Challans
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Served 70/100 · confidence: high· Better served than 72 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
Challans (INSEE 85047) is in Vendée (85), part of CC Challans-Gois Communauté. Population 22,943 (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 · Commune website 2026-10-24.
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/85047-challans
Vitality score
Vitality score 70/100 — Served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: high.
Better served than 72 % of the 1,040 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 | 0.56 | 25 | 13.91 |
| Social | 0.91 | 20 | 18.24 |
| Education | 0.53 | 10 | 5.28 |
| Health | 0.68 | 10 | 6.8 |
| Public & culture | 0.12 | 5 | 0.59 |
| Population trend | 1 | 10 | 10 |
| 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]
16 × Bakery (boulangerie) (LA CHALLANDINE · L' AMI DE CHALLANS · MAURICE CREATEUR PATISSIER CHOCOLAT · MAURICE CREATEUR PATISSIER CHOCOLATIER · GELENCSER CHOCOLATS MACARONS GLACES DRAGEES). [3,4]
2 × Butcher (boucherie) (MAISON MICHENAUD). [3,4]
2 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette) (CARREFOUR CITY · SPEED SHOP). [3,4]
7 × Supermarket (LIDL · SODICHAL · SODIVARDIERE · ILDAM · ALDI MARCHE). [3,4]
3 × Fishmonger (CHEZ LE SABLAIS · PECHE SIONNAISE · LA CABANE NO). [3,4]
50 × Restaurant (LE LOUIS XIII · SARL UNIPERS LA MARMITE GOURMANDE · L'ODYSSEE · 2RC RESTAURATION RAPIDE DE CHALLANS · LE GAVROCHE). [3,4]
14 × Café / bar (LE COMPTOIR DU MARAIS · COCOON BAR · AU MARL'N BAR · NAGADA BOWLING · LE BOCAGE). [4]
3 × Nursery school (maternelle) (ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE · ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE LA CROIX-MARAUD · ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE DE LA MELIERE). [3]
6 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE DE LA MELIERE · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE LA CROIX-MARAUD · ECOLE PRIMAIRE PUBLIQUE LUCIE AUBRAC · ECOLE PRIMAIRE PRIVEE DE L'ALLIANCE). [3]
3 × Collège (COLLEGE CHARLES MILCENDEAU · COLLEGE JACQUELINE AURIOL · COLLEGE PRIVE ST JOSEPH). [3]
18 × GP (médecin généraliste) (ARNAUD DEWAELE, MÉDECIN · GWENAËL PLANCHOT, MÉDECIN · VINCENT FONFREIDE, MÉDECIN · FLORIAN SEVIN, MÉDECIN · SÉBASTIEN GORRY, MÉDECIN). [3]
5 × Pharmacy (PHARMACIE DU GRAND PALAIS · PHARMACIE DE LA POSTE · PHARMACIE CHEVILLON · PHARMACIE DE LA RIVE · PHARMACIE CAP OCEAN). [3,4]
1 × Post office / agence postale (LA POSTE). [3]
1 × Library (MEDIATHÈQUE DIDEROT). [3]
1 × Cinema (CINE TRISKELL). [3]
11 × Gym / sports hall (SALLE DE LA PROUTIERE · GROUPE SCOLAIRE DE LA CROIX MARAUD · COMPLEXE SPORTIF DE LA CAILLETIERE · GYMNASE LUCIE AUBRAC · COLLEGE ST JOSEPH). [3]
10 × Bank (CAISSE FEDERALE DU CREDIT MUTUEL OCEAN · CAISS LOCAL CREDI AGRIC MUT CHALLANS · CAISSE REGIONALE DE CREDIT AGRICOLE MUTUEL ATLANTIQUE VENDEE · BNP PARIBAS). [3]
41 × Hairdresser (ABSOLU'TIFS · BOURY BENEDICTE · STUDIO M · SALON MICKAEL). [3,4]
5 × Fuel station (STATION SERVICE). [3,4]
4 × Hotel (HOTELS MARMOTTE · HÔTEL LE COMMERCE · CHATEAU DE LA VERIE · CAILLEBOTTE LE MARAIS). [3,4]
1 × Campsite (CAMPING LE RAGIS). [3,4]
Not counted, because the business register records them as closed: 5 × Bakery (boulangerie), 3 × Butcher (boucherie), 2 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette), 18 × Restaurant, 1 × GP (médecin généraliste), 1 × Pharmacy, 1 × Bank, 11 × Hairdresser, 2 × Hotel.
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 16 | LA CHALLANDINE · L' AMI DE CHALLANS · MAURICE CREATEUR PATISSIER CHOCOLAT · MAURICE CREATEUR PATISSIER CHOCOLATIER · GELENCSER CHOCOLATS MACARONS GLACES DRAGEES | INSEE BPE 16 / INSEE SIRENE 20 [3,4] |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 2 | MAISON MICHENAUD | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 4 [3,4] |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 2 | CARREFOUR CITY · SPEED SHOP | INSEE BPE 2 / INSEE SIRENE 4 [3,4] |
| Supermarket | 7 | LIDL · SODICHAL · SODIVARDIERE · ILDAM · ALDI MARCHE | INSEE BPE 7 / INSEE SIRENE 6 [3,4] |
| Cheese shop (fromagerie) | 0 | INSEE SIRENE 0 [4] | |
| Fishmonger | 3 | CHEZ LE SABLAIS · PECHE SIONNAISE · LA CABANE NO | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 5 [3,4] |
| Restaurant | 50 | LE LOUIS XIII · SARL UNIPERS LA MARMITE GOURMANDE · L'ODYSSEE · 2RC RESTAURATION RAPIDE DE CHALLANS · LE GAVROCHE | INSEE BPE 50 / INSEE SIRENE 81 [3,4] |
| Café / bar | 14 | LE COMPTOIR DU MARAIS · COCOON BAR · AU MARL'N BAR · NAGADA BOWLING · LE BOCAGE | INSEE SIRENE 14 [4] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 3 | ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE · ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE LA CROIX-MARAUD · ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE DE LA MELIERE | INSEE BPE 3 [3] |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 6 | ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE DE LA MELIERE · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE · ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE PUBLIQUE LA CROIX-MARAUD · ECOLE PRIMAIRE PUBLIQUE LUCIE AUBRAC · ECOLE PRIMAIRE PRIVEE DE L'ALLIANCE | INSEE BPE 6 [3] |
| Collège | 3 | COLLEGE CHARLES MILCENDEAU · COLLEGE JACQUELINE AURIOL · COLLEGE PRIVE ST JOSEPH | INSEE BPE 3 [3] |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 18 | ARNAUD DEWAELE, MÉDECIN · GWENAËL PLANCHOT, MÉDECIN · VINCENT FONFREIDE, MÉDECIN · FLORIAN SEVIN, MÉDECIN · SÉBASTIEN GORRY, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 18 [3] |
| Pharmacy | 5 | PHARMACIE DU GRAND PALAIS · PHARMACIE DE LA POSTE · PHARMACIE CHEVILLON · PHARMACIE DE LA RIVE · PHARMACIE CAP OCEAN | INSEE BPE 5 / INSEE SIRENE 8 [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 | MEDIATHÈQUE DIDEROT | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Cinema | 1 | CINE TRISKELL | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Gym / sports hall | 11 | SALLE DE LA PROUTIERE · GROUPE SCOLAIRE DE LA CROIX MARAUD · COMPLEXE SPORTIF DE LA CAILLETIERE · GYMNASE LUCIE AUBRAC · COLLEGE ST JOSEPH | INSEE BPE 11 [3] |
| Swimming pool | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Bank | 10 | CAISSE FEDERALE DU CREDIT MUTUEL OCEAN · CAISS LOCAL CREDI AGRIC MUT CHALLANS · CAISSE REGIONALE DE CREDIT AGRICOLE MUTUEL ATLANTIQUE VENDEE · BNP PARIBAS | INSEE BPE 10 [3] |
| Hairdresser | 41 | ABSOLU'TIFS · BOURY BENEDICTE · STUDIO M · SALON MICKAEL | INSEE BPE 41 / INSEE SIRENE 48 [3,4] |
| Fuel station | 5 | STATION SERVICE | INSEE BPE 5 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Hotel | 4 | HOTELS MARMOTTE · HÔTEL LE COMMERCE · CHATEAU DE LA VERIE · CAILLEBOTTE LE MARAIS | INSEE BPE 4 / INSEE SIRENE 10 [3,4] |
| Campsite | 1 | CAMPING LE RAGIS | 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 19,107 (2012) → 22,943 (2023): 20.1 % over 10 years. [5,1]
Population 14,203 (1990) → 22,943 (2023): 61.5 % over 30 years. [6,1]
Dwellings (2023): 12,452, of which 3 % second homes and 6.3 % vacant. [7]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (Challans): 0.1 km to the north (straight line). [8]
Food shop (Challans): 0.2 km to the north-west (straight line). [8]
GP (Challans): 0.9 km to the south (straight line). [8]
Pharmacy (Challans): 0.1 km to the north (straight line). [8]
Primary school (Challans): 0.4 km to the west (straight line). [8]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 8 days a year at or above 30 °C and 24 days at or below 0 °C, over 30 complete years in 1995–2024. [9]
Measured at the LE PERRIER weather station, 9.4 km away at 2 m; the village itself is at 12 m. [9]
Muggy days — a dew point at or above 18 °C — average 3 days a summer. [9]
Humidity measured at LE PERRIER, 9.4 km away at 2 m, over 21 summers. [9]
An average of 745 mm of rain a year, spread over 115 days — about 6.5 mm on a day it rains. [9]
Rainfall measured at LE PERRIER, 9.4 km away at 2 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 — 85047/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 85047/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 85047/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 85047/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 85047
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarreguemines | 57 | 712 km NE | 20,143 | 70.9 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 79 % · winter 28 % · humidity 93 % |
| Le Moule | 971 | 6,384 km W | 23,014 | 71.7 | Served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 0 % · winter 68 % · humidity 0 % |
| Lannion | 22 | 241 km NW | 20,315 | 76.1 | Served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 82 % · winter 84 % · humidity 86 % |
| Saumur | 49 | 144 km E | 26,241 | 78.3 | Served | Warmer summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 59 % · winter 88 % · humidity 93 % |
| Romorantin-Lanthenay | 41 | 280 km E | 18,373 | 67.2 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 69 % · winter 42 % · humidity 86 % |
| Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume | 83 | 714 km SE | 17,896 | 68.7 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 0 % · winter 49 % · humidity 86 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saumur | 49 | 144 km E | 26,241 | 78.3 | Served | Warmer summers, similar winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 59 % · winter 88 % · humidity 93 % |
| Lannion | 22 | 241 km NW | 20,315 | 76.1 | Served | Cooler summers and milder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 82 % · winter 84 % · humidity 86 % |
| Romorantin-Lanthenay | 41 | 280 km E | 18,373 | 67.2 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 69 % · winter 42 % · humidity 86 % |
| Sarreguemines | 57 | 712 km NE | 20,143 | 70.9 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 79 % · winter 28 % · humidity 93 % |
| Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume | 83 | 714 km SE | 17,896 | 68.7 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.Summers feel about as humid.summer 0 % · winter 49 % · humidity 86 % |
| Le Moule | 971 | 6,384 km W | 23,014 | 71.7 | Served | Warmer summers and milder winters.Summers feel more humid.summer 0 % · winter 68 % · humidity 0 % |
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 Challans'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concarneau | 29 | 191 km NW | 20,845 | 74.6 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 87 % · winter 86 % · humidity 86 % |
| Hennebont | 56 | 150 km NW | 15,910 | 69.2 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 93 % · humidity 86 % |
| Pontchâteau | 44 | 68 km N | 11,474 | 56.8 | Partly served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 97 % · humidity 93 % |
| Douarnenez | 29 | 231 km NW | 14,068 | 64.1 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 90 % · winter 91 % · humidity 86 % |
| Châteaugiron | 35 | 137 km N | 10,845 | 60.7 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 92 % · humidity 86 % |
| Abbeville | 80 | 454 km NE | 22,395 | 76.9 | Served | Much the same temperatures.Summers feel about as humid.summer 95 % · winter 95 % · humidity 86 % |
Elsewhere
Commune website · Wikipedia (en) ·Wikipedia (fr) · INSEE dossier complet · OpenStreetMap · Web search · Map
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/85047-challans