The average price per m² in Malbuisson is 3 952 €/m² for an apartment, based on actual notarised (DVF) sales. About 20 transactions are recorded each year.
Atmospheric illustration of Malbuisson, a resort village stretched along the shore of the lac de Saint-Point, in the Haut-Doubs.
The average price recorded in Malbuisson stands at 3 952 €/m². That average covers a stock marked by lake and mountain tourism, where second homes are in the majority and where village houses and resort apartments stand side by side along the shore of the lac de Saint-Point. The gaps around that average come mainly from the type of property, the floor area, the aspect and the view over the lake or the ridges, as well as the immediate closeness of the water. Properties offering an open view or quick access to the shores sit at the top of the range. The high share of second homes supports the price level, demand often exceeding available supply on a territory of 6,6 km² constrained by the relief. These figures come from the DVF database, which records sales actually signed before notaries, and give a municipal benchmark to be refined property by property.
Prices from the DVF file (Demandes de valeurs foncières, published by the DGFiP), transactions actually recorded at the notary at municipality level. Cross-referenced with the Notaires de France - INSEE indices. Learn more about our methodology.
The Malbuisson market rests on its status as a resort village of the Haut-Doubs, backing onto the lac de Saint-Point and the Jura massif. Demand is driven above all by second homes, which make up the majority of the stock, and by regional, Parisian and sometimes cross-border buyers looking for a base by the lake or close to the ski resorts. The view over the water, access to outdoor activities and the mountain setting weigh heavily in buyers' choices. That seasonal pressure, with a summer population above 3 000 people, supports values over the long run.
Supply remains constrained by a territory of 6,6 km² marked by the relief and by the listing of natural areas around the lake, which limit buildable land. The market for existing property dominates, with village houses and resort apartments whose energy performance and condition are becoming bargaining points. The scarcity of year-round properties complicates access to housing for local households, while second-home buyers weigh mainly the view, the closeness of the shores and the budget. That imbalance between sustained tourist demand and limited supply is the main feature of the local market.
A resort village turned towards the lake and the mountains, Malbuisson shows a price level above that of the neighbouring resort of Métabief, of Pontarlier, the sub-prefecture town of the Haut-Doubs, and of Montlebon, in the Morteau valley.
The name of Malbuisson is attested in several forms over the centuries: Malbosson in 1322, Malboisson in 1343, then Malbuisson from 1530. The village lies in the Haut-Doubs, at the heart of the Jura massif, between Morteau and Chapelle-des-Bois, and stretches about 2 kilometres along a balcony above the lac de Saint-Point. Its territory, covering 6,6 km², rises from 846 metres at lake level to 1 091 metres at the bois de Ban. Between 1790 and 1794, Malbuisson absorbed the former village of Vézenay, then in 1856 took in, together with Montperreux, the former hamlet of Chaudron.
The turning point for the municipality lies in the rise of tourism at the start of the twentieth century, made possible by the opening of a railway line. Classified as a climatic resort at about 900 metres in altitude, Malbuisson then attracted regional and Parisian visitors who came looking for mountain air and the shores of the lake. That tourist vocation has continued to this day: the municipality was a stage town of the Tour de France in 1994 and lives to the rhythm of the seasons, with cross-country skiing, hiking and snowshoeing in winter, sailing, fishing and swimming in summer.
The local heritage keeps the trace of that Jura history. The Source bleue, a karst spring with blue reflections close to the village, was painted by Gustave Courbet in 1872 and remains a recognised natural site in the area. The church of Saint-Claude marks the town centre, while the municipal coat of arms recalls the abbey of Mont-Sainte-Marie, founded in 1129, through an abbatial crozier. The territory is also rooted in the cheese tradition of the Haut-Doubs, a land of comté, morbier, cancoillotte and Mont d'Or.
Malbuisson has 903 inhabitants, a permanent population that rises sharply in the summer season, beyond 3 000 people. The residential profile of the municipality is unusual for the area: second homes make up the majority of the stock, around two dwellings in three, which reflects its calling as a resort village turned towards the lake and the mountains. Among main residences, a little more than half are houses, the rest being apartments, often linked to tourist developments. The share of owner-occupiers remains high among main residences, around seven households in ten. The market therefore mixes second-home buyers, sensitive to the lake view and the closeness of outdoor activities, retirees drawn by the setting, and rarer local households looking to live there year-round in a territory where permanent supply is limited.
The average price recorded in Malbuisson stands at 3 952 €/m², based on sales registered by notaries and published in the DVF database. That figure brings together varied properties, village houses as well as resort apartments. The type of property, the floor area, the aspect, the view over the lac de Saint-Point and the closeness of the shores explain most of the gaps around that average. For a reliable valuation, it is better to rely on sales of comparable properties than on the municipal average alone.
Malbuisson lies in the Haut-Doubs, between Morteau and Chapelle-des-Bois, some fifteen kilometres from Pontarlier, the neighbouring sub-prefecture town. The municipality is linked by road to the main hubs of the plateau, including the resort of Métabief, about 5 kilometres away. The village stretches along the shore of the lac de Saint-Point, which shapes its access roads and its built-up areas. That position at the heart of the Jura massif, close to the Swiss border, adds to the residential and tourist appeal of the municipality.
The lac de Saint-Point is the central asset of Malbuisson, whose village extends on a balcony above its shores. It allows swimming, sailing and fishing in summer, and sits in a mountain setting suited to cross-country skiing, hiking and snowshoeing in winter. The municipality is also home to the Source bleue, a karst spring painted by Gustave Courbet in 1872. That lake and Jura setting is the main driver of property demand, particularly for second homes.
The stock in Malbuisson mixes village houses and apartments, the latter often linked to the tourist developments by the lake. Among main residences, a little more than half are houses, but the apartment market is fed by the strong presence of second homes. A house will suit buyers looking for space and land, while an apartment with a lake view answers the logic of a seasonal base. Your choice will depend on your budget, on year-round or seasonal use and on your need for a view and outdoor space.
Malbuisson is laid out along a built ribbon of about 2 kilometres, from Le Vézenay to the forest of La Fuvelle, overlooking the lac de Saint-Point. The most sought-after areas are those offering an open view over the water or quick access to the shores. The old town centre, around the church of Saint-Claude, stands alongside more recent buildings and tourist developments. Each area has its own features of building fabric, aspect and view, to be looked at closely according to your project.
This analysis is published by Immover, an independent observatory founded by Antony Barbier. Data sourced from official sources (DVF, INSEE, Notaries of France).