Dept 26 Rank #17 / 96
Drôme
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes · Nearest city: Valence TGV
🚄 TGV ⚠ High variance
Vercors plateau, lavender hills, Baronnies, Mont Ventoux views
Why this score · reflects your priorities
Drôme is lifted by abundant sunshine, dry comfortable weather and Préalpes scenery, but higher flood-and-fire exposure and summer heatwaves hold it back. La Drôme est portée par un ensoleillement généreux, un climat sec et agréable et les paysages des Préalpes, mais une exposition plus forte aux inondations et aux incendies et les canicules estivales la freinent.
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Communes
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Climate
Sunshine
2,452h/yr
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
p91 of 96
Sunny days
207/yr
days >50% sunlit
p88 of 96
Rain days
86/yr
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
p12 of 96
Annual rainfall
759mm/yr
total volume
p66 of 96
Heavy rain
9/yr
≥ 20 mm/day
p85 of 96
Torrential
1.2/yr
≥ 50 mm/day
p94 of 96
Hot days >30°
49/yr
Trend 2015-2025: about 0.5 fewer hot days each year.
p93 of 96
Winter mildness
5/10
2.3 °C avg Jan low
Trend 2015-2025: January warming 0.3 °C per year.
p48 of 96
Wind
3.0m/s
annual mean
Trend 2015-2025: calmer by 0.08 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
7
J
9
F
13
M
16
A
20
M
25
J
28
J
28
A
23
S
17
O
11
N
8
D
2050 outlook TRACC +2.7°C · vs 1976-2005
Hot days ≥35°C ~+5 days · +8 so far
Tropical nights ~+14 nights · +5 so far
Frost days ~-27 days · -15 so far
Dry-soil days ~+31 days
Landscape
Landscape score
7/10
p82 of 96
Max elevation
2,454m
p84 of 96
Forest cover
55%
p85 of 96
Characteristics
⛰ Mountains
Vercors plateau, lavender hills, Baronnies, Mont Ventoux views
Identity
Drôme is the birthplace of Paul Ricœur (philosophe).
Notable figures born here
Paul Ricœur — philosopheÉmile Loubet — avocatDiane de Poitiers — dame de compagnieRomain Ghanem Saïss — footballeurÉmile Augier — écrivainCharles Pic — pilote de course automobileComtesse de Die — compositeurFerdinand Cheval — architecteJacques Tardi — écrivainSébastien Chabal — sportif
Terroir & appellations
Drôme lies within protected appellation areas, including Côtes du Rhône, Vinsobres, Hermitage.
Côtes du RhôneVinsobresHermitageChâtillon-en-DioisCrozes-HermitageGrignan-les-AdhémarBleu du Vercors-SassenageClairette de DieHuile d'olive de NyonsBanonChâtaigne d'ArdècheNoix de Grenoble
Distinctions
Plus Beaux Détours de France (2)
- Ferdinand Cheval
- Jardin des herbes
- Parc Jouvet
- Jardin zen d'Erik Borja
Station classée de tourisme (11)
Risks
Safety score
7/10
Flood risk
High
% communes flood-exposed (GASPAR union)
p67 of 96
Fire risk
Very high
Copernicus FWI · fire-weather index
p92 of 96
Seismic exposure
Very high
% in a seismic zone (most of France is)
p80 of 96
Major risks present
Share of the department's communes listing each risk category
Earthquake Very high 100% p80 of 96
Flooding High 79.9% p70 of 96
Ground movement Moderate 55.4% p38 of 96
Hazardous-materials transport Moderate 44.9% p46 of 96
Wildfire Very low 18.7% p62 of 96
Dam failure Very low 17.6% p67 of 96
Industrial hazard Very low 4.4% p60 of 96
Transport
Transport
9/10
2.3 h to Paris · TGV + closeness
TGV access
Yes
Direct TGV station
Highways
2
A7 · A49
Work locally
34.7%
work in own commune
Nearest hubs
🏙 Nearest city
Valence TGV
✈ Airport
Grenoble Alpes Isère Airport (GNB) · ~76 km
🚄 To Paris via TGV
2.3h direct
🛣 Highways
A7, A49
Services
Healthcare
5/10
APL 3.5
p43 of 96
Schools
5/10
Brevet 85%
p29 of 96
Fiber coverage
93%
p17 of 96
Intl schools
1school
International programmes available
p31 of 96
People
Population
510,142
p47 of 96
Density
78/km²
Mixed
-3% vs median 81
32 387
Pop trend
+0.5%/yr
+0.3 pts vs median · p72
Median income
$25,600
standard of living · $/yr
p52 of 96
Poverty rate
14.8%
below 60% of median living standard
p48 of 96
Unemployment
11.8%
active population out of work
p72 of 96
Tourism
1 bed per 29 residents
p60 of 96 · 17,483 beds
Age distribution · % of population
0-14
17%
15-24
12%
25-39
13%
40-54
14%
55-69
19%
70+
25%
Office professionals
15.2%
cadres · engineers, managers, professionals
p63 of 96
Remote work
4.6%
télétravail · works without commuting
p55 of 96
Socio-professional mix · % of occupied workers
Office
Managers & professionals
15.2%
At-home trades
Farmers
2.1%
Artisans & shopkeepers
8.3%
On-site · services, health, teaching, manual
Intermediate professions incl. nurses, teachers
27.7%
Clerical & service staff
24.7%
Manual workers
21.9%
Real estate
Median
$2,320/m²
$1,200 $3,640
House $2,620 Apt $2,080
-0.2%/yr 2023–25
Median surface
—m²
Taxe foncière
37.57%
typical commune rate · TFPB
p15 of 96
Price distribution across communes · $/m²
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