The 20th arrondissement: Belleville, Jourdain and authentic Paris

The 20th is the last Paris that resists. Not the last tourist Paris, not the last chic Paris: the last working-class Paris, where languages mix, where facades are not all freshly renovated, where the kebab shop and the cocktail bar share the same pavement and nobody finds it strange. It is also the Paris that offers the most spectacular views in the capital, from the heights of Belleville and Jourdain.

What are the neighbourhoods of the 20th arrondissement?

Four: Belleville (7,500 to 8,500 euros/m²), Jourdain (9,500 to 10,500), Gambetta / Père-Lachaise (8,800 to 9,800) and the south towards Porte de Montreuil and Porte de Bagnolet (7,000 to 7,500). That is a 3,500 euros/m² gap from one end of the same arrondissement to the other.

The 20th is an arrondissement of sharp contrasts. From one street to the next, the scenery changes, the atmosphere shifts, prices swing. Buying here demands a knowledge of the ground that property portals cannot provide.

Belleville is the most iconic and most complex neighbourhood. Boulevard de Belleville, the border between the 11th and 20th, is a noisy and cosmopolitan axis: Chinese restaurants, halal butchers, trendy bars, artists’ studios. It is lively, sometimes chaotic, always stimulating. The Parc de Belleville, perched on the hill, offers one of the most beautiful panoramic views of Paris: the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, the Montparnasse tower, all visible on a clear day. The streets descending from the park (rue Piat, rue des Envierges) are spectacular and very photogenic.

Prices in Belleville vary enormously: 7,500-8,500 euros/m² in the central streets, with peaks at 9,000 euros for addresses with views. Streets set back, towards the Porte de Ménilmontant, drop to 7,000-7,500 euros.

Jourdain is the perched village of the 20th. Place Jourdain, with its church, cafes and restaurants, functions as an autonomous village atop the hill. The staircases descending towards Belleville or Ménilmontant are part of the charm, and the daily routine. The atmosphere is that of a gentrified but unpretentious neighbourhood: families, artists, retirees crossing paths at the Sunday market.

It is the most expensive sector of the 20th: 9,500-10,500 euros/m², with properties exceeding 11,000 euros for apartments with panoramic views. A 3-room of 60 m² at Jourdain trades between 570,000 and 630,000 euros.

Gambetta / Père-Lachaise is the bourgeois-bohemian 20th. The streets around Place Gambetta and the Père-Lachaise cemetery are calm, tree-lined and well maintained. The building stock is often of better quality than in the rest of the arrondissement: late 19th-century buildings, well-managed co-ownerships. It is the favourite sector of families who want the 20th without the bustle of Belleville. Prices: 8,800-9,800 euros/m².

The south of the 20th, Porte de Montreuil, Porte de Bagnolet, is the most affordable and least pleasant sector. The peripherique ring road is close, the building stock is dominated by 1960s-1970s towers, and the atmosphere is more suburban than Parisian. Prices: 7,000-7,500 euros/m². It is a sector for first-time buyers with tight budgets and investors betting on long-term appreciation.

What is the price per m² in the 20th arrondissement in 2026?

The 20th posts a median price of 8,400 euros/m² and an average price of 8,800 euros/m² in 2026 (DVF data, April 2026 vintage), up 0.9% over twelve months. That is 1,500 euros below the Paris median of 9,900 euros/m², and the second-lowest price in the capital after the 19th.

The median price of 8,400 euros/m², for an average price of 8,800 euros/m², makes the 20th the second cheapest arrondissement in Paris, just after the 19th (8,200 euros median) and ahead of the 13th (8,800 euros). But this central value masks a 3,500 euros/m² gap between Jourdain (10,500 euros) and the Porte de Montreuil (7,000 euros).

In concrete budget terms: a 2-room of 40 m² in Belleville costs between 300,000 and 340,000 euros. At Jourdain, expect 380,000-420,000 euros. At Gambetta, 352,000-392,000 euros.

A 3-room of 60 m² trades between 450,000 and 510,000 euros in Belleville, 570,000-630,000 euros at Jourdain. A 4-room of 75 m², rare in the 20th, reaches 712,000-790,000 euros at Jourdain and 565,000-640,000 euros in Belleville.

Who buys in the 20th arrondissement?

Young first-time buyer couples, with budgets of 300,000 to 500,000 euros: they are now the bulk of purchasers. The artists who built the neighbourhood’s reputation remain the bedrock of Belleville and Ménilmontant, while families target Gambetta and Jourdain for the calm and the schools.

Artists and creatives were the pioneers. They came for the low rents and spacious studios, and they transformed the neighbourhood’s image. Many have become homeowners and form the bedrock of the Belleville and Ménilmontant community.

Young first-time buyer couples now represent the bulk of purchasers. With budgets of 300,000-500,000 euros, they want central Paris without breaking the bank. The 20th is their natural arrondissement, and Belleville-Jourdain their playground.

Families target Gambetta and Jourdain for the calm and the schools. A couple with one child in a 2-room in the 11th who find a 3-room of 60 m² at Gambetta for 530,000 euros: this is the classic trade-up we handle regularly at Home Select.

What are the strengths of the 20th arrondissement?

Four metro lines (2, 3, 3bis, 11) and the RER A reachable at Nation in ten minutes. Above all, the panoramas: from the Parc de Belleville or the heights of Jourdain, you take in all of Paris in a single glance, a free luxury the upscale neighbourhoods cannot offer.

The metro serves the 20th well: line 11 (Jourdain, Pyrénées, Belleville), line 3 (Gambetta, Père-Lachaise), line 3bis (Pelleport, Gambetta), line 2 (Ménilmontant, Père-Lachaise, Nation). The RER A is reachable at Nation in 10 minutes.

Cultural life is vibrant. The street art of Belleville (the walls of rue Denoyez, though under threat), La Bellevilloise, the Parc de Belleville, the artists’ studios open each year: the 20th is a creative neighbourhood that does not depend on public funding to exist.

The panoramas are exceptional. From the Parc de Belleville, rue des Envierges, rue Piat or the heights of Jourdain, you can take in all of Paris in a single glance. It is a free luxury that the upscale neighbourhoods cannot offer.

Cultural and culinary diversity is unmatched in Paris. Chinese restaurants in Belleville (the best in Paris, ahead of the 13th), African restaurants on rue de Ménilmontant, cocktail bars on rue des Pyrénées: the 20th offers a gastronomic world tour in 500 metres.

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What are the risks to know before buying in the 20th?

Insecurity in certain pockets, where the difference between a safe street and a challenging one can come down to 50 metres. Three other factors weigh in: the hilly terrain and walk-up floors, co-ownerships that are often modest and poorly maintained, and uneven transit coverage in the south.

Insecurity is real in certain pockets. The upper part of boulevard de Belleville, the area around the Porte de Bagnolet, certain streets near the Porte de Ménilmontant: these pose safety concerns, especially in the evening. The difference between a safe street and a challenging one can be 50 metres. This is why a property hunter who knows the ground is indispensable in the 20th.

The terrain is an underestimated factor. The 20th is one of the hilliest arrondissements in Paris. Steep streets, staircases, significant elevation changes are a daily reality. For elderly people or those with reduced mobility, it is a handicap. For families with strollers, it is a daily workout. And the combination of a 4th or 5th floor walk-up on a sloping street, common in the 20th, is an eliminatory criterion for many buyers.

Co-ownerships in the 20th are often modest and poorly maintained. The old buildings of Belleville and Ménilmontant, some dating from the 18th century, pose real structural issues. Deteriorated common areas, work voted but not carried out, unpaid charges: these are classic risks that our property hunters verify systematically.

Transit coverage is uneven. Jourdain and Gambetta are well served, but the south of the 20th (Porte de Bagnolet, Porte de Montreuil) is more isolated. The bus is often the only direct public transport, with mediocre frequencies in the evening and on weekends.

Is the gentrification of the 20th finished?

No: Jourdain and Gambetta are transformed, Belleville and the centre of the 20th are still in transition. That is the arrondissement’s window of opportunity, provided you accept a 5 to 10-year horizon.

The gentrification of the 20th is not complete. Jourdain and Gambetta are largely transformed, but Belleville and the centre of the 20th are still in a transition phase. This is a window of opportunity: Belleville’s current prices (7,500-8,500 euros) could converge towards those of Jourdain (9,500-10,500 euros) over a 5-10 year horizon, if the trend continues.

The extension of metro line 11 eastward should improve transit coverage of the Pyrénées-Jourdain area and boost the appeal of addresses currently set back from the main routes.

The redevelopment projects for the Porte de Montreuil and the Porte de Bagnolet, as part of the Grand Paris initiative, will transform the south of the 20th in the medium term. This is the bet of patient investors.

Should you buy in the 20th arrondissement?

Yes if you are looking for the cheapest way into central Paris after the 19th: 8,400 euros/m² median, against 9,900 euros for the capital. No if you do not have time to walk the streets: this is the arrondissement where the gap between a good and a bad address is the widest in Paris.

The 20th is an arrondissement of conviction. You buy here because you love the energy, the diversity, the views, and you accept the imperfections. At Home Select, we help our clients in the 20th with heightened vigilance, because the gaps between good and bad addresses are the widest in all of Paris.

Our recommendation: Jourdain for those who want the best quality of life in the 20th, Gambetta for families seeking calm, Belleville for the bold who are betting on potential. And in all cases, do not sign anything without having walked through the neighbourhood at 10pm on a Friday evening.

To discover the neighbouring communes, read our guide to Les Lilas and Montreuil. Our guide to Montmartre and the 18th offers a counterpoint on the other hill. And for first-time buyers, our first-time buyer’s guide to Paris is an essential companion.