The average price per m² in Montrond-les-Bains is 2 187 €/m² for an apartment, based on actual notarised (DVF) sales. About 26 transactions are recorded each year.
Montrond-les-Bains, a spa town in the Forez plain, in the Loire department.
In Montrond-les-Bains, the average price of an apartment stands at 2 187 €/m², a level driven by the dual identity of the municipality, a recognised spa resort and a residential town in the Forez plain. This average covers contrasting realities: small apartment buildings close to the town centre and the thermal baths, sought after by spa visitors and retirees, but also more recent developments on the outskirts, popular with working families. The closeness of the A72 motorway and the rail link to Saint-Étienne feed demand for main residences, while the spa setting attracts a flow of buyers looking for a pied-à-terre or a seasonal rental investment. The presence of the medieval castle and the casino, drivers of steady tourist visitor numbers, supports the value of properties in the old centre. Detached houses, for their part, trade in a separate range, noticeably higher than that of apartments.
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 dual identity of Montrond-les-Bains, a residential town and a spa resort, sets its market apart from that of the purely commuter municipalities of the Forez plain. Tourist visits linked to the thermal baths and the casino support rental and commercial demand that indirectly benefits the value of the old buildings in the town centre, where the average price comes out at 2 187 €/m².
The market nonetheless remains sensitive to changes in spa visitor numbers and to the quality of road and rail links to Saint-Étienne, which determines the municipality's appeal for working people. Low pressure on housing compared with the large urban areas leaves buyers room to negotiate, with no marked speculative dynamic.
The average price recorded in Montrond-les-Bains is higher than in Montbrison and Andrézieux-Bouthéon, two neighbouring, mainly residential towns of the Forez plain, but remains more affordable than in Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert. This intermediate position reflects the particular appeal of the spa resort, which sets Montrond-les-Bains apart from neighbouring municipalities without this tourist vocation.
The town of Montrond-les-Bains grew up around a fortified castle built from the 11th century onwards on a rocky promontory overlooking the Loire. In 1302, Jean I, Count of Forez, had the fortress strengthened to guard the ford across the river, a defensive role that explains why the town settled on this height. The gardens that today surround the remains of the castle have been awarded the Jardin remarquable label, the French distinction for notable gardens.
The municipality's spa vocation took shape at the turn of the 20th century, with the tapping of a mineral water spring at a depth of more than 400 metres, still used today for rheumatology and wellness treatments. An Art Deco casino, opened in 1935, accompanied the rise of the resort and still structures the town centre, between the spa establishment, gaming and entertainment. Montrond-les-Bains has thus built an original identity in the Forez plain, between a feudal past and a spa tradition.
Montrond-les-Bains has 5 652 inhabitants. The municipality attracts a mixed population, between retirees and spa visitors who come to enjoy the thermal baths and working people employed along the Saint-Étienne-Montbrison axis. Main residences largely dominate the market, although the spa vocation generates occasional demand for pieds-à-terre for treatment stays. Buyers primarily look for apartments in small buildings close to the town centre and the thermal baths, or houses with gardens on the outskirts of the town. The setting of the Forez plain, less dense than the Saint-Étienne urban area, also appeals to families looking for a quieter way of life while staying connected to Saint-Étienne by the A72 and TER regional trains.
The average price of an apartment in Montrond-les-Bains stands at 2 187 €/m². This level reflects the dual vocation of the municipality, residential and spa, and varies with closeness to the town centre, the thermal baths or the main roads.
The municipality has a station served by TER regional trains connected to Saint-Étienne Châteaucreux, as well as direct access to the A72 motorway, which links Saint-Étienne to Lyon. These two links make commuting to the Saint-Étienne urban area easier.
The spa resort attracts spa visitors and tourists every year, which sustains commercial and tourist activity that benefits the local market. Its position in the Forez plain and the closeness of Saint-Étienne and Montbrison also strengthen its residential appeal.
The town centre and its surroundings mainly offer apartments in small buildings, often close to the thermal baths and the shops. Detached houses with gardens are concentrated rather on the outskirts of the town, in more recent housing estates.
In the old centre, some buildings close to the castle or the thermal baths may require renovation work because of their age. It is also worth checking exposure to flood risk linked to the closeness of the Loire before any purchase.
This analysis is published by Immover, an independent observatory founded by Antony Barbier. Data sourced from official sources (DVF, INSEE, Notaries of France).