Par Nicholas Zaugra
Published on
Where do the richest households in the metropolis of Lyon live? Where are the greatest inequalities concentrated?
L’Insee (the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies) published a study in January 2023 which points to the inequalities in the distribution of wealth between neighborhoods in major French cities including Lyon and Toulouse.
Lyon, better student than Paris and Marseille for diversity
The INSEE study points to two cities that have very strong “social segregation” according to neighborhoods, Paris and Marseille. On the contrary, “Lyon, Toulouse, Nice and Montpellier are among the most homogeneous”. The first two French cities are those where income inequalities are strongest.
“Whatever the level of segregation of the cities, the most modest and well-to-do populations live in less mixed neighborhoods than those with middle incomes”, notes INSEE. In short, it should be understood, unsurprisingly, that the richest are concentrated in very specific neighborhoods just like the poorest.
In the metropolis of Lyon, certain sectors concentrate populations with average incomes.
The richest in the west and north
INSEE confirms that the wealthiest households are concentrated in western Lyon, particularly in the municipalities of Tassin-la-Demi-Lune, Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, Ecully, Dardilly, Limonest, the towns of the Monts d ‘Or, (Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or, Champagne-au-Mont-d’Or, Saint-Didier-au-Mont-d’Or…).
The most affluent – this is the INSEE term – are also concentrated in Caluire-et-Cuire (a town where real estate prices have soared).
Exceptions in the west or north of the Lyon agglomeration: the Duchère district in the 9th arrondissement of Lyon, Vaise or even Rillieux-la-Pape concentrate in particular low-income or intermediate low-income households.
Presqu’île and 6th arrondissement, popular with the wealthy
In Lyon, the wealthiest households are on the Peninsula particularly in the Carnot – Gailleton, Ainay, Bellecour, Cordeliers – Jacobins and Terreaux – Bat d’Argent districts).
The districts of Confluence or Perrache bring together modest, well-to-do and average populations in a larger diversity.
The 6th arrondissement of Lyon also concentrates wealth with the Saxe Roosevelt, Molière – Edgard Quinet, Les Brotteaux, Puvis De Chavannes – Le Lycée (near the Park head gold) and International City of Lyon.
MAP. Degree of segregation and income of the different districts of Lyon
Interpretation: to the north and west of Lyon, the tall blue bars represent wealthy neighborhoods with a high level of segregation. The red bars, the modest neighborhoods.
More mixed neighborhoods in the 7th, 3rd and 8th arrondissement
INSEE notes that the mix of households is greater in the district of la Red Crossin much of the 7th district (Jean Macé, Guillotière…) or even in the 3rd (Part-Dieu, Villette Gare and Paul-Bert) or even part of the 8th district.
But the 7th is affected by inequalities: poor households are concentrated in the south at Gerland and La Mouche and in the 8th in the south as well (United States, Mermoz, Grand Trou, Moulin-à-vent). In this same arrondissement, the wealthiest are in Monplaisir and Montchat.
Municipalities with a more mixed profile appear in this Insee study: Meyzieu, Villeurbanne, Oullins, Saint-Genis-Laval.
The poorest in the east
The strongest social segregation emerges in Vaulx-en-Velin (Mas-du-Taurau) in particular.
The municipalities of Saint-Fons, Vénissieux, Bron, La Mulatière, Saint-Priest, Rilleux-la-Pape and several districts of Villeurbanne (Saint-Jean, Charpennes and Tonkin) and the south of Feyzin in the Chemistry Valley are most affected by the phenomenon.
The INSEE study shows in particular that the neighborhoods of large housing estates are the least mixed with a high concentration of poverty. “The mix in priority neighborhoods decreased between 2004 and 2019”, also deplores INSEE.
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