The average price per m² in Orthez is 1 712 €/m² for an apartment, based on actual notarised (DVF) sales. About 83 transactions are recorded each year.
Atmospheric illustration of Orthez, former capital of the Béarn, in Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
In Orthez, the average price of apartments stands at 1 712 €/m², based on the sales actually registered in DVF, the French notarised sales database kept by notaries. It is an affordable level by the standards of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, well below the municipalities of the Basque coastline such as Bayonne or Biarritz, and slightly below that of Pau, the large neighbouring Béarn town. The stock mixes older town houses of the medieval core, apartment buildings in the centre and detached homes on the outskirts. The condition of a property, its energy performance, its location in relation to the historic centre and to the gave de Pau, as well as the presence of outdoor space, explain most of the differences from one home to another. These figures, drawn from the transactions signed before notaries, give a reliable municipal benchmark; a precise valuation then rests on comparable sales, examined 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 Orthez market is that of a medium-sized Béarn town, driven above all by local demand. Affordable prices attract first-time buyers and households looking for a house on a budget that the Basque coastline no longer allows. Energy performance has become an important bargaining point on an older stock that is sometimes energy-hungry, where properties in need of renovation sell at a discount.
Supply remains relatively available, which limits pressure and keeps selling times longer than on the coast. For a seller, a property that is properly valued and presented stands out, while an over-ambitious price settles in on the market for the long run. The position of Orthez between Pau and the Basque Country, and its heritage setting, are its main assets for value in the medium term.
Orthez shows prices more measured than Pau, the large neighbouring Béarn town, and than its close suburb of Billère, and remains well below the Basque coastline of Bayonne.
Orthez is a former capital of the Béarn, on the banks of the gave de Pau. In the thirteenth century, Gaston VII de Moncade set up his court there and made the town the centre of his principality, endowed with a castle of which the Moncade tower survives. From that period also dates the Pont Vieux, a fortified bridge spanning the gave, which has become the emblem of the town.
In the fourteenth century, prince Gaston Fébus made the Béarn shine from Orthez, asserting its independence against the neighbouring kingdoms. The town, a stage on the routes of Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, keeps from that period a rich medieval heritage, between old lanes, half-timbered houses and religious buildings.
A town of the inland Béarn, Orthez has known a merchant and farming history, marked by fairs and markets. Today the municipality keeps its historic core and its riverside setting, while playing the role of a service hub for a wide rural area between Pau and the Basque Country.
Orthez has close to 11 000 inhabitants and forms a service hub for a wide rural area of the Béarn, between Pau and the Basque Country. The property market there is driven by local demand: first-time buyers drawn by prices among the most affordable in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, families in search of a house with a garden, and working people employed locally or in the neighbouring employment areas. The moderate price level makes the town a gateway to home ownership, far from the pressure of the nearby Basque coastline.
The average price of apartments in Orthez is 1 712 €/m², based on the DVF transactions actually completed before notaries. This average covers varied situations, from the older town house of the medieval centre to more recent housing on the outskirts. The condition, the energy performance, the location and the presence of outdoor space explain the differences around this value. A reliable valuation rests on comparable sales rather than on the municipal average alone.
Orthez lies in the inland Béarn, away from the Basque coast where prices reach very high levels. Its rural position, between Pau and the Basque Country, and an essentially local demand keep prices among the most affordable in Pyrénées-Atlantiques. In return the town offers a dense medieval heritage, a riverside setting and generous floor areas for a measured budget.
Orthez keeps a medieval heritage inherited from its role as capital of the Béarn: the fortified Pont Vieux over the gave de Pau, the Moncade tower, remnant of the castle of the Fébus family, and an old centre of lanes and half-timbered houses. A stage on the routes of Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, the town attracts those keen on history and hiking. This setting adds to the residential appeal of the municipality.
Orthez lies about forty kilometres from Pau and around fifty from Bayonne, linked by motorway and by rail. This central position in the Béarn makes it possible to reach both employment areas while living in a town where housing costs less. Road and rail accessibility supports local residential demand.
This analysis is published by Immover, an independent observatory founded by Antony Barbier. Data sourced from official sources (DVF, INSEE, Notaries of France).