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Sainte-Marie

Sainte-Marie has 35,584 residents and 15,057 homes, 67% of them houses. Homes sold for a median €2,690/m² over five years, close to the département figure. The median living standard is €19,110 a year. For the average resident, 21 everyday shops and services are within a 15-minute walk.

Commune · Insee 97418 · Postcode 97438 · Updated 24 October 2026
35,584residents2022 census
€2,690/m²median price per m²La Réunion : €2,740/m²
18%green space within 500 mneighbourhood average
21services within a 15-minute walkneighbourhood average
Sainte-Marie · 13 IRIS neighbourhoods
Map of Sainte-Marie: Share of land within 500 m that is green space
0%30%+
Share of land within 500 m that is green space

Sources: IGN and Insee, IRIS boundaries and Admin Express 2024 (Open Licence 2.0) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Insee, Filosofi 2021 income data (Open Licence 2.0)

All 13 IRIS neighbourhoods.

IRIS are Insee’s statistical neighbourhoods of about 2,000 people each. Colour shows where each one sits among the others.

NeighbourhoodResidentsLiving standardHome ownersSocial housingAged 75+UnemploymentGreen 500 mServices 15 min
Centre Ville Ouest2,804€15,79052%33%6%33.2%17%15
Centre Ville Est4,351€14,18024%43%4%36.6%23%41
Ravine des Chèvres-La Convenance3,497€21,09053%23%4%23.7%1%21
Terrain Élisa-Beaufond1,568€18,33077%0%4%22.9%29%3
Plaine des Fougères-Charpentier23–100%0%14%0.0%100%0
La Ressource-Bois Rouge6,809€20,60036%33%2%18.3%0%28
La Ressource-Beaumont-Montée Sano3,598€19,35070%5%4%22.4%19%1
Plaine des Fougères-Beaumont148–66%0%4%22.5%90%0
La Grande Montée Centre2,558€24,15063%0%5%19.4%11%40
La Confiance-L'Espérance5,145€17,34062%8%3%23.5%39%7
Plaine des Fougères-L'Espérance28–100%0%0%0.0%100%0
La Rivière des Pluies2,851€24,53061%6%6%18.3%17%5
Gillot-La Mare-Duparc2,205€26,51062%6%9%16.0%34%49

Sources: Insee, 2022 population census (sub-municipal files, Open Licence 2.0) · Insee, Filosofi 2021 income data (Open Licence 2.0) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

People.

35,584 residents and 13,592 households at the 2022 census, next to the département figure.

23%
aged under 15
19%
aged 15–29
17%
aged 60 and over
25%
of households are people living alone
32%
of households are couples with children
22%
of households are single-parent families

Source: Insee, 2022 population census (sub-municipal files, Open Licence 2.0)

Homes.

15,057 homes, 91% of them main residences, with 4.1 rooms on average.

67%
of homes are houses
52%
of households own their home
19%
of households rent social housing (HLM)
1%
second homes
8%
empty homes
80%
of households have a car

When main homes were built

before 19190%
1919–19451%
1946–19706%
1971–199021%
1991–200544%
2006–201928%

Source: Insee, 2022 population census (sub-municipal files, Open Licence 2.0)

Property prices.

890 house and flat sales over five years.

€2,690/m²median price, houses and flatsLa Réunion : €2,740/m²
€2,410/m²flats420 sales
€2,880/m²houses470 sales

Median prices from sales published in France’s Demandes de valeurs foncières (DVF) over ten half-years, for sales of a single property. Individual sales are not shown. A median is only given where there were at least ten sales.

Source: DGFiP property sales (DVF), data.gouv.fr statistics (Open Licence 2.0)

Income and work.

Median living standard of €19,110 a year in 2021.

€19,110median living standard a year2021
30.0%poverty ratethreshold: 60% of national median
€9,400the lowest-income 10% live on less than1st decile
€40,140the highest-income 10% live on more than9th decile
23.3%
unemployment among 15–64s (census definition)
26%
of over-15s who have left school hold a higher-education degree
7%
managers and professionals among over-15s
16%
retired among over-15s

Living standard is a household’s disposable income after taxes and benefits, divided by its consumption units. Half of residents live on less than the median. Income on its own says nothing about what a neighbourhood is like to live in.

Sources: Insee, Filosofi 2021 income data (Open Licence 2.0) · Insee, 2022 population census (sub-municipal files, Open Licence 2.0)

Safety.

Offences recorded in 2025, with the rate per 1,000 residents and the change from 2024.

Indicator2025RateChange
Burglaries of homes342.3 per 1,000+55%
Thefts from people without violence1814.9 per 1,000−10%
Violent thefts without a weapon110.3 per 1,000−21%
Physical violence outside the family1564.2 per 1,000−5%
Domestic physical violence2406.5 per 1,000−1%
Sexual violence531.4 per 1,000−38%
Vehicle thefts571.5 per 1,000+46%
Thefts from vehicles641.7 per 1,000−14%
Thefts of vehicle parts411.1 per 1,000−7%
Deliberate damage and vandalism2356.3 per 1,000−8%
Fraud and payment card fraud1293.5 per 1,000−2%

These figures count offences recorded by the police and gendarmerie, not how safe a place feels, and not every offence is reported. Rates are per 1,000 residents (per 1,000 homes for burglaries): where many people visit but few live, as in town centres and shopping areas, they are naturally higher. Small counts are not published.

Source: Ministry of the Interior (SSMSI), recorded crime by municipality 2024–2025 (Open Licence 2.0)

Everyday life.

What is within one kilometre of the town hall. For the average resident, 19 public transport stops are within 800 m.

Supermarkets and convenience shops4
Bakeries2
Pharmacies3
Doctors1
Dentists1
Cafés and bars2
Restaurants5
Parks and gardens1
Playgrounds3
Sports pitches6
Gyms and sports halls3
Libraries1
Nurseries and childcare0
Bus stops47
Tram and metro stops0
Railway stations0

Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

Health, shops and services.

Facilities and services in Sainte-Marie on 1 January 2025, from Insee’s permanent database of facilities.

7.6GPs per 10,000 residentsdépartement: 10.7
11pharmacieson 1 January 2025
26food storessupermarkets, convenience stores, grocers
General practitioners27
Dentists12
Nurses53
Physiotherapists63
Pharmacies11
Supermarkets and hypermarkets4
Convenience stores and grocers22
Bakeries27
Butchers9
Petrol stations8
Post offices and postal points4
Banks5
France services centres1
Police and gendarmerie1
Restaurants157
Hairdressers43
Nurseries28
Swimming pools3
Sports halls4
Gyms5
Cinemas1
Libraries1

Insee’s permanent database of facilities lists the shops, services and health professionals present in each commune on 1 January. Health professionals in private practice are counted one by one; several may work at the same address.

Source: Insee, permanent database of facilities 2025 (Open Licence 2.0)

Natural and industrial hazards.

Major hazards the State lists for Sainte-Marie, prevention plans in force and natural-disaster declarations since 1982.

Floodingprevention plan
Ground movementprevention plan
Earthquake
Volcanic eruption
Forest fire
Severe weathercyclones
Industrial hazard
Transport of hazardous goods
22natural-disaster declarationssince 1993
January 2024latest recognised eventCoastal surges and wave damage

Natural-disaster declarations by type

Floods and mudflows14
Coastal surges and wave damage4
Ground movement3
Storms and cyclones1

A natural-disaster declaration (arrêté CatNat) lets insurers pay out for the damage. The count reflects past events, not a forecast of future risk. The list of hazards comes from each département’s major-risk file; a prevention plan in force limits building in exposed zones.

Source: Géorisques, GASPAR database (Open Licence 2.0), as of 5 October 2026

Schools.

21 primary and nursery schools, 5 collèges and 3 lycées are open here, 26 of them state schools.

Collège Adrien CerneauLower secondary (collège) · state
Collège BeauséjourLower secondary (collège) · state
Collège Jean d'EsmeLower secondary (collège) · state
Collège privé catholique LevavasseurLower secondary (collège) · private
Section d'enseignement général et professionnel adapté du Collège Jean d'EsmeLower secondary (collège) · state
Ecole maternelle publique Ann Mary Gaudin De LagrangeNursery school · state
Ecole maternelle publique DuparcNursery school · state
Ecole maternelle publique de Beauséjour Sainte MarieNursery school · state
Ecole maternelle publique le VillageNursery school · state
Ecole maternelle publique les GaspardsNursery school · state
Ecole primaire DesbassynsPrimary school · state
Ecole primaire Louis LagourguePrimary school · state
Ecole primaire privée Montessori BeauséjourPrimary school · private
Ecole primaire privée catholique Sainte MadeleinePrimary school · private
Ecole primaire publique Albert MontlivetPrimary school · state
Ecole primaire publique BeaumontPrimary school · state
Ecole primaire publique EspérancePrimary school · state
Ecole primaire publique MokaPrimary school · state
Ecole primaire publique Ravine CocosPrimary school · state
Ecole primaire publique Terrain ElisaPrimary school · state
Ecole primaire publique Yves BarauPrimary school · state
Ecole primaire publique la ConfiancePrimary school · state
Ecole élémentaire publique DuparcPrimary school · state
Ecole élémentaire publique FlacourtPrimary school · state
Ecole élémentaire publique Sissy RobertPrimary school · state
Ecole élémentaire publique Vincent Boyer de la GirodayPrimary school · state
Lycée général et technologique le VergerUpper secondary (lycée) · state
Lycée professionnel Isnelle AmelinUpper secondary (lycée) · state
Section d'enseignement général et technologique du Lycée professionnel DuparcUpper secondary (lycée) · state

Source: Ministry of Education, school directory (Open Licence 2.0). Admission depends on catchment rules and each school’s own policy.

Around here.

Photographs taken near Sainte-Marie, shared on Wikimedia Commons under free licences.

Réunion Rivière des pluies
i
Réunion Rivière des pluies
Photo: B.navez · CC BY-SA 3.0
View on Wikimedia Commons
Port plaisance sainte marie
i
Port plaisance sainte marie
Photo: Pradigue · CC BY-SA 4.0
View on Wikimedia Commons
Port de Sainte-Marie
i
Port de Sainte-Marie
Photo: Clémenceau Lauret · CC BY-SA 3.0
View on Wikimedia Commons

Nearby communes.

The communes in the département whose town halls are closest.