The average price per m² in Saint-Genis-Laval is 3 517 €/m² for an apartment, based on actual notarised (DVF) sales. For a house or villa, it is 4 828 €/m². About 139 transactions are recorded each year.
Atmospheric illustration of Saint-Genis-Laval, on the hillsides south-west of the Lyon metropolitan area.
In Saint-Genis-Laval, the average apartment price stands at 3 517 €/m², based on sales registered with notaries and compiled in DVF data, the French notarised sales database. The stock combines older buildings in the historic centre, many residential blocks built between the 1960s and the 1990s on the plateau, and more recent developments that appeared around the arrival of the metro. The municipality also retains a notable share of detached houses, inherited from its past as a country retreat and from its suburban hillsides: they sell at a higher level, around 4 828 €/m², a gap that mainly reflects the scarcity of buildable land. These amounts are municipal averages, to be refined according to the area and the condition of the property.
House : 4 828 €/m²
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 Saint-Genis-Laval market has been driven in recent years by the arrival of metro line B, whose extension was inaugurated at the end of 2023. This new service has strengthened the appeal of the municipality among households who work in Lyon but are looking for more space and greenery. Demand focuses on family apartments close to the stations and on houses on the plateau, two segments where supply remains constrained. The population, above 21 000 inhabitants, continues to grow, which sustains moderate but real market pressure.
On the supply side, the municipality combines new developments that appeared around the newly served neighbourhoods with a more varied older hillside stock. Energy performance has become an important negotiating point, particularly for detached houses and apartment buildings from the 1970s. Saint-Genis-Laval sits in an intermediate fringe of south-west Lyon, more affordable than the upmarket municipalities to the west while remaining sought after for its setting. For a seller, the key is still to adjust the price to the precise area and the actual condition of the property rather than to the municipal average alone.
In the south-west Lyon market, Saint-Genis-Laval sits above Oullins-Pierre-Bénite and Vénissieux, and at a level close to Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, another hillside municipality popular with families.
Located around twelve kilometres south-west of Lyon, Saint-Genis-Laval marks the start of the backwaters and hillsides of the Rhône, in one of the greenest fringes of the metropolitan area. From the 16th century, wealthy Lyon merchants had estates and country houses built here, surrounded by ornamental gardens. The best known is the Château de Beauregard, built for the Florentine Thomas Gadagne. The residence has disappeared, but the Beauregard park, with its terraces and Italian-style garden, still recalls the wealth of this past as a country retreat.
The municipality owes part of its renown to the Lyon observatory, set up on the Beauregard hill from 1878. The astronomer Charles André and the architect Abraham Hirsch chose this plateau for its distance from the city's coal smoke. The top of the hill was levelled by several metres to accommodate the domes. Listed as a historic monument, the site now houses the Centre de recherche astrophysique de Lyon and has earned Saint-Genis-Laval the nickname of gateway to the stars.
Local heritage also includes the Fort de Côte Lorette, perched at an altitude of 307 metres and built between 1874 and 1894 as part of Lyon's second defensive ring. Long a municipality of hillsides and market gardening, Saint-Genis-Laval grew denser in the 20th century with the expansion of the southern suburbs and the arrival of major facilities such as the Lyon Sud hospital. It now combines an old historic centre, residential neighbourhoods on the plateau and large green spaces.
Saint-Genis-Laval has just over 21 000 inhabitants, precisely 21 212 at the latest census. The housing stock is mixed: apartments dominate in the centre and on the plateau, but the municipality retains a large proportion of detached houses, inherited from its hillsides and its residential history. Buyers are mainly families and working people from the Lyon metropolitan area, drawn by the green setting, the proximity of employment hubs in the south of Lyon and, since 2023, by the arrival of the metro. The municipality also attracts first-time buyers seeking a compromise between price and quick access to Lyon. The presence of the Lyon Sud hospital and healthcare facilities also sustains steady rental demand.
Expect an average of 3 517 €/m² for an apartment, a figure taken from transactions actually signed before notaries and compiled in DVF data. This figure covers a variety of situations, from an older studio in the centre to a recent home close to the metro. Floor level, aspect, the presence of outdoor space, the year of construction and the energy performance certificate explain most of the differences. For a reliable valuation, it is better to rely on comparable properties sold recently than on the municipal average alone.
Saint-Genis-Laval can be read as several areas. The historic centre, around the square and the shops, concentrates older housing. The Beauregard plateau and the surroundings of the observatory offer quieter residential neighbourhoods, often of detached houses. The Barolles area and the fringes near Oullins have welcomed new developments, driven by the extension of the metro. The hillsides and farmland in the south retain a more rural character.
Since October 2023, metro line B has served the municipality with its Saint-Genis-Laval Hôpitaux Sud terminus, bringing the town closer to central Lyon and its business districts. Several bus lines, including the C10, complete the network towards Oullins and Perrache. By car, the A450 and A7 quickly connect the south of the conurbation, at the cost of sometimes heavy traffic at peak times. This improvement in transport links is one of the recent drivers of the local market.
Yes, the municipality has retained a denser fabric of detached houses than many towns in Lyon's inner ring, especially on the hillsides and the plateau. These houses sell at a higher level than apartments, around 4 828 €/m², owing to the scarcity of land and family demand. Properties with gardens and open views over the Monts du Lyonnais are particularly sought after. As supply remains limited, each sale is assessed case by case.
The terrain and some former land uses may lead to easements or specific planning rules: it is useful to consult the PLU, the local urban development plan, and the natural and technological risk statement before signing. The proximity of the Lyon Sud hospital and major roads also affects the atmosphere of some areas. As throughout the Lyon metropolitan area, renting out a furnished holiday let is regulated and requires formalities at the town hall. A review of local taxation is also advisable depending on 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).