Press kit · department 01

Ain.

Every town in the department ranked on each criterion, ready to be reused. Each town is compared with French towns of the same size tier — a market town is never measured against a major city. Free to reuse, including commercially, on the sole condition that you credit La Grande Carte with a link to this page.

8 rankings 24 towns ranked Public data · Licence Ouverte (Etalab)

Cite this page

La Grande Carte, “Press kit — Ain (01)”, https://lagrandecarte.fr/en/presse/ain-01 (accessed 27 September 2026).

<a href="https://lagrandecarte.fr/en/presse/ain-01">Ain press kit — La Grande Carte</a>

01.

Safest cities.

Low crime, rare assaults, few burglaries, downward trend — data from the French Ministry of Interior

Top-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Cessy	Small cities	5,570	1 / 22	86 / 1747
Reyrieux	Small cities	5,228	2 / 22	141 / 1747
Prévessin-Moëns	Small cities	9,081	3 / 22	267 / 1747
Lagnieu	Small cities	7,321	4 / 22	282 / 1747
Oyonnax	Mid-size cities	22,378	1 / 2	97 / 470
Saint-Denis-lès-Bourg	Small cities	6,078	5 / 22	368 / 1747
Belley	Small cities	9,270	6 / 22	397 / 1747
Saint-Genis-Pouilly	Small cities	14,584	7 / 22	488 / 1747
Thoiry	Small cities	6,356	8 / 22	602 / 1747
Meximieux	Small cities	8,198	9 / 22	833 / 1747

Lowest-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne	Small cities	5,154	22 / 22	1684 / 1747
Miribel	Small cities	10,450	21 / 22	1596 / 1747
Montluel	Small cities	6,879	20 / 22	1522 / 1747
Bourg-en-Bresse	Mid-size cities	42,065	2 / 2	400 / 470
Villars-les-Dombes	Small cities	5,059	19 / 22	1484 / 1747

Both tables are sorted by national rank within the size tier, the only measure that is comparable between a small town and a large city. The department rank is read within the same tier: a town that is the only one of its size in the department is therefore automatically ranked 1 of 1.

Full national ranking: Safest cities.

02.

Best environmental quality.

Compliant drinking water, far from nuclear plants, low radon, low seismic risk, balanced soils, no major hazard

Top-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Oyonnax	Mid-size cities	22,378	1 / 2	207 / 470
Thoiry	Small cities	6,356	1 / 22	826 / 1747
Cessy	Small cities	5,570	2 / 22	900 / 1747
Gex	Small cities	13,455	3 / 22	957 / 1747
Bellegarde-sur-Valserine	Small cities	16,162	4 / 22	1009 / 1747
Bourg-en-Bresse	Mid-size cities	42,065	2 / 2	325 / 470
Prévessin-Moëns	Small cities	9,081	5 / 22	1229 / 1747
Saint-Denis-lès-Bourg	Small cities	6,078	6 / 22	1280 / 1747
Montluel	Small cities	6,879	7 / 22	1329 / 1747
Ferney-Voltaire	Small cities	11,530	8 / 22	1343 / 1747

Lowest-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Trévoux	Small cities	6,931	22 / 22	1738 / 1747
Reyrieux	Small cities	5,228	21 / 22	1725 / 1747
Jassans-Riottier	Small cities	6,315	20 / 22	1711 / 1747
Villars-les-Dombes	Small cities	5,059	19 / 22	1699 / 1747
Belley	Small cities	9,270	18 / 22	1609 / 1747

Full national ranking: Best environmental quality.

03.

Best cities for health.

Access to GPs (APL), hospitals and specialists, drinking water quality, radon and nuclear exposure

Top-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Belley	Small cities	9,270	1 / 22	334 / 1747
Ambérieu-en-Bugey	Small cities	15,554	2 / 22	403 / 1747
Viriat	Small cities	6,955	3 / 22	545 / 1747
Meximieux	Small cities	8,198	4 / 22	584 / 1747
Bourg-en-Bresse	Mid-size cities	42,065	1 / 2	160 / 470
Trévoux	Small cities	6,931	5 / 22	609 / 1747
Saint-Denis-lès-Bourg	Small cities	6,078	6 / 22	640 / 1747
Jassans-Riottier	Small cities	6,315	7 / 22	865 / 1747
Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne	Small cities	5,154	8 / 22	1095 / 1747
Oyonnax	Mid-size cities	22,378	2 / 2	308 / 470

Lowest-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Thoiry	Small cities	6,356	22 / 22	1705 / 1747
Prévessin-Moëns	Small cities	9,081	21 / 22	1693 / 1747
Divonne-les-Bains	Small cities	10,300	20 / 22	1691 / 1747
Gex	Small cities	13,455	19 / 22	1651 / 1747
Ferney-Voltaire	Small cities	11,530	18 / 22	1623 / 1747

Full national ranking: Best cities for health.

04.

Best cities for families.

Schools and nurseries, safety, doctors, sport and culture, shops, fibre internet — everything to raise kids well

Top-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Belley	Small cities	9,270	1 / 22	244 / 1747
Bourg-en-Bresse	Mid-size cities	42,065	1 / 2	66 / 470
Péronnas	Small cities	6,437	2 / 22	356 / 1747
Oyonnax	Mid-size cities	22,378	2 / 2	104 / 470
Lagnieu	Small cities	7,321	3 / 22	507 / 1747
Trévoux	Small cities	6,931	4 / 22	527 / 1747
Jassans-Riottier	Small cities	6,315	5 / 22	676 / 1747
Villars-les-Dombes	Small cities	5,059	6 / 22	688 / 1747
Reyrieux	Small cities	5,228	7 / 22	700 / 1747
Cessy	Small cities	5,570	8 / 22	755 / 1747

Full national ranking: Best cities for families.

05.

Most dynamic cities.

Growing population, rising incomes, falling unemployment, strong municipal investment, recent housing

Top-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Prévessin-Moëns	Small cities	9,081	1 / 22	140 / 1747
Miribel	Small cities	10,450	2 / 22	154 / 1747
Thoiry	Small cities	6,356	3 / 22	196 / 1747
Meximieux	Small cities	8,198	4 / 22	224 / 1747
Cessy	Small cities	5,570	5 / 22	231 / 1747
Reyrieux	Small cities	5,228	6 / 22	237 / 1747
Belley	Small cities	9,270	7 / 22	241 / 1747
Viriat	Small cities	6,955	8 / 22	243 / 1747
Divonne-les-Bains	Small cities	10,300	9 / 22	323 / 1747
Ambérieu-en-Bugey	Small cities	15,554	10 / 22	346 / 1747

Full national ranking: Most dynamic cities.

06.

Best quality of life.

Overall synthesis: amenities, safety, doctors, incomes, fibre, nearby nature, healthy water, low unemployment

Top-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Thoiry	Small cities	6,356	1 / 22	235 / 1747
Belley	Small cities	9,270	2 / 22	325 / 1747
Lagnieu	Small cities	7,321	3 / 22	427 / 1747
Oyonnax	Mid-size cities	22,378	1 / 2	121 / 470
Meximieux	Small cities	8,198	4 / 22	506 / 1747
Bellegarde-sur-Valserine	Small cities	16,162	5 / 22	555 / 1747
Divonne-les-Bains	Small cities	10,300	6 / 22	574 / 1747
Reyrieux	Small cities	5,228	7 / 22	580 / 1747
Saint-Genis-Pouilly	Small cities	14,584	8 / 22	597 / 1747
Cessy	Small cities	5,570	9 / 22	620 / 1747

Lowest-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne	Small cities	5,154	22 / 22	1329 / 1747
Villars-les-Dombes	Small cities	5,059	21 / 22	1301 / 1747
Péronnas	Small cities	6,437	20 / 22	1278 / 1747
Saint-Denis-lès-Bourg	Small cities	6,078	19 / 22	1168 / 1747
Miribel	Small cities	10,450	18 / 22	1112 / 1747

Full national ranking: Best quality of life.

07.

Best-managed municipalities.

Positive operating balance, controlled debt, strong investment, reasonable property tax rate

Top-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Prévessin-Moëns	Small cities	9,081	1 / 22	28 / 1747
Saint-Genis-Pouilly	Small cities	14,584	2 / 22	37 / 1747
Ferney-Voltaire	Small cities	11,530	3 / 22	73 / 1747
Miribel	Small cities	10,450	4 / 22	81 / 1747
Cessy	Small cities	5,570	5 / 22	111 / 1747
Reyrieux	Small cities	5,228	6 / 22	167 / 1747
Viriat	Small cities	6,955	7 / 22	203 / 1747
Oyonnax	Mid-size cities	22,378	1 / 2	62 / 470
Divonne-les-Bains	Small cities	10,300	8 / 22	276 / 1747
Péronnas	Small cities	6,437	9 / 22	297 / 1747

Lowest-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Jassans-Riottier	Small cities	6,315	22 / 22	1412 / 1747
Lagnieu	Small cities	7,321	21 / 22	1394 / 1747
Meximieux	Small cities	8,198	20 / 22	1264 / 1747
Belley	Small cities	9,270	19 / 22	1205 / 1747
Trévoux	Small cities	6,931	18 / 22	1104 / 1747

Full national ranking: Best-managed municipalities.

08.

Preserved nature & environment.

National parks, nature reserves, Natura 2000, regional parks, far from nuclear, no major risks — preserved France

Top-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Divonne-les-Bains	Small cities	10,300	1 / 22	12 / 1747
Thoiry	Small cities	6,356	2 / 22	16 / 1747
Gex	Small cities	13,455	3 / 22	23 / 1747
Bellegarde-sur-Valserine	Small cities	16,162	4 / 22	54 / 1747
Oyonnax	Mid-size cities	22,378	1 / 2	36 / 470
Lagnieu	Small cities	7,321	5 / 22	213 / 1747
Montluel	Small cities	6,879	6 / 22	299 / 1747
Péronnas	Small cities	6,437	7 / 22	324 / 1747
Cessy	Small cities	5,570	8 / 22	388 / 1747
Bourg-en-Bresse	Mid-size cities	42,065	2 / 2	128 / 470

Full national ranking: Preserved nature & environment.

Method and limits

What these tables say — and what they don’t.

Scores are composite: each criterion carries a published weight, shown under each national ranking.
Towns are ranked within a population tier (5,000–20,000, 20,000–100,000, over 100,000 inhabitants). Towns under 5,000 inhabitants are not ranked.
A town missing the data for a criterion is left out of that ranking, never ranked last by default.
This is not a league table of lived quality of life: these figures reflect the public data available, with its blind spots and publication delays.
Crime figures are offences recorded by the police and the gendarmerie: they depend on whether victims report them and on how present the services are.

Sources, data years and weightings: About page. A question, a figure that looks wrong to you, a request for a custom breakdown — contact@lagrandecarte.fr.