Press kit · department 34

Hérault.

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 48 towns ranked Public data · Licence Ouverte (Etalab)

Cite this page

La Grande Carte, “Press kit — Hérault (34)”, https://lagrandecarte.fr/en/presse/herault-34 (accessed 28 September 2026).

<a href="https://lagrandecarte.fr/en/presse/herault-34">Hérault 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
Prades-le-Lez	Small cities	6,207	1 / 41	79 / 1747
Saint-Gély-du-Fesc	Small cities	10,530	2 / 41	85 / 1747
Castries	Small cities	6,722	3 / 41	193 / 1747
Marsillargues	Small cities	6,787	4 / 41	278 / 1747
Saint-Clément-de-Rivière	Small cities	5,140	5 / 41	365 / 1747
Bessan	Small cities	5,705	6 / 41	377 / 1747
Lunel	Mid-size cities	26,380	1 / 6	115 / 470
Clapiers	Small cities	6,010	7 / 41	436 / 1747
Jacou	Small cities	6,964	8 / 41	455 / 1747
Cournonterral	Small cities	7,019	9 / 41	484 / 1747

Lowest-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Vias	Small cities	5,960	41 / 41	1745 / 1747
Palavas-les-Flots	Small cities	6,007	40 / 41	1740 / 1747
Pézenas	Small cities	7,789	39 / 41	1698 / 1747
Marseillan	Small cities	8,047	38 / 41	1696 / 1747
Grande-Motte	Small cities	8,508	37 / 41	1691 / 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
Cazouls-lès-Béziers	Small cities	5,185	1 / 41	145 / 1747
Grande-Motte	Small cities	8,508	2 / 41	229 / 1747
Sète	Mid-size cities	45,090	1 / 6	70 / 470
Agde	Mid-size cities	29,612	2 / 6	85 / 470
Marsillargues	Small cities	6,787	3 / 41	418 / 1747
Montpellier	Large cities	307,101	1 / 1	15 / 53
Castries	Small cities	6,722	4 / 41	499 / 1747
Baillargues	Small cities	7,793	5 / 41	549 / 1747
Béziers	Mid-size cities	80,815	3 / 6	168 / 470
Marseillan	Small cities	8,047	6 / 41	713 / 1747

Lowest-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Pignan	Small cities	8,326	41 / 41	1713 / 1747
Saint-Gély-du-Fesc	Small cities	10,530	40 / 41	1705 / 1747
Cournonterral	Small cities	7,019	39 / 41	1701 / 1747
Gignac	Small cities	6,713	38 / 41	1693 / 1747
Saint-André-de-Sangonis	Small cities	6,364	37 / 41	1680 / 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
Bédarieux	Small cities	5,820	1 / 41	7 / 1747
Pézenas	Small cities	7,789	2 / 41	21 / 1747
Lunel	Mid-size cities	26,380	1 / 6	6 / 470
Baillargues	Small cities	7,793	3 / 41	87 / 1747
Saint-Jean-de-Védas	Small cities	13,300	4 / 41	93 / 1747
Montpellier	Large cities	307,101	1 / 1	3 / 53
Grande-Motte	Small cities	8,508	5 / 41	107 / 1747
Clermont-l'Hérault	Small cities	9,372	6 / 41	109 / 1747
Castelnau-le-Lez	Mid-size cities	25,404	2 / 6	43 / 470
Lattes	Small cities	17,592	7 / 41	165 / 1747

Lowest-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Cournonterral	Small cities	7,019	41 / 41	1328 / 1747
Cazouls-lès-Béziers	Small cities	5,185	40 / 41	1267 / 1747
Poussan	Small cities	6,540	39 / 41	1125 / 1747
Vias	Small cities	5,960	38 / 41	1087 / 1747
Bessan	Small cities	5,705	37 / 41	1040 / 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
Saint-Clément-de-Rivière	Small cities	5,140	1 / 41	51 / 1747
Pérols	Small cities	9,541	2 / 41	111 / 1747
Bédarieux	Small cities	5,820	3 / 41	139 / 1747
Jacou	Small cities	6,964	4 / 41	167 / 1747
Pézenas	Small cities	7,789	5 / 41	177 / 1747
Castelnau-le-Lez	Mid-size cities	25,404	1 / 6	60 / 470
Baillargues	Small cities	7,793	6 / 41	227 / 1747
Gignac	Small cities	6,713	7 / 41	242 / 1747
Saint-Gély-du-Fesc	Small cities	10,530	8 / 41	255 / 1747
Saint-Georges-d'Orques	Small cities	5,707	9 / 41	441 / 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
Baillargues	Small cities	7,793	1 / 41	24 / 1747
Grabels	Small cities	9,060	2 / 41	59 / 1747
Saint-André-de-Sangonis	Small cities	6,364	3 / 41	70 / 1747
Castelnau-le-Lez	Mid-size cities	25,404	1 / 6	20 / 470
Gignac	Small cities	6,713	4 / 41	82 / 1747
Mèze	Small cities	12,711	5 / 41	83 / 1747
Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone	Small cities	10,406	6 / 41	84 / 1747
Saint-Gély-du-Fesc	Small cities	10,530	7 / 41	85 / 1747
Montpellier	Large cities	307,101	1 / 1	3 / 53
Crès	Small cities	9,267	8 / 41	115 / 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
Castries	Small cities	6,722	1 / 41	5 / 1747
Saint-Clément-de-Rivière	Small cities	5,140	2 / 41	63 / 1747
Pérols	Small cities	9,541	3 / 41	84 / 1747
Saint-Gély-du-Fesc	Small cities	10,530	4 / 41	91 / 1747
Grande-Motte	Small cities	8,508	5 / 41	108 / 1747
Lattes	Small cities	17,592	6 / 41	109 / 1747
Castelnau-le-Lez	Mid-size cities	25,404	1 / 6	32 / 470
Marsillargues	Small cities	6,787	7 / 41	126 / 1747
Jacou	Small cities	6,964	8 / 41	141 / 1747
Sète	Mid-size cities	45,090	2 / 6	39 / 470

Lowest-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Juvignac	Small cities	13,776	41 / 41	729 / 1747
Cazouls-lès-Béziers	Small cities	5,185	40 / 41	609 / 1747
Lodève	Small cities	7,202	39 / 41	586 / 1747
Grabels	Small cities	9,060	38 / 41	583 / 1747
Servian	Small cities	5,427	37 / 41	565 / 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
Grande-Motte	Small cities	8,508	1 / 41	143 / 1747
Florensac	Small cities	5,138	2 / 41	199 / 1747
Lattes	Small cities	17,592	3 / 41	216 / 1747
Vendargues	Small cities	7,157	4 / 41	240 / 1747
Castelnau-le-Lez	Mid-size cities	25,404	1 / 6	65 / 470
Crès	Small cities	9,267	5 / 41	258 / 1747
Pignan	Small cities	8,326	6 / 41	298 / 1747
Pérols	Small cities	9,541	7 / 41	414 / 1747
Sérignan	Small cities	8,437	8 / 41	601 / 1747
Jacou	Small cities	6,964	9 / 41	604 / 1747

Lowest-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Gigean	Small cities	6,559	41 / 41	1674 / 1747
Saint-Georges-d'Orques	Small cities	5,707	40 / 41	1663 / 1747
Clermont-l'Hérault	Small cities	9,372	39 / 41	1659 / 1747
Prades-le-Lez	Small cities	6,207	38 / 41	1630 / 1747
Servian	Small cities	5,427	37 / 41	1583 / 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
Agde	Mid-size cities	29,612	1 / 6	8 / 470
Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone	Small cities	10,406	1 / 41	40 / 1747
Castries	Small cities	6,722	2 / 41	82 / 1747
Palavas-les-Flots	Small cities	6,007	3 / 41	104 / 1747
Marseillan	Small cities	8,047	4 / 41	105 / 1747
Frontignan	Mid-size cities	23,788	2 / 6	32 / 470
Mauguio	Small cities	16,417	5 / 41	122 / 1747
Sète	Mid-size cities	45,090	3 / 6	33 / 470
Grande-Motte	Small cities	8,508	6 / 41	135 / 1747
Bédarieux	Small cities	5,820	7 / 41	139 / 1747

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.