Saint-James
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Partly served 53.1/100 · confidence: high· Better served than 54 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
Saint-James (INSEE 50487) is in Manche (50), part of CA Mont-Saint-Michel-Normandie. Population 5,018 (2023). [1]
INSEE density class: Bourgs ruraux (level 5). [2]
Commune nouvelle formed on 2017-01-01 from 6 former communes: Argouges (50018), Carnet (50100), La Croix-Avranchin (50154), Montanel (50337), Vergoncey (50627), Villiers-le-Pré (50640). [3]
Data vintages: INSEE BPE 2025 · INSEE SIRENE 2026-09 · INSEE census (RP) 2023 · INSEE COG 2026 · INSEE density grid 2026 · Commune website 2026-10-24.
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/50487-saint-james
Vitality score
Vitality score 53.1/100 — Partly served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: high.
Better served than 54 % of the 4,675 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 | 0.44 | 25 | 10.95 |
| Social | 0.78 | 20 | 15.68 |
| Education | 0.39 | 10 | 3.93 |
| Health | 0.47 | 10 | 4.67 |
| Public & culture | 0.22 | 5 | 1.11 |
| Population trend | 0.45 | 10 | 4.54 |
| Housing mix | 0.85 | 5 | 4.24 |
Services
What is here, at a glance
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink. [4,5]
3 × Bakery (boulangerie) (STEVISTA · BLML). [4,5]
2 × Butcher (boucherie). [4,5]
1 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette) (L'ABA). [4,5]
2 × Supermarket (BARON DISTRIBUTION · CARREFOUR EXPRESS). [4,5]
11 × Restaurant (STEPHANO PIZZA · CAFETERIA DES ESTUAIRES · THE D'HIER · LE LION D'OR). [4,5]
4 × Café / bar (LE CARNET · LE ST JAMES ' S · LE CHIQUITO · LE WELCOME - LA BIEN VENUE). [5]
1 × Nursery school (maternelle) (ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE LA CROIX - VERGONCEY). [4]
2 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE LA CROIX - VERGONCEY · ECOLE PRIMAIRE SAINT-JAMES). [4]
1 × Collège (COLLEGE LE CLOS TARDIF). [4]
5 × GP (médecin généraliste) (MARIE-ESTELLE BIGNON, MÉDECIN · DAVID MARCONNET, MÉDECIN · ALEXANDRA HAUPAIS, MÉDECIN · BRUNO GERARD, MÉDECIN · CLEMENCE DOUCET, MÉDECIN). [4]
1 × Pharmacy (SELARL TACHE CHIABRERO). [4,5]
1 × Post office / agence postale (SAINT JAMES GOURMETS BIO AP). [4]
1 × Library (BIBLIOTHEQUE DE SAINT-JAMES). [4]
1 × Gym / sports hall (COMPLEXE SPORTIF LE CLOS TARDIF). [4]
3 × Bank (CAISSE DE CREDIT MUTUEL DE SAINT JAMES · CREDIT AGRICOLE NORMANDIE · CAISSE FEDERALE DU CREDIT MUTUEL DE MAINE ANJOU ET BASSE NORMANDIE). [4]
5 × Hairdresser (VERDIER GISELE · MARTIN SYLVIE · ART CREATION · COIFF' EMOI). [4,5]
1 × Fuel station (STATION SERVICE). [4]
Not counted, because the business register records them as closed: 1 × Butcher (boucherie), 1 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette), 1 × Nursery school (maternelle), 1 × Primary school (élémentaire), 1 × Collège, 1 × Pharmacy.
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 3 | STEVISTA · BLML | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 4 [4,5] |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 2 | INSEE SIRENE 2 / INSEE BPE 0 [4,5] | |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 1 | L'ABA | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [4,5] |
| Supermarket | 2 | BARON DISTRIBUTION · CARREFOUR EXPRESS | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [4,5] |
| Cheese shop (fromagerie) | 0 | INSEE SIRENE 0 [5] | |
| Fishmonger | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [4,5] | |
| Restaurant | 11 | STEPHANO PIZZA · CAFETERIA DES ESTUAIRES · THE D'HIER · LE LION D'OR | INSEE BPE 11 / INSEE SIRENE 12 [4,5] |
| Café / bar | 4 | LE CARNET · LE ST JAMES ' S · LE CHIQUITO · LE WELCOME - LA BIEN VENUE | INSEE SIRENE 4 [5] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 1 | ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE LA CROIX - VERGONCEY | INSEE BPE 1 [4] |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 2 | ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE LA CROIX - VERGONCEY · ECOLE PRIMAIRE SAINT-JAMES | INSEE BPE 2 [4] |
| Collège | 1 | COLLEGE LE CLOS TARDIF | INSEE BPE 1 [4] |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 5 | MARIE-ESTELLE BIGNON, MÉDECIN · DAVID MARCONNET, MÉDECIN · ALEXANDRA HAUPAIS, MÉDECIN · BRUNO GERARD, MÉDECIN · CLEMENCE DOUCET, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 5 [4] |
| Pharmacy | 1 | SELARL TACHE CHIABRERO | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [4,5] |
| Nurse | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [4] | |
| Dentist | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [4] | |
| Post office / agence postale | 1 | SAINT JAMES GOURMETS BIO AP | INSEE BPE 1 [4] |
| Library | 1 | BIBLIOTHEQUE DE SAINT-JAMES | INSEE BPE 1 [4] |
| Cinema | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [4] | |
| Gym / sports hall | 1 | COMPLEXE SPORTIF LE CLOS TARDIF | INSEE BPE 1 [4] |
| Swimming pool | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [4] | |
| Bank | 3 | CAISSE DE CREDIT MUTUEL DE SAINT JAMES · CREDIT AGRICOLE NORMANDIE · CAISSE FEDERALE DU CREDIT MUTUEL DE MAINE ANJOU ET BASSE NORMANDIE | INSEE BPE 3 [4] |
| Hairdresser | 5 | VERDIER GISELE · MARTIN SYLVIE · ART CREATION · COIFF' EMOI | INSEE BPE 5 / INSEE SIRENE 6 [4,5] |
| Fuel station | 1 | STATION SERVICE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [4] |
| Hotel | 0 | INSEE SIRENE 3 / INSEE BPE 0 [5] | |
| Campsite | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [4,5] |
Market and village life
Weekly market (reported, unverified): Monday 9h00 à 13h00 avenue du Général de Gaulle. [6]
Trajectory
Population 5,003 (2012) → 5,018 (2023): 0.3 % over 10 years. [7,1]
Population 5,258 (1990) → 5,018 (2023): -4.6 % over 30 years. [8,1]
Dwellings (2023): 2,829, of which 7.6 % second homes and 12.1 % vacant. [9]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (Saint-James): 0.1 km to the south (straight line). [10]
Food shop (Saint-James): 0.4 km to the south (straight line). [10]
GP (Saint-James): 0.4 km to the south (straight line). [10]
Pharmacy (Saint-James): 0.3 km to the south (straight line). [10]
Primary school (Saint-James): 0.8 km to the south (straight line). [10]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 4 days a year at or above 30 °C and 32 days at or below 0 °C, over 27 complete years in 1995–2024. [11]
Measured at the PONTORSON weather station, 14.9 km away at 33 m; the village itself is at 111 m. [11]
The village sits 78 m above 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. [11]
Muggy days — a dew point at or above 18 °C — average 1 day a summer. [11]
Humidity measured at PONTORSON, 14.9 km away at 33 m, over 28 summers. [11]
That station sits 78 m below the village, so each day's humidity was shifted by 4.22 °C per km before the muggy days were counted. [11]
An average of 813 mm of rain a year, spread over 134 days — about 6.1 mm on a day it rains. [11]
Rainfall measured at PONTORSON, 14.9 km away at 33 m. Rainfall is not adjusted for altitude: unlike temperature it has no simple gradient to correct by. [11]
Uncertainties
The market day comes from the commune's own website and has not been confirmed by a second source. [6]
References
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 50487/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE COG 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- Commune website 2026-10— https://www.mairie-saintjames.com/mon-quotidien/vie-economique/marche-hebdomadaire/— “La Commune Nouvelle de Saint-James accueille chaque semaine son marché hebdomadaire qui se tient le lundi matin en plein cœur du centre-ville, avenue du Général de Gaulle, de 9h00 à 13h00”(unverified)
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 50487/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 50487/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 50487/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 50487
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morcenx-la-Nouvelle | 40 | 501 km S | 5,022 | 53.4 | Partly served | Warmer summers, similar winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 28 % · winter 89 % · humidity 50 % |
| Le Rove | 13 | 766 km SE | 5,246 | 60.8 | Served | Warmer summers, similar winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 3 % · winter 91 % · humidity 71 % |
| La Souterraine | 23 | 331 km SE | 4,978 | 59.8 | Partly served | Warmer summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 79 % · winter 86 % · humidity 93 % |
| Châteaulin | 29 | 208 km W | 5,085 | 63.2 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 88 % · humidity 100 % |
| Briare | 45 | 318 km E | 4,911 | 55.8 | Partly served | Warmer summers and colder winters.summer 62 % · winter 69 % |
| Beuzeville | 27 | 152 km NE | 4,704 | 61.8 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 90 % · winter 86 % · humidity 100 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beuzeville | 27 | 152 km NE | 4,704 | 61.8 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 90 % · winter 86 % · humidity 100 % |
| Châteaulin | 29 | 208 km W | 5,085 | 63.2 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 88 % · humidity 100 % |
| Briare | 45 | 318 km E | 4,911 | 55.8 | Partly served | Warmer summers and colder winters.summer 62 % · winter 69 % |
| La Souterraine | 23 | 331 km SE | 4,978 | 59.8 | Partly served | Warmer summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 79 % · winter 86 % · humidity 93 % |
| Morcenx-la-Nouvelle | 40 | 501 km S | 5,022 | 53.4 | Partly served | Warmer summers, similar winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 28 % · winter 89 % · humidity 50 % |
| Le Rove | 13 | 766 km SE | 5,246 | 60.8 | Served | Warmer summers, similar winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 3 % · winter 91 % · humidity 71 % |
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 Saint-James'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Châteaulin | 29 | 208 km W | 5,085 | 63.2 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 88 % · humidity 100 % |
| Beuzeville | 27 | 152 km NE | 4,704 | 61.8 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 90 % · winter 86 % · humidity 100 % |
| Maen Roch | 35 | 13 km S | 5,088 | 61.6 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 92 % · winter 95 % · humidity 100 % |
| Les Monts d'Aunay | 14 | 75 km NE | 4,777 | 57.2 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 100 % · winter 86 % · humidity 100 % |
| Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët | 50 | 18 km E | 5,770 | 73.8 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 90 % · winter 91 % · humidity 100 % |
| Laillé | 35 | 68 km SW | 5,225 | 53.2 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 90 % · winter 97 % · humidity 100 % |
Elsewhere
Commune website · Wikipedia (en) ·Wikipedia (fr) · INSEE dossier complet · OpenStreetMap · Web search · Map
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/50487-saint-james