Largest city in Pays de la Loire: the 2026 ranking
The largest cities in Pays de la Loire and its 5 departments compared by population, area and density, based on the official INSEE population figures in force in 2026.
The largest city in Pays de la Loire is Nantes (Loire-Atlantique), with 332,515 inhabitants, ranked 6th in France by population, ahead of Angers (162,290) and Le Mans (148,876).
Pays de la Loire has 1,228 communes and 3,997,387 inhabitants over 32,076 km², or 5.8% of the French population, with a density of 125 inhabitants per km² (national average: 110). Its most populous department is Loire-Atlantique (1,517,043 inhabitants), and its least populous is Mayenne (314,446).
Departments of Pays de la Loire
| Department | Towns | Population | km² | per km² | Largest city |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loire-Atlantique (44) | 207 | 1,517,043 | 6,874 | 221 | Nantes (332,515) |
| Maine-et-Loire (49) | 176 | 853,768 | 7,107 | 120 | Angers (162,290) |
| Vendée (85) | 253 | 732,903 | 6,714 | 109 | La Roche-sur-Yon (57,683) |
| Sarthe (72) | 352 | 579,227 | 6,206 | 93 | Le Mans (148,876) |
| Mayenne (53) | 240 | 314,446 | 5,175 | 61 | Laval (51,719) |
The 20 largest cities in Pays de la Loire by population
Largest towns by area in Pays de la Loire
| # | Town | Department | Population | km² | per km² | France rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemillé-en-Anjou | Maine-et-Loire (49) | 22,615 | 324 | 70 | 22nd |
| 2 | Noyant-Villages | Maine-et-Loire (49) | 5,541 | 299 | 19 | 23rd |
| 3 | Baugé-en-Anjou | Maine-et-Loire (49) | 11,939 | 268 | 45 | 24th |
| 4 | Segré-en-Anjou Bleu | Maine-et-Loire (49) | 18,379 | 242 | 76 | 26th |
| 5 | Beaupréau-en-Mauges | Maine-et-Loire (49) | 24,720 | 230 | 107 | 29th |
| 6 | Sèvremoine | Maine-et-Loire (49) | 26,473 | 213 | 124 | 36th |
| 7 | Ombrée d'Anjou | Maine-et-Loire (49) | 9,000 | 202 | 45 | 39th |
| 8 | Montrevault-sur-Èvre | Maine-et-Loire (49) | 16,045 | 199 | 81 | 41st |
| 9 | Mauges-sur-Loire | Maine-et-Loire (49) | 19,159 | 192 | 100 | 43rd |
| 10 | Vallons-de-l'Erdre | Loire-Atlantique (44) | 6,795 | 189 | 36 | 45th |
Most densely populated towns in Pays de la Loire
| # | Town | Department | Population | km² | per km² | France rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nantes | Loire-Atlantique (44) | 332,515 | 65 | 5,101 | 137th |
| 2 | Angers | Maine-et-Loire (49) | 162,290 | 43 | 3,800 | 212th |
| 3 | Rezé | Loire-Atlantique (44) | 44,286 | 14 | 3,214 | 264th |
| 4 | Le Mans | Sarthe (72) | 148,876 | 53 | 2,819 | 318th |
| 5 | Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire | Loire-Atlantique (44) | 29,151 | 12 | 2,500 | 362nd |
| 6 | Coulaines | Sarthe (72) | 8,226 | 3.9 | 2,093 | 430th |
| 7 | La Montagne | Loire-Atlantique (44) | 6,653 | 3.6 | 1,828 | 499th |
| 8 | Saint-Herblain | Loire-Atlantique (44) | 51,681 | 30 | 1,722 | 535th |
| 9 | Saint-Nazaire | Loire-Atlantique (44) | 76,243 | 47 | 1,629 | 572nd |
| 10 | Paimbœuf | Loire-Atlantique (44) | 3,138 | 2.0 | 1,569 | 585th |
Other regions of France
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Brittany Centre-Val de Loire Corsica Grand Est Guadeloupe French Guiana Hauts-de-France Île-de-France Réunion Martinique Normandy Nouvelle-Aquitaine Occitanie Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
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.