Charente.
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.
La Grande Carte, “Press kit — Charente (16)”, https://lagrandecarte.fr/en/presse/charente-16 (accessed 28 September 2026). <a href="https://lagrandecarte.fr/en/presse/charente-16">Charente press kit — La Grande Carte</a> Safest cities.
Top-ranked in the department
| Town | Size tier | Population | Rank in its tier · Department | Rank in its tier · France |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isle-d'Espagnac | Small cities | 5,691 | 1 / 8 | 663 / 1747 |
| Champniers | Small cities | 5,237 | 2 / 8 | 781 / 1747 |
| Gond-Pontouvre | Small cities | 5,884 | 3 / 8 | 985 / 1747 |
| Saint-Yrieix-sur-Charente | Small cities | 7,556 | 4 / 8 | 1014 / 1747 |
| Soyaux | Small cities | 10,057 | 5 / 8 | 1078 / 1747 |
| Ruelle-sur-Touvre | Small cities | 7,396 | 6 / 8 | 1090 / 1747 |
| Angoulême | Mid-size cities | 41,423 | 1 / 1 | 434 / 470 |
| Cognac | Small cities | 18,466 | 7 / 8 | 1643 / 1747 |
| Couronne | Small cities | 7,759 | 8 / 8 | 1707 / 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.
Best environmental quality.
Top-ranked in the department
| Town | Size tier | Population | Rank in its tier · Department | Rank in its tier · France |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognac | Small cities | 18,466 | 1 / 8 | 579 / 1747 |
| Isle-d'Espagnac | Small cities | 5,691 | 2 / 8 | 785 / 1747 |
| Ruelle-sur-Touvre | Small cities | 7,396 | 3 / 8 | 810 / 1747 |
| Soyaux | Small cities | 10,057 | 4 / 8 | 839 / 1747 |
| Gond-Pontouvre | Small cities | 5,884 | 5 / 8 | 1190 / 1747 |
| Couronne | Small cities | 7,759 | 6 / 8 | 1273 / 1747 |
| Angoulême | Mid-size cities | 41,423 | 1 / 1 | 343 / 470 |
| Saint-Yrieix-sur-Charente | Small cities | 7,556 | 7 / 8 | 1322 / 1747 |
| Champniers | Small cities | 5,237 | 8 / 8 | 1492 / 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: Best environmental quality.
Best cities for health.
Top-ranked in the department
| Town | Size tier | Population | Rank in its tier · Department | Rank in its tier · France |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognac | Small cities | 18,466 | 1 / 8 | 67 / 1747 |
| Soyaux | Small cities | 10,057 | 2 / 8 | 474 / 1747 |
| Couronne | Small cities | 7,759 | 3 / 8 | 616 / 1747 |
| Isle-d'Espagnac | Small cities | 5,691 | 4 / 8 | 647 / 1747 |
| Ruelle-sur-Touvre | Small cities | 7,396 | 5 / 8 | 659 / 1747 |
| Angoulême | Mid-size cities | 41,423 | 1 / 1 | 263 / 470 |
| Saint-Yrieix-sur-Charente | Small cities | 7,556 | 6 / 8 | 1001 / 1747 |
| Gond-Pontouvre | Small cities | 5,884 | 7 / 8 | 1182 / 1747 |
| Champniers | Small cities | 5,237 | 8 / 8 | 1295 / 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: Best cities for health.
Best cities for families.
Top-ranked in the department
| Town | Size tier | Population | Rank in its tier · Department | Rank in its tier · France |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angoulême | Mid-size cities | 41,423 | 1 / 1 | 169 / 470 |
| Cognac | Small cities | 18,466 | 1 / 8 | 630 / 1747 |
| Saint-Yrieix-sur-Charente | Small cities | 7,556 | 2 / 8 | 664 / 1747 |
| Champniers | Small cities | 5,237 | 3 / 8 | 710 / 1747 |
| Couronne | Small cities | 7,759 | 4 / 8 | 1065 / 1747 |
| Ruelle-sur-Touvre | Small cities | 7,396 | 5 / 8 | 1148 / 1747 |
| Gond-Pontouvre | Small cities | 5,884 | 6 / 8 | 1292 / 1747 |
| Isle-d'Espagnac | Small cities | 5,691 | 7 / 8 | 1304 / 1747 |
| Soyaux | Small cities | 10,057 | 8 / 8 | 1341 / 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: Best cities for families.
Most dynamic cities.
Top-ranked in the department
| Town | Size tier | Population | Rank in its tier · Department | Rank in its tier · France |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isle-d'Espagnac | Small cities | 5,691 | 1 / 8 | 531 / 1747 |
| Couronne | Small cities | 7,759 | 2 / 8 | 625 / 1747 |
| Soyaux | Small cities | 10,057 | 3 / 8 | 770 / 1747 |
| Gond-Pontouvre | Small cities | 5,884 | 4 / 8 | 827 / 1747 |
| Cognac | Small cities | 18,466 | 5 / 8 | 857 / 1747 |
| Champniers | Small cities | 5,237 | 6 / 8 | 900 / 1747 |
| Angoulême | Mid-size cities | 41,423 | 1 / 1 | 270 / 470 |
| Ruelle-sur-Touvre | Small cities | 7,396 | 7 / 8 | 1022 / 1747 |
| Saint-Yrieix-sur-Charente | Small cities | 7,556 | 8 / 8 | 1410 / 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: Most dynamic cities.
Best quality of life.
Top-ranked in the department
| Town | Size tier | Population | Rank in its tier · Department | Rank in its tier · France |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champniers | Small cities | 5,237 | 1 / 8 | 406 / 1747 |
| Cognac | Small cities | 18,466 | 2 / 8 | 775 / 1747 |
| Angoulême | Mid-size cities | 41,423 | 1 / 1 | 242 / 470 |
| Isle-d'Espagnac | Small cities | 5,691 | 3 / 8 | 969 / 1747 |
| Gond-Pontouvre | Small cities | 5,884 | 4 / 8 | 1078 / 1747 |
| Ruelle-sur-Touvre | Small cities | 7,396 | 5 / 8 | 1099 / 1747 |
| Saint-Yrieix-sur-Charente | Small cities | 7,556 | 6 / 8 | 1180 / 1747 |
| Soyaux | Small cities | 10,057 | 7 / 8 | 1199 / 1747 |
| Couronne | Small cities | 7,759 | 8 / 8 | 1271 / 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: Best quality of life.
Best-managed municipalities.
Top-ranked in the department
| Town | Size tier | Population | Rank in its tier · Department | Rank in its tier · France |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champniers | Small cities | 5,237 | 1 / 8 | 399 / 1747 |
| Gond-Pontouvre | Small cities | 5,884 | 2 / 8 | 589 / 1747 |
| Soyaux | Small cities | 10,057 | 3 / 8 | 773 / 1747 |
| Angoulême | Mid-size cities | 41,423 | 1 / 1 | 256 / 470 |
| Saint-Yrieix-sur-Charente | Small cities | 7,556 | 4 / 8 | 1024 / 1747 |
| Cognac | Small cities | 18,466 | 5 / 8 | 1186 / 1747 |
| Isle-d'Espagnac | Small cities | 5,691 | 6 / 8 | 1354 / 1747 |
| Couronne | Small cities | 7,759 | 7 / 8 | 1525 / 1747 |
| Ruelle-sur-Touvre | Small cities | 7,396 | 8 / 8 | 1565 / 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: Best-managed municipalities.
Preserved nature & environment.
Top-ranked in the department
| Town | Size tier | Population | Rank in its tier · Department | Rank in its tier · France |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soyaux | Small cities | 10,057 | 1 / 8 | 653 / 1747 |
| Couronne | Small cities | 7,759 | 2 / 8 | 673 / 1747 |
| Saint-Yrieix-sur-Charente | Small cities | 7,556 | 3 / 8 | 835 / 1747 |
| Angoulême | Mid-size cities | 41,423 | 1 / 1 | 237 / 470 |
| Cognac | Small cities | 18,466 | 4 / 8 | 1087 / 1747 |
| Isle-d'Espagnac | Small cities | 5,691 | 5 / 8 | 1118 / 1747 |
| Gond-Pontouvre | Small cities | 5,884 | 6 / 8 | 1130 / 1747 |
| Ruelle-sur-Touvre | Small cities | 7,396 | 7 / 8 | 1192 / 1747 |
| Champniers | Small cities | 5,237 | 8 / 8 | 1494 / 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: Preserved nature & environment.
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.