Besançon
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Well served 91.7/100 · confidence: high· Better served than 84 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
Besançon (INSEE 25056) is in Doubs (25), part of CU Grand Besançon Métropole. Population 118,489 (2023). [1]
INSEE density class: Grands centres urbains (level 1). [2]
Data vintages: INSEE BPE 2025 · INSEE SIRENE 2026-09 · INSEE census (RP) 2023 · INSEE COG 2026 · INSEE density grid 2026 · DATAtourisme 2026-10-22.
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/25056-besancon
Vitality score
Vitality score 91.7/100 — Well served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: high.
Better served than 84 % of the 134 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 | 0.98 | 25 | 24.62 |
| Social | 1 | 20 | 20 |
| Education | 0.99 | 10 | 9.87 |
| Health | 0.99 | 10 | 9.9 |
| Public & culture | 0.67 | 5 | 3.36 |
| Population trend | 0.54 | 10 | 5.41 |
| Housing mix | 0.95 | 5 | 4.75 |
Services
What is here, at a glance
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink. [3,4]
74 × Bakery (boulangerie) (BOULANGERIE DES CARMES · SOCIETE BAUD · BAUD SARL · PAUL). [3,4]
25 × Butcher (boucherie) (SOCIETE A RESPONSABILITE LIMITEE PATRICE CARQUILLE PAR ABREVIATION SARL PATRICE CARQUILLE · LA BOUCHERIE DE RIVOTTE · LA PERLE DE L'ORIENT · BOUNAMA CHERIF). [3,4]
54 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette) (LIDL · CASINO SHOP · PETIT CASINO · DISTRIBUTION CASINO FRANCE). [3,4]
19 × Supermarket (SOBEDIS · LIDL · DENIJOS · INTERMARCHE · ALDI). [3,4]
2 × Cheese shop (fromagerie) (LE TROU DE SOURIS PAR FROMAGERIE BOUCHET · LA CAVE AUX FROMAGES). [4]
3 × Fishmonger (AUX POISSONS DE MER · MAISON GOBIN · FRANCK ET MARTINE). [3,4]
366 × Restaurant (BARTHOD · CAFE DES MONTARMOTS · BUFFALO GRILL · LE GALOP). [3,4]
89 × Café / bar (BUBBLES · CAFENOVA · LA CASITA · BARIKA · LE BRASS'ELIA DE CAFE). [4]
32 × Nursery school (maternelle) (ECOLE MATERNELLE FONTAINE ARGENT · ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE ARTOIS · ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE CHAPRAIS · ECOLE MATERNELLE EDOUARD HERRIOT · ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE BERSOT). [3]
35 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE CHAPRAIS · ECOLE PRIMAIRE LA BRUYERE · ECOLE PRIMAIRE PUBLIQUE JEAN ZAY · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE ARENES · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE FONTAINE ECU). [3]
12 × Collège (COLLEGE STENDHAL · COLLEGE LOUIS ET AUGUSTE LUMIERE · COLLEGE DIDEROT · COLLEGE CLAIRS SOLEILS · COLLEGE VOLTAIRE). [3]
154 × GP (médecin généraliste) (ANNE BRAUD, MÉDECIN · FREDERIQUE EYGONNET, MÉDECIN · AXEL PERRIN, MÉDECIN · ELODIE VUILLAUME, MÉDECIN · CAMILLE GUEGAN, MÉDECIN). [3]
31 × Pharmacy (PHARMACIE DE SAINT FERJEUX · PHARMACIE BREGAND · PHARMACIE DE CHATEAUFARINE · LHOSMOT · PHARMACIE MALOT PIPONIOT LAROCHE). [3,4]
10 × Post office / agence postale (BESANCON MONOPRIX RP · BESANCON JUSTICES RP · LA POSTE). [3]
8 × Library (25 - MEDIATHEQUE DEPARTEMENTALE DU DOUBS · MÉDIATHEQUE NELSON MANDELA · MÉDIATHEQUE PIERRE DE COUBERTIN · BIBLIOTHÈQUE D'ETUDE ET DE CONSERVATION · MÉDIATHÈQUE PIERRE BAYLE). [3]
3 × Cinema (ESPACE PLANOISE · PLAZZA VICTOR HUGO · MEGARAMA BEAUX ARTS). [3]
30 × Gym / sports hall (COLLEGE NOTRE DAME · PALAIS DES SPORTS · LYCEE SAINTE URSULE SAINTE FAMILLE · COLLEGE VICTOR HUGO · COMPLEXE SPORTIF DE SAINT CLAUDE). [3]
48 × Bank (CAISSE DE CREDIT MUTUEL DES PROFESSIONS DE SANTE DE FRANCHE COMTE · CREDIT COOPERATIF · CAISSE D'EPARGNE ET DE PREVOYANCE DE BOURGOGNE FRANCHE-COMTE · BANQUE EUROPEENNE DU CREDIT MUTUEL · CREDIT AGRICOLE MUTUEL DE FRANCHE COMTE). [3]
141 × Hairdresser (L'APPARTEMENT · LUCANDRE · DIOT DANIELE · SARL RIVE DROITE). [3,4]
10 × Fuel station (STATION SERVICE). [3,4]
25 × Hotel (ACCUEIL HÔTEL · HOTEL SIATEL CHATEAUFARINE · HOTEL ARCADE-HOTEL IBIS · KYRIAD · BEST WESTERN CITADELLE). [3,4]
Not counted, because the business register records them as closed: 12 × Bakery (boulangerie), 3 × Butcher (boucherie), 10 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette), 1 × Supermarket, 67 × Restaurant, 3 × Primary school (élémentaire), 1 × Collège, 1 × GP (médecin généraliste), 9 × Pharmacy, 1 × Gym / sports hall, 5 × Bank, 21 × Hairdresser.
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 74 | BOULANGERIE DES CARMES · SOCIETE BAUD · BAUD SARL · PAUL | INSEE BPE 74 / INSEE SIRENE 79 [3,4] |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 25 | SOCIETE A RESPONSABILITE LIMITEE PATRICE CARQUILLE PAR ABREVIATION SARL PATRICE CARQUILLE · LA BOUCHERIE DE RIVOTTE · LA PERLE DE L'ORIENT · BOUNAMA CHERIF | INSEE BPE 25 / INSEE SIRENE 34 [3,4] |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 54 | LIDL · CASINO SHOP · PETIT CASINO · DISTRIBUTION CASINO FRANCE | INSEE BPE 54 / INSEE SIRENE 91 [3,4] |
| Supermarket | 19 | SOBEDIS · LIDL · DENIJOS · INTERMARCHE · ALDI | INSEE BPE 19 / INSEE SIRENE 21 [3,4] |
| Cheese shop (fromagerie) | 2 | LE TROU DE SOURIS PAR FROMAGERIE BOUCHET · LA CAVE AUX FROMAGES | INSEE SIRENE 2 [4] |
| Fishmonger | 3 | AUX POISSONS DE MER · MAISON GOBIN · FRANCK ET MARTINE | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 4 [3,4] |
| Restaurant | 366 | BARTHOD · CAFE DES MONTARMOTS · BUFFALO GRILL · LE GALOP | INSEE BPE 366 / INSEE SIRENE 582 [3,4] |
| Café / bar | 89 | BUBBLES · CAFENOVA · LA CASITA · BARIKA · LE BRASS'ELIA DE CAFE | INSEE SIRENE 89 [4] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 32 | ECOLE MATERNELLE FONTAINE ARGENT · ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE ARTOIS · ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE CHAPRAIS · ECOLE MATERNELLE EDOUARD HERRIOT · ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE BERSOT | INSEE BPE 32 [3] |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 35 | ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE CHAPRAIS · ECOLE PRIMAIRE LA BRUYERE · ECOLE PRIMAIRE PUBLIQUE JEAN ZAY · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE ARENES · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE FONTAINE ECU | INSEE BPE 35 [3] |
| Collège | 12 | COLLEGE STENDHAL · COLLEGE LOUIS ET AUGUSTE LUMIERE · COLLEGE DIDEROT · COLLEGE CLAIRS SOLEILS · COLLEGE VOLTAIRE | INSEE BPE 12 [3] |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 154 | ANNE BRAUD, MÉDECIN · FREDERIQUE EYGONNET, MÉDECIN · AXEL PERRIN, MÉDECIN · ELODIE VUILLAUME, MÉDECIN · CAMILLE GUEGAN, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 154 [3] |
| Pharmacy | 31 | PHARMACIE DE SAINT FERJEUX · PHARMACIE BREGAND · PHARMACIE DE CHATEAUFARINE · LHOSMOT · PHARMACIE MALOT PIPONIOT LAROCHE | INSEE BPE 31 / INSEE SIRENE 45 [3,4] |
| Nurse | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Dentist | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Post office / agence postale | 10 | BESANCON MONOPRIX RP · BESANCON JUSTICES RP · LA POSTE | INSEE BPE 10 [3] |
| Library | 8 | 25 - MEDIATHEQUE DEPARTEMENTALE DU DOUBS · MÉDIATHEQUE NELSON MANDELA · MÉDIATHEQUE PIERRE DE COUBERTIN · BIBLIOTHÈQUE D'ETUDE ET DE CONSERVATION · MÉDIATHÈQUE PIERRE BAYLE | INSEE BPE 8 [3] |
| Cinema | 3 | ESPACE PLANOISE · PLAZZA VICTOR HUGO · MEGARAMA BEAUX ARTS | INSEE BPE 3 [3] |
| Gym / sports hall | 30 | COLLEGE NOTRE DAME · PALAIS DES SPORTS · LYCEE SAINTE URSULE SAINTE FAMILLE · COLLEGE VICTOR HUGO · COMPLEXE SPORTIF DE SAINT CLAUDE | INSEE BPE 30 [3] |
| Swimming pool | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Bank | 48 | CAISSE DE CREDIT MUTUEL DES PROFESSIONS DE SANTE DE FRANCHE COMTE · CREDIT COOPERATIF · CAISSE D'EPARGNE ET DE PREVOYANCE DE BOURGOGNE FRANCHE-COMTE · BANQUE EUROPEENNE DU CREDIT MUTUEL · CREDIT AGRICOLE MUTUEL DE FRANCHE COMTE | INSEE BPE 48 [3] |
| Hairdresser | 141 | L'APPARTEMENT · LUCANDRE · DIOT DANIELE · SARL RIVE DROITE | INSEE BPE 141 / INSEE SIRENE 201 [3,4] |
| Fuel station | 10 | STATION SERVICE | INSEE BPE 10 / INSEE SIRENE 14 [3,4] |
| Hotel | 25 | ACCUEIL HÔTEL · HOTEL SIATEL CHATEAUFARINE · HOTEL ARCADE-HOTEL IBIS · KYRIAD · BEST WESTERN CITADELLE | INSEE BPE 25 / INSEE SIRENE 47 [3,4] |
| Campsite | 0 | INSEE SIRENE 1 / INSEE BPE 0 [4] |
Market and village life
A market is recorded here, but no source gives the day. [5,6]
Trajectory
Population 116,353 (2012) → 118,489 (2023): 1.8 % over 10 years. [7,1]
Population 113,828 (1990) → 118,489 (2023): 4.1 % over 30 years. [8,1]
Dwellings (2023): 73,009, of which 2.5 % second homes and 9.5 % vacant. [9]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (Besançon): 0.1 km to the north (straight line). [10]
Food shop (Besançon): 0 km to the south-east (straight line). [10]
GP (Besançon): 0.1 km to the north-west (straight line). [10]
Pharmacy (Besançon): 0.1 km to the west (straight line). [10]
Primary school (Besançon): 0.1 km to the south-east (straight line). [10]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 18 days a year at or above 30 °C and 52 days at or below 0 °C, over 30 complete years in 1995–2024. [11]
Measured at the BESANCON weather station, 2.9 km away at 306 m; the village itself is at 246 m. [11]
The village sits 60 m below the station, so each day's reading was shifted by 5.55 °C per km of altitude before the days were counted. Expect the result to be within about 0.68 °C. [11]
Muggy days — a dew point at or above 18 °C — average 2 days a summer. [11]
Humidity measured at BESANCON, 2.9 km away at 306 m, over 30 summers. [11]
That station sits 60 m above the village, so each day's humidity was shifted by 3.06 °C per km before the muggy days were counted. [11]
An average of 1,166 mm of rain a year, spread over 136 days — about 8.6 mm on a day it rains. [11]
Rainfall measured at BESANCON, 2.9 km away at 306 m. Rainfall is not adjusted for altitude: unlike temperature it has no simple gradient to correct by. [11]
What property sold for
1,061 houses sold between 2021 and 2025, at a median of 275,500 € — 2,522 € per m² of built surface. [12]
9,170 flats sold over the same window, at a median of 118,750 € — 2,110 € per m². [12]
The median across Doubs is 1,815 € per m², so this commune sits above it. [12]
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
No specific uncertainties flagged.
References
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 25056/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- DATAtourisme 2025-12— https://data.datatourisme.fr/6/aa2feee6-b4ae-372d-84be-4d39111a73cb— “Foire mensuelle de Battant”(unverified)
- DATAtourisme 2026-10— https://data.datatourisme.fr/6/0655d62a-faa9-384a-9298-85f22c5ffcdf— “Halles Beaux-Arts”(unverified)
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 25056/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 25056/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 25056/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 25056
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rouen | 76 | 439 km NW | 117,662 | 93 | Well served | Similar summers, milder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 97 % · winter 73 % · humidity 100 % |
| Metz | 57 | 210 km N | 122,572 | 90.9 | Well served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 91 % · humidity 93 % |
| Orléans | 45 | 317 km W | 116,357 | 91.3 | Well served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 97 % · winter 96 % · humidity 93 % |
| Perpignan | 66 | 561 km SW | 121,616 | 92.6 | Well served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 46 % · winter 41 % · humidity 7 % |
| Montreuil | 93 | 322 km NW | 111,934 | 91.6 | Well served | Similar summers, milder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 72 % · humidity 100 % |
| Boulogne-Billancourt | 92 | 333 km NW | 119,019 | 91 | Well served | Similar summers, milder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 65 % · humidity 100 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metz | 57 | 210 km N | 122,572 | 90.9 | Well served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 91 % · humidity 93 % |
| Orléans | 45 | 317 km W | 116,357 | 91.3 | Well served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 97 % · winter 96 % · humidity 93 % |
| Montreuil | 93 | 322 km NW | 111,934 | 91.6 | Well served | Similar summers, milder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 72 % · humidity 100 % |
| Boulogne-Billancourt | 92 | 333 km NW | 119,019 | 91 | Well served | Similar summers, milder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 65 % · humidity 100 % |
| Rouen | 76 | 439 km NW | 117,662 | 93 | Well served | Similar summers, milder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 97 % · winter 73 % · humidity 100 % |
| Perpignan | 66 | 561 km SW | 121,616 | 92.6 | Well served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 46 % · winter 41 % · humidity 7 % |
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 Besançon'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metz | 57 | 210 km N | 122,572 | 90.9 | Well served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 91 % · humidity 93 % |
| Orléans | 45 | 317 km W | 116,357 | 91.3 | Well served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 97 % · winter 96 % · humidity 93 % |
| Nancy | 54 | 162 km N | 103,671 | 89.8 | Well served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 92 % · winter 88 % · humidity 93 % |
| Clermont-Ferrand | 63 | 277 km SW | 146,351 | 92.2 | Well served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 92 % · winter 92 % · humidity 93 % |
| Poitiers | 86 | 438 km W | 89,916 | 91.1 | Well served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 88 % · humidity 100 % |
| Reims | 51 | 269 km NW | 177,674 | 91.7 | Well served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 97 % · humidity 86 % |
Elsewhere
Commune website · Wikipedia (en) ·Wikipedia (fr) · INSEE dossier complet · OpenStreetMap · Web search · Map
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/25056-besancon