With 23,687 students, purchase prices among the lowest of the major French cities and Lyon 42 minutes away by train, Saint-Étienne attracts investors looking for yield, provided they choose the neighbourhood and the condition of the property carefully. Prices, rents, neighbourhoods, budgets and yield: what you need to know before buying in Saint-Étienne from abroad.
The public indicators that matter before buying to let in Saint-Étienne, each with its source.
Saint-Étienne has 173,136 inhabitants according to the 2023 INSEE census. 59.3% of main residences are occupied by tenants and 51.1% of households consist of one person: demand is mainly for small units.
Prices are low: €1,219 per m² as the median price for an apartment, based on sales recorded in DVF from July 2021 to June 2026, with an almost stable average price (+0.2%) over the last year. The rent map of the Ministry of Housing and ANIL gives an advertised rent of about €11.4 per m² including charges for a 1- or 2-room apartment, and €9.1 for 3 rooms or more.
These figures give a high gross yield on paper, but supply is abundant: 12.0% of homes are vacant according to INSEE, and 4,701 homes in the private stock have been vacant for more than two years according to Cerema (LOVAC 2026). Half of main residences date from before 1971. The local rent observatory records median rents of €6.4 to €8.6 per m² in 2023 depending on the areas of the city, for all rented homes in the private stock, whereas advertised rents concern properties offered for let. Cost your project with a prudent rent and a works budget.
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median price per m² of apartments sold | €1,219/m² (13,818 sales) | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2021 to June 2026 |
| Average price per m² over the last 12 months | 1 285 €/m² | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2025 to June 2026 |
| Population | 173,136 inhabitants | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Average annual population change | +0.1% per year (2017 to 2023) | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Young people aged 18 to 24 in education | 15,164, i.e. 64.2% of 18-24 year olds | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Pupils, students and trainees among 15-64 year olds | 15,3 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Main residences occupied by tenants | 59,3 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Single-person households | 51.1% of households | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| One-room main residences | 8.3% | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Vacant homes | 12.0% of the stock | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 1 or 2 rooms | €11.4/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 3 rooms or more | €9.1/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Change in the average price per m² of apartments sold | +0.2% (July 2025 to June 2026, compared with the previous 12 months) | DVF, monthly statistics (data.gouv.fr), average weighted by number of sales |
| Apartment sales over 12 months | 2,612 sales (July 2025 to June 2026) | DVF, monthly statistics (data.gouv.fr) |
| Most expensive sector: Tréfilerie, Fauriel and Centre Deux | €1,352/m² median price (1,978 apartment sales) | Geolocated DVF (DGFiP, Etalab), July 2021 to December 2025 (calculation by sector) |
| Cheapest sector: Bellevue, the hospital and Valbenoîte | €1,122/m² median price (1,611 apartment sales) | Geolocated DVF (DGFiP, Etalab), July 2021 to December 2025 (calculation by sector) |
| Median rent in the private rental stock | from €6.4 to €8.6/m² depending on the areas of Saint-Étienne, €7.5/m² for the Sud Loire | Local rent observatory for Sud Loire - proche Haute-Loire, 2023 |
| Main residences built before 1971 | 52.1% (17.7% before 1946) | INSEE, 2023 census by IRIS area (calculation) |
| Working residents of Saint-Étienne who work in the Lyon metropolis | 1,522, and 682 in the other direction | INSEE, commuting flows 2023 (calculation) |
| Unemployment in the Saint-Étienne employment area | 9.0% in the 2nd quarter of 2026 | INSEE, local unemployment rates |
| Private-stock homes vacant for more than two years | 4 701 | Cerema, vacant homes in the private stock (LOVAC), 2026 edition |
| Homes subject to the tax on vacant homes | 4,336 in 2025 | DGFiP, 2025 census of tax bases |
| Diagnosed apartments rated F or G | 9.8% of energy performance certificates (DPE) issued since July 2021 | ADEME, energy performance certificates of existing homes (calculation) |
Expatriates supported by ImmoPourExpat have already bought in Saint-Étienne: their property and their figures.
Three typical properties, at the median sale price and the town’s advertised rent: enough to place your budget before you start searching.
1 room of 30 m², the median floor area of studios sold
Market benchmark: 51.1% of households in Saint-Étienne live alone, which supports demand for small units (INSEE, 2023 census).
2 rooms of 49 m², the median floor area of two-room apartments sold
Market benchmark: 59.3% of main residences are rented in Saint-Étienne (INSEE, 2023 census).
4 rooms or more, 88 m², the median floor area sold
The advertised rent is an average for the town: depending on the neighbourhood, the condition of the property and its features, the rent you obtain may be higher or lower.
Median DVF sale prices from January 2025 to December 2025 in Saint-Étienne. Rents estimated at the advertised rent of the 2025 rent map, including charges (€11.4 per m² for 1 or 2 rooms, €9.1 for 3 rooms or more). Notary fees estimated at 8% of the price (7 to 8% for older properties according to the Notaires de France). Gross yield compares annual rent with the purchase price, excluding fees and charges.
Saint-Étienne is divided into sectors with very different profiles, from the highly rental-oriented hypercentre to the residential neighbourhoods of the south, linked by three tram lines.
Around the Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, the Place Jean-Jaurès and the Place du Peuple, the hypercentre is the most rental-oriented sector of Saint-Étienne: according to INSEE, 71% of households there rent their home, against 59% in the city as a whole. More than one resident in four is aged 15 to 24, four main residences in ten have one or two rooms and half date from before 1946. Tenants stay there 4.8 years on average, against 7.7 years in the city. Vacancy reaches 16.5% of homes, and part of the sector touches the Tardy - Tarentaize - Beaubrun - Couriot priority neighbourhood (QPV): visit the street and the building before deciding.
Around the Place Jacquard, the prefecture and on the hill of the Crêt de Roc, this sector has, according to INSEE, 65% tenant households and 36% of homes with one or two rooms, which is more than one in ten of those in the city. One third of main residences date from before 1946 and 14% of homes are vacant. On the Crêt de Roc, the Crêt de Roc - Soleil priority neighbourhood covers a large part of the streets: here, the address matters as much as the price. Check the energy rating of each unit and the condition of the co-ownership.
Châteaucreux brings together the station, served by the TGV and by tram T2, and a 53-hectare business district with 7,000 jobs according to the Saint-Étienne public development agency. Workers who commute to Lyon, with 57 direct trains per weekday, find older apartments and new-build programmes there, such as the Roche du Soleil garden city, planned for more than 500 homes. According to INSEE, 65% of households there are tenants and 16% of homes are vacant. Part of the sector belongs to the Crêt de Roc - Soleil priority neighbourhood: check the address street by street.
Around the Cité du design, the Manufacture - Plaine Achille district brings together a campus of the Université Jean Monnet, with Télécom Saint-Étienne, and 7,300 jobs according to the public development agency. Tram T2 links it to Châteaucreux station. According to INSEE, it is the sector with the lowest vacancy of the seven presented here, with 9.4% of homes vacant, and the most recent: fewer than 8% of main residences date from before 1946. Tenants stay there 8.4 years on average: a long-term unfurnished lease has its place here.
This sector has the most small main residences in the city: 3,491 with one or two rooms according to INSEE, 14% of those in Saint-Étienne. It is home to the Tréfilerie campus of the Université Jean Monnet (law, humanities, IAE business school, literature and languages), the Crous Tréfilerie residence with its 182 studios, and Mines Saint-Étienne, on the Cours Fauriel. Trams T1 and T3 stop at Campus Tréfilerie. Near the campuses, demand follows the university calendar: plan for summer vacancy.
A short walk from the centre, Badouillère, Chavanelle and Saint-Roch have, according to INSEE, 26% of residents aged 15 to 24, almost as many as the hypercentre, and 38% of homes with one or two rooms. The Crous Chavanelle residence is there, served by trams T2 and T3 at the Jean Moulin stop, as is the Charité hospital, one of the three CHU sites. One third of main residences date from before 1946 and 15% of homes are vacant. Tenants stay there 5.7 years on average: plan for regular re-lets.
In the south of the city, Bellevue and Valbenoîte are organised around the Bellevue hospital, one of the three sites of a CHU that employs 8,978 staff according to the institution, and the termini of trams T3 (Bellevue) and T1 (Solaure). According to INSEE, one household in five lives in social housing (HLM) there and tenants stay 8.4 years on average, the longest duration of the seven sectors along with Carnot. According to our calculations on DVF sales, apartments there sell for around €1,120 per m², the lowest price of the seven sectors. The Solaure priority neighbourhood is part of it: compare streets carefully.
The sectors follow INSEE’s IRIS divisions; their figures are 2023 census estimates, to be read as orders of magnitude. No official source publishes prices by neighbourhood in Saint-Étienne: the prices by sector are our calculations on DVF sales from July 2021 to December 2025.
Students, healthcare workers, young professionals: in Saint-Étienne, rental demand comes first from the city itself, with its campuses, its CHU and its business districts, more than from commuters to Lyon.
According to the Ministry of Higher Education, 14,510 of these students are enrolled at the university, on the Tréfilerie, Manufacture and Métare campuses: demand for studios and two-room apartments is concentrated near the campuses and the tram.
According to INSEE, 20.3% of these jobs are managerial positions and 51.1% of households consist of one person. The CHU alone employs 8,978 staff in 2025, according to the institution, and the Châteaucreux and Manufacture business districts together hold 14,300 jobs.
According to INSEE, 1,522 workers who live in Saint-Étienne work in the Lyon metropolis, and 682 make the opposite journey; 65% of residents of Saint-Étienne who have a job work in their own city. With 57 direct trains per weekday to Lyon, a home near Châteaucreux station or the tram makes these journeys easier.
According to INSEE, tenants in Saint-Étienne stay 7.7 years on average in their home, but the duration varies from 4.8 years in the hypercentre to 8.4 years in Carnot and Bellevue, and 18.2% of households moved in less than two years ago.
Sources: Ministry of Higher Education, 2025-2026 enrolment atlas; INSEE, 2023 census and 2023 commuting flows; CHU de Saint-Étienne; EPA Saint-Étienne. The durations by sector and the flows to the Lyon metropolis are calculations on INSEE data. Unemployment stands at 9.0% in the Saint-Étienne employment area in the 2nd quarter of 2026, compared with 8.3% in France (INSEE).
In Saint-Étienne, unregulated rents and low prices leave a choice of letting formula: it is decided according to the neighbourhood and the target tenant, keeping vacancy in mind.
Having your property managed remotely →| Option | In Saint-Étienne | Our view |
|---|---|---|
| Unfurnished rental | Three-year lease and three months’ notice: the formula for large homes and families, in Carnot or Bellevue, where tenants stay 8.4 years on average according to INSEE. | For a large home |
| Furnished | 51.1% of households live alone and 23,687 students are enrolled in the city: furnished studios and two-room apartments near the campuses and the tram meet this demand, with one month’s notice. | To prioritise |
| House share | The large older apartments of the centre lend themselves to student house shares, which the Crous itself offers at Chavanelle. Allow for summer vacancy and faster turnover. | Near the campuses |
| Mobility lease | From 1 to 10 months, furnished, for a tenant in higher education, on an internship, in an apprenticeship, in vocational training, in civic service, on a job transfer or on a temporary assignment. | For a few months |
| Short-term rental | No change-of-use authorisation is required: a declaration at the town hall is enough. The market remains modest, with 202 declarations of furnished lets received by the City in 2023: keep a fallback plan in standard letting. | Possible, worth testing |
| Capped-rent agreement | In the neighbourhoods being renovated, Tarentaize - Beaubrun - Couriot and Saint-Roch, grants fund part of landlords’ works in exchange for a rent capped under Loc’Avantages; the associated tax reduction is open to a non-resident only if the agreement took effect before they left. | Worth studying |
In Saint-Étienne, rents are not regulated, but an empty home is costly and the centre has its own constraints: heritage, façades and risks linked to the former mines. Check the rules below before costing your project.
Saint-Étienne is not in a high-pressure housing area (zone tendue), neither today nor under the decree that will apply from 1 January 2027, and its rents are not capped: rent can be set freely when the home is first let and when it is re-let. There is no rental permit either, neither from the City nor from the Métropole; in the Loire, the CAF mentions only Roanne, Riorges and Boën-sur-Lignon.
Saint-Étienne has taxed vacant homes since a resolution of 2008: 4,336 homes were taxed there in 2025, according to the DGFiP. On 21 September 2026, the municipal council voted the vacancy tax on residential premises that takes over in 2027, at a rate of 23.18% of the rental value, for a home that has been empty for at least two years on 1 January. A property offered for let at the market price without finding a tenant is excluded: keep a record of your listings.
Five remarkable heritage sites cover a large part of the centre: Centre Nord and Couriot - Manufacture since 2016, Centre Sud since 2024, Crêt de Roc and Tarentaize - Beaubrun since 2004. Works on façades, roofs and joinery there require the approval of the Architecte des Bâtiments de France (the state heritage architect). In the hypercentre, the City also requires façade renovation of listed buildings, on the Place du Peuple, the Place Boivin or the Rue Gambetta: ask the seller whether the building has received a formal notice.
Coal mining left shafts and galleries under the city: a mining risk prevention plan has applied since February 2018, and the City reports localised collapses, notably at Côte Chaude. The flood prevention plans for the Furan and the Gier also cover the city, which is classified in radon potential category 3, the highest. Read the risk statement for each property before signing.
Saint-Étienne does not require change-of-use authorisation: a furnished tourist let is declared at the town hall, online through Déclaloc’, pending the national registration announced for the end of 2026. A main residence can only be let for 120 days a year. The tourist tax on an unclassified furnished let is 5% of the nightly price per person, capped at €4.90, plus the 10% additional departmental tax.
According to the energy performance certificates recorded by ADEME since July 2021, 9.8% of diagnosed apartments in Saint-Étienne are rated F or G: since 2025, a G-rated home can no longer be let under a new lease, and F-rated homes will follow in 2028. Grants from the Métropole, until the end of 2027, fund the renovation of energy-inefficient homes in exchange for a capped-rent agreement. Saint-Étienne is not eligible for the Denormandie scheme, which is in any case reserved for taxpayers domiciled in France.
Your rents are taxed in France, whatever your country of residence. What changes is how they are treated at home and the rate of social contributions.
BelgiumFor a property held directly and let unfurnished, Belgium exempts these rents but uses them to set your tax rate. Social contributions: 7.5% if you are affiliated to Belgian social security and not dependent on any compulsory French scheme.
Investing from Belgium →
United KingdomThe United Kingdom also taxes your rents, with a credit for French income tax. The British tax authority (HMRC) includes in this credit the 7.5% solidarity levy, which is due if you are affiliated in the United Kingdom. Only the CSG and CRDS are excluded from it by the tax treaty.
Investing from the United Kingdom →
SwitzerlandSwitzerland exempts your French rents, but takes them into account for your tax rate. The 7.5% rate requires you to be covered by Swiss compulsory health insurance (LAMal) and not to be dependent on any compulsory French scheme.
Investing from Switzerland →The reduced rate depends on your affiliation, not your country: without affiliation in the European Union, the EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, or if you are dependent on a compulsory French scheme, you pay the full rate.
Tax treaties by country →Rules taken from our country pages and our tax page, for 2025 income. Your exact situation depends on your affiliation and on your country’s tax treaty.
Your rents and your capital gain are taxed in France, even if you live abroad.
On resale, the tax on the capital gain is withheld by the notary, with allowances for length of ownership from the 6th year: exemption from tax after 22 years, and from social contributions after 30 years.
Depending on your situation, our strategies and the way your purchase is structured can reduce, or even neutralise, the tax: we look at them with you from the very first call.
Taxation for the expat investor →Property tax and household waste tax apply to half the cadastral rental value of the home: ask the seller for their latest notice to know the amount. Sources: collectivites-locales.gouv.fr, impots.gouv.fr, notaires.fr.
Here is a simple example, for illustration purposes: a 40 m² two-room flat, at the median sale price and the average advertised rent.
| Furnished letting, micro-BIC regime | Affiliated in the EU, the EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom | Other cases (full rate) |
|---|---|---|
| Rents over one year | 5 472 € | 5 472 € |
| Taxable income after the 50% allowance | 2 736 € | 2 736 € |
| Income tax at the 20% minimum rate | − 547 € | − 547 € |
| Social contributions | − 205 € (7,5 %) | − 509 € (18,6 %) |
| Left after tax | 4 720 € | 4 416 € |
| Yield after tax | ≈ 9,7 % | ≈ 9,1 % |
Assumptions: furnished letting under the micro-BIC regime, 50% allowance, 20% minimum rate for non-residents (2025 income), rents received counted in full. The 7.5% rate also requires you not to be dependent on any compulsory French scheme: a retired person who receives only a French pension pays the full rate. Charges, property tax, notary fees and loan interest are not deducted: under the actual regime (régime réel), the tax can be significantly lower.
An advertised rentThe rent from the map is an advertised rent including charges, so it is higher than the rent excluding charges that you will receive.
The rent at your addressThe advertised rent is an average for the town: depending on the neighbourhood, the condition of the property and its size, the rent you obtain may be higher or lower.
Costs and chargesNotary fees, renovation works, property tax, insurance and management then reduce the net yield.
This calculation helps compare cities or properties; it does not guarantee any result.
Do you live abroad and are you looking at Saint-Étienne? In 45 minutes, we tell you what is feasible with your budget, your down payment and your country of residence.
Book a call →Saint-Étienne runs on Lyon time: 57 direct trains per weekday link Châteaucreux station to Lyon Part-Dieu and Perrache, in 42 minutes at the quickest according to the SNCF timetable. From Part-Dieu, the Rhônexpress reaches Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport in 30 minutes, with direct flights to London, Dubai or Montreal: a visit often fits into a single day.
57 direct trains per weekday to Lyon Part-Dieu and Perrache, from 5:20 am to 9:20 pm.
4 direct TGVs per weekday, from Saint-Étienne Châteaucreux to Paris Gare de Lyon.
With a change at Lyon Part-Dieu; 10 journeys per weekday.
At Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport, the week of 9 to 15 November 2026. From Saint-Étienne: train to Lyon Part-Dieu, then Rhônexpress, every 15 minutes during the day.
From Lyon Saint-Exupéry: British Airways to Heathrow, easyJet and Wizz Air to Gatwick and Luton (week of 9 to 15 November 2026).
T1 Hôpital Nord - Solaure, T2 Cité du design - Châteaucreux Gare, T3 Hôpital Nord / Terrasse - Bellevue.
Timetables checked on 10 November 2026 on the official SNCF timetable (Thursday 12 November), Rhônexpress and the Lyon airport flight schedule; they vary from day to day. Brussels is 4 h 51 away at best, with a change at Lyon Part-Dieu.
No. Saint-Étienne is not among the territories that apply rent control, reserved for a list of towns published by Service Public. You set the rent freely at the first letting. In a non-tight market, a rent that is too high is paid for in weeks of vacancy: rely on the rent map and on listings in the neighbourhood to stay within the market.
No, not at present. Neither the City nor Saint-Étienne Métropole has introduced a rental authorisation or declaration scheme: no resolution to that effect appears in their registers, up to the municipal council of 21 September 2026. In the Loire, the CAF mentions Roanne, Riorges and Boën-sur-Lignon. A local authority can create this scheme at any time: before signing a lease, ask the City’s housing department whether the address is affected.
Demand exists: Saint-Étienne is a university city, and small units find tenants there. The market is not tight for all that. A studio works if it is renovated, carefully furnished and close to a campus or the tram. A remote or dated home will struggle to let.
With a median price of €1,219 per m² in the DVF statistics (last 10 half-years), a 35 m² apartment represents about €42,700 before fees. Add acquisition costs (transfer duties and notary fees, which Service Public details), furnishing if you let furnished, and a works budget if the energy performance certificate (DPE) is poor. Prices vary from one street to the next: look at actual sales in the DVF database.
The simplest route is often via Lyon. Direct trains link Saint-Étienne to Lyon. A viewing within the day remains possible from a flight to Lyon. For the next steps, a power of attorney at the notary lets you sign the purchase without travelling, and a local agency can handle day-to-day management.
Yes. Saint-Étienne already taxes homes left empty for more than two years: 4,336 homes were subject to the tax on vacant homes in 2025, according to the DGFiP. On 21 September 2026, the municipal council introduced the new vacancy tax on residential premises, at a rate of 23.18% of the rental value from 2027, for a home that has been vacant for at least two years on 1 January. A home occupied for more than 90 days in the year, or offered for let at the market price without finding a tenant, is excluded: keep a record of your listings.
Yes, five: Centre Nord and Couriot - Manufacture (2016), Centre Sud (2024), Crêt de Roc and Tarentaize - Beaubrun (2004). Works on the exterior parts of buildings there require the approval of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
In part of the city, yes. A mining risk prevention plan has applied since February 2018, for risks of localised collapse, subsidence, landslide or heating. Before buying, read the risk statement attached to the preliminary sales agreement and consult the plan at the town hall.
No. Saint-Étienne is neither in Action cœur de ville nor in a territorial revitalisation operation, and the tax reduction is in any case reserved for taxpayers domiciled in France at the time of purchase.
According to sales recorded in DVF from January 2025 to December 2025, a studio sold for a median price of €43,000, a two-room apartment for a median price of €58,500 and a large home for a median price of €100,000. Allow about 8% notary fees on top for older properties, and a works budget if the energy rating is poor.
In 2026, the municipal property tax rate is 44.68%, plus 2.60% for the intermunicipality. These rates apply to half the cadastral rental value of the home: ask the seller for their latest property tax notice to know the amount.
For a 40 m² furnished two-room apartment bought for €48,760 and let for €456 a month, about 9.7% of the price remains after tax if you are covered by a scheme in the European Union, the EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom without depending on a mandatory French scheme, and 9.1% otherwise, under the micro-BIC regime and at the minimum rate of 20%. Charges, property tax and purchase costs are not deducted.
The capital gain is taxed in France at 19%, plus social contributions, and the notary withholds this tax at the time of sale, with an exemption from tax after 22 years and from social contributions after 30 years of ownership.
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