Press kit · department 66

Pyrénées-Orientales.

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 22 towns ranked Public data · Licence Ouverte (Etalab)

Cite this page

La Grande Carte, “Press kit — Pyrénées-Orientales (66)”, https://lagrandecarte.fr/en/presse/pyrenees-orientales-66 (accessed 28 September 2026).

<a href="https://lagrandecarte.fr/en/presse/pyrenees-orientales-66">Pyrénées-Orientales 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
Canohès	Small cities	6,575	1 / 21	51 / 1747
Saleilles	Small cities	5,724	2 / 21	114 / 1747
Ille-sur-Têt	Small cities	5,546	3 / 21	427 / 1747
Saint-Estève	Small cities	11,673	4 / 21	446 / 1747
Soler	Small cities	7,896	5 / 21	672 / 1747
Toulouges	Small cities	7,375	6 / 21	724 / 1747
Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque	Small cities	9,941	7 / 21	751 / 1747
Céret	Small cities	7,544	8 / 21	967 / 1747
Cabestany	Small cities	10,414	9 / 21	1020 / 1747
Prades	Small cities	6,166	10 / 21	1105 / 1747

Lowest-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Argelès-sur-Mer	Small cities	10,779	21 / 21	1743 / 1747
Barcarès	Small cities	6,203	20 / 21	1739 / 1747
Canet-en-Roussillon	Small cities	13,005	19 / 21	1731 / 1747
Perpignan	Large cities	120,996	1 / 1	51 / 53
Elne	Small cities	9,479	18 / 21	1671 / 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
Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque	Small cities	9,941	1 / 21	158 / 1747
Barcarès	Small cities	6,203	2 / 21	230 / 1747
Cabestany	Small cities	10,414	3 / 21	471 / 1747
Bompas	Small cities	7,712	4 / 21	481 / 1747
Saint-Cyprien	Small cities	11,995	5 / 21	498 / 1747
Pia	Small cities	11,174	6 / 21	596 / 1747
Elne	Small cities	9,479	7 / 21	674 / 1747
Saleilles	Small cities	5,724	8 / 21	692 / 1747
Perpignan	Large cities	120,996	1 / 1	21 / 53
Canet-en-Roussillon	Small cities	13,005	9 / 21	818 / 1747

Lowest-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Ille-sur-Têt	Small cities	5,546	21 / 21	1735 / 1747
Soler	Small cities	7,896	20 / 21	1708 / 1747
Toulouges	Small cities	7,375	19 / 21	1683 / 1747
Céret	Small cities	7,544	18 / 21	1598 / 1747
Pollestres	Small cities	5,489	17 / 21	1533 / 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
Cabestany	Small cities	10,414	1 / 21	47 / 1747
Perpignan	Large cities	120,996	1 / 1	5 / 53
Céret	Small cities	7,544	2 / 21	226 / 1747
Elne	Small cities	9,479	3 / 21	310 / 1747
Saleilles	Small cities	5,724	4 / 21	364 / 1747
Toulouges	Small cities	7,375	5 / 21	529 / 1747
Bompas	Small cities	7,712	6 / 21	608 / 1747
Pia	Small cities	11,174	7 / 21	621 / 1747
Prades	Small cities	6,166	8 / 21	646 / 1747
Canet-en-Roussillon	Small cities	13,005	9 / 21	653 / 1747

Lowest-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Barcarès	Small cities	6,203	21 / 21	1662 / 1747
Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque	Small cities	9,941	20 / 21	1453 / 1747
Ille-sur-Têt	Small cities	5,546	19 / 21	1413 / 1747
Thuir	Small cities	8,215	18 / 21	1276 / 1747
Rivesaltes	Small cities	9,151	17 / 21	1171 / 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
Cabestany	Small cities	10,414	1 / 21	108 / 1747
Céret	Small cities	7,544	2 / 21	164 / 1747
Toulouges	Small cities	7,375	3 / 21	211 / 1747
Prades	Small cities	6,166	4 / 21	364 / 1747
Perpignan	Large cities	120,996	1 / 1	14 / 53
Argelès-sur-Mer	Small cities	10,779	5 / 21	696 / 1747
Soler	Small cities	7,896	6 / 21	732 / 1747
Ille-sur-Têt	Small cities	5,546	7 / 21	744 / 1747
Saint-Cyprien	Small cities	11,995	8 / 21	912 / 1747
Saleilles	Small cities	5,724	9 / 21	928 / 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
Pollestres	Small cities	5,489	1 / 21	64 / 1747
Thuir	Small cities	8,215	2 / 21	170 / 1747
Canohès	Small cities	6,575	3 / 21	220 / 1747
Elne	Small cities	9,479	4 / 21	247 / 1747
Cabestany	Small cities	10,414	5 / 21	340 / 1747
Saleilles	Small cities	5,724	6 / 21	362 / 1747
Toulouges	Small cities	7,375	7 / 21	482 / 1747
Barcarès	Small cities	6,203	8 / 21	505 / 1747
Prades	Small cities	6,166	9 / 21	513 / 1747
Rivesaltes	Small cities	9,151	10 / 21	562 / 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
Cabestany	Small cities	10,414	1 / 21	52 / 1747
Saleilles	Small cities	5,724	2 / 21	65 / 1747
Céret	Small cities	7,544	3 / 21	150 / 1747
Argelès-sur-Mer	Small cities	10,779	4 / 21	161 / 1747
Canet-en-Roussillon	Small cities	13,005	5 / 21	233 / 1747
Saint-Cyprien	Small cities	11,995	6 / 21	236 / 1747
Elne	Small cities	9,479	7 / 21	237 / 1747
Saint-Estève	Small cities	11,673	8 / 21	354 / 1747
Perpignan	Large cities	120,996	1 / 1	11 / 53
Toulouges	Small cities	7,375	9 / 21	428 / 1747

Lowest-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Thuir	Small cities	8,215	21 / 21	913 / 1747
Ille-sur-Têt	Small cities	5,546	20 / 21	811 / 1747
Rivesaltes	Small cities	9,151	19 / 21	753 / 1747
Prades	Small cities	6,166	18 / 21	741 / 1747
Pia	Small cities	11,174	17 / 21	692 / 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
Ille-sur-Têt	Small cities	5,546	1 / 21	155 / 1747
Thuir	Small cities	8,215	2 / 21	284 / 1747
Saleilles	Small cities	5,724	3 / 21	378 / 1747
Bompas	Small cities	7,712	4 / 21	388 / 1747
Canet-en-Roussillon	Small cities	13,005	5 / 21	444 / 1747
Saint-Cyprien	Small cities	11,995	6 / 21	533 / 1747
Soler	Small cities	7,896	7 / 21	574 / 1747
Prades	Small cities	6,166	8 / 21	578 / 1747
Perpignan	Large cities	120,996	1 / 1	21 / 53
Argelès-sur-Mer	Small cities	10,779	9 / 21	714 / 1747

Lowest-ranked in the department

Town	Size tier	Population	Rank in its tier · Department	Rank in its tier · France
Pia	Small cities	11,174	21 / 21	1682 / 1747
Elne	Small cities	9,479	20 / 21	1653 / 1747
Rivesaltes	Small cities	9,151	19 / 21	1614 / 1747
Pollestres	Small cities	5,489	18 / 21	1597 / 1747
Céret	Small cities	7,544	17 / 21	1486 / 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
Argelès-sur-Mer	Small cities	10,779	1 / 21	30 / 1747
Barcarès	Small cities	6,203	2 / 21	88 / 1747
Canet-en-Roussillon	Small cities	13,005	3 / 21	162 / 1747
Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque	Small cities	9,941	4 / 21	225 / 1747
Céret	Small cities	7,544	5 / 21	292 / 1747
Ille-sur-Têt	Small cities	5,546	6 / 21	365 / 1747
Saint-Cyprien	Small cities	11,995	7 / 21	453 / 1747
Boulou	Small cities	5,396	8 / 21	626 / 1747
Elne	Small cities	9,479	9 / 21	643 / 1747
Prades	Small cities	6,166	10 / 21	691 / 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.