With the economic crisis, household incomes have slowed, especially in the poorest households. This overall trend masks contrasting local translations, depending on the proximity to a centre of employment, the degree of urbanisation, or the presence of wealthy or poor districts. Overall, income geography is closely associated with the urban area: in 2007 as in 2011, incomes remained generally higher in large urban areas, despite a less positive development recently. In large urban areas, and also small and medium-size areas, incomes are generally higher in the periphery than in the centre itself, with the notable exceptions of the Lyon and Paris metropolitan areas. If we focus on the major urban centres themselves, incomes were higher in the suburbs than in the city centre. Social contrasts are greatest in the city centres and these increased between 2007 and 2011. Disparities within urban areas grew: in almost all major areas, the increase in income was not as great in the city centres as in the outlying areas. A number of major urban centres emerged with a level of income and development which was less than the level observed for the whole of metropolitan France. It was particularly high for small and medium-size centres, especially on the periphery of the Paris basin. Away from the cities, incomes are often lower but have developed more positively and income disparities are less pronounced.