cinema (LA MALINE). [3]
1 × Gym / sports hall (SALLE DES ASSOCIATIONS). [3]
1 × Swimming pool (PLAGE DU PEU RAGOT). [3]
4 × Bank (CAISSE FEDERALE DU CREDIT MUTUEL OCEAN · CAISSE LOCALE DE CREDIT AGRICOLE · CAISSE REG CREDIT AGRICOLE MUTUEL 17-79 · CAISSE DE CREDIT MUTUEL DE COUARDE-MER). [3]
1 × Hairdresser (AMALORIA COIFFURE). [3,4]
2 × Hotel (PERLE DE RE · LE VIEUX GREEMENT). [3,4]
4 × Campsite (CAMPING MUNICIPAL LE REMONDEAU · CAMPING LA TOUR DES PRISES · CAMPING LE PUMA · CAMPING DE L'OCEAN (EDEN VILLAGES)). [3,4]
Not counted, because the business register records them as closed: 2 × Restaurant, 1 × Campsite.
Not found in the commune: Butcher (boucherie), Nursery school (maternelle). [3,4]
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 2 | AU PAIN MARIN · SEDOU | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] | |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 1 | ANVIPONT | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Supermarket | 1 | DISTRIPROX | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Cheese shop (fromagerie) | 0 | INSEE SIRENE 0 [4] | |
| Fishmonger | 1 | POISSONNERIE VERNET | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
| Restaurant | 28 | LA PERGOLA · CAT'DAM · NOTBAS · Z'ADORE !... · LA CABANE DU FENEAU | INSEE BPE 28 / INSEE SIRENE 42 [3,4] |
| Café / bar | 4 | L'ILOT · LES MOUETTES · LE PEU DES HOMMES | INSEE SIRENE 4 [4] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 1 | ECOLE PRIMAIRE DE LA COUARDE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Collège | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 5 | GERALDINE GARCIA, MÉDECIN · ALEXANDRA BENAITEAU, MÉDECIN · VALERIE GOMEZ, MÉDECIN · LOUIS DEMONDION, MÉDECIN · ALESSANDRA ANTONINI-DEMONDION, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 5 [3] |
| Pharmacy | 1 | PHARMACIE D ANTIOCHE | 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 | BIBLIOTHÈQUE MUNICIPALE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Cinema | 1 | LA MALINE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Gym / sports hall | 1 | SALLE DES ASSOCIATIONS | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Swimming pool | 1 | PLAGE DU PEU RAGOT | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Bank | 4 | CAISSE FEDERALE DU CREDIT MUTUEL OCEAN · CAISSE LOCALE DE CREDIT AGRICOLE · CAISSE REG CREDIT AGRICOLE MUTUEL 17-79 · CAISSE DE CREDIT MUTUEL DE COUARDE-MER | INSEE BPE 4 [3] |
| Hairdresser | 1 | AMALORIA COIFFURE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Fuel station | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] | |
| Hotel | 2 | PERLE DE RE · LE VIEUX GREEMENT | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
| Campsite | 4 | CAMPING MUNICIPAL LE REMONDEAU · CAMPING LA TOUR DES PRISES · CAMPING LE PUMA · CAMPING DE L'OCEAN (EDEN VILLAGES) | INSEE BPE 4 / INSEE SIRENE 4 [3,4] |
Market and village life
Market day: unknown — nothing found in the datasets or on the commune website.
Trajectory
Population 1,242 (2012) → 1,112 (2023): -10.5 % over 10 years. [5,1]
Population 1,029 (1990) → 1,112 (2023): 8.1 % over 30 years. [6,1]
Dwellings (2023): 2,500, of which 76.1 % second homes and 1.5 % vacant. [7]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (La Couarde-sur-Mer): 0.2 km to the west (straight line). [8]
Food shop (La Couarde-sur-Mer): 0.5 km to the south-west (straight line). [8]
GP (La Couarde-sur-Mer): 0.5 km to the south-west (straight line). [8]
Pharmacy (La Couarde-sur-Mer): 0.5 km to the south-west (straight line). [8]
Primary school (La Couarde-sur-Mer): 0.2 km to the north-west (straight line). [8]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 9 days a year at or above 30 °C and 17 days at or below 0 °C, over 23 complete years in 1995–2024. [9]
Measured at the COUARDE SUR MER weather station, 0.4 km away at 3 m; the village itself is at 3 m. [9]
Muggy days — a dew point at or above 18 °C — average 11 days a summer. [9]
Humidity measured at CHASSIRON, 16.4 km away at 11 m, over 29 summers. [9]
An average of 698 mm of rain a year, spread over 113 days — about 6.2 mm on a day it rains. [9]
Rainfall measured at COUARDE SUR MER, 0.4 km away at 3 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 — 17121/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 17121/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 17121/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 17121/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 17121
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Les Contamines-Montjoie | 74 | 631 km E | 1,109 | 59.4 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 85 % · winter 0 % · humidity 21 % |
| Fort-Mahon-Plage | 80 | 511 km NE | 1,363 | 60.5 | Served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel drier.summer 85 % · winter 88 % · humidity 43 % |
| Cargèse | 2A | 917 km SE | 1,150 | 64.2 | Served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 0 % · winter 77 % · humidity 0 % |
| Praz-sur-Arly | 74 | 618 km E | 1,311 | 63.1 | Served | Similar summers, colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 90 % · winter 0 % · humidity 21 % |
| Huez | 38 | 594 km E | 1,244 | 67.8 | Served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 77 % · winter 0 % · humidity 21 % |
| Les Mathes | 17 | 57 km S | 2,180 | 65.2 | Served | Warmer summers, similar winters.Summers feel drier.summer 85 % · winter 92 % · humidity 64 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Les Mathes | 17 | 57 km S | 2,180 | 65.2 | Served | Warmer summers, similar winters.Summers feel drier.summer 85 % · winter 92 % · humidity 64 % |
| Fort-Mahon-Plage | 80 | 511 km NE | 1,363 | 60.5 | Served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel drier.summer 85 % · winter 88 % · humidity 43 % |
| Huez | 38 | 594 km E | 1,244 | 67.8 | Served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 77 % · winter 0 % · humidity 21 % |
| Praz-sur-Arly | 74 | 618 km E | 1,311 | 63.1 | Served | Similar summers, colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 90 % · winter 0 % · humidity 21 % |
| Les Contamines-Montjoie | 74 | 631 km E | 1,109 | 59.4 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 85 % · winter 0 % · humidity 21 % |
| Cargèse | 2A | 917 km SE | 1,150 | 64.2 | Served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 0 % · winter 77 % · 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 La Couarde-sur-Mer'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ars-en-Ré | 17 | 7.3 km W | 1,314 | 50.9 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 100 % · humidity 100 % |
| Le Grand-Village-Plage | 17 | 40 km S | 1,108 | 51.3 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 97 % · winter 92 % · humidity 93 % |
| Saint-Trojan-les-Bains | 17 | 43 km SE | 1,121 | 49.1 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 97 % · winter 92 % · humidity 93 % |
| Sainte-Eulalie-en-Born | 40 | 215 km S | 1,443 | 46.7 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 90 % · winter 93 % · humidity 93 % |
| Gastes | 40 | 209 km S | 925 | 44.6 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 90 % · 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/17121-la-couarde-sur-mer