Dept 01 Rank #52 / 96
Ain
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes · Nearest city: Lyon (~30 min)
🚄 TGV
Bugey cliffs, Revermont, Chartreuse foothills
Why this score · reflects your priorities
Ain leans on strong Paris rail links and a growing population with decent sunshine, but harsh winters and thin healthcare cover hold it back. L'Ain s'appuie sur de solides liaisons ferroviaires vers Paris et une population en croissance, avec un ensoleillement correct, mais des hivers rudes et un accès aux soins limité le freinent.
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Communes
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Climate
Sunshine
2,055h/yr
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
p61 of 96
Sunny days
164/yr
days >50% sunlit
p60 of 96
Rain days
121/yr
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
p54 of 96
Annual rainfall
953mm/yr
total volume
p87 of 96
Heavy rain
10/yr
≥ 20 mm/day
p90 of 96
Torrential
0.5/yr
≥ 50 mm/day
p80 of 96
Hot days >30°
29/yr
Trend 2015-2025: about 0.5 fewer hot days each year.
p73 of 96
Winter mildness
2/10
0.6 °C avg Jan low
Trend 2015-2025: January warming 0.3 °C per year.
p16 of 96
Wind
2.5m/s
annual mean
Trend 2015-2025: windier by 0.10 m/s per year.
p19 of 96
Muggy days
4/yr
TG≥22°C & HU≥70%
Trend 2015-2025: about 0.5 more muggy days each year.
p57 of 96
Avg max temperature · °C
6
J
8
F
12
M
15
A
19
M
23
J
26
J
26
A
21
S
16
O
10
N
7
D
2050 outlook TRACC +2.7°C · vs 1976-2005
Hot days ≥35°C ~+3 days · +3 so far
Tropical nights ~+14 nights · +2 so far
Frost days ~-28 days · -15 so far
Dry-soil days ~+27 days
Landscape
Landscape score
5/10
p57 of 96
Max elevation
1,720m
p76 of 96
Forest cover
35.9%
p58 of 96
Characteristics
🌾 Rural
Bugey cliffs, Revermont, Chartreuse foothills
Identity
Ain is the birthplace of Jérôme Lalande (mathématicien).
Notable figures born here
Jérôme Lalande — mathématicienEdgar Quinet — philosopheLouise de SavoieCharles II de SavoieFrançois Clerc — footballeurBoulaye Dia — footballeurJulien Benneteau — joueurSébastien Castellion — traducteurRoger Pingeon — coureurPhilibert II de Savoie
Terroir & appellations
Ain lies within protected appellation areas, including Comté, Roussette du Bugey Virieu-le-Grand, Bugey Manicle.
ComtéRoussette du Bugey Virieu-le-GrandBugey ManicleBugey MontagnieuRoussette du Bugey MontagnieuSeysselBugey CerdonBugeyRoussette du BugeyBleu de Gex haut JuraBeurre de BresseCrème de Bresse
Distinctions
Plus Beaux Détours de France (2)
- Jean-Marie Vianney
- Vincent de Paul
- François-Marie Arouet, dit Voltaire
- Jardin du château de Saint-Bernard
Station classée de tourisme (5)
Risks
Safety score
8/10
Flood risk
Moderate
% communes flood-exposed (GASPAR union)
p42 of 96
Fire risk
Moderate
Copernicus FWI · fire-weather index
p43 of 96
Seismic exposure
Very high
% in a seismic zone (most of France is)
p80 of 96
Major risks present
⚛ Nuclear nearby Share of the department's communes listing each risk category
Earthquake Very high 100% p80 of 96
Flooding High 62.2% p59 of 96
Hazardous-materials transport Moderate 51.5% p54 of 96
Ground movement Low 21.9% p26 of 96
Dam failure Very low 17.9% p68 of 96
Nuclear Very low 5.1% p82 of 96
Avalanche Very low 2.6% p87 of 96
Industrial hazard Very low 0.5% p13 of 96
Transport
Transport
9/10
2.0 h to Paris · TGV + closeness
TGV access
Yes
Direct TGV station
Highways
7
A39 · A40 · A42 · A46 · A404 · A406 · A432
Work locally
22.1%
work in own commune
Nearest hubs
🏙 Nearest city
Lyon (~30 min)
✈ Airport
Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport (LYS) · ~46 km
🚄 To Paris via TGV
2.0h direct
🛣 Highways
A39, A40, A42, A46, A404, A406, A432
Services
Healthcare
3/10
APL 2.6
p10 of 96
Schools
6/10
Brevet 88%
p63 of 96
Fiber coverage
91%
p12 of 96
Intl schools
4schools
International programmes available
p69 of 96
People
Population
650,584
p62 of 96
Density
113/km²
Mixed
+40% vs median 81
32 387
Pop trend
+0.9%/yr
+0.7 pts vs median · p91
Median income
$28,200
standard of living · $/yr
p95 of 96
Poverty rate
10.8%
below 60% of median living standard
#5 lowest of 96
Unemployment
8.9%
active population out of work
p12 of 96
Tourism
1 bed per 48 residents
p42 of 96 · 13,494 beds
Age distribution · % of population
0-14
18%
15-24
14%
25-39
15%
40-54
14%
55-69
18%
70+
21%
Office professionals
17.3%
cadres · engineers, managers, professionals
p75 of 96
Remote work
3.8%
télétravail · works without commuting
p20 of 96
Socio-professional mix · % of occupied workers
Office
Managers & professionals
17.3%
At-home trades
Farmers
1%
Artisans & shopkeepers
6.9%
On-site · services, health, teaching, manual
Intermediate professions incl. nurses, teachers
28%
Clerical & service staff
24.6%
Manual workers
22.3%
Real estate
Median
$2,700/m²
$1,230 $5,550
House $2,680 Apt $2,820
+0.1%/yr 2023–25
Median surface
—m²
Taxe foncière
31.19%
typical commune rate · TFPB
#4 lowest of 96
Price distribution across communes · $/m²
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