Dept 91 Rank #93 / 96
Essonne
Île-de-France · Nearest city: Massy-Palaiseau TGV
🚄 TGV
Urban/suburban
Why this score · reflects your priorities
Essonne leans on superb Paris rail links, but steep property, dull skies, thin healthcare cover and flat scenery weigh it down. L'Essonne s'appuie sur de superbes liaisons ferroviaires vers Paris, mais un immobilier cher, un ciel maussade, un accès aux soins limité et des paysages plats la pénalisent.
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Communes
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Climate
Sunshine
1,845h/yr
Trend 2015-2025: roughly flat.
p28 of 96
Sunny days
139/yr
days >50% sunlit
p27 of 96
Rain days
112/yr
Trend 2015-2025: about 0.5 fewer rain days each year.
p29 of 96
Annual rainfall
608mm/yr
total volume
p17 of 96
Heavy rain
3/yr
≥ 20 mm/day
p29 of 96
Torrential
0.2/yr
≥ 50 mm/day
p57 of 96
Hot days >30°
17/yr
Trend 2015-2025: about 0.5 fewer hot days each year.
p32 of 96
Winter mildness
6/10
2.5 °C avg Jan low
Trend 2015-2025: January warming 0.2 °C per year.
p55 of 96
Wind
3.3m/s
annual mean
Trend 2015-2025: windier by 0.08 m/s per year.
p73 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
21
J
24
J
24
A
19
S
15
O
9
N
6
D
2050 outlook TRACC +2.7°C · vs 1976-2005
Hot days ≥35°C ~+3 days · +2 so far
Tropical nights ~+10 nights · +2 so far
Frost days ~-19 days · -13 so far
Dry-soil days ~+20 days
Landscape
Landscape score
3/10
p16 of 96
Max elevation
178m
p7 of 96
Forest cover
22.1%
p37 of 96
Characteristics
🌾 Rural
Urban/suburban
Identity
Essonne is the birthplace of Thierry Henry (footballeur).
Notable figures born here
Thierry Henry — footballeurEmmanuelle Charpentier — biochimisteHugues Capet — membre de la famille royaleJean-Jacques Annaud — réalisateurAnthony Martial — footballeurMedhi Benatia — footballeurÉtienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire — naturalisteJérémy Ménez — footballeurBenjamin Mendy — footballeurSébastien Haller — footballeur
Terroir & appellations
Essonne lies within protected appellation areas, including Volailles du Gâtinais, Île-de-France.
Volailles du GâtinaisÎle-de-France
Distinctions
- Jean Cocteau
- Fujita Tsuguharu dit Léonard Foujita
- Gustave Caillebotte
- Parc de Chamarande
- Parc du château de Courances
- Parc de Courson
- Domaine départemental de Méréville
- +1 more
Risks
Safety score
6/10
Flood risk
Moderate
% communes flood-exposed (GASPAR union)
p47 of 96
Fire risk
High
Copernicus FWI · fire-weather index
p72 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
Hazardous-materials transport Very high 80.9% p76 of 96
Flooding High 74.2% p66 of 96
Industrial hazard Very low 6.7% p70 of 96
Ground movement Very low 1% p11 of 96
Subsidence & cavities Very low 1% p20 of 96
Nuclear Very low 1% p68 of 96
Transport
Transport
10/10
0.5 h to Paris · TGV + closeness
TGV access
Yes
Direct TGV station
Highways
5
A6 · A6a · A6b · A10 · A126
Work locally
18%
work in own commune
Nearest hubs
🏙 Nearest city
Massy-Palaiseau TGV
✈ Airport
Paris-Orly Airport (ORY) · ~25 km
🚄 To Paris via TGV
0.5h direct
🛣 Highways
A6, A6a, A6b, A10, A126
Services
Healthcare
3/10
APL 2.5
#5 least GP access of 96
Schools
3/10
Brevet 82%
p5 of 96
Fiber coverage
97%
p62 of 96
Intl schools
2schools
International programmes available
p47 of 96
People
Population
1,245,267
p85 of 96
Density
689/km²
Urban
32 387
Pop trend
+0.5%/yr
+0.3 pts vs median · p72
Median income
$28,500
standard of living · $/yr
#5 highest of 96
Poverty rate
13.9%
below 60% of median living standard
p39 of 96
Unemployment
10.1%
active population out of work
p26 of 96
Tourism
1 bed per 101 residents
p7 of 96 · 12,318 beds
Age distribution · % of population
0-14
18%
15-24
14%
25-39
15%
40-54
14%
55-69
18%
70+
21%
Office professionals
25.8%
cadres · engineers, managers, professionals
p94 of 96
Remote work
3.1%
télétravail · works without commuting
#5 lowest of 96
Socio-professional mix · % of occupied workers
Office
Managers & professionals
25.8%
At-home trades
Farmers
0.1%
Artisans & shopkeepers
4.8%
On-site · services, health, teaching, manual
Intermediate professions incl. nurses, teachers
28.3%
Clerical & service staff
25.7%
Manual workers
15.3%
Real estate
Median
$3,550/m²
$2,090 $5,340
House $3,760 Apt $3,350
-2.9%/yr 2023–25
Median surface
—m²
Taxe foncière
40.63%
typical commune rate · TFPB
p28 of 96
Price distribution across communes · $/m²
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