If Lyon gains several places in the national ranking, strong disparities persist between the municipalities of the metropolis.
With a 74th place nationally, Lyon moved up five places compared to last year. A notable improvement, even if the capital of Gaul remains far from the top three, occupied by Biarritz, Annecy and Angers.
In the urban area, Villeurbanne made one of the most spectacular progressions, moving to 83rd place, or 29 positions gained. Bron (118th, +21) and Caluire-et-Cuire (125th, +1) also confirm a positive dynamic.
Another notable progression, Oullins-Pierre-Bénite, now 144th, gains 64 places, while Saint-Priest continues its rise (149th, +15). Tassin-la-Demi-Lune progresses more modestly (207th, +10).
Marked declines in the east and west of Lyon
Conversely, several municipalities recorded strong falls. Vénissieux lost 48 places (312th), Vaulx-en-Velin fell 51 places (391st), and Écully suffered one of the biggest drops in the ranking with 105 places lost (373rd).
Francheville (-31) and Rillieux-la-Pape (-3) are stagnating or falling slightly, while Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon gains ten positions but remains beyond the top 400.
Two municipalities are entering the 2026 list: Saint-Genis-Laval (432nd) and Villefranche-sur-Saône (455th).
The villages of the Monts d’Or are doing well
On the village side, the Rhône shines more clearly. Rochetaillée-sur-Saône climbs to 77th place (+51). Saint-Romain-au-Mont-d’Or (139th, +63) and Civrieux-d’Azergues, author of a spectacular rise of 211 places, confirm the attractiveness of the sector.
Other municipalities such as Fleurieu-sur-Saône, Marennes, Poleymieux-au-Mont-d’Or or Curis-au-Mont-d’Or also showed strong progress.
At the national level, the three best-ranked villages are Épron, Guéthary and Martinvast.
This ranking, managed by the Cities and Villages where Life is Good association, analyzes 34,727 municipalities based on 197 criteria, divided into eleven categories ranging from quality of life to safety, including health, transport and real estate attractiveness.
The data is based exclusively on official sources, supplemented by an OpinionWay survey carried out in October 2025. This confirms that quality of life remains the first criterion for 80% of French people, ahead of safety (74%) and health (50%).
