Largest city in the Loire-Atlantique department: the 2026 ranking

The 207 towns of the Loire-Atlantique department (44) ranked by population, area and density, based on the official INSEE population figures in force in 2026.

The largest city in the Loire-Atlantique department is Nantes, with 332,515 inhabitants (ranked 6^th in France by population). The largest town by area is Vallons-de-l'Erdre (189 km²). Nantes is also the most densely populated town, with 5,101 inhabitants per km². At the other end of the ranking, Juigné-des-Moutiers has only 345 inhabitants.

The Loire-Atlantique department has 1,517,043 inhabitants over 6,874 km², a density of 221 inhabitants per km², 2.0 times the national average (110 per km²). It accounts for 38.0% of the population of Pays de la Loire, the region it belongs to: see the ranking of the largest cities in Pays de la Loire.

The 20 largest cities in the Loire-Atlantique department by population

#	Town	Population	km²	per km²	France rank
1	Nantes	332,515	65	5,101	6^th
2	Saint-Nazaire	76,243	47	1,629	69^th
3	Saint-Herblain	51,681	30	1,722	131^st
4	Rezé	44,286	14	3,214	170^th
5	Orvault	29,176	28	1,054	303^rd
6	Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire	29,151	12	2,500	304^th
7	Vertou	26,684	36	748	343^rd
8	Couëron	24,367	44	553	377^th
9	Carquefou	21,509	43	495	445^th
10	La Chapelle-sur-Erdre	21,281	33	637	451^st
11	Bouguenais	20,862	32	662	470^th
12	Pornic	19,257	94	204	513^th
13	La Baule-Escoublac	17,435	22	786	573^rd
14	Guérande	17,355	81	213	576^th
15	Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire	16,679	11	1,457	597^th
16	Saint-Brevin-les-Pins	14,909	19	773	678^th
17	Pornichet	13,103	13	1,034	776^th
18	Châteaubriant	12,716	34	378	796^th
19	Ancenis-Saint-Géréon	12,005	28	435	846^th
20	Pontchâteau	11,798	56	211	858^th

Largest towns by area in the Loire-Atlantique department

#	Town	Population	km²	per km²	France rank
1	Vallons-de-l'Erdre	6,795	189	36	45^th
2	Loireauxence	7,748	118	66	163^rd
3	Guémené-Penfao	5,340	106	51	207^th
4	Plessé	5,478	104	52	211^th
5	Blain	10,635	102	105	223^rd
6	Pornic	19,257	94	204	271^st
7	Saint-Joachim	4,168	86	48	341^st
8	Machecoul-Saint-Même	7,912	85	93	355^th
9	Guérande	17,355	81	213	389^th
10	Chaumes-en-Retz	7,577	77	99	450^th

Most densely populated towns in the Loire-Atlantique department

#	Town	Population	km²	per km²	France rank
1	Nantes	332,515	65	5,101	137^th
2	Rezé	44,286	14	3,214	264^th
3	Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire	29,151	12	2,500	362^nd
4	La Montagne	6,653	3.6	1,828	499^th
5	Saint-Herblain	51,681	30	1,722	535^th
6	Saint-Nazaire	76,243	47	1,629	572^nd
7	Paimbœuf	3,138	2.0	1,569	585^th
8	Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire	16,679	11	1,457	640^th
9	Le Temple-de-Bretagne	2,010	1.6	1,256	764^th
10	Orvault	29,176	28	1,054	891^st

All towns in the Loire-Atlantique department (207)

INSEE total population in parentheses. Each town page gives its area, density, national and departmental rankings, and neighboring towns.

Abbaretz (2,112)
Aigrefeuille-sur-Maine (4,299)
Ancenis-Saint-Géréon (12,005)
Assérac (1,936)
Avessac (2,513)
Basse-Goulaine (9,894)
Batz-sur-Mer (2,988)
Besné (3,364)
Blain (10,635)
Bouaye (8,482)
Bouée (1,109)
Bouguenais (20,862)
Boussay (2,933)
Bouvron (3,203)
Brains (2,762)
Campbon (4,175)
Carquefou (21,509)
Casson (2,650)
Château-Thébaud (3,340)
Châteaubriant (12,716)
Chaumes-en-Retz (7,577)
Chauvé (3,109)
Cheix-en-Retz (1,198)
Clisson (7,723)
Conquereuil (1,085)
Corcoué-sur-Logne (3,311)
Cordemais (4,083)
Corsept (2,651)
Couëron (24,367)
Couffé (2,579)
Crossac (3,033)
Derval (3,897)
Divatte-sur-Loire (7,371)
Donges (8,298)
Drefféac (2,327)
Erbray (3,132)
Fay-de-Bretagne (4,087)
Fégréac (2,298)
Fercé (526)
Frossay (3,373)
Geneston (3,750)
Gétigné (3,967)
Gorges (5,561)
Grand-Auverné (794)
Grandchamp-des-Fontaines (7,176)
Guémené-Penfao (5,340)
Guenrouet (3,735)
Guérande (17,355)
Haute-Goulaine (6,253)
Herbignac (7,347)
Héric (6,705)
Indre (4,209)
Issé (1,889)
Jans (1,383)
Joué-sur-Erdre (2,829)
Juigné-des-Moutiers (345)
La Baule-Escoublac (17,435)
La Bernerie-en-Retz (3,581)
La Boissière-du-Doré (1,126)
La Chapelle-des-Marais (4,619)
La Chapelle-Glain (824)
La Chapelle-Heulin (3,538)
La Chapelle-Launay (3,334)
La Chapelle-sur-Erdre (21,281)
La Chevallerais (1,593)
La Chevrolière (6,650)
La Grigonnais (1,871)
La Haie-Fouassière (4,870)
La Limouzinière (2,513)
La Marne (1,608)
La Meilleraye-de-Bretagne (1,632)
La Montagne (6,653)
La Plaine-sur-Mer (4,836)
La Planche (2,853)
La Regrippière (1,634)
La Remaudière (1,327)
La Roche-Blanche (1,279)
La Turballe (4,956)
Lavau-sur-Loire (787)
Le Bignon (4,045)
Le Cellier (4,149)
Le Croisic (4,108)
Le Gâvre (1,921)
Le Landreau (3,646)
Le Loroux-Bottereau (8,702)
Le Pallet (3,468)
Le Pellerin (5,538)
Le Pin (880)
Le Pouliguen (4,275)
Le Temple-de-Bretagne (2,010)
Legé (4,935)
Les Moutiers-en-Retz (1,981)
Les Sorinières (9,394)
Les Touches (2,673)
Ligné (5,803)
Loireauxence (7,748)
Louisfert (977)
Lusanger (1,096)
Machecoul-Saint-Même (7,912)
Maisdon-sur-Sèvre (3,148)
Malville (3,804)
Marsac-sur-Don (1,556)
Massérac (671)
Mauves-sur-Loire (3,473)
Mésanger (4,818)
Mesquer (2,220)
Missillac (5,808)
Moisdon-la-Rivière (2,031)
Monnières (2,447)
Montbert (3,459)
Montoir-de-Bretagne (7,378)
Montrelais (866)
Mouais (357)
Mouzeil (2,050)
Mouzillon (2,953)
Nantes (332,515)
Nort-sur-Erdre (9,755)
Notre-Dame-des-Landes (2,397)
Noyal-sur-Brutz (589)
Nozay (4,380)
Orvault (29,176)
Oudon (3,985)
Paimbœuf (3,138)
Pannecé (1,464)
Paulx (2,083)
Petit-Auverné (441)
Petit-Mars (3,960)
Pierric (1,024)
Piriac-sur-Mer (2,747)
Plessé (5,478)
Pont-Saint-Martin (7,179)
Pontchâteau (11,798)
Pornic (19,257)
Pornichet (13,103)
Port-Saint-Père (3,111)
Pouillé-les-Côteaux (1,053)
Préfailles (1,360)
Prinquiau (3,654)
Puceul (1,159)
Quilly (1,587)
Remouillé (1,969)
Rezé (44,286)
Riaillé (2,415)
Rouans (3,353)
Rougé (2,184)
Ruffigné (713)
Saffré (4,173)
Saint-Aignan-Grandlieu (4,048)
Saint-André-des-Eaux (7,196)
Saint-Aubin-des-Châteaux (1,790)
Saint-Brevin-les-Pins (14,909)
Saint-Colomban (3,596)
Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte (1,803)
Saint-Étienne-de-Montluc (7,971)
Saint-Fiacre-sur-Maine (1,276)
Saint-Gildas-des-Bois (3,930)
Saint-Herblain (51,681)
Saint-Hilaire-de-Chaléons (2,479)
Saint-Hilaire-de-Clisson (2,485)
Saint-Jean-de-Boiseau (6,164)
Saint-Joachim (4,168)
Saint-Julien-de-Concelles (8,009)
Saint-Julien-de-Vouvantes (980)
Saint-Léger-les-Vignes (2,200)
Saint-Lumine-de-Clisson (2,143)
Saint-Lumine-de-Coutais (2,449)
Saint-Lyphard (5,410)
Saint-Malo-de-Guersac (3,254)
Saint-Mars-de-Coutais (2,756)
Saint-Mars-du-Désert (5,624)
Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef (5,820)
Saint-Molf (2,932)
Saint-Nazaire (76,243)
Saint-Nicolas-de-Redon (3,372)
Saint-Père-en-Retz (5,053)
Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu (9,604)
Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire (29,151)
Saint-Viaud (2,986)
Saint-Vincent-des-Landes (1,546)
Sainte-Anne-sur-Brivet (3,135)
Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire (16,679)
Sainte-Pazanne (7,348)
Sainte-Reine-de-Bretagne (2,518)
Sautron (8,679)
Savenay (9,816)
Sévérac (1,715)
Sion-les-Mines (1,692)
Soudan (2,004)
Soulvache (346)
Sucé-sur-Erdre (7,713)
Teillé (1,850)
Thouaré-sur-Loire (11,182)
Touvois (1,997)
Trans-sur-Erdre (1,167)
Treffieux (1,004)
Treillières (10,800)
Trignac (8,517)
Vair-sur-Loire (5,094)
Vallet (9,706)
Vallons-de-l'Erdre (6,795)
Vay (2,161)
Vertou (26,684)
Vieillevigne (4,210)
Vigneux-de-Bretagne (6,790)
Villeneuve-en-Retz (5,207)
Villepot (687)
Vue (1,783)

Other departments in Pays de la Loire

Maine-et-Loire (49) Mayenne (53) Sarthe (72) Vendée (85) All departments

Sources: INSEE, official population figures in force on January 1, 2026 (total population); land area: IGN / Observatoire des territoires. Rankings computed across the 34,858 communes in the database.