The French population's standard of living is not consistent throughout the country. The poorest departments are in French overseas territories, in the north of metropolitan France and on part of the Mediterranean coast, as well as some isolated departments such as Seine-Saint-Denis and Lot-et-Garonne. Within catchment areas for towns and cities of varying population sizes, poverty is more marked in the centre of these areas. The wealthiest households, on the other hand, are more concentrated in the largest areas. Disparities between residents in terms of living standards are greatest in departments near the border or in the Mediterranean region and often those that include a large urban centre. However, these disparities in living standards do not take account of regional differences in pricing, especially with regard to housing.

Departments thus have clearly differing profiles, particularly in the case of Paris and most departments with a large urban centre, where there is a marked gap in terms of households with an intermediate standard of living. In the Grand Ouest region, households with an intermediate standard of living are over-represented, whereas in Seine-Saint-Denis and Aisne, there is an over-representation of the poorest households.

The global financial crisis of 2008 had a greater impact on the poorest departments. Between 2008 and 2011, the gap between the highest and lowest income levels widened in every department. Between 2012 and 2017, those gaps experienced a slight narrowing, under the general effect of a somewhat sharper rise in the lowest income levels.