Manche.
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 — Manche (50)”, https://lagrandecarte.fr/en/presse/manche-50 (accessed 15 November 2026). <a href="https://lagrandecarte.fr/en/presse/manche-50">Manche 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumont-Hague | Small cities | 11,444 | 1 / 9 | 18 / 1747 |
| Bricquebec-en-Cotentin | Small cities | 5,888 | 2 / 9 | 32 / 1747 |
| Cherbourg-en-Cotentin | Mid-size cities | 78,028 | 1 / 1 | 21 / 470 |
| Carentan les Marais | Small cities | 10,220 | 3 / 9 | 545 / 1747 |
| Valognes | Small cities | 6,896 | 4 / 9 | 591 / 1747 |
| Coutances | Small cities | 8,372 | 5 / 9 | 1235 / 1747 |
| Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët | Small cities | 5,735 | 6 / 9 | 1240 / 1747 |
| Avranches | Small cities | 10,225 | 7 / 9 | 1409 / 1747 |
| Granville | Small cities | 12,799 | 8 / 9 | 1446 / 1747 |
| Saint-Lô | Small cities | 19,352 | 9 / 9 | 1472 / 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carentan les Marais | Small cities | 10,220 | 1 / 9 | 75 / 1747 |
| Saint-Lô | Small cities | 19,352 | 2 / 9 | 77 / 1747 |
| Coutances | Small cities | 8,372 | 3 / 9 | 159 / 1747 |
| Valognes | Small cities | 6,896 | 4 / 9 | 207 / 1747 |
| Granville | Small cities | 12,799 | 5 / 9 | 228 / 1747 |
| Cherbourg-en-Cotentin | Mid-size cities | 78,028 | 1 / 1 | 81 / 470 |
| Avranches | Small cities | 10,225 | 6 / 9 | 442 / 1747 |
| Bricquebec-en-Cotentin | Small cities | 5,888 | 7 / 9 | 490 / 1747 |
| Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët | Small cities | 5,735 | 8 / 9 | 524 / 1747 |
| Beaumont-Hague | Small cities | 11,444 | 9 / 9 | 563 / 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granville | Small cities | 12,799 | 1 / 9 | 16 / 1747 |
| Coutances | Small cities | 8,372 | 2 / 9 | 81 / 1747 |
| Saint-Lô | Small cities | 19,352 | 3 / 9 | 112 / 1747 |
| Avranches | Small cities | 10,225 | 4 / 9 | 122 / 1747 |
| Valognes | Small cities | 6,896 | 5 / 9 | 152 / 1747 |
| Carentan les Marais | Small cities | 10,220 | 6 / 9 | 441 / 1747 |
| Cherbourg-en-Cotentin | Mid-size cities | 78,028 | 1 / 1 | 210 / 470 |
| Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët | Small cities | 5,735 | 7 / 9 | 995 / 1747 |
| Beaumont-Hague | Small cities | 11,444 | 8 / 9 | 1390 / 1747 |
| Bricquebec-en-Cotentin | Small cities | 5,888 | 9 / 9 | 1718 / 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumont-Hague | Small cities | 11,444 | 1 / 9 | 73 / 1747 |
| Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët | Small cities | 5,735 | 2 / 9 | 167 / 1747 |
| Valognes | Small cities | 6,896 | 3 / 9 | 168 / 1747 |
| Coutances | Small cities | 8,372 | 4 / 9 | 289 / 1747 |
| Bricquebec-en-Cotentin | Small cities | 5,888 | 5 / 9 | 313 / 1747 |
| Avranches | Small cities | 10,225 | 6 / 9 | 353 / 1747 |
| Cherbourg-en-Cotentin | Mid-size cities | 78,028 | 1 / 1 | 110 / 470 |
| Saint-Lô | Small cities | 19,352 | 7 / 9 | 436 / 1747 |
| Carentan les Marais | Small cities | 10,220 | 8 / 9 | 578 / 1747 |
| Granville | Small cities | 12,799 | 9 / 9 | 580 / 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granville | Small cities | 12,799 | 1 / 9 | 244 / 1747 |
| Carentan les Marais | Small cities | 10,220 | 2 / 9 | 289 / 1747 |
| Avranches | Small cities | 10,225 | 3 / 9 | 504 / 1747 |
| Saint-Lô | Small cities | 19,352 | 4 / 9 | 578 / 1747 |
| Valognes | Small cities | 6,896 | 5 / 9 | 627 / 1747 |
| Cherbourg-en-Cotentin | Mid-size cities | 78,028 | 1 / 1 | 186 / 470 |
| Beaumont-Hague | Small cities | 11,444 | 6 / 9 | 716 / 1747 |
| Bricquebec-en-Cotentin | Small cities | 5,888 | 7 / 9 | 1241 / 1747 |
| Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët | Small cities | 5,735 | 8 / 9 | 1411 / 1747 |
| Coutances | Small cities | 8,372 | 9 / 9 | 1512 / 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granville | Small cities | 12,799 | 1 / 9 | 471 / 1747 |
| Coutances | Small cities | 8,372 | 2 / 9 | 494 / 1747 |
| Carentan les Marais | Small cities | 10,220 | 3 / 9 | 541 / 1747 |
| Cherbourg-en-Cotentin | Mid-size cities | 78,028 | 1 / 1 | 158 / 470 |
| Avranches | Small cities | 10,225 | 4 / 9 | 640 / 1747 |
| Beaumont-Hague | Small cities | 11,444 | 5 / 9 | 843 / 1747 |
| Valognes | Small cities | 6,896 | 6 / 9 | 855 / 1747 |
| Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët | Small cities | 5,735 | 7 / 9 | 861 / 1747 |
| Saint-Lô | Small cities | 19,352 | 8 / 9 | 883 / 1747 |
| Bricquebec-en-Cotentin | Small cities | 5,888 | 9 / 9 | 1277 / 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumont-Hague | Small cities | 11,444 | 1 / 9 | 13 / 1747 |
| Carentan les Marais | Small cities | 10,220 | 2 / 9 | 145 / 1747 |
| Coutances | Small cities | 8,372 | 3 / 9 | 205 / 1747 |
| Cherbourg-en-Cotentin | Mid-size cities | 78,028 | 1 / 1 | 128 / 470 |
| Valognes | Small cities | 6,896 | 4 / 9 | 482 / 1747 |
| Granville | Small cities | 12,799 | 5 / 9 | 545 / 1747 |
| Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët | Small cities | 5,735 | 6 / 9 | 754 / 1747 |
| Saint-Lô | Small cities | 19,352 | 7 / 9 | 770 / 1747 |
| Avranches | Small cities | 10,225 | 8 / 9 | 833 / 1747 |
| Bricquebec-en-Cotentin | Small cities | 5,888 | 9 / 9 | 1096 / 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricquebec-en-Cotentin | Small cities | 5,888 | 1 / 9 | 280 / 1747 |
| Beaumont-Hague | Small cities | 11,444 | 2 / 9 | 579 / 1747 |
| Cherbourg-en-Cotentin | Mid-size cities | 78,028 | 1 / 1 | 157 / 470 |
| Carentan les Marais | Small cities | 10,220 | 3 / 9 | 1044 / 1747 |
| Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët | Small cities | 5,735 | 4 / 9 | 1247 / 1747 |
| Avranches | Small cities | 10,225 | 5 / 9 | 1317 / 1747 |
| Granville | Small cities | 12,799 | 6 / 9 | 1423 / 1747 |
| Saint-Lô | Small cities | 19,352 | 7 / 9 | 1466 / 1747 |
| Coutances | Small cities | 8,372 | 8 / 9 | 1481 / 1747 |
| Valognes | Small cities | 6,896 | 9 / 9 | 1482 / 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.