Largest City in France

2026 ranking · median standard of living

The poorest cities in France in 2026: median standard of living

Roubaix (Nord) is the poorest city in France: its median standard of living is just €16,080 a year. Next come Denain (Nord, €16,330) and Saint-Benoît (Réunion, €16,460).

478 towns ranked out of 34,875

Roubaix, 1stThe next 19

The podium

  1. View of Roubaix 1stRoubaix 16,080€/year Nord
  2. 2ndDenain 16,330€/year Nord
  3. View of Saint-Benoît 3rdSaint-Benoît 16,460€/year Réunion

Photos: © Mairie de roubaix, CC BY-SA 3.0 · © Thierry Caro, CC BY-SA 4.0

This ranking covers 478 of the 34,875 towns in France. Not ranked: towns with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants and towns for which INSEE does not publish the standard of living; towns in Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana, which the source does not cover. At the other end of the ranking, Neuilly-sur-Seine (Hauts-de-Seine) comes last with €56,030.

In France, a commune is the smallest unit of local government, from large cities to tiny villages. Paris, Lyon and Marseille are ranked as whole communes: their arrondissements (districts) have no rank of their own.

The ranking: poorest cities in France

Rank Town Department Median standard of living (€/year) Proportional bar Population
1 Roubaix Nord (59) 16,080 98,701
2 Denain Nord (59) 16,330 20,777
3 Saint-Benoît Réunion (974) 16,460 38,967
4 Grigny Essonne (91) 16,470 26,888
5 Clichy-sous-Bois Seine-Saint-Denis (93) 16,520 29,421
6 Le Port Réunion (974) 16,710 34,212
7 tied La Courneuve Seine-Saint-Denis (93) 16,820 47,285
7 tied Creil Oise (60) 16,820 36,533
9 Saint-Joseph Réunion (974) 16,870 39,763
10 Saint-André Réunion (974) 17,030 59,351
11 Aubervilliers Seine-Saint-Denis (93) 17,210 88,529
12 tied Saint-Louis Réunion (974) 17,320 55,653
12 tied Garges-lès-Gonesse Val-d'Oise (95) 17,320 41,893
14 Stains Seine-Saint-Denis (93) 17,670 41,471
15 Villiers-le-Bel Val-d'Oise (95) 17,750 30,195
16 Maubeuge Nord (59) 17,930 29,031
17 Bobigny Seine-Saint-Denis (93) 18,050 57,035
18 Saint-Denis Seine-Saint-Denis (93) 18,130 149,936
19 Sarcelles Val-d'Oise (95) 18,180 59,385
20 Montereau-Fault-Yonne Seine-et-Marne (77) 18,230 22,467
21 Béziers Hérault (34) 18,390 82,629
22 Le Tampon Réunion (974) 18,470 83,518
23 Grande-Synthe Nord (59) 18,630 20,411
24 Lens Pas-de-Calais (62) 18,660 33,122
25 Mulhouse Haut-Rhin (68) 18,680 106,083
26 Vaulx-en-Velin Rhône (69) 18,700 53,281
27 Vénissieux Rhône (69) 18,980 65,689
28 Villeneuve-Saint-Georges Val-de-Marne (94) 19,030 36,319
29 Perpignan Pyrénées-Orientales (66) 19,110 123,136
30 Bruay-la-Buissière Pas-de-Calais (62) 19,260 21,772
31 tied Mantes-la-Jolie Yvelines (78) 19,370 43,683
31 tied Nogent-sur-Oise Oise (60) 19,370 22,177
33 Bondy Seine-Saint-Denis (93) 19,420 50,762
34 Sevran Seine-Saint-Denis (93) 19,450 52,682
35 Avignon Vaucluse (84) 19,500 93,567
36 Forbach Moselle (57) 19,530 20,721
37 Sainte-Suzanne Réunion (974) 19,560 25,809
38 Le Blanc-Mesnil Seine-Saint-Denis (93) 19,630 62,547
39 Épinay-sur-Seine Seine-Saint-Denis (93) 19,650 52,944
40 Saint-Pierre Réunion (974) 19,670 85,927
41 Saint-Leu Réunion (974) 19,680 36,687
42 Dreux Eure-et-Loir (28) 19,770 32,045
43 tied Boulogne-sur-Mer Pas-de-Calais (62) 19,800 40,924
43 tied Les Mureaux Yvelines (78) 19,800 34,793
45 Laon Aisne (02) 19,870 24,809
46 Goussainville Val-d'Oise (95) 19,960 31,413
47 Soissons Aisne (02) 19,970 28,664
48 Liévin Pas-de-Calais (62) 20,030 30,398
49 Trappes Yvelines (78) 20,060 34,788
50 Gennevilliers Hauts-de-Seine (92) 20,160 51,177
51 Troyes Aube (10) 20,210 63,254
52 Douai Nord (59) 20,230 41,108
53 Saint-Denis Réunion (974) 20,240 157,142
54 Tourcoing Nord (59) 20,250 99,346
55 tied Alès Gard (30) 20,260 46,632
55 tied Oyonnax Ain (01) 20,260 22,923
57 tied Calais Pas-de-Calais (62) 20,270 68,246
57 tied Hérouville-Saint-Clair Calvados (14) 20,270 23,672
59 tied Drancy Seine-Saint-Denis (93) 20,290 72,583
59 tied Évreux Eure (27) 20,290 50,601
61 Villeneuve-la-Garenne Hauts-de-Seine (92) 20,310 26,094
62 Givors Rhône (69) 20,320 21,503
63 Lormont Gironde (33) 20,330 26,158
64 Charleville-Mézières Ardennes (08) 20,390 46,473
65 Saint-Quentin Aisne (02) 20,470 53,963
66 Noisy-le-Sec Seine-Saint-Denis (93) 20,600 45,634
67 Cavaillon Vaucluse (84) 20,640 25,991
68 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy Meurthe-et-Moselle (54) 20,710 30,204
69 Carpentras Vaucluse (84) 20,730 32,388
70 Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray Seine-Maritime (76) 20,740 29,760
71 Sens Yonne (89) 20,780 27,600
72 Gonesse Val-d'Oise (95) 20,810 27,794
73 tied Corbeil-Essonnes Essonne (91) 20,820 54,730
73 tied Saint-Dizier Haute-Marne (52) 20,820 23,281
75 Nîmes Gard (30) 20,830 154,017
76 Le Petit-Quevilly Seine-Maritime (76) 20,840 22,477
77 Saint-Étienne Loire (42) 20,880 174,698
78 tied Aulnay-sous-Bois Seine-Saint-Denis (93) 20,930 87,951
78 tied Belfort Territoire de Belfort (90) 20,930 46,662
80 Agen Lot-et-Garonne (47) 20,990 33,656
81 Montbéliard Doubs (25) 21,000 25,159
82 Évry-Courcouronnes Essonne (91) 21,020 67,272
83 Armentières Nord (59) 21,040 27,382
84 Tarbes Hautes-Pyrénées (65) 21,050 45,361
85 Dieppe Seine-Maritime (76) 21,140 28,970
86 Alençon Orne (61) 21,150 26,175
87 tied Cenon Gironde (33) 21,170 27,065
87 tied Vierzon Cher (18) 21,170 25,527
89 Mâcon Saône-et-Loire (71) 21,200 35,885
90 Saint-Paul Réunion (974) 21,220 109,405
91 Sainte-Marie Réunion (974) 21,270 37,527
92 Argenteuil Val-d'Oise (95) 21,300 106,546
93 Melun Seine-et-Marne (77) 21,310 46,211
94 Béthune Pas-de-Calais (62) 21,370 25,585
95 Abbeville Somme (80) 21,380 22,793
96 tied Amiens Somme (80) 21,400 139,183
96 tied Beauvais Oise (60) 21,400 56,934
98 Montpellier Hérault (34) 21,440 313,712
99 Orly Val-de-Marne (94) 21,560 24,853
100 Roanne Loire (42) 21,580 36,067

Source: INSEE, Filosofi (localized social and tax income data); median annual standard of living of residents, cities with 20,000 or more inhabitants. Not ranked: towns with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants and towns for which INSEE does not publish the standard of living; towns in Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana, which the source does not cover. Tied values share the same rank. Data sources.

FAQ

Poorest cities in France: FAQ

What is the poorest city in France in 2026?

Roubaix (Nord) is the poorest city in France: its median standard of living is just €16,080 a year.

What are the 10 poorest cities in France?

In order: Roubaix (€16,080), Denain (€16,330), Saint-Benoît (€16,460), Grigny (€16,470), Clichy-sous-Bois (€16,520), Le Port (€16,710), La Courneuve (€16,820), Creil (€16,820), Saint-Joseph (€16,870), and Saint-André (€17,030).

What is the richest city in France?

Neuilly-sur-Seine (Hauts-de-Seine) is the richest city in France: its median standard of living reaches €56,030 a year. See the richest cities in France.

How many towns in France are ranked?

478 out of 34,875. Not ranked: towns with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants and towns for which INSEE does not publish the standard of living; towns in Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana, which the source does not cover.

What is the median standard of living?

The standard of living is the disposable income of a household (earnings, pensions and social benefits, after direct taxes) divided by its number of consumption units. The median splits residents into two halves: half live on less, half on more. Only cities with 20,000 or more inhabitants are ranked here; every town with a published figure appears in the poorest towns ranking.

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