Largest City in France

2026 comparison

Saint-Louis (974) vs Saint-Paul (974): 2026 comparison

Saint-Paul has more inhabitants than Saint-Louis: 109,405 versus 55,653, or 2.0 times as many. Saint-Paul covers a larger area (241 km² versus 98.9 km²), but Saint-Louis is more densely populated: 563 inhabitants per km² versus 453.

The median apartment price is higher in Saint-Paul: €4,809 per m² versus €2,063. The median standard of living is higher in Saint-Paul (€21,220 a year versus €17,320).

The two cities are 23 km apart as the crow flies, in the same department.

Saint-LouisSaint-Paul
Saint-LouisSaint-Paul23 km as the crow flies

© franek2, CC BY-SA 3.0

Saint-Louis

City in Réunion

Réunion974Réunion

Population
55,653 inhab.
113th in France · 6th in its department
Area
98.9 km²
Density
563 per km²
Full profile of Saint-Louis

Saint-Paul

City in Réunion

Réunion974Réunion

Population
109,405 inhab.
39th in France · 2nd in its department
Area
241 km²
Density
453 per km²
Full profile of Saint-Paul

Population

Population and demographics

Municipal population since 1962

Saint-LouisSaint-Paul

Population: Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul compared
CriterionSaint-LouisSaint-PaulDifference
Population inhab.More populous: Saint-Paul+97%55,653109,405More populous: Saint-Paul+97%
Change over 5 yearsStronger growth: Saint-Paul+1.9 pt+2.5%+4.4%Stronger growth: Saint-Paul+1.9 pt
Change over 10 yearsStronger growth: Saint-Louis+0.7 pt+4.3%+3.6%Stronger growth: Saint-Louis+0.7 pt
Density per km²Denser: Saint-Louis+24%563453Denser: Saint-Louis+24%
Under 15More young people: Saint-Louis+4.0 pts23.7%19.6%More young people: Saint-Louis+4.0 pts
65 and overMore seniors: Saint-Paul+1.9 pt12.8%14.7%More seniors: Saint-Paul+1.9 pt
People per householdLarger households: Saint-Louis+0.172.682.51Larger households: Saint-Louis+0.17

Sources: INSEE, official population figures, INSEE, censuses, INSEE, census

Housing

Real estate prices and housing

Housing: Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul compared
CriterionSaint-LouisSaint-PaulDifference
Median apartment price €/m²More expensive: Saint-Paul2.3 times as high2,0634,809More expensive: Saint-Paul2.3 times as high
Median house price €/m²More expensive: Saint-Paul+66%2,3383,891More expensive: Saint-Paul+66%
Apartment rent €/m² per month, utilities includedMore expensive: Saint-Paul+30%14.518.9More expensive: Saint-Paul+30%
House rent €/m² per month, utilities includedMore expensive: Saint-Paul+28%12.215.6More expensive: Saint-Paul+28%
Homeowner householdsMore homeowners: Saint-Paul+2.9 pts58.1%61.0%More homeowners: Saint-Paul+2.9 pts
Share of housesMore houses: Saint-Louis+9.1 pts80.9%71.8%More houses: Saint-Louis+9.1 pts
Social housing (SRU law) share of primary residencesMore social housing: Saint-Louis+1.4 pt19.7%18.3%More social housing: Saint-Louis+1.4 pt
Second homesMore second homes: Saint-Paul+3.6 pts3.6%7.3%More second homes: Saint-Paul+3.6 pts
Vacant homesMore vacant homes: Saint-Paul+0.1 pt9.3%9.4%More vacant homes: Saint-Paul+0.1 pt
Property tax (combined rate)Higher rate: Saint-Louis+29 pts72.57%43.28%Higher rate: Saint-Louis+29 pts

Sources: DGFiP (DVF), Ministry of Housing (rent map), INSEE, census, Ministry for the Ecological Transition (SRU), DGFiP, local taxation

Income and jobs

Residents’ income and jobs

Income and jobs: Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul compared
CriterionSaint-LouisSaint-PaulDifference
Median standard of living €/yearHigher: Saint-Paul+23%17,32021,220Higher: Saint-Paul+23%
Poverty rateHigher: Saint-Louis+12 pts42.0%30.4%Higher: Saint-Louis+12 pts
Average taxable income per householdHigher: Saint-Paul+48%€17,497€25,928Higher: Saint-Paul+48%
Households paying income taxMore taxpaying households: Saint-Paul+10 pts18%28%More taxpaying households: Saint-Paul+10 pts
Activity rate (ages 15-64)Higher: Saint-Paul+3.4 pts66.8%70.2%Higher: Saint-Paul+3.4 pts
Unemployment rate (census)Higher: Saint-Louis+7.9 pts31.8%23.9%Higher: Saint-Louis+7.9 pts

Sources: INSEE, Filosofi, DGFiP, income tax, INSEE, census

Local life

Town hall and fiber internet

Local life: Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul compared
CriterionSaint-LouisSaint-PaulDifference
MayorJuliana M'DoihomaEmmanuel Séraphin
Political label of the mayor’s list (2026 local elections)miscellaneous centreunion of the left
Premises with fiberBetter covered: Saint-Louis+1.6 pt97%95%Better covered: Saint-Louis+1.6 pt

Sources: Ministry of the Interior, register of elected officials, Ministry of the Interior, Arcep

Shops and facilities

Shops, leisure and transportation

Shops and facilities: Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul compared
CriterionSaint-LouisSaint-PaulDifference
Shops per 10,000 inhab.More shops per capita: Saint-Paul+15%60.2335 in total69.3758 in totalMore shops per capita: Saint-Paul+15%
Food shops per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: Saint-Paul+6%23.5131 in total25.0274 in totalMore per capita: Saint-Paul+6%
Restaurants per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: Saint-Paul+56%34.5192 in total53.7588 in totalMore per capita: Saint-Paul+56%
Sports facilities per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: Saint-Paul+57%15.687 in total24.6269 in totalMore per capita: Saint-Paul+57%
Cultural venues per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: Saint-Paul+53%0.74 in total1.112 in totalMore per capita: Saint-Paul+53%
Hotels per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: Saint-Paul+3.40.00 in total3.437 in totalMore per capita: Saint-Paul+3.4
Passenger train stationsTie00Tie

Number of facilities per 10,000 inhabitants (total count in small print). Source: INSEE, facilities database (BPE)

Health

Health care

Health: Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul compared
CriterionSaint-LouisSaint-PaulDifference
Access to general practitioners visits/inhab./year localized potential accessibilityBetter access: Saint-Louis+31%8.96.8Better access: Saint-Louis+31%
General practitioners per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: Saint-Paul+13%11.363 in total12.8140 in totalMore per capita: Saint-Paul+13%
Medical specialists per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: Saint-Paul+78%9.352 in total16.6182 in totalMore per capita: Saint-Paul+78%
Dentists per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: Saint-Paul+35%7.240 in total9.7106 in totalMore per capita: Saint-Paul+35%
Pharmacies per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: Saint-Paul+9%2.514 in total2.730 in totalMore per capita: Saint-Paul+9%
HospitalsMore facilities: Saint-Paul+246More facilities: Saint-Paul+2

Practitioners and facilities per 10,000 inhabitants (total count in small print); access to doctors includes those in neighboring communes. Sources: Ministry of Health (DREES), APL, INSEE, facilities database (BPE), Ministry of Health (Finess)

Education

Schools and colleges

Education: Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul compared
CriterionSaint-LouisSaint-PaulDifference
Primary schoolsMore schools: Saint-Paul+363369More schools: Saint-Paul+36
Middle schoolsMore middle schools: Saint-Paul+8715More middle schools: Saint-Paul+8
High schoolsMore high schools: Saint-Paul+459More high schools: Saint-Paul+4
Higher education institutions and programsMore facilities: Saint-Paul+101More facilities: Saint-Paul+1

Sources: Ministry of Education, INSEE, facilities database (BPE)

Recorded crime

Offenses recorded by the police

Recorded crime: Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul compared
CriterionSaint-LouisSaint-PaulDifference
Home burglaries per 1,000 homesHigher rate: Saint-Paul+53%1.11.6Higher rate: Saint-Paul+53%
Non-violent thefts per 1,000 inhab.Higher rate: Saint-Paul+57%4.26.7Higher rate: Saint-Paul+57%
Physical violence outside the family per 1,000 inhab.Tie4.44.4Tie
Vehicle thefts per 1,000 inhab.Higher rate: Saint-Paul+84%1.01.8Higher rate: Saint-Paul+84%
Vandalism and property damage per 1,000 inhab.Higher rate: Saint-Paul+16%5.66.5Higher rate: Saint-Paul+16%

Offenses recorded in the commune by the police and gendarmerie, per 1,000 inhabitants (per 1,000 homes for burglaries); this is not the actual crime level. Rates for the latest published year. Source: Ministry of the Interior (SSMSI)

Climate

Temperature, sunshine and rain

Climate: Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul compared
CriterionSaint-LouisSaint-PaulDifference
Average temperatureWarmer: Saint-Paul+0.2 °C24.2°C24.4°CWarmer: Saint-Paul+0.2 °C
Sunshine h/year—2,567
Rainfall mm/yearWetter: Saint-Louis+23%736598Wetter: Saint-Louis+23%
Rainy days days/year at least 1 mmMore rainy days: Saint-Louis+11 days/year5948More rainy days: Saint-Louis+11 days/year
Frost days days/yearTie00Tie
Very hot days days/year 30 °C or moreMore hot days: Saint-Paul+9 days/year140149More hot days: Saint-Paul+9 days/year

Climate normals from the reference Météo-France station of each commune. Source: Météo-France, climate normals

Natural hazards

Natural disasters and prevention

Natural hazards: Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul compared
CriterionSaint-LouisSaint-PaulDifference
Natural disasters declared since 1982More declarations: Saint-Paul+12324More declarations: Saint-Paul+1
Natural hazard prevention plansTie22Tie
Radon potentialSameLowLowSame

Sources: Géorisques (GASPAR), IRSN

Land

Area, terrain and administrative areas

Land: Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul compared
CriterionSaint-LouisSaint-PaulDifference
Area km²Larger: Saint-Paul2.4 times as high98.9241Larger: Saint-Paul2.4 times as high
Town hall elevationHigher: Saint-Louis+23 m28 m5 mHigher: Saint-Louis+23 m
Coastal communeSameYes (sea)Yes (sea)Same
Density grid (INSEE)Large urban centreIntermediate urban centre
DepartmentSameRéunion (974)Réunion (974)Same
IntercommunalityCommunauté d'agglomération CIVIS (Communauté Intercommunale des Villes Solidaires)Communauté d'agglomération Territoire de la Côte Ouest (TCO)
Urban unitSaint-LouisSaint-Paul
Functional areaSaint-LouisSaint-Paul

Sources: IGN, IGN, elevation, Ministry for the Ecological Transition, Loi Littoral, INSEE, density grid, INSEE, COG, INSEE, geographic classifications

Summary

Saint-Louis (974) vs Saint-Paul (974) at a glance

Summary table: Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul
CriterionSaint-LouisSaint-Paul
Population inhab.55,653109,405
Change over 10 years+4.3%+3.6%
Density per km²563453
Median apartment price €/m²2,0634,809
Median house price €/m²2,3383,891
Apartment rent €/m²14.518.9
Property tax (combined rate)72.57%43.28%
Median standard of living €/year17,32021,220
Unemployment rate (census)31.8%23.9%
Premises with fiber97%95%
Access to general practitioners visits/inhab./year8.96.8
Home burglaries per 1,000 homes1.11.6
Average temperature24.2°C24.4°C
Sunshine h/year—2,567
Area km²98.9241

More comparisons

Compare with other towns

Compare two other towns

FAQ

Saint-Louis (974) vs Saint-Paul (974): your questions

Which is the larger city, Saint-Louis or Saint-Paul?

By population, Saint-Paul: 109,405 inhabitants versus 55,653 for Saint-Louis (official population figures in force on January 1, 2026). Saint-Paul is the 39th largest city in France, Saint-Louis the 113th. By area, Saint-Paul is also the larger (241 km²).

How far is Saint-Louis from Saint-Paul?

Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul are 23 km apart as the crow flies, between the centers of the two communes, in the same department (Réunion).

Where is real estate more expensive, in Saint-Louis or Saint-Paul?

To buy an apartment, Saint-Paul is more expensive: €4,809 per m² (median price), versus €2,063 in Saint-Louis (+133%). Median prices of sales over the last five years (DGFiP, DVF).

Where is the standard of living higher, in Saint-Louis or Saint-Paul?

In Saint-Paul, half of the residents have a standard of living above €21,220 a year, versus €17,320 in Saint-Louis (disposable income per consumption unit, INSEE).

Are Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul in the same department?

Yes: both towns are in Réunion (974), in the Réunion region.

Official population figures in force on January 1, 2026. Source: INSEE, official population figures

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