Living in Valence
In Valence (Occitania), advertised rents for new lettings average €8.54 per m² a month (2025) and unemployment is 18.1% (2022).
Valence is a city in France, with a population of 5,289 at the start of 2023. The city covered 13.4 km² in 2026. Population density was 393.5 people per km² in 2023. Annual PM2.5 was 13 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. The unemployment rate was 18.1% at the end of 2022. Gigabit broadband availability was 96.4% in March 2026.
Cheaper rent than 87% of French cities that publish it, higher unemployment than 90% of French cities that publish it and dirtier air than any other French city that publishes it.
Which France-wide rules apply when you move to Valence?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
How much does it cost to rent in Valence?
Average net cold rent is 8.54 EUR/m² per month (2025-Q3), excluding heating and operating charges.
Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.
- Average net rent (nettokalt): 8.54 EUR/m²/month · static.data.gouv.fr19
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 42.99 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Orange Livebox Fibre15Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 19.99 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Orange 100GB mobile plan14Official · national market |
| Housing vacancy rate (legacy series) | 371.8 % | 31 Dec 2023 | INSEE5Official |
| Dwellings | 3,031 dwellings | 31 Dec 2023 | INSEE6Official |
| Main residence dwellings | 2,543 dwellings | 31 Dec 2023 | INSEE6Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 8.54 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €11.60 | 31 Dec 2025 | static.data.gouv.fr19Official |
Is Valence a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 512 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 8.54 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.
Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Valence?
The unemployment rate is about 18.1 % (2022).
- Unemployment rate: 18.15 % · INSEE RP2022 ACT1 — population active by type of activity, commune8
Valence 18.2%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gigabit broadband availability | 96.38 % | 31 Mar 2026 | Independent ARCEP municipal count of premises eligible for the >=1 Gbit/s fixed advertised-speed class, divided by the ARCEP type=all municipal premises denominator. This is availability/eligibility, not adoption, measured speed, FTTH-only coverage or mobile coverage.4Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 2,575 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | www.insee.fr21Official |
| Unemployment rate | 18.15 %country median 11.0% | 31 Dec 2022 | INSEE RP2022 ACT1 — population active by type of activity, commune8Official |
What does a salary buy in Valence?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentInternetMobileLeft over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions. | €1,961 |
| Rent, 60 m²€8.54/m² · official · static.data.gouv.fr · 2025-12-31 | − €512 |
| Internet€43 · official · Orange Livebox Fibre · 2026-09-30 | − €43 |
| Mobile plan€20 · official · Orange 100GB mobile plan · 2026-09-30 | − €20 |
| Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities | — |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €1,385 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Valence. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
France Travail — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Valence. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Family and education
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary schools | 49 count | 3 Aug 2026 | Ministère de l'Éducation nationale (data.education.gouv.fr)10Official |
| Schools | 85 count | 3 Aug 2026 | Ministère de l'Éducation nationale (data.education.gouv.fr)10Official |
School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 3 to 16. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: UPE2A (unités pédagogiques pour élèves allophones nouvellement arrivés) + UPE2A-NSA variant. How to enrol a child (education.gouv.fr).
A country-wide rule for France; Valence's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Safety
How safe is Valence?
Police recorded about 4,916 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Base statistique communale de la délinquance enregistrée par la police et la gendarmerie nationales, 2025 (géographie 2026)1
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 4,916 incidents per 100,000country median 4,740 | 31 Dec 2025 | Base statistique communale de la délinquance enregistrée par la police et la gendarmerie nationales, 2025 (géographie 2026)1Official |
Mobility and administration
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Valence. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
Contrat d’intégration républicaine (CIR) — Integration course
État français and OFII
For eligible non-EU foreign residents.
DIAN language-training offer finder — Other
Réseau des Carif-Oref and DIAN
For people seeking French-language training.
Climate and air quality
Is the air quality good in Valence?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 13 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data2
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
hours
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Valence 13.0
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 23.4 µg/m³country median 14.8 | 31 Dec 2013 | Eurostat3Official |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 13 µg/m³country median 8.5 | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data2Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 9.6 · Feb 11.6 · Mar 15.6 · Apr 18.2 · May 22 · Jun 25.6 · Jul 28 · Aug 28.3 · Sep 24.8 · Oct 20 · Nov 13.6 · Dec 10 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station AGEN-LA_GARENNE20Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 2.5 · Feb 2.3 · Mar 4.6 · Apr 7 · May 10.5 · Jun 13.9 · Jul 15.7 · Aug 15.7 · Sep 12.3 · Oct 9.8 · Nov 5.6 · Dec 3.1 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station AGEN-LA_GARENNE20Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 6.1 · Feb 6.9 · Mar 10.1 · Apr 12.6 · May 16.3 · Jun 19.8 · Jul 21.9 · Aug 22 · Sep 18.6 · Oct 14.9 · Nov 9.6 · Dec 6.6 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station AGEN-LA_GARENNE20Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 59.6 · Feb 44.2 · Mar 49 · Apr 70 · May 73.3 · Jun 62.2 · Jul 49.4 · Aug 50.4 · Sep 60.6 · Oct 58.7 · Nov 70.1 · Dec 60.7 mm | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station AGEN-LA_GARENNE20Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 75 · Feb 112 · Mar 171 · Apr 186 · May 215 · Jun 234 · Jul 260 · Aug 250 · Sep 210 · Oct 142 · Nov 87 · Dec 71 hours | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station AGEN-LA_GARENNE20Official · nearest-station reading |
Similar climate. In France: Angers ±1.3 °C. Elsewhere: Murfreesboro (United States) ±2.8 °C, Girona (Spain) ±2.0 °C, Saanich (Canada) ±3.0 °C, Bexley (United Kingdom) ±2.0 °C, Westminster (United Kingdom) ±2.0 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month
Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.
Population and city profile
How many people live in Valence?
The published population was 5,289 people in January 2023. Source: INSEE populations légales 2023 par commune7
By nationality
National passport91%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 13.44 km² | 31 Dec 2026 | Séries historiques en 2023 — Recensement de la population, base des principaux indicateurs, communes de France hors Mayotte18Official |
| Foreign residents | 478 people | 2021 | Nationalité en 2021 — Base des tableaux détaillés — NAT112Official |
| Population density | 393.5 people/km² | 31 Dec 2023 | Séries historiques en 2023 — Recensement de la population, base des principaux indicateurs, communes de France hors Mayotte18Official |
| Population | 5,289 people | 1 Jan 2023 | INSEE populations légales 2023 par commune7Official |
International community in Valence
Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.
Citizenship
Population resident in France excluding Mayotte; INSEE RP2023 NAT; total age and sex · 2023 Census
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 5,289 | 100.0% |
| Français | 4,625.395 | 87.5% |
| Etranger | 663.605 | 12.5% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source9
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universities | 0 count | 3 Aug 2026 | Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche (data.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr)11Official |
Alternatives for people set on Valence
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Foulayronnes as a Valence alternative in the same region
24 km away, better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Rent cannot be compared like for like.
- Unemployment: 9.1% Foulayronnes vs 18.1% Valence−50%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,635 Foulayronnes vs 4,916 Valence−46%
- Rent: €5.23/m² (2021) Foulayronnes vs €8.54/m² (2025) Valenceno percentage
- Nearest airport: 8.0 km Foulayronnes vs 25.0 km Valence−68%
- Median gross pay, region: €2,550 Foulayronnes vs €2,575 Valencesame level
- Residents: 5,476 Foulayronnes vs 5,289 Valence+4%
Sartrouville as a Valence alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 546 km, better on 4 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Rent cannot be compared like for like.
- Residents: 52,763 Sartrouville vs 5,289 Valence+898%
- Unemployment: 10.5% Sartrouville vs 18.1% Valence−42%
- Median gross pay, region: €3,317 Sartrouville vs €2,575 Valence+29%
- Rent: €20.51/m² Sartrouville vs €8.54/m² Valenceno percentage
- Nearest airport: 18.0 km Sartrouville vs 25.0 km Valence−28%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 4,581 Sartrouville vs 4,916 Valence−7%
Budapest as a Valence alternative in another country
Better on 1 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Rent and median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.
- Rent: €16.94/m² (2026) Budapest vs €8.54/m² (2025) Valenceno percentage
- Median gross pay, region: €2,534 (2026) Budapest vs €2,575 (2022) Valenceno percentage
- Nearest airport: 18.0 km Budapest vs 25.0 km Valence−28%
- Annual PM2.5: 13.0 µg/m³ Budapest vs 13.0 µg/m³ Valencesame level
Cities near Valence
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 8.1 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2025-12-31
- Rent
- 8.1 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2025-12-31
- Rent
- 10.65 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2025-12-31
- Rent
- 10.41 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2025-12-31
- Rent
- 9.33 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2025-12-31
- Rent
- 5.23 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2021-01-01
- Rent
- 9.89 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2025-12-31
Alternative cities in France
Other cities in France to compare with Valence, nearest in population first.
How does Valence compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Valence's.
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Valence when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideCommon questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Valence?
The published population was 5,289 people in January 2023. Source: INSEE populations légales 2023 par commune.
How much does it cost to rent in Valence?
Average net cold rent is 8.54 EUR/m² per month (2025-Q3), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 598 EUR a month before utilities. Source: static.data.gouv.fr.
Is the air quality good in Valence?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 13 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data.
How safe is Valence?
Police recorded about 4,916 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Base statistique communale de la délinquance enregistrée par la police et la gendarmerie nationales, 2025 (géographie 2026).
What is the unemployment rate in Valence?
The unemployment rate is about 18.1 % (2022). Source: INSEE RP2022 ACT1 — population active by type of activity, commune.
What is the typical salary around Valence?
The median gross salary is 2,575 EUR/month. Source: www.insee.fr.
Is Valence a good place to live?
Valence may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
Which cities are near Valence?
Moissac, Castelsarrasin, Bon-Encontre, Boé, Agen are near Valence. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people are in the Français citizenship group in Valence?
The official citizenship distribution records 4,625.395 people (87.5%) in the source-defined population for 2023 Census. This is a citizenship measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Valence (Occitania), France: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version ac7776727d855ea2056b0a251185b1d6]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/fr/valence-82186/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_valence-occitania-france-population-rent-salary-jobs_12dbab47b479,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Valence (Occitania), France: population, rent, salary, jobs},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {ac7776727d855ea2056b0a251185b1d6},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/fr/valence-82186/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Valence (Occitania), France: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/fr/valence-82186/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version ac7776727d855ea2056b0a251185b1d6; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- Base statistique communale de la délinquance enregistrée par la police et la gendarmerie nationales, 2025 (géographie 2026) static.data.gouv.fr · checked 2026-09-23
- EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
- Independent ARCEP municipal count of premises eligible for the >=1 Gbit/s fixed advertised-speed class, divided by the ARCEP type=all municipal premises denominator. This is availability/eligibility, not adoption, measured speed, FTTH-only coverage or mobile coverage. data.arcep.fr · checked 2026-03-31
- INSEE insee.fr · checked 2026-08-07
- INSEE insee.fr · checked 2026-08-07
- INSEE populations légales 2023 par commune insee.fr · checked 2026-07-26
- INSEE RP2022 ACT1 — population active by type of activity, commune INSEE RP2022 ACT1 · insee.fr · checked 2026-07-26
- Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE), France api.insee.fr · checked 2026-08-30
- Ministère de l'Éducation nationale (data.education.gouv.fr) data.education.gouv.fr · checked 2026-08-03
Show 20 more sources
- Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche (data.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr) data.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr · checked 2026-08-03
- Nationalité en 2021 — Base des tableaux détaillés — NAT1 Nationalité en 2021 · insee.fr · checked 2026-07-15
- OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
- Orange 100GB mobile plan boutique.orange.fr · checked 2026-09-15
- Orange Livebox Fibre boutique.orange.fr · checked 2026-09-15
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- Répertoire des logements locatifs des bailleurs sociaux (RPLS) 2021 — données communales Répertoire des logements locatifs des bailleurs sociaux (RPLS) 2021 · static.data.gouv.fr · checked 2026-09-18
- Séries historiques en 2023 — Recensement de la population, base des principaux indicateurs, communes de France hors Mayotte Séries historiques en 2023 · insee.fr · checked 2026-09-24
- static.data.gouv.fr static.data.gouv.fr · checked 2026-08-27
- WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station AGEN-LA_GARENNE WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
- www.insee.fr insee.fr · checked 2026-08-27
- www.observatoires-des-loyers.org observatoires-des-loyers.org · checked 2026-08-27
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
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