Seismicity
Lowlevel 2 out of 5
France is divided into five seismicity zones, from 1 (very low) to 5 (high, in the Antilles).
For a property: In this zone, no seismic rules apply to detached houses.
Median price per m² in 2025
€2,222/m²
+2.6% over one year
Sales in 2025
2,527
+17.4% over one year
flats and houses
Median rent
€14/m²
€555 for a T2
Population
142,346
+1.9% since 2012
Median living standard
€24,030
per year per consumption unit
Public data cross-referenced (DGFiP, INSEE, LocService, ADEME), recorded on October 2, 2026.
The municipality has 142,346 inhabitants, a change of +1.6% ; median living standard there reaches €24,030 a year.
Prices and sales
In 2025, a dwelling in Brest sold at a median price of €2,222/m², +2.6% over one year.
Median price per m² over time in Brest
1,5002,0002,500201520172019202120232025€2,410/m²€2,159/m²
FlatHouse
Over 11 years, the median flat price has changed by +70.0%.
View the data
| Year | Flat | House | Sales included |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | €1,270/m² | €1,646/m² | 1,960 |
| 2015 | €1,222/m² | €1,635/m² | 2,267 |
| 2016 | €1,232/m² | €1,658/m² | 2,501 |
| 2017 | €1,242/m² | €1,716/m² | 2,773 |
| 2018 | €1,269/m² | €1,748/m² | 2,879 |
| 2019 | €1,356/m² | €1,838/m² | 3,269 |
| 2020 | €1,556/m² | €1,931/m² | 3,057 |
| 2021 | €1,837/m² | €2,256/m² | 3,330 |
| 2022 | €2,089/m² | €2,452/m² | 3,176 |
| 2023 | €2,083/m² | €2,430/m² | 2,490 |
| 2024 | €2,103/m² | €2,356/m² | 2,153 |
| 2025 | €2,159/m² | €2,410/m² | 2,527 |
Source: DVF (DGFiP), land value request data · recorded on October 2, 2026
Number of sales per year in Brest
2,527 sales in 2025, +17.4% compared with 2024 (2,153). The peak of the period remains 2021, with 3,331 sales.
View the data
| Year | Sales | Median price per m² | Total sales value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2,501 | €1,328/m² | €262.2M |
| 2017 | 2,773 | €1,346/m² | €297.9M |
| 2018 | 2,880 | €1,375/m² | €319.0M |
| 2019 | 3,269 | €1,448/m² | €362.9M |
| 2020 | 3,057 | €1,635/m² | €378.9M |
| 2021 | 3,331 | €1,911/m² | €474.2M |
| 2022 | 3,176 | €2,157/m² | €505.9M |
| 2023 | 2,490 | €2,157/m² | €392.6M |
| 2024 | 2,153 | €2,167/m² | €337.6M |
| 2025 | 2,527 | €2,222/m² | €405.1M |
Source: DVF (DGFiP), land value request data · recorded on October 2, 2026
| Median price per m² in 2025 | €2,222/m² |
|---|---|
| Flat — median price per m² | €2,159/m² |
| House — median price per m² | €2,410/m² |
| Sales in 2025 | 2,527 |
| Average of the previous five years | 2,841 |
| Total sales value in 2025 | €405.1M |
| Sales recorded over ten years | 32,385 |
| EPC band | Median price per m² | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| B | €2,282/m² | 53 |
| C | €2,383/m² | 1,018 |
| D | €1,970/m² | 2,072 |
| E | €1,979/m² | 2,075 |
| F | €1,974/m² | 340 |
Read with caution. These sales are not comparable with one another: poorly rated dwellings are often old and well located, in town centres, which can make them more expensive per square metre than recent dwellings on the outskirts. The gap therefore measures the commune's housing stock, not the "premium" of a good EPC (DPE) for an otherwise identical property.
How to read these figures. The median price splits the market in two: half of sales were made below it, half above. It withstands the few extreme sales that distort a small commune better than the average does.
The data come from DVF, the file of sales actually recorded by notaries, not from advertised prices, which are asking prices rather than agreed ones. Only sales of a flat or a house with a known floor area are counted. DVF does not cover Alsace-Moselle, which is governed by the land register (livre foncier).
Source: DVF (DGFiP) · recorded on October 2, 2026
Rents
| Property type | Monthly rent | €/m² | Average floor area |
|---|---|---|---|
| T2 | €555 | €14/m² | 40 m² |
| room | €361 | €33/m² | 11 m² |
| studio | €439 | €18/m² | 24 m² |
Reference rents (2025)
| Property type | Median rent (€/m²) | Range (€/m²) |
|---|---|---|
| Flats, all sizes | 12.2 | 9.8 – 15.2 |
| Flats with 1-2 rooms | 15.3 | 12.4 – 18.8 |
| Flats with 3 or more rooms | 10.7 | 8.4 – 13.6 |
| Houses | 10.8 | 8.4 – 14.1 |
How to read this table. This is a predicted advertised rent, including service charges, per square metre per month — not the rent signed in the lease. The range brackets the estimate: most listings in the municipality fall within it. These estimates are recalculated every year with a new model, so two releases cannot be compared with each other.
Estimations ANIL, à partir des données du Groupe SeLoger et de leboncoin · Rent map 2025
Rental market pressure
Rental pressure6/8
Slack marketVery tight
Budget effort5/8
AffordableUnaffordable
Pressure measures the gap between rental demand and available supply; budget effort, the share of income a household must spend on housing. Both are scored from 1 to 8.
Source: LocService, listing rents · recorded on October 2, 2026
Energy performance of the housing stock
Breakdown of homes in Brest by energy performance certificate (EPC) band. Since the loi Climat & Résilience (Climate and Resilience Act), it is this band that determines whether a home may be let.
Breakdown of energy performance certificates in Brest
C
D
E
- A1,1322.1%
- B3,0635.8%
- C18,72035.5%
- D19,15236.3%
- E7,55214.3%
- F2,2384.2%
- G9121.7%
52,769 homes surveyed. 6.0% of the surveyed housing stock is rated F or G — that is 3,150 homes already affected, or about to be, by the letting ban. Including band E, targeted for 2034, the share rises to 20.3%.
Rental ban timeline
- 2025Gbanned
- 2028Fbanned
- 2034Ebanned
2021 loi Climat & Résilience (Climate and Resilience Act) — applies to new leases.
Source: ADEME, energy performance certificate database · recorded on October 2, 2026
Change in EPC (DPE) assessments in Brest
02040202220232024202543%5.3%
A, B and C labelsF and G labels
The share of F and G labels among assessments is falling: 8.1% in 2022, 5.3% in 2025.
View the data
| Year | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 122 | 537 | 3,076 | 3,135 | 1,593 | 539 | 211 | 9,213 |
| 2023 | 152 | 439 | 3,941 | 5,054 | 1,676 | 452 | 192 | 11,906 |
| 2024 | 403 | 632 | 4,193 | 3,467 | 1,204 | 336 | 114 | 10,349 |
| 2025 | 130 | 490 | 3,988 | 3,890 | 1,538 | 402 | 157 | 10,595 |
| 2026* | 300 | 898 | 2,796 | 2,393 | 895 | 270 | 68 | 7,620 |
* current year, incomplete
Source: ADEME, energy performance certificate database · recorded on October 2, 2026
Why this breakdown matters. A dwelling rated G can no longer be let under a new lease since 1st January 2025; F will follow in 2028 and E in 2034. A commune whose stock is largely rated F or G therefore faces a wall of renovation work, or an exit from the rental market.
Note: these figures cover surveyed homes, not the entire stock. A survey is only required on sale or letting, so homes occupied for a long time are under-represented.
The trend line starts in 2022: the assessment changed its calculation method in July 2021, and earlier labels cannot be compared with later ones. It describes the dwellings assessed during the year (those being sold, let or just renovated), not an annual census of the housing stock.
Housing stock
Brest has 86,432 dwellings at the 2023 census, of which 89.4% are main residences; the rest is split between second homes and vacant dwellings.
What are dwellings used for?
- Main residences89.5%
- Second homes and occasional dwellings4.0%
- Vacant dwellings6.5%
Source: INSEE, census
Who lives in main residences?
- Tenants68,92251.6%
- Owner-occupiers62,72146.9%
- Housed free of charge1,9861.5%
Source: INSEE, census
Between 2012 and 2023, the housing stock grew by +6.0% while the population changed by +1.9%: homes are being built faster than the commune gains residents, a sign of smaller households, second homes or rising vacancy.
| Dwellings (2023) | 86,432 |
|---|---|
| Households | 77,236 |
| Brest | Finistère | Bretagne | France | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main residences2023 | 89.5%+7.1 pts vs France | 79.9% | 80.2% | 82.4% |
| Second homes2023 | 4.0%−5.8 pts vs France | 13.5% | 13.1% | 9.8% |
| Vacant dwellings2023 | 6.5%−1.3 pt vs France | 6.6% | 6.6% | 7.8% |
| Residents who own their home | 46.9%−13.9 pts vs France | 73.2% | 70.7% | 60.8% |
| Tenant residents | 51.6%+14.2 pts vs France | 25.5% | 28.1% | 37.4% |
Under each value for the municipality: its gap with France. For a rate, the gap is in percentage points (12.4% vs 7.8% = +4.6 pts); for an amount or a ratio, as a percentage of the national value.
Long-term empty dwellings
| Private dwellings vacant for more than two years (2025) | 2,215 |
|---|---|
| Share of private housing stock | 3.2% |
Why vacancy of more than two years. A dwelling that stands empty for a few months is waiting for a buyer, a tenant or the end of building work: that is the normal breathing of the market. Empty for more than two years, it has left the market — a run-down property, a blocked inheritance, an owner who will neither let nor sell. We do not publish total vacancy from the same file: its national level varies by a third from one year to the next without the housing stock having changed, which rules out any comparison.
Source: LOVAC (Cerema, DGFiP), vacant dwellings in the private housing stock · recorded on October 2, 2026
Dwellings authorised for construction in Brest
View the data
| Year | Flats (multi-dwelling buildings) | Detached houses | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 907 | 140 | 1,047 |
| 2022 | 386 | 98 | 484 |
| 2023 | 439 | 87 | 526 |
| 2024 | 158 | 66 | 224 |
| 2025 | 825 | 92 | 917 |
| 2026* | 418 | 65 | 483 |
Source: Sit@del, ministry responsible for housing · recorded on October 2, 2026
Sources: INSEE (census), Sit@del · recorded on October 2, 2026
Population and households
| Population | 142,346 |
|---|---|
| Households | 77,236 |
| People per household | 1.84 |
Change in the population of Brest
140 k150 k160 k170 k19681982199920122023142 k inhab.
Between 2012 and 2023, the population changed by +1.9%.
Source: INSEE, population census · recorded on October 2, 2026
Age breakdown
- Under 1821,72315.6%
- 18 to 2423,84317.1%
- 25 to 2912,7909.2%
- 30 and over81,16558.2%
Source: INSEE
What do people aged 15 and over do?
- Employed workers59,61648.7%
- Unemployed9,2327.5%
- Retired people27,92022.8%
- Pupils and students15,93713.0%
- Other economically inactive9,8058.0%
Source: INSEE
| Brest | Finistère | Bretagne | France | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population trend2012-2023 | +1.9%−2.5 pts vs France | +3.6% | +6.6% | +4.4% |
| Median age2023 | 36.0 years−6.5 yrs vs France | 46.1 years | 44.9 years | 42.5 years |
| Share aged under 252023 | 34.0%+5.2 pts vs France | 26.4% | 27.6% | 28.8% |
| Share aged 65 and over2023 | 17.6%−3.7 pts vs France | 24.8% | 23.8% | 21.3% |
| People per household2023 | 1.8−15% vs France | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.2 |
Under each value for the municipality: its gap with France. For a rate, the gap is in percentage points (12.4% vs 7.8% = +4.6 pts); for an amount or a ratio, as a percentage of the national value.
Why the number of people per household matters. A household is everyone who shares the same dwelling. The fewer people it has, the more demand shifts towards small homes — studios and one-bedroom flats, sought by people living alone, students and retirees; the more it has, the more demand shifts towards family homes with three or more rooms.
In Brest, a household has 1.84 people on average, compared with 2.17 in France: more people living alone and couples without children, so demand leans more towards small units.
Source: INSEE, population census · recorded on October 2, 2026
Income and employment
| Brest | Finistère | Bretagne | France | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median living standard (per year)2023 | €24,030−7% vs France | €26,210 | €26,240 | €25,920 |
| Poverty rate2023 | 20.3%+4.4 pts vs France | 11.4% | 11.6% | 15.9% |
| Unemployment rate (aged 15-64)2023 | 13.5%+2.5 pts vs France | 9.8% | 9.3% | 11.0% |
| Activity rate (aged 15-64)2023 | 70.0%−5.7 pts vs France | 74.9% | 75.7% | 75.7% |
| Share of retired people (aged 15 and over)2023 | 22.8%−5.3 pts vs France | 33.5% | 32.3% | 28.1% |
| Share of pupils and students (aged 15 and over)2023 | 13.0%+5.4 pts vs France | 7.0% | 7.2% | 7.6% |
Under each value for the municipality: its gap with France. For a rate, the gap is in percentage points (12.4% vs 7.8% = +4.6 pts); for an amount or a ratio, as a percentage of the national value.
How to read these figures. The standard of living is a household's disposable income (salaries, pensions and benefits, after tax) divided by its number of consumption units: the first adult counts as 1, other people aged 14 or over as 0.5, and each child as 0.3. It allows a single person and a family to be compared.
The poverty rate is the share of residents whose standard of living is below 60% of the national median. INSEE does not publish it for small communes, for reasons of statistical confidentiality: its absence is not a zero.
The unemployment rate here is the census one: people who declare themselves without work and looking for it, among the economically active aged 15 to 64. It is higher than INSEE's quarterly rate, which follows a stricter international definition.
Sources: INSEE (census, Filosofi) · recorded on October 2, 2026
Economic fabric
Number of businesses located in Brest
8,0009,00010 k11 k20142016201820202022202411 k
10,783 businesses in 2024, compared with 7,939 in 2014: +35.8% over the period.
View the data
| Year | Businesses |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 7,939 |
| 2015 | 8,064 |
| 2016 | 8,180 |
| 2017 | 8,129 |
| 2018 | 8,639 |
| 2019 | 8,990 |
| 2020 | 9,132 |
| 2021 | 9,828 |
| 2022 | 10,216 |
| 2023 | 10,436 |
| 2024 | 10,783 |
Source: INSEE, business demography information system · recorded on October 2, 2026
| Brest | Finistère | Bretagne | France | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of businesses2024 | 10,783 | 75,862 | 303,520 | 6,437,729 |
| Change in the number of businesses2019-2024 | +19.9%−5.1 pts vs France | +24.8% | +27.1% | +25.0% |
| Businesses per 1,000 inhabitants2024 | 75.8−22% vs France | 81.3 | 88.0 | 97.3 |
Under each value for the municipality: its gap with France. For a rate, the gap is in percentage points (12.4% vs 7.8% = +4.6 pts); for an amount or a ratio, as a percentage of the national value.
In what form do businesses operate?
- Sole traders14,65960.1%
- SAS and SASU2,53010.4%
- SARL and EURL2,4179.9%
- Civil companies, including SCI3,88515.9%
- Other forms8903.7%
Sources: INSEE (SIRENE register), INPI (national business register) · recorded on October 2, 2026
Registrations and insolvency proceedings
* current year, incomplete
From 2021 to 2025, 4,926 registrations for 1,062 insolvency proceedings.
View the data
| Year | Registrations | Insolvency proceedings |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,120 | 196 |
| 2022 | 965 | 174 |
| 2023 | 872 | 197 |
| 2024 | 990 | 250 |
| 2025 | 979 | 245 |
| 2026* | 991 | 208 |
Source: BODACC, official bulletin of civil and commercial announcements · recorded on October 2, 2026
Sources: INSEE, BODACC · recorded on October 2, 2026
Local taxation
In 2024, the overall property tax rate on built properties is 43.83% in Brest.
| Rate voted by the commune | 39.44% |
|---|---|
| Intercommunal body, syndicates and special taxes | 4.39% |
| Overall rate on built properties (total) | 43.83% |
| Household waste collection tax (TEOM) | 5.78% |
| Overall rate on undeveloped land | 74.39% |
Worked example
A dwelling with a cadastral rental value of €3,000 has a tax base of €1,500: the law sets it at half the rental value. In Brest, its property tax (taxe foncière) is €1,500 × 43.83% = €657 a year.
On top of this comes the household waste collection tax (TEOM), calculated on the same base: €1,500 × 5.78% = €87. A landlord can recover it from their tenant; the property tax (taxe foncière), by contrast, remains payable by the owner.
These amounts are before the collection charges retained by the State. Your property's rental value is shown on your property tax (taxe foncière) notice.
| Year | Communal rate | Overall rate on built properties | Household waste |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 40.24% | 43.29% | 5.78% |
| 2022 | 40.24% | 43.65% | 5.78% |
| 2023 | 39.84% | 43.84% | 5.78% |
| 2024 | 39.44% | 43.83% | 5.78% |
Between 2021 and 2024, the overall rate changed by +0.54 point.
How to read these rates. Property tax (taxe foncière) is calculated by multiplying the property's tax base by the overall rate: this is the figure to compare between communes, not the communal rate alone. Since 2021, départements no longer collect property tax on buildings; their former share is included in the communal rate.
A high rate does not mean a high tax. The cadastral rental value is not the market rent: it is an administrative estimate based on 1970 rents, revalued each year by a national coefficient. In a town with old, low rental values, a 50% rate can cost less than a 25% rate elsewhere.
Source: DGFiP, local taxation for individuals (2024 scale) · recorded on October 2, 2026
Living environment
Services and shops in the commune
- Health
- General practitionerPharmacyDentistNurseAnalysis laboratoryEmergency departmentMaternity unitHousing for older people
- Shops
- BakeryGrocery or convenience storeSupermarketHypermarketButcher'sPetrol station
- Education and early years
- Nursery or early-years childcareNursery or primary schoolCollège (lower secondary school)Lycée (upper secondary school)
- Services and transport
- Post office or postal pointBankFrance servicesPolice or gendarmeriePassenger railway station
How to read this list. It shows the services for which at least one establishment is recorded in the commune. A service that does not appear is not necessarily absent: INSEE does not locate every facility with the same precision, and the list only includes the main ones.
Source: INSEE, permanent facilities database 2024
Public transport
492 public transport stops are located in the municipality, or 3.5 stops per 1,000 inhabitants.
Stops by network
- Agrégat des réseaux urbains et interurbains de Bretagne485
- Réseau européen BlaBlaCar Bus2
- Agrégat des réseaux urbains et interurbains des Pays de la Loire1
- Réseau SNCF TGV, Intercités et TER1
- Réseau européen FlixBus et FlixTrain1
- Réseau interurbain BreizhGo Car1
- Réseau urbain Bibus1
What this figure does not say. Each stop is a bus, tram, metro or train stop. Their number shows where the network is dense, not how often services run: a stop served every five minutes counts the same as one served twice a day.
Source: transport.data.gouv.fr, scheduled timetables of networks · recorded on October 2, 2026
Collèges (lower secondary schools)
| Establishments | 14 |
|---|---|
| Average exam pass rate | 90.9% |
| Average index of social position | 107.1 |
See the establishments
| Establishment | Type | Success rate | Social position |
|---|---|---|---|
| COLLEGE ANNA MARLY | Collège (lower secondary school) | 88.0% | 99.2 |
| COLLEGE DE L'HARTELOIRE | Collège (lower secondary school) | 87.0% | 122.8 |
| COLLEGE DE L'IROISE | Collège (lower secondary school) | 95.0% | 104.4 |
| COLLEGE JOSEPHINE-BAKER | Collège (lower secondary school) | 53.0% | 74.4 |
| COLLEGE LA FONTAINE MARGOT-KERANROUX | Collège (lower secondary school) | 97.0% | 86.9 |
| COLLEGE LES QUATRE MOULINS | Collège (lower secondary school) | 92.0% | 100.4 |
| COLLEGE PENN AR C'HLEUZ | Collège (lower secondary school) | 86.0% | 91.2 |
| COLLEGE PRIVE ESTRAN CHARLES DE FOUCAULD | Collège (lower secondary school) | 99.0% | 128.1 |
| COLLEGE PRIVE JAVOUHEY | Collège (lower secondary school) | 100.0% | 114.7 |
| COLLEGE PRIVE LA CROIX ROUGE LA SALLE | Collège (lower secondary school) | 97.0% | 109.3 |
| COLLEGE PRIVE NOTRE DAME DE KERBONNE | Collège (lower secondary school) | 88.0% | 118.9 |
| COLLEGE PRIVE ST VINCENT | Collège (lower secondary school) | 99.0% | 117.4 |
| COLLEGE PRIVE STE ANNE | Collège (lower secondary school) | 100.0% | 131.4 |
| COLLEGE SAINT-POL ROUX | Collège (lower secondary school) | 92.0% | 99.8 |
How to read these figures. The pass rate is that of the brevet for a collège and of the baccalauréat for a lycée. The index of social position summarises pupils' social background: the national average is close to 100, and a higher index indicates more advantaged families. Nursery and primary schools are not covered.
Source: Ministry of National Education · recorded on October 2, 2026
Fixed internet
- Dwellings and premises connectable to fibre97.6%97,491 connectable out of 99,899
Connectable means that optical fibre reaches the building or the street and a subscription can be taken out, not that the dwelling is already subscribed.
Source: ARCEP, fibre rollout · situation as at June 2026
Electric cars
Of the 3,251 passenger cars registered in the commune in 2024:
- Electric cars13.7%
- Plug-in hybrids7.0%
Why this share may look high. These are cars registered during the year, not all those on the road: electric vehicles weigh far more in recent purchases than in the overall fleet. Company and rental vehicles are also registered at the company's address, which inflates the share in communes that host head offices or rental firms.
Source: Ministry of Ecological Transition, passenger car registrations · recorded on October 2, 2026
Natural and technological risks
The risks identified by the State in the territory of Brest, what they mean, and what they change for a property.
Radon potential
Significant potentiallevel 3 out of 3
Radon is a natural radioactive gas that rises from granitic and volcanic soils and can build up in poorly ventilated rooms, especially on ground floors and in basements.
For a property: At this level, the seller or landlord must inform the buyer or tenant. Good ventilation and a sealed ground floor are usually enough to reduce exposure.
Risk prevention plans
2in the commune
The commune is covered by a prevention plan for: technological risk. This is a document issued by the prefect that delimits the exposed zones.
For a property: In the delimited zones, building or extending may be prohibited or subject to requirements. The plan does not necessarily cover the whole commune: only the risk statement provided before a sale or letting says whether the address is affected.
Upper-tier Seveso sites
2in the commune
An upper-tier Seveso site is an industrial installation that stores or uses large quantities of hazardous substances.
For a property: A prevention perimeter regulates planning around each site: protective works may be required of existing dwellings there.
Classified installations (ICPE)
88in the commune
A classified installation is an activity that the law subjects to declaration or authorisation because it may cause nuisance: factory, warehouse, livestock farm, petrol station, waste recycling centre, boiler room.
For a property: Their number mainly reflects the commune's economic activity: most pose no danger to neighbours. What matters is their nature and their distance from the property.
Underground cavities
85in the commune
Former quarries, cellars, galleries or military works recorded beneath the commune.
For a property: A cavity can cause localised subsidence or collapse of the ground. Before buying, check whether the plot is close to a known cavity.
Installations and cavities recorded in Brest
- Classified installations88
- Underground cavities85
- Seveso sites2
Outline of the commune, north at the top.
Source: Géorisques, Ministry of Ecological Transition · recorded on October 2, 2026
A prevention plan is not a bad sign in itself. It shows that the risk is mapped and regulated; it is its absence for a known hazard that should raise questions.
This page describes the commune, not an address. Before a sale or a letting, the seller or landlord must provide a risk statement drawn up for the property. You can obtain one free of charge for any address at georisques.gouv.fr.
Source: Géorisques, Ministry of Ecological Transition · recorded on October 2, 2026