Bessé-sur-Braye
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Partly served 55.9/100 · confidence: high· Better served than 86 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
Bessé-sur-Braye (INSEE 72035) is in Sarthe (72), part of CC des Vallées de la Braye et de l'Anille. Population 1,972 (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/72035-besse-sur-braye
Vitality score
Vitality score 55.9/100 — Partly served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: high.
Better served than 86 % of the 9,718 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 | 0.52 | 25 | 13.03 |
| Social | 0.78 | 20 | 15.54 |
| Education | 0.39 | 10 | 3.93 |
| Health | 0.66 | 10 | 6.56 |
| Public & culture | 0.39 | 5 | 1.97 |
| Population trend | 0.2 | 10 | 2.01 |
| Housing mix | 0.89 | 5 | 4.47 |
Services
What is here, at a glance
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink. [3,4]
3 × Bakery (boulangerie) (BOURGOUIN BOULANGERIE · LES DELICES DE BESSE). [3,4]
1 × Butcher (boucherie) (BOUCHERIE CHAMBEAU). [3,4]
1 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette) (COCCI BESSE). [3,4]
1 × Supermarket (BELYDIS). [3,4]
3 × Restaurant (LE PIZZ' MOBILE · BAR DES SPORTS · KHAO). [3,4]
3 × Café / bar (LE JET D'EAU · LE COURTANVAUX). [4]
1 × Nursery school (maternelle) (ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE BOURG JOLI). [3]
1 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE). [3]
1 × Collège (COLLEGE COURTANVAUX). [3]
5 × GP (médecin généraliste) (REGIS LABBE, MÉDECIN · PABLO ALONSO ARUFFO, MÉDECIN · CHRISTIAN LETAILLIEUR, MÉDECIN · ERIC LEFEBVRE, MÉDECIN · HAROLD GAMBIER, MÉDECIN). [3]
1 × Pharmacy (PHARMACIE CENTRALE). [3,4]
1 × Post office / agence postale (BESSE SUR BRAYE AP). [3]
1 × Library (MÉDIATHÈQUE DE BESSÉ SUR BRAYE). [3]
1 × Gym / sports hall (COMPLEXE SPORTIF DE COURTANVAUX). [3]
3 × Hairdresser (COIFFURE MARYLENE · BESSE COIFFURE · AU QUAI DES COULEURS). [3,4]
2 × Fuel station (STATION SERVICE). [3]
1 × Campsite (RESORT & CAMPING VAL DE BRAYE). [3,4]
Not counted, because the business register records them as closed: 2 × Restaurant, 1 × Bank, 1 × Hairdresser.
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 3 | BOURGOUIN BOULANGERIE · LES DELICES DE BESSE | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 1 | BOUCHERIE CHAMBEAU | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 1 | COCCI BESSE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Supermarket | 1 | BELYDIS | 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 | 3 | LE PIZZ' MOBILE · BAR DES SPORTS · KHAO | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 4 [3,4] |
| Café / bar | 3 | LE JET D'EAU · LE COURTANVAUX | INSEE SIRENE 3 [4] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 1 | ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE BOURG JOLI | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 1 | ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Collège | 1 | COLLEGE COURTANVAUX | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 5 | REGIS LABBE, MÉDECIN · PABLO ALONSO ARUFFO, MÉDECIN · CHRISTIAN LETAILLIEUR, MÉDECIN · ERIC LEFEBVRE, MÉDECIN · HAROLD GAMBIER, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 5 [3] |
| Pharmacy | 1 | PHARMACIE CENTRALE | 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 | BESSE SUR BRAYE AP | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Library | 1 | MÉDIATHÈQUE DE BESSÉ SUR BRAYE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Cinema | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Gym / sports hall | 1 | COMPLEXE SPORTIF DE COURTANVAUX | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Swimming pool | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Bank | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Hairdresser | 3 | COIFFURE MARYLENE · BESSE COIFFURE · AU QUAI DES COULEURS | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
| Fuel station | 2 | STATION SERVICE | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3] |
| Hotel | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] | |
| Campsite | 1 | RESORT & CAMPING VAL DE BRAYE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
Market and village life
Market day: unknown — nothing found in the datasets or on the commune website.
Trajectory
Population 2,311 (2012) → 1,972 (2023): -14.7 % over 10 years. [5,1]
Population 2,815 (1990) → 1,972 (2023): -29.9 % over 30 years. [6,1]
Dwellings (2023): 1,323, of which 5.3 % second homes and 17.2 % vacant. [7]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (Bessé-sur-Braye): 0.2 km to the west (straight line). [8]
Food shop (Bessé-sur-Braye): 0.1 km to the north-west (straight line). [8]
GP (Bessé-sur-Braye): 0.3 km to the south-west (straight line). [8]
Pharmacy (Bessé-sur-Braye): 0 km to the north (straight line). [8]
Primary school (Bessé-sur-Braye): 0.2 km to the west (straight line). [8]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 14 days a year at or above 30 °C and 37 days at or below 0 °C, over 22 complete years in 1995–2024. [9]
Measured at the SAINTE CEROTTE weather station, 9.2 km away at 157 m; the village itself is at 75 m. [9]
The village sits 82 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. [9]
An average of 738 mm of rain a year, spread over 119 days — about 6.2 mm on a day it rains. [9]
Rainfall measured at SAINTE CEROTTE, 9.2 km away at 157 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 — 72035/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 72035/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 72035/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 72035/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 72035
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biars-sur-Cère | 46 | 334 km S | 1,957 | 58.9 | Partly served | Warmer summers and milder winters.summer 62 % · winter 76 % |
| Sauveterre-de-Guyenne | 33 | 355 km S | 1,885 | 59.6 | Partly served | Warmer summers, similar winters.summer 67 % · winter 95 % |
| Montmédy | 55 | 387 km NE | 2,052 | 63.1 | Served | Similar summers, colder winters.summer 97 % · winter 66 % |
| Saint-Germain-Lembron | 63 | 325 km SE | 2,031 | 61.5 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.summer 54 % · winter 59 % |
| Tulette | 26 | 509 km SE | 1,994 | 63.9 | Served | Warmer summers, similar winters.summer 0 % · winter 89 % |
| Beaujeu | 69 | 346 km SE | 2,082 | 62.9 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.summer 72 % · winter 57 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Germain-Lembron | 63 | 325 km SE | 2,031 | 61.5 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.summer 54 % · winter 59 % |
| Biars-sur-Cère | 46 | 334 km S | 1,957 | 58.9 | Partly served | Warmer summers and milder winters.summer 62 % · winter 76 % |
| Beaujeu | 69 | 346 km SE | 2,082 | 62.9 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.summer 72 % · winter 57 % |
| Sauveterre-de-Guyenne | 33 | 355 km S | 1,885 | 59.6 | Partly served | Warmer summers, similar winters.summer 67 % · winter 95 % |
| Montmédy | 55 | 387 km NE | 2,052 | 63.1 | Served | Similar summers, colder winters.summer 97 % · winter 66 % |
| Tulette | 26 | 509 km SE | 1,994 | 63.9 | Served | Warmer summers, similar winters.summer 0 % · winter 89 % |
Elsewhere
Commune website · Wikipedia (en) ·Wikipedia (fr) · INSEE dossier complet · OpenStreetMap · Web search · Map
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/72035-besse-sur-braye