Solesmes
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Partly served 49.8/100 · confidence: high· Better served than 79 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
Solesmes (INSEE 72336) is in Sarthe (72), part of CC du Pays Sabolien. Population 1,240 (2023). [1]
INSEE density class: Ceintures urbaines (level 4). [2]
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 · DATAtourisme 2026-10-22.
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/72336-solesmes
Vitality score
Vitality score 49.8/100 — Partly served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: high.
Better served than 79 % of the 13,027 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 | 0.34 | 25 | 8.55 |
| Social | 0.8 | 20 | 16.02 |
| Education | 0.39 | 10 | 3.93 |
| Health | 0.39 | 10 | 3.93 |
| Public & culture | 0.2 | 5 | 0.98 |
| Population trend | 0.47 | 10 | 4.71 |
| Housing mix | 0.84 | 5 | 4.2 |
Services
What is here, at a glance
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink. [3,4]
2 × Bakery (boulangerie) (SABLEDIS · AU MOULIN SUCRE). [3,4]
1 × Supermarket (CENTRE E.LECLERC). [3,4]
7 × Restaurant (BUFFALO GRILL · LA PIZZERIA · RESTAURANT MAC DONALD'S · SOCIETE HOTELIERE SOLESMIENNE · RESTOSABLE). [3,4]
2 × Café / bar (LA SOLESMIENNE · GO BOWLING). [4]
1 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE PRIMAIRE PUBLIQUE). [3]
1 × GP (médecin généraliste) (JEAN-MARC FOURRIER, MÉDECIN). [3]
1 × Pharmacy (PHARMACIE RONDEAU VERON). [3,4]
1 × Post office / agence postale (SOLESMES AP). [3]
3 × Hairdresser (FABIO SALSA · COULEURS DU TEMPS). [3,4]
2 × Fuel station (STATION SERVICE). [3,4]
1 × Hotel (GRAND HÔTEL DE SOLESMES). [3]
Not counted, because the business register records them as closed: 1 × Bakery (boulangerie), 1 × Restaurant.
Not found in the commune: Butcher (boucherie), Grocery (épicerie / supérette), Nursery school (maternelle), Library. [3,4]
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 2 | SABLEDIS · AU MOULIN SUCRE | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] | |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] | |
| Supermarket | 1 | CENTRE E.LECLERC | 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 | 7 | BUFFALO GRILL · LA PIZZERIA · RESTAURANT MAC DONALD'S · SOCIETE HOTELIERE SOLESMIENNE · RESTOSABLE | INSEE BPE 7 / INSEE SIRENE 6 [3,4] |
| Café / bar | 2 | LA SOLESMIENNE · GO BOWLING | INSEE SIRENE 2 [4] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 1 | ECOLE PRIMAIRE PUBLIQUE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Collège | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 1 | JEAN-MARC FOURRIER, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Pharmacy | 1 | PHARMACIE RONDEAU VERON | 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 | SOLESMES AP | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Library | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Cinema | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Gym / sports hall | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Swimming pool | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Bank | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Hairdresser | 3 | FABIO SALSA · COULEURS DU TEMPS | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
| Fuel station | 2 | STATION SERVICE | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Hotel | 1 | GRAND HÔTEL DE SOLESMES | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3] |
| Campsite | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] |
Market and village life
Weekly market (reported, unverified): Wednesday. [5]
Trajectory
Population 1,316 (2012) → 1,240 (2023): -5.8 % over 10 years. [6,1]
Population 1,277 (1990) → 1,240 (2023): -2.9 % over 30 years. [7,1]
Dwellings (2023): 640, of which 8 % second homes and 6.6 % vacant. [8]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (Solesmes): 0.1 km to the north (straight line). [9]
Food shop (Sablé-sur-Sarthe): 1.4 km to the south (straight line). [10]
GP (Solesmes): 0.1 km to the west (straight line). [9]
Pharmacy (Solesmes): 0.3 km to the north-east (straight line). [9]
Primary school (Solesmes): 0.3 km to the east (straight line). [9]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 14 days a year at or above 30 °C and 40 days at or below 0 °C, over 30 complete years in 1995–2024. [11]
Measured at the SABLE SUR SARTH weather station, 1.2 km away at 41 m; the village itself is at 39 m. [11]
An average of 721 mm of rain a year, spread over 116 days — about 6.2 mm on a day it rains. [11]
Rainfall measured at SABLE SUR SARTH, 1.2 km away at 41 m. Rainfall is not adjusted for altitude: unlike temperature it has no simple gradient to correct by. [11]
Uncertainties
The market day comes from DATAtourisme and has not been confirmed by a second source. [5]
References
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 72336/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- DATAtourisme 2025-11— https://data.datatourisme.fr/49/c14148fe-25bd-3c50-93ef-137bff628ab4— “Marché le mercredi matin à Solesmes.”(unverified)
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 72336/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 72336/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 72336/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 72336
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 72264
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dreuil-lès-Amiens | 80 | 295 km NE | 1,576 | 41.3 | Partly served | Similar summers, colder winters.summer 87 % · winter 84 % |
| Warcq | 08 | 423 km NE | 1,282 | 48.7 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.summer 85 % · winter 50 % |
| Fouquières-lès-Béthune | 62 | 364 km NE | 1,108 | 43 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.summer 82 % · winter 97 % |
| Sainte-Suzanne | 25 | 531 km E | 1,501 | 44.8 | Partly served | Similar summers, colder winters.summer 100 % · winter 57 % |
| Perrier | 63 | 370 km SE | 925 | 55.1 | Partly served | Warmer summers and colder winters.summer 62 % · winter 58 % |
| Goincourt | 60 | 246 km NE | 1,552 | 52.7 | Partly served | Similar summers, colder winters.summer 87 % · winter 82 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goincourt | 60 | 246 km NE | 1,552 | 52.7 | Partly served | Similar summers, colder winters.summer 87 % · winter 82 % |
| Dreuil-lès-Amiens | 80 | 295 km NE | 1,576 | 41.3 | Partly served | Similar summers, colder winters.summer 87 % · winter 84 % |
| Fouquières-lès-Béthune | 62 | 364 km NE | 1,108 | 43 | Partly served | Cooler summers, similar winters.summer 82 % · winter 97 % |
| Perrier | 63 | 370 km SE | 925 | 55.1 | Partly served | Warmer summers and colder winters.summer 62 % · winter 58 % |
| Warcq | 08 | 423 km NE | 1,282 | 48.7 | Partly served | Cooler summers and colder winters.summer 85 % · winter 50 % |
| Sainte-Suzanne | 25 | 531 km E | 1,501 | 44.8 | Partly served | Similar summers, colder winters.summer 100 % · winter 57 % |
Elsewhere
Commune website · Wikipedia (en) ·Wikipedia (fr) · INSEE dossier complet · OpenStreetMap · Web search · Map
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/72336-solesmes