Dept 72 Rank #43 / 96
Sarthe
Pays de la Loire · Nearest city: Le Mans TGV
🚄 TGV
Sarthe valley, Maine countryside
Why this score · reflects your priorities
Sarthe leans on excellent Paris rail access and affordable property, but flat scenery, dull skies and little tourism keep it modest. La Sarthe s'appuie sur un excellent accès ferroviaire à Paris et un immobilier abordable, mais des paysages plats, un ciel maussade et un tourisme discret limitent son attrait.
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Communes
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Climate
Sunshine
1,888h/yr
Trend 2015-2025: lost ~8 sun hours each year.
p32 of 96
Sunny days
143/yr
days >50% sunlit
p30 of 96
Rain days
118/yr
Trend 2015-2025: about 1 fewer rain days each year.
p45 of 96
Annual rainfall
647mm/yr
total volume
p30 of 96
Heavy rain
2/yr
≥ 20 mm/day
p10 of 96
Torrential
0.1/yr
≥ 50 mm/day
p36 of 96
Hot days >30°
18/yr
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
p39 of 96
Winter mildness
7/10
3.0 °C avg Jan low
Trend 2015-2025: January warming 0.2 °C per year.
p65 of 96
Wind
3.0m/s
annual mean
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
p49 of 96
Muggy days
2/yr
TG≥22°C & HU≥70%
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
p13 of 96
Avg max temperature · °C
6
J
8
F
12
M
15
A
19
M
22
J
25
J
25
A
20
S
16
O
10
N
7
D
2050 outlook TRACC +2.7°C · vs 1976-2005
Hot days ≥35°C ~+3 days · +2 so far
Tropical nights ~+11 nights · +1 so far
Frost days ~-18 days · -14 so far
Dry-soil days ~+20 days
Landscape
Landscape score
3/10
p16 of 96
Max elevation
341m
p32 of 96
Forest cover
16.7%
p27 of 96
Characteristics
🌾 Rural
Sarthe valley, Maine countryside
Identity
Sarthe is the birthplace of Henri II d'Angleterre (monarque).
Notable figures born here
Henri II d'Angleterre — monarqueFrançois Fillon — juristeJean II de France — souverainMarin Mersenne — physicienPaul Henri Balluet d'Estournelles de Constant — diplomateLéo Delibes — compositeurJo-Wilfried Tsonga — sportifClaude Chappe — inventeurJean Picard — physicienPierre Belon — naturaliste
Terroir & appellations
Sarthe lies within protected appellation areas, including Calvados, Jasnières, Cidre du Perche.
CalvadosJasnièresCidre du PercheMaine-AnjouCoteaux du LoirEau-de-vie de cidre de NormandieOie d'AnjouPorc de la SartheŒufs de LouéVolailles de l’OrléanaisVolailles du MaineBœuf du Maine
Distinctions
Plus Beaux Détours de France (1)
- Jardins du donjon de Ballon
- Hortus conclusus du prieuré de Vauboin
- Jardins du Mirail
- Jardins du château de Villaines
- +3 more
Station classée de tourisme (4)
Risks
Safety score
8/10
Flood risk
Low
% communes flood-exposed (GASPAR union)
p32 of 96
Fire risk
Moderate
Copernicus FWI · fire-weather index
p59 of 96
Seismic exposure
High
% in a seismic zone (most of France is)
p45 of 96
Major risks present
Share of the department's communes listing each risk category
Severe weather Very high 100% p90 of 96
Hazardous-materials transport Very high 100% p92 of 96
Earthquake High 69.8% p45 of 96
Wildfire Moderate 41.2% p74 of 96
Radon Very low 13.8% p66 of 96
Ground movement Very low 2% p15 of 96
Subsidence & cavities Very low 2% p23 of 96
Industrial hazard Very low 1.7% p32 of 96
Transport
Transport
10/10
1.0 h to Paris · TGV + closeness
TGV access
Yes
Direct TGV station
Highways
3
A11 · A28 · A81
Work locally
33.3%
work in own commune
Nearest hubs
🏙 Nearest city
Le Mans TGV
✈ Airport
Le Mans-Arnage Airport (LME) · ~5 km
🚄 To Paris via TGV
1.0h direct
🛣 Highways
A11, A28, A81
Services
Healthcare
3/10
APL 2.8
p13 of 96
Schools
6/10
Brevet 88%
p63 of 96
Fiber coverage
99%
p97 of 96
Intl schools
0schools
None in department
p11 of 96
People
Population
580,143
p56 of 96
Density
93/km²
Mixed
+16% vs median 81
32 387
Pop trend
0%/yr
-0.2 pts vs median · p29
Median income
$25,300
standard of living · $/yr
p48 of 96
Poverty rate
13.5%
below 60% of median living standard
p34 of 96
Unemployment
10.8%
active population out of work
p42 of 96
Tourism
1 bed per 78 residents
p17 of 96 · 7,471 beds
Age distribution · % of population
0-14
14%
15-24
11%
25-39
12%
40-54
14%
55-69
20%
70+
29%
Office professionals
12.8%
cadres · engineers, managers, professionals
p41 of 96
Remote work
4.6%
télétravail · works without commuting
p55 of 96
Socio-professional mix · % of occupied workers
Office
Managers & professionals
12.8%
At-home trades
Farmers
2.1%
Artisans & shopkeepers
5.5%
On-site · services, health, teaching, manual
Intermediate professions incl. nurses, teachers
25.1%
Clerical & service staff
27.3%
Manual workers
27.1%
Real estate
Median
$1,660/m²
$680 $2,830
House $1,640 Apt $2,040
-0.6%/yr 2023–25
Median surface
—m²
Taxe foncière
47.8%
typical commune rate · TFPB
p66 of 96
Price distribution across communes · $/m²
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