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Departments Hérault 34 · Occitanie
64

Dept 34 · Occitanie · Rank #53 / 96

Hérault

Nearest city: Montpellier · Direct TGV station ⚠ High variance

Hérault boasts abundant sunshine, a strong tourist draw and dry weather, but punishing heatwaves, high hazard exposure and steep property prices cut it back. L'Hérault revendique un ensoleillement généreux, un fort attrait touristique et un temps sec, mais des canicules éprouvantes, une forte exposition aux risques et des prix immobiliers élevés rognent son score.

Why this score
Ranked by your current weights — adjust weights and these re-rank.
1,153,580 Population
$3,510 per m²
2,600h Sunshine
3.3h to Paris · TGV
Very high Flood risk

Communes

342 communes, from Montpellier down to the smallest villages — pick a layer and click any polygon. 342 communes, de Montpellier aux plus petits villages — choisissez une couche et cliquez un polygone.

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All 342 communes

Climate

A typical year brings 2,600 sunshine hours and 63 rain days, with 52 days above 30 °C. Une année typique apporte 2 600 heures de soleil et 63 jours de pluie, avec 52 jours au-dessus de 30 °C.

Sunshine
2,600h/yr
Monthly sunshine: peak July 341 h, low December 100 h.Ensoleillement mensuel : maximum en juillet (341 h), minimum en décembre (100 h).
Trend 2015-2025: gained ~11 sun hours each year.
sunnier than 93% of departmentsplus ensoleillé que 93 % des départements (p93 of 96)
Sunny days
231/yr
days >50% sunlit
more sunny days than 92% of departmentsplus de jours ensoleillés que 92 % des départements (p92 of 96)
Rain days
63/yr
Monthly rainfall: peak November 7 mm, low July 3 mm.Pluviométrie mensuelle : maximum en novembre (7 mm), minimum en juillet (3 mm).
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
#5 driest of 96
Annual rainfall
546mm/yr
total volume
#4 driest of 96
Heavy rain
7/yr
≥ 20 mm/day
more heavy-rain days than 71% of departmentsplus de jours de fortes pluies que 71 % des départements (p73 of 96)
Torrential
1.1/yr
≥ 50 mm/day
more torrential days than 93% of departmentsplus de jours torrentiels que 93 % des départements (p93 of 96)
Hot days >30°
52/yr
Trend 2015-2025: about 1 fewer hot days each year.
#5 hottest of 96
Winter mildness
8/10
3.8 °C avg Jan low
Trend 2015-2025: January warming 0.2 °C per year.
milder winters than 82% of departmentshivers plus doux que 82 % des départements (p83 of 96)
Wind
3.2m/s
annual mean
Trend 2015-2025: windier by 0.12 m/s per year.
windier than 59% of departmentsplus venteux que 59 % des départements (p65 of 96)
Muggy days
17/yr
TG≥22°C & HU≥70%
Trend 2015-2025: about 1 more muggy days each year.
muggier than 93% of departmentsplus de moiteur que 93 % des départements (p94 of 96)
Avg max temperature · °C
12
J
14
F
16
M
19
A
23
M
28
J
31
J
31
A
26
S
21
O
16
N
13
D
2050 outlook TRACC +2.7°C · vs 1976-2005
Hot days ≥35°C ~+7 days · +5 so far
Tropical nights ~+30 nights · +12 so far
Frost days ~-13 days · -7 so far
Dry-soil days ~+24 days

Landscape

The terrain peaks at 1,152 m with 49.3% forest cover. Le relief culmine à 1 152 m avec 49,3 % de forêt.

Landscape score
6/10
more scenic than 66% of departmentspaysages devant 66 % des départements (p72 of 96)
Max elevation
1,152m
higher than 60% of departmentsplus haut que 60 % des départements (p61 of 96)
Forest cover
49.3%
more forested than 79% of departmentsplus boisé que 79 % des départements (p80 of 96)
Characteristics
☀ Sunny

Cirque de Navacelles, Saint-Guilhem gorge, Pic Saint-Loup, lagoons

Identity & terroir

Hérault is the birthplace of Auguste Comte (mathématicien).

Notable figures born here · 10
Auguste Comte · mathématicien Paul Valéry · philosophe Frédéric Bazille · artiste peintre Jacques Ier d'Aragon · dirigeant
Appellations · 12

Hérault lies within protected appellation areas, including Roquefort, Clairette du Languedoc Adissan, Clairette du Languedoc Aspiran.

RoquefortClairette du Languedoc AdissanClairette du Languedoc AspiranClairette du Languedoc CabrièresClairette du Languedoc CeyrasClairette du Languedoc Fontès
Appellation areas within the department — area membership, not production.
Distinctions
Plus Beaux Détours de France (1)
Maison des Illustres (3)
Hôtel Fayet - Gustave FayetJean-Antoine InjalbertRenée et Frédéric Sabatier d'Espeyran
Jardin Remarquable (9)
Jardin antique méditerranéenJardin de la Villa AntoninePlateau des PoètesParc et jardin du château de Margon +5 more
Station classée de tourisme (61)

Risks

5/10

9 hazard categories appear on the communes' state register; flood exposure reads very high. 9 catégories de risques figurent au registre de l’État ; l’exposition aux crues est très élevée.

Flood Very highTrès élevée
Fire Very highTrès élevée
Seismic Zone 2/5 · low· faible
Radon Cat. 1/3 · low potential · max 3· potentiel faible · max 3
more flood-exposed than 82% of departmentsplus exposé aux crues que 82 % des départements (p84 of 96)
#5 most exposed of 96
less seismic exposure than 55% of departmentsmoins d’exposition sismique que 55 % des départements (p44 of 96)
Communes listing each risk

Share of the department's communes listing each risk category

Ground movement Very high 100% p90 of 96
Radon Very high 100% p93 of 96
Subsidence & cavities Very high 99.7% p84 of 96
Wildfire High 76.9% p81 of 96
Earthquake High 69.3% p44 of 96
+4 more
Hazardous-materials transport High 62.9% p67 of 96
Flooding Moderate 53.8% p55 of 96
Dam failure Low 23.1% p78 of 96
Industrial hazard Very low 1.2% p21 of 96

Transport

8/10

Direct TGV, 3.3 h to Paris, 4 motorways. TGV direct, 3,3 h de Paris, 4 autoroutes.

TGV access Yes · direct station
To Paris 3.3h direct
Airport Montpellier-Méditerranée Airport (MPL) · ~48 km
Highways · 4 A9 · A75 · A709 · A750
Work locally 42.2% in own commune

Services

Healthcare scores 8/10; fibre reaches 95% of premises. La santé obtient 8/10 ; la fibre dessert 95 % des locaux.

Healthcare
8/10
APL 4.5
better GP access than 91% of departmentsmeilleur accès aux soins que 91 % des départements (p91 of 96)
Schools
6/10
Brevet 87%
better brevet results than 45% of departmentsmeilleurs résultats au brevet que 45 % des départements (p51 of 96)
Fiber coverage
95%
thinner fibre coverage than 65% of departmentscouverture fibre plus faible que 65 % des départements (p31 of 96)
Intl schools
21schools
International programmes available
#4 most intl schools of 96

People

1,153,580 residents, growing +1.2%/yr, median income €21,800. 1 153 580 habitants, en croissance de +1,2 %/an, revenu médian 21 800 €.

Population
1,153,580
more populous than 81% of departmentsplus peuplé que 81 % des départements (p82 of 96)
Density
185/km²
Urban
+130% vs median 81
32 387
Pop trend
+1.2%/yr
+1 pts vs median
population trend ahead of 98% of departmentsévolution démographique devant 98 % des départements (p99 of 96)
Median income
$24,800
standard of living · $/yr
lower income than 70% of departmentsrevenus plus bas que 70 % des départements (p30 of 96)
Poverty rate
19.4%
below 60% of median living standard
more poverty than 91% of departmentsplus de pauvreté que 91 % des départements (p92 of 96)
Unemployment
14.8%
active population out of work
more unemployment than 93% of departmentsplus de chômage que 93 % des départements (p94 of 96)
Tourism
1 bed per 14 residents
more tourist beds per resident than 81% of departmentsplus de lits touristiques par habitant que 81 % des départements (p82 of 96)
84,347 beds
1/92 1/9
Age distribution · % of population
0-14
18%
15-39
29%
40-69
32%
70+
21%
Office professionals
20.6%
cadres · engineers, managers, professionals
more office professionals than 85% of departmentsplus de cadres que 85 % des départements (p86 of 96)
Remote work
4.4%
télétravail · works without commuting
less remote work than 53% of departmentsmoins de télétravail que 53 % des départements (p43 of 96)
Socio-professional mix · % of occupied workers
Office
Managers & professionals
20.6%
At-home trades
Farmers
1.1%
Artisans & shopkeepers
9.1%
On-site · services, health, teaching, manual
Intermediate professions incl. nurses, teachers
27.9%
Clerical & service staff
26.5%
Manual workers
14.8%

Real estate

Homes trade around €3,083/m² median, softening -0.3%/yr — from €1,240 to €5,087 (10th–90th percentile of sales). L’immobilier s’échange autour de 3 083 €/m² en médiane, en baisse de -0,3 %/an — de 1 240 € à 5 087 € (10e–90e centile des ventes).

Median
$3,510/m²
House $3,250 Apt $3,730
-0.3%/yr 2023–25
Price range · p10–p90 of sales
$1,410 $5,790
median marker on the dept's sales spread
Taxe foncière
53.81%
typical commune rate · TFPB
higher property tax than 92% of departmentstaxe foncière plus élevée que 92 % des départements (p92 of 96)
Price distribution across communes · $/m²
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