Dept 59 Rank #56 / 96
Nord
Hauts-de-France · Nearest city: Lille TGV (Eurostar hub)
🚄 TGV
Flat plains, coast dunes at Dunkirk
Why this score · reflects your priorities
Nord leans on excellent rail links, strong healthcare and mild summers, but grey skies, flat scenery and higher crime hold its score back. Le Nord s'appuie sur d'excellentes liaisons ferroviaires, un très bon accès aux soins et des étés doux, mais un ciel gris, des paysages plats et une délinquance plus marquée brident son score.
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Communes
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Climate
Sunshine
1,747h/yr
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
p11 of 96
Sunny days
128/yr
days >50% sunlit
p11 of 96
Rain days
126/yr
Trend 2015-2025: about 2 fewer rain days each year.
p70 of 96
Annual rainfall
653mm/yr
total volume
p34 of 96
Heavy rain
2/yr
≥ 20 mm/day
p10 of 96
Torrential
0/yr
≥ 50 mm/day
p13 of 96
Hot days >30°
9/yr
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
p9 of 96
Winter mildness
5/10
2.3 °C avg Jan low
Trend 2015-2025: January warming 0.2 °C per year.
p48 of 96
Wind
3.7m/s
annual mean
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
p95 of 96
Muggy days
3/yr
TG≥22°C & HU≥70%
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
p34 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 ~+1 days · +1 so far
Tropical nights ~+5 nights · +1 so far
Frost days ~-18 days · -17 so far
Dry-soil days ~+20 days
Landscape
Landscape score
3/10
p16 of 96
Max elevation
271m
p23 of 96
Forest cover
8.9%
p11 of 96
Characteristics
🌾 Rural
Flat plains, coast dunes at Dunkirk
Identity
Nord is the birthplace of Charles de Gaulle (officier).
Notable figures born here
Charles de Gaulle — officierHenri Matisse — artiste peintreJean Perrin — physicienRaphaël Varane — footballeurAntoine Watteau — artiste peintreBernard Arnault — ingénieurBenjamin Pavard — footballeurPierre Mauroy — instituteurPhilippe Noiret — acteurAndré Ayew — footballeur
Terroir & appellations
Nord lies within protected appellation areas, including Maroilles, Pommes de terre de Merville, Lingot du Nord.
MaroillesPommes de terre de MervilleLingot du NordAil fumé d'ArleuxVolailles de la ChampagneGenièvre Flandre-Artois
Distinctions
Plus Beaux Détours de France (3)
- Charles de Gaulle
- Wilfred Owen
- Marguerite Yourcenar
- La ferme du Mont des Récollets
- Le manoir aux Loups
- Mosaïc, le jardin des cultures
- Jardin des Géants
- +1 more
Station classée de tourisme (3)
Risks
Safety score
6/10
Flood risk
High
% communes flood-exposed (GASPAR union)
p73 of 96
Fire risk
Low
Copernicus FWI · fire-weather index
p22 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
Other hazards Very high 99.8% #4 most exposed of 96
Flooding Very high 88.1% p80 of 96
Hazardous-materials transport High 61.9% p63 of 96
Ground movement Moderate 55.7% p39 of 96
Subsidence & cavities Very low 9% p30 of 96
Industrial hazard Very low 8% p79 of 96
Nuclear Very low 1.1% p70 of 96
+1 more
Dam failure Very low 0.6% p21 of 96
Transport
Transport
10/10
1.0 h to Paris · TGV + closeness
TGV access
Yes
Direct TGV station
Highways
10
A1 · A1a · A2 · A16 · A21 · A22 · A23 · A25 · A26 · A27
Work locally
25.7%
work in own commune
Nearest hubs
🏙 Nearest city
Lille TGV (Eurostar hub)
✈ Airport
Lille Airport (LIL) · ~16 km
🚄 To Paris via TGV
1.0h direct
🛣 Highways
A1, A1a, A2, A16, A21, A22, A23, A25, A26, A27
Services
Healthcare
9/10
APL 4.5
p93 of 96
Schools
5/10
Brevet 85%
p29 of 96
Fiber coverage
97%
p62 of 96
Intl schools
19schools
International programmes available
#5 most intl schools of 96
People
Population
2,549,911
#1 highest of 96
Density
444/km²
Urban
+451% vs median 81
32 387
Pop trend
+0.1%/yr
-0.1 pts vs median · p39
Median income
$24,300
standard of living · $/yr
p12 of 96
Poverty rate
19.5%
below 60% of median living standard
p94 of 96
Unemployment
14.9%
active population out of work
#5 highest of 96
Tourism
1 bed per 94 residents
p8 of 96 · 27,039 beds
Age distribution · % of population
0-14
18%
15-24
14%
25-39
15%
40-54
14%
55-69
18%
70+
21%
Office professionals
19.5%
cadres · engineers, managers, professionals
p81 of 96
Remote work
3.4%
télétravail · works without commuting
p7 of 96
Socio-professional mix · % of occupied workers
Office
Managers & professionals
19.5%
At-home trades
Farmers
0.5%
Artisans & shopkeepers
4.9%
On-site · services, health, teaching, manual
Intermediate professions incl. nurses, teachers
27%
Clerical & service staff
26.4%
Manual workers
21.6%
Real estate
Median
$2,240/m²
$970 $4,270
House $2,060 Apt $2,910
-0.3%/yr 2023–25
Median surface
—m²
Taxe foncière
48.91%
typical commune rate · TFPB
p74 of 96
Price distribution across communes · $/m²
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