Dept 07 Rank #1 / 96

Ardèche

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes · Nearest city: Valence (~35 min)

🚄 TGV ⚠ High variance

Gorges de l'Ardèche, chestnut forests, dramatic river canyons

Why this score

Ardèche is carried by exceptional sunshine and dramatic gorge-and-plateau landscape with a strong tourist pull — its softer spots are summer heatwaves and thin healthcare cover. L'Ardèche est portée par un ensoleillement exceptionnel et des paysages spectaculaires de gorges et de plateaux, avec un fort attrait touristique — ses points faibles restent les canicules estivales et un accès aux soins limité.

Communes

Loading commune-level data…

Climate

Sunshine

2,389h/yr

Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.

p88 of 96

Sunny days

200/yr

days >50% sunlit

p87 of 96

Rain days

87/yr

Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.

p13 of 96

Annual rainfall

859mm/yr

total volume

p81 of 96

Heavy rain

11/yr

≥ 20 mm/day

p94 of 96

Torrential

2/yr

≥ 50 mm/day

#1 most torrential of 96

Hot days >30°

43/yr

Trend 2015-2025: about 1 fewer hot days each year.

p89 of 96

Winter mildness

5/10

2.1 °C avg Jan low

Trend 2015-2025: January warming 0.3 °C per year.

p39 of 96

Wind

3.0m/s

annual mean

Trend 2015-2025: calmer by 0.07 m/s per year.

p49 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

2050 outlook TRACC +2.7°C · vs 1976-2005

Hot days ≥35°C ~+5 days · +6 so far

Tropical nights ~+17 nights · +6 so far

Frost days ~-24 days · -17 so far

Dry-soil days ~+28 days

Landscape

Landscape score

8/10

p91 of 96

Max elevation

1,753m

p78 of 96

Forest cover

68.9%

p91 of 96

Characteristics

⛰ Mountains🏞 Dramatic landscape

Gorges de l'Ardèche, chestnut forests, dramatic river canyons

Identity

Ardèche is the birthplace of Henri Charrière (écrivain).

Notable figures born here

Terroir & appellations

Ardèche lies within protected appellation areas, including Côtes du Rhône, Cornas, Saint-Péray.

Distinctions

Plus Beaux Détours de France (1)

Station classée de tourisme (6)

Risks

Safety score

9/10

Flood risk

Low

% communes flood-exposed (GASPAR union)

p27 of 96

Fire risk

Very high

Copernicus FWI · fire-weather index

p91 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

Wildfire Very high 100% p94 of 96

Ground movement High 60.6% p42 of 96

Flooding Moderate 45.4% p44 of 96

Dam failure Low 26.6% p83 of 96

Hazardous-materials transport Low 22.4% p21 of 96

Nuclear Very low 6.6% p85 of 96

Subsidence & cavities Very low 1.2% p21 of 96

+2 more

Industrial hazard Very low 1.2% p21 of 96

Other hazards Very low 0.3% p87 of 96

Transport

9/10

2.5 h to Paris · TGV + closeness

TGV access

Yes

Direct TGV station

Highways

—

Work locally

28.7%

work in own commune

Nearest hubs

🏙 Nearest city

Valence (~35 min)

✈ Airport

Grenoble Alpes Isère Airport (GNB) · ~98 km

🚄 To Paris via TGV

2.5h direct

🛣 Highways

—

Services

Healthcare

4/10

APL 3.0

p23 of 96

Schools

6/10

Brevet 88%

p63 of 96

Fiber coverage

85%

p5 of 96

Intl schools

1school

International programmes available

p31 of 96

People

Population

330,085

p31 of 96

Density

60/km²

Mixed

-26% vs median 81

32 387

Pop trend

+0.4%/yr

+0.2 pts vs median · p61

Median income

$25,000

standard of living · $/yr

p37 of 96

Poverty rate

14.9%

below 60% of median living standard

p52 of 96

Unemployment

11.4%

active population out of work

p57 of 96

Tourism

1 bed per 10 residents

p88 of 96 · 33,682 beds

1/92 1/9

Age distribution · % of population

0-14

17%

15-24

12%

25-39

13%

40-54

14%

55-69

19%

70+

25%

Office professionals

11.7%

cadres · engineers, managers, professionals

p32 of 96

Remote work

4.9%

télétravail · works without commuting

p66 of 96

Socio-professional mix · % of occupied workers

Office

Managers & professionals

11.7%

At-home trades

Farmers

2.9%

Artisans & shopkeepers

9.3%

On-site · services, health, teaching, manual

Intermediate professions incl. nurses, teachers

26.8%

Clerical & service staff

26.4%

Manual workers

23%

Real estate

Median

$1,970/m²

$890 $3,550

House $2,230 Apt $1,630

+0.1%/yr 2023–25

Median surface

—m²

Taxe foncière

39.29%

typical commune rate · TFPB

p20 of 96

Price distribution across communes · $/m²

Loading commune price distribution…

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