Pontchâteau
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Partly served 56.8/100 · confidence: high· Better served than 45 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
Pontchâteau (INSEE 44129) is in Loire-Atlantique (44), part of CC du Pays de Pontchâteau St-Gildas-des-Bois. Population 11,474 (2023). [1]
INSEE density class: Petites villes (level 3). [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/44129-pontchateau
Vitality score
Vitality score 56.8/100 — Partly served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: high.
Better served than 45 % of the 2,143 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 | 0.35 | 25 | 8.85 |
| Social | 0.77 | 20 | 15.33 |
| Education | 0.39 | 10 | 3.93 |
| Health | 0.47 | 10 | 4.72 |
| Public & culture | 0.12 | 5 | 0.59 |
| Population trend | 1 | 10 | 10 |
| Housing mix | 0.98 | 5 | 4.89 |
Services
What is here, at a glance
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink. [3,4]
6 × Bakery (boulangerie) (SARL PAIN CHATELAIN · LE FOURNIL LA MAISON DORA · PASSE-MOI LE PAIN · DELICES ET PASSION). [3,4]
2 × Butcher (boucherie) (O MON BILLOT · MG SERVICE). [3,4]
1 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette) (LE JARDIN DES SAVEURS). [3,4]
3 × Supermarket (PONT CHATEAU DISTRIBUTION · E. LECLERC · ACTION). [3,4]
1 × Cheese shop (fromagerie) (LA FROMAGERIE DE LUCETTE). [4]
1 × Fishmonger (POISSONNERIE RAULT). [3,4]
24 × Restaurant (POUYET 3M · CAPPUCCINO · MC DONALD'S · INFLUENCE). [3,4]
7 × Café / bar (DARTS CAFE · BAR PMU LE VINCENNES · LE SHAKER'S · BAR TABAC DE L'ETOILE). [4]
1 × Nursery school (maternelle) (ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE CHARLES PERRAULT). [3]
4 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE PRIMAIRE PUBLIQUE LE CHAT PERCHE · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE CHARLIE CHAPLIN · DDEC ECOLE ST JOSEPH PONTCHATEAU · ECOLE ND DE LOURDES DDEC). [3]
2 × Collège (COLLEGE FRIDA KAHLO · COLLEGE PRIVE ST MARTIN). [3]
8 × GP (médecin généraliste) (MARIA MORGOVAN, MÉDECIN · BEATRICE GYASI, MÉDECIN · CHRYSTELLE PEYRON, MÉDECIN · BERTRAND RAMBOURG, MÉDECIN · YVES-MARIE OMNES, MÉDECIN). [3]
3 × Pharmacy (PHARMACIE HETTE-RICHARD · PHARMACIE DU BRIVET · PHARMACIE NOBLET). [3,4]
1 × Post office / agence postale (LA POSTE). [3]
1 × Library (MÉDIATHÈQUE INTERCOMMUNALE DE PONT-CHÂTEAU). [3]
1 × Cinema (LA BOBINE). [3]
5 × Gym / sports hall (SITE DU LANDAS · COMPLEXE SPORTIF JEAN GALFIONE · SITE DU PINSON · GYMNASE QUERAL · COLLEGE SAINT MARTIN). [3]
7 × Bank (AGENCE DE PONTCHATEAU · CAISSE REGIONALE DE CREDIT AGRICOLE MUTUEL ATLANTIQUE VENDEE · BASE DE VIE PONTCHATEAU · CAISSE DE CREDIT MUTUEL DE PONTCHATEAU-MISSILLAC · BANQUE CIC OUEST). [3]
12 × Hairdresser (HALGAND ANNE-CECILE · ANNICK COIFFURE · BENACLABA). [3,4]
2 × Fuel station (STATION SERVICE). [3,4]
2 × Hotel (HÔTEL LE RELAIS DE BEAULIEU · HÔTEL AUBERGE DU CALVAIRE). [3,4]
1 × Campsite (CAMPING DU BOIS DE BEAUMARD). [3,4]
Not counted, because the business register records them as closed: 4 × Restaurant, 2 × Hairdresser.
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 6 | SARL PAIN CHATELAIN · LE FOURNIL LA MAISON DORA · PASSE-MOI LE PAIN · DELICES ET PASSION | INSEE BPE 6 / INSEE SIRENE 7 [3,4] |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 2 | O MON BILLOT · MG SERVICE | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 1 | LE JARDIN DES SAVEURS | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Supermarket | 3 | PONT CHATEAU DISTRIBUTION · E. LECLERC · ACTION | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Cheese shop (fromagerie) | 1 | LA FROMAGERIE DE LUCETTE | INSEE SIRENE 1 [4] |
| Fishmonger | 1 | POISSONNERIE RAULT | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Restaurant | 24 | POUYET 3M · CAPPUCCINO · MC DONALD'S · INFLUENCE | INSEE BPE 24 / INSEE SIRENE 30 [3,4] |
| Café / bar | 7 | DARTS CAFE · BAR PMU LE VINCENNES · LE SHAKER'S · BAR TABAC DE L'ETOILE | INSEE SIRENE 7 [4] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 1 | ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE CHARLES PERRAULT | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 4 | ECOLE PRIMAIRE PUBLIQUE LE CHAT PERCHE · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE CHARLIE CHAPLIN · DDEC ECOLE ST JOSEPH PONTCHATEAU · ECOLE ND DE LOURDES DDEC | INSEE BPE 4 [3] |
| Collège | 2 | COLLEGE FRIDA KAHLO · COLLEGE PRIVE ST MARTIN | INSEE BPE 2 [3] |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 8 | MARIA MORGOVAN, MÉDECIN · BEATRICE GYASI, MÉDECIN · CHRYSTELLE PEYRON, MÉDECIN · BERTRAND RAMBOURG, MÉDECIN · YVES-MARIE OMNES, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 8 [3] |
| Pharmacy | 3 | PHARMACIE HETTE-RICHARD · PHARMACIE DU BRIVET · PHARMACIE NOBLET | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 4 [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 | MÉDIATHÈQUE INTERCOMMUNALE DE PONT-CHÂTEAU | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Cinema | 1 | LA BOBINE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Gym / sports hall | 5 | SITE DU LANDAS · COMPLEXE SPORTIF JEAN GALFIONE · SITE DU PINSON · GYMNASE QUERAL · COLLEGE SAINT MARTIN | INSEE BPE 5 [3] |
| Swimming pool | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Bank | 7 | AGENCE DE PONTCHATEAU · CAISSE REGIONALE DE CREDIT AGRICOLE MUTUEL ATLANTIQUE VENDEE · BASE DE VIE PONTCHATEAU · CAISSE DE CREDIT MUTUEL DE PONTCHATEAU-MISSILLAC · BANQUE CIC OUEST | INSEE BPE 7 [3] |
| Hairdresser | 12 | HALGAND ANNE-CECILE · ANNICK COIFFURE · BENACLABA | INSEE BPE 12 / INSEE SIRENE 15 [3,4] |
| Fuel station | 2 | STATION SERVICE | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Hotel | 2 | HÔTEL LE RELAIS DE BEAULIEU · HÔTEL AUBERGE DU CALVAIRE | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Campsite | 1 | CAMPING DU BOIS DE BEAUMARD | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
Market and village life
A market is recorded here, but no source gives the day. [5,6]
Trajectory
Population 9,982 (2012) → 11,474 (2023): 14.9 % over 10 years. [7,1]
Population 7,549 (1990) → 11,474 (2023): 52 % over 30 years. [8,1]
Dwellings (2023): 5,277, of which 1.1 % second homes and 5.4 % vacant. [9]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (Pontchâteau): 0.1 km to the north-west (straight line). [10]
Food shop (Pontchâteau): 0.2 km to the north-east (straight line). [10]
GP (Pontchâteau): 0.2 km to the west (straight line). [10]
Pharmacy (Pontchâteau): 0.1 km to the south (straight line). [10]
Primary school (Pontchâteau): 0.2 km to the east (straight line). [10]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 10 days a year at or above 30 °C and 26 days at or below 0 °C, over 22 complete years in 1995–2024. [11]
Measured at the SAINT-JOACHIM_SAE weather station, 9.9 km away at 3 m; the village itself is at 6 m. [11]
Muggy days — a dew point at or above 18 °C — average 2 days a summer. [11]
Humidity measured at ST NAZAIRE-MONTOIR, 14.5 km away at 3 m, over 30 summers. [11]
An average of 907 mm of rain a year, spread over 128 days — about 7.1 mm on a day it rains. [11]
Rainfall measured at PONTCHATEAU, 1.2 km away at 34 m. Rainfall is not adjusted for altitude: unlike temperature it has no simple gradient to correct by. [11]
Uncertainties
No specific uncertainties flagged.
References
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 44129/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- DATAtourisme 2026-10— https://data.datatourisme.fr/49/c7b18754-cfa2-389b-aef7-f88fd174179c— “Marché de Pont-Château”(unverified)
- DATAtourisme 2026-10— https://data.datatourisme.fr/49/a13edb59-b574-3848-842c-567e76ee3286— “Marché de Producteurs de Pont-Château”(unverified)
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 44129/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 44129/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 44129/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 44129
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancenis-Saint-Géréon | 44 | 69 km E | 11,600 | 64.2 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.summer 72 % · winter 84 % |
| Châteaugiron | 35 | 81 km NE | 10,845 | 60.7 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 95 % · humidity 93 % |
| Saint-Junien | 87 | 286 km SE | 11,415 | 60.2 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 82 % · winter 76 % · humidity 93 % |
| Lavaur | 81 | 515 km SE | 10,965 | 60.9 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 18 % · winter 77 % · humidity 64 % |
| Thiers | 63 | 465 km E | 11,637 | 59.4 | Partly served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 64 % · winter 49 % · humidity 93 % |
| Gravelines | 59 | 499 km NE | 11,430 | 54.3 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 79 % · winter 85 % · humidity 100 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancenis-Saint-Géréon | 44 | 69 km E | 11,600 | 64.2 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.summer 72 % · winter 84 % |
| Châteaugiron | 35 | 81 km NE | 10,845 | 60.7 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 95 % · humidity 93 % |
| Saint-Junien | 87 | 286 km SE | 11,415 | 60.2 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 82 % · winter 76 % · humidity 93 % |
| Thiers | 63 | 465 km E | 11,637 | 59.4 | Partly served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 64 % · winter 49 % · humidity 93 % |
| Gravelines | 59 | 499 km NE | 11,430 | 54.3 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 79 % · winter 85 % · humidity 100 % |
| Lavaur | 81 | 515 km SE | 10,965 | 60.9 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 18 % · winter 77 % · humidity 64 % |
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 Pontchâteau'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Châteaugiron | 35 | 81 km NE | 10,845 | 60.7 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 95 % · humidity 93 % |
| Treillières | 44 | 37 km E | 10,600 | 40.1 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 87 % · winter 88 % · humidity 100 % |
| Ploërmel | 56 | 59 km NW | 10,163 | 59.8 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 92 % · humidity 93 % |
| Savenay | 44 | 14 km SE | 9,543 | 69.1 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 100 % · humidity 100 % |
| Janzé | 35 | 73 km NE | 8,649 | 69.5 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 97 % · winter 89 % · humidity 100 % |
| Hennebont | 56 | 98 km NW | 15,910 | 69.2 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 90 % · winter 96 % · humidity 93 % |
Elsewhere
Commune website · Wikipedia (en) ·Wikipedia (fr) · INSEE dossier complet · OpenStreetMap · Web search · Map
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/44129-pontchateau