Descartes
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Partly served 49.1/100 · confidence: high· Better served than 52 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
Descartes (INSEE 37115) is in Indre-et-Loire (37), part of CC Loches Sud Touraine. Population 3,369 (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 · DATAtourisme 2026-10-22.
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/37115-descartes
Vitality score
Vitality score 49.1/100 — Partly served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: high.
Better served than 52 % of the 6,463 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 | 0.43 | 25 | 10.64 |
| Social | 0.56 | 20 | 11.16 |
| Education | 0.53 | 10 | 5.28 |
| Health | 0.52 | 10 | 5.24 |
| Public & culture | 0.31 | 5 | 1.54 |
| Population trend | 0.32 | 10 | 3.18 |
| Housing mix | 0.94 | 5 | 4.7 |
Services
What is here, at a glance
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink. [3,4]
3 × Bakery (boulangerie) (AU PALAIS DESCARTOIS). [3,4]
1 × Butcher (boucherie) (BOUCHERIE-CHARCUTERIE-TRAITEUR LARDIN). [3,4]
3 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette) (LE TIROIR A EPICES · LA DESCARTOISE · COCCIDESCARTES). [3,4]
1 × Supermarket (INTERMARCHE). [3,4]
9 × Restaurant (BRUNO PIZZA · CAFE DU COMMERCE · BEN JEMAA FAOUZI · LA SAULAIE). [3,4]
1 × Café / bar (CAFE DE L ESPERANCE). [4]
3 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE PRIMAIRE BALESMES · ECOLE PRIMAIRE COTE DES GRANGES · ECOLE PRIMAIRE PRIVEE LOUIS LEFE). [3]
1 × Collège (COLLEGE ROGER JAHAN). [3]
7 × GP (médecin généraliste) (BENJAMIN LECOMTE, MÉDECIN · ÉLODIE FORT, MÉDECIN · CINDY VEAUVY, MÉDECIN · MERWAN AFARA, MÉDECIN · JEAN QUILLIET, MÉDECIN). [3]
1 × Pharmacy (PHARMACIE DE L'HOTEL DE VILLE). [3,4]
2 × Post office / agence postale (DESCARTES BALESMES AP · LA POSTE). [3]
1 × Library (BIBLIOTHEQUE MUNICIPALE). [3]
1 × Cinema (LE RABELAIS). [3]
2 × Gym / sports hall (COMPLEXE SPORTIF DE LE CROSS · COLLEGE ROGER JAHAN). [3]
5 × Bank (CAISSE D'EPARGNE (AGENCE DE DESCARTES) · CAISSE REG CRED AGRIC MUT TOURAIN POITOU · CAISSE LOCALE CREDIT AGRIC MUT DESCARTES · BANQUE POPULAIRE VAL DE FRANCE · BNP PARIBAS). [3]
5 × Hairdresser (A.K.L.A · LE SALON L'ART DU CHEVEU). [3,4]
1 × Fuel station (STATION SERVICE). [3]
1 × Campsite (CAMPING MUNICIPAL LA GRANDE MOTTE). [3,4]
Not counted, because the business register records them as closed: 1 × Butcher (boucherie), 3 × Restaurant, 1 × Pharmacy.
Not found in the commune: Nursery school (maternelle). [3]
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 3 | AU PALAIS DESCARTOIS | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 1 | BOUCHERIE-CHARCUTERIE-TRAITEUR LARDIN | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 3 | LE TIROIR A EPICES · LA DESCARTOISE · COCCIDESCARTES | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
| Supermarket | 1 | INTERMARCHE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Cheese shop (fromagerie) | 0 | INSEE SIRENE 0 [4] | |
| Fishmonger | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] | |
| Restaurant | 9 | BRUNO PIZZA · CAFE DU COMMERCE · BEN JEMAA FAOUZI · LA SAULAIE | INSEE BPE 9 / INSEE SIRENE 15 [3,4] |
| Café / bar | 1 | CAFE DE L ESPERANCE | INSEE SIRENE 1 [4] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 3 | ECOLE PRIMAIRE BALESMES · ECOLE PRIMAIRE COTE DES GRANGES · ECOLE PRIMAIRE PRIVEE LOUIS LEFE | INSEE BPE 3 [3] |
| Collège | 1 | COLLEGE ROGER JAHAN | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 7 | BENJAMIN LECOMTE, MÉDECIN · ÉLODIE FORT, MÉDECIN · CINDY VEAUVY, MÉDECIN · MERWAN AFARA, MÉDECIN · JEAN QUILLIET, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 7 [3] |
| Pharmacy | 1 | PHARMACIE DE L'HOTEL DE VILLE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Nurse | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Dentist | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Post office / agence postale | 2 | DESCARTES BALESMES AP · LA POSTE | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| Library | 1 | BIBLIOTHEQUE MUNICIPALE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Cinema | 1 | LE RABELAIS | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Gym / sports hall | 2 | COMPLEXE SPORTIF DE LE CROSS · COLLEGE ROGER JAHAN | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| Swimming pool | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Bank | 5 | CAISSE D'EPARGNE (AGENCE DE DESCARTES) · CAISSE REG CRED AGRIC MUT TOURAIN POITOU · CAISSE LOCALE CREDIT AGRIC MUT DESCARTES · BANQUE POPULAIRE VAL DE FRANCE · BNP PARIBAS | INSEE BPE 5 [3] |
| Hairdresser | 5 | A.K.L.A · LE SALON L'ART DU CHEVEU | INSEE BPE 5 / INSEE SIRENE 7 [3,4] |
| Fuel station | 1 | STATION SERVICE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3] |
| Hotel | 0 | INSEE SIRENE 2 / INSEE BPE 0 [4] | |
| Campsite | 1 | CAMPING MUNICIPAL LA GRANDE MOTTE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
Market and village life
Market day (reported, unverified): Sunday. No source says whether it is weekly or monthly. [5]
Trajectory
Population 3,754 (2012) → 3,369 (2023): -10.3 % over 10 years. [6,1]
Population 4,120 (1990) → 3,369 (2023): -18.2 % over 30 years. [7,1]
Dwellings (2023): 2,232, of which 3 % second homes and 16.5 % vacant. [8]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (Descartes): 0 km to the north (straight line). [9]
Food shop (Descartes): 0.1 km to the north-west (straight line). [9]
GP (Descartes): 0.5 km to the north (straight line). [9]
Pharmacy (Descartes): 0 km to the west (straight line). [9]
Primary school (Descartes): 0.1 km to the north-west (straight line). [9]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 20 days a year at or above 30 °C and 35 days at or below 0 °C, over 30 complete years in 1995–2024. [10]
Measured at the FERRIERE-LARCON weather station, 13.5 km away at 116 m; the village itself is at 56 m. [10]
The village sits 60 m below the station, so each day's reading was shifted by 5.71 °C per km of altitude before the days were counted. Expect the result to be within about 0.68 °C. [10]
Muggy days — a dew point at or above 18 °C — average 3 days a summer. [10]
Humidity measured at FERRIERE-LARCON, 13.5 km away at 116 m, over 30 summers. [10]
That station sits 60 m above the village, so each day's humidity was shifted by 4.22 °C per km before the muggy days were counted. [10]
An average of 707 mm of rain a year, spread over 108 days — about 6.5 mm on a day it rains. [10]
Rainfall measured at DESCARTES, 0.3 km away at 65 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 — 37115/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- DATAtourisme 2026-04— https://data.datatourisme.fr/15/4d892985-98b1-379c-acae-965963343333— “Marché dominical avec étals de producteurs locaux et d'artisans.”(unverified)
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 37115/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 37115/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 37115/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 37115
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nantua | 01 | 386 km E | 3,416 | 53 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 85 % · winter 23 % · humidity 79 % |
| Saint-Étienne-de-Saint-Geoirs | 38 | 401 km SE | 3,425 | 56.1 | Partly served | Similar summers, colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 92 % · winter 55 % · humidity 79 % |
| Dun-sur-Auron | 18 | 143 km E | 3,524 | 43.6 | Partly served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 79 % · winter 66 % · humidity 86 % |
| Réalmont | 81 | 374 km S | 3,561 | 53.3 | Partly served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 74 % · winter 78 % · humidity 71 % |
| Crémieu | 38 | 376 km E | 3,536 | 63.7 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 77 % · winter 69 % · humidity 100 % |
| Le Molay-Littry | 14 | 278 km NW | 3,124 | 47.5 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 56 % · winter 92 % · humidity 93 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dun-sur-Auron | 18 | 143 km E | 3,524 | 43.6 | Partly served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 79 % · winter 66 % · humidity 86 % |
| Le Molay-Littry | 14 | 278 km NW | 3,124 | 47.5 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 56 % · winter 92 % · humidity 93 % |
| Réalmont | 81 | 374 km S | 3,561 | 53.3 | Partly served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 74 % · winter 78 % · humidity 71 % |
| Crémieu | 38 | 376 km E | 3,536 | 63.7 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 77 % · winter 69 % · humidity 100 % |
| Nantua | 01 | 386 km E | 3,416 | 53 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 85 % · winter 23 % · humidity 79 % |
| Saint-Étienne-de-Saint-Geoirs | 38 | 401 km SE | 3,425 | 56.1 | Partly served | Similar summers, colder winters.Summers feel drier.summer 92 % · winter 55 % · humidity 79 % |
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 Descartes'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appoigny | 89 | 235 km NE | 3,114 | 46.6 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 87 % · winter 100 % · humidity 93 % |
| Saint-Léger-de-Linières | 49 | 119 km NW | 3,866 | 49.5 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 87 % · winter 95 % · humidity 93 % |
| Durtal | 49 | 105 km NW | 3,386 | 48.4 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 90 % · winter 88 % · humidity 93 % |
| Vouvray | 37 | 49 km N | 3,420 | 50 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 90 % · winter 99 % · humidity 86 % |
| Briollay | 49 | 112 km NW | 3,225 | 45.2 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 92 % · winter 89 % · humidity 93 % |
| Bournezeau | 85 | 147 km W | 3,452 | 49.4 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 90 % · winter 95 % · humidity 93 % |
Elsewhere
Commune website · Wikipedia (en) ·Wikipedia (fr) · INSEE dossier complet · OpenStreetMap · Web search · Map
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/37115-descartes