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Departments Manche 50 · Normandie
Dept 50 Rank #88 / 96
58

Manche

Normandie · Nearest city: Cherbourg → Caen (~1h), no TGV

Mont-Saint-Michel bay, Cap de la Hague, Cotentin cliffs

Why this score

Manche offers affordable property, mild winters and low crime, but it sits poorly connected by rail under grey skies and heavy rainfall. La Manche offre un immobilier abordable, des hivers doux et une faible délinquance, mais elle reste mal desservie par le rail, sous un ciel gris et des pluies abondantes.

Communes

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Climate

Sunshine
1,683h/yr
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
#5 least sunny of 96
Sunny days
117/yr
days >50% sunlit
p4 of 96
Rain days
143/yr
Trend 2015-2025: about 2.5 fewer rain days each year.
#1 rainiest of 96
Annual rainfall
842mm/yr
total volume
p79 of 96
Heavy rain
3/yr
≥ 20 mm/day
p29 of 96
Torrential
0/yr
≥ 50 mm/day
p13 of 96
Hot days >30°
3/yr
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
p2 of 96
Winter mildness
9/10
4.0 °C avg Jan low
Trend 2015-2025: January warming 0.1 °C per year.
p88 of 96
Wind
3.5m/s
annual mean
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
p86 of 96
Muggy days
2/yr
TG≥22°C & HU≥70%
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
p13 of 96
Avg max temperature · °C
5
J
7
F
11
M
14
A
18
M
20
J
23
J
23
A
18
S
15
O
9
N
6
D
2050 outlook TRACC +2.7°C · vs 1976-2005
Hot days ≥35°C ~+0 days · 0 so far
Tropical nights ~+3 nights · 0 so far
Frost days ~-9 days · -9 so far
Dry-soil days ~+20 days

Landscape

Landscape score
4/10
p38 of 96
Max elevation
367m
p34 of 96
Forest cover
4.8%
p3 of 96
Characteristics
🌊 Coastline

Mont-Saint-Michel bay, Cap de la Hague, Cotentin cliffs

Identity

Manche is the birthplace of Roland Barthes (philosophe).

Notable figures born here

Terroir & appellations

Manche lies within protected appellation areas, including Calvados, Camembert de Normandie, Domfront.

Distinctions

Station classée de tourisme (17)

Risks

Safety score
9/10
Flood risk
Very high
% communes flood-exposed (GASPAR union)
p93 of 96
Fire risk
Very low
Copernicus FWI · fire-weather index
p6 of 96
Seismic exposure
Very low
% in a seismic zone (most of France is)
p14 of 96
Major risks present
Nuclear nearby

Share of the department's communes listing each risk category

Radon Moderate 53.9% p79 of 96
Flooding Low 33% p34 of 96
Other hazards Low 30.1% p94 of 96
Coastal Low 20.2% #4 most exposed of 96
Nuclear Very low 9% p88 of 96
Ground movement Very low 8.3% p18 of 96
Subsidence & cavities Very low 8.1% p29 of 96
Industrial hazard Very low 0.4% p9 of 96

Transport

Transport
4/10
3.0 h to Paris · TGV + closeness
TGV access
No
TGV via connecting city
Highways
1
A84
Work locally
35.9%
work in own commune
Nearest hubs
🏙 Nearest city
Cherbourg → Caen (~1h), no TGV
Airport
Caen Carpiquet airport (CFR) · ~65 km
🚄 To Paris via TGV
No direct TGV
🛣 Highways
A84

Services

Healthcare
4/10
APL 3.1
p26 of 96
Schools
7/10
Brevet 90%
p78 of 96
Fiber coverage
96%
p43 of 96
Intl schools
4schools
International programmes available
p69 of 96

People

Population
484,561
p46 of 96
Density
80/km²
Mixed
0% vs median 81
32 387
Pop trend
-0.1%/yr
-0.3 pts vs median · p19
Median income
$25,600
standard of living · $/yr
p53 of 96
Poverty rate
11.7%
below 60% of median living standard
p12 of 96
Unemployment
8.7%
active population out of work
p9 of 96
Tourism
1 bed per 24 residents
p66 of 96 · 19,904 beds
1/92 1/9
Age distribution · % of population
0-14
14%
15-24
11%
25-39
12%
40-54
14%
55-69
20%
70+
29%
Office professionals
11.4%
cadres · engineers, managers, professionals
p26 of 96
Remote work
5.2%
télétravail · works without commuting
p78 of 96
Socio-professional mix · % of occupied workers
Office
Managers & professionals
11.4%
At-home trades
Farmers
3.4%
Artisans & shopkeepers
6.5%
On-site · services, health, teaching, manual
Intermediate professions incl. nurses, teachers
25.7%
Clerical & service staff
26.7%
Manual workers
26.4%

Real estate

Median
$1,880/m²
$700 $3,790
House $1,900 Apt $2,450
+0.9%/yr 2023–25
Median surface
Taxe foncière
46.51%
typical commune rate · TFPB
p62 of 96
Price distribution across communes · $/m²
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