Inequalities in standards of living are high in urban areas, particularly in the largest cities. However, inequalities in standards of living differ from one city to another. Some cities, such as Saint-Denis de La Réunion, are both poor and marked by pronounced inequalities, while other poor cities, such as Béthune, are less prone to inequalities. Among the largest cities, Nantes has the lowest levels of inequality, with one of the highest median standard of living.

Within cities, the poorest and most affluent populations live in different areas. In 2021, 2,300 neighbourhoods, amounting to 11 million people, could be described as either ‘affluent’ or ‘poor’. In some cities, such as Strasbourg or Marseille, these neighbourhoods clearly structure the city; in others, such as Rouen, the neighbourhoods are more dispersed.

Residents of poor neighbourhoods are on average younger than those in affluent neighbourhoods, and single-parent families are over-represented. While the majority of households in affluent neighbourhoods own their home, eight out of ten households in poor neighbourhoods rent it, and their homes are more often over-occupied.