Paris 2nd arrondissement · Passages & Sentier

Real estate in Paris 2nd arrondissement

The smallest arrondissement in Paris, the 2nd concentrates 19th-century covered passages and the energy of the tech Sentier. Between Montorgueil and the Bourse, one of the best value-for-money ratios in central Paris. A rare architectural heritage, a rental market under extreme tension.

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11 128 €Price /sqm Q4 2025
19 847Inhabitants
15 000 €Top 10% (premium)
01

Historic covered passages

From the Vivienne and Panoramas galleries to the tech streets of Sentier, the 2nd perpetuates a unique architectural heritage. Listed as historic monuments, these passages are exceptionally rare heritage assets.

02

Record rental tension

At the crossroads of the tech Sentier and the historic Bourse, the 2nd records very high rental tension. Demand from young professionals and tech profiles structurally exceeds available supply.

03

Liquidité internationale

The 2nd arrondissement of Paris posts an average price of €11,180/sqm at the end of 2025, with annual growth of −3.5%. Average time to sell: 52 days.

Real estate market

Le 2nd en chiffres

An ultra-exclusive market, structurally constrained and sustained by permanent international demand.

11 128 €/sqm
Median price 2025 (DVF)
15 000 €/sqm
Top 10% (premium)
−3,5 %
Evolution 2024 → 2025

Sources : Paris Notaires Services / Base BIEN (prix sqm T4 2025) · DRIHL 2025 (loyer encadré) · DVF DGFIP 2025 (volumes transactions)

Historical evolution

Prix au sqm since 1996

T1 1996 2 470 €
T4 2025 11 580 €
Sur 30 ans ×4,7

Indice Notaires-INSEE — moyenne trimestrielle standardisée appartements anciens · 120 trimestres · 1996-2025.

The 2nd arrondissement posts a median price of €11,128/sqm in 2025 (DVF, DGFIP), ranging from 7,904 to €15,000/sqm across 388 transactions.

With an average price of €11,180/sqm, the 2nd arrondissement has a clearly defined market profile. Buyers find a specific combination of heritage, quality of life and accessibility.

Energy performance

Dwellings DPE
du 2nd arrondissement

8 523 energy diagnostics issued for apartments since July 2021. La classe DPE weighted average s'établit à E.

8 523
DPE issued
since July 2021
E
Average class
weighted average
55 %
Above E
4 688 dwellings (A to D)
20 %
Below E
1 683 dwellings (F-G)
DPE class distribution — apartments ADEME scale : from cold (A) to hot (G)
A0.1 % B0.9 % C18.5 % D35.5 % E25.2 % F10.7 % G9.0 %
← Low consumption High consumption / energy sieve →

Source: ADEME — DPE Dwellings existants (since July 2021) · filtre type_batiment=appartement, code_postal_ban=75002.

Go further — prices by street, by address and by quarter: Paris 2e arrondissement on data.metrorealty.fr.

History

The compendium
of merchant Paris

The smallest arrondissement of Paris by surface, the 2nd is a concentrate of merchant history and urban innovation. Its 19th-century covered passages — Vivienne, Panoramas, Choiseul — are among the finest in Europe, and the Sentier quarter has reinvented itself as France's tech and start-up capital. Living here means inhabiting a city within the city, where mosaic-floored galleries and Haussmannian boulevards meet the creative energy of a new generation of entrepreneurs and chefs.

Bourse de Paris (Palais Brongniart) — Paris 2nd arrondissement
Quality of life

Neighbourhood life
and contemporary tech

Life in the 2nd combines the charm of a human-scale neighbourhood with the buzz of an area in full transformation. Rue Montorgueil, one of Paris's liveliest pedestrian streets, brings together cheesemongers, bakers and fine grocers in a permanent quality market. On weekday evenings, the terraces of the Sentier and the restaurants of rue du Mail create a gentle animation shared between residents and young professionals.

The 2nd enjoys outstanding accessibility (metro lines 3, 4, 8, 9 and RER A within walking distance) and a dense fabric of local services. Its covered passages, classified as historical monuments, offer sheltered walks unique in Paris — a daily luxury that residents come to consider quite ordinary, until a visitor reminds them how exceptional it really is.

Rue Montorgueil — Paris 2nd arrondissement
Did you know?

Trois anecdotes
du 2nd arrondissement

— Anecdote 01

Opened in 1800, the Passage des Panoramas was one of the first places in Paris to be lit by gas in 1816 — a novelty that drew crowds and revolutionised Parisian nightlife, until then ended at sunset by darkened streets.

— Anecdote 02

The Paris Bourse, now repurposed as an events venue, was the stage of a legendary scene in 1882: the crash of the Union Générale ruined thousands of provincial savers within hours — an episode Émile Zola later turned into his novel L'Argent.

— Anecdote 03

The Sentier owes its nickname “Silicon Sentier” to a handful of pioneering start-ups that moved into its converted ateliers in the early 2000s — a transformation that anticipated the Parisian co-working revolution by a full decade.

Our view
The 2nd has a rare gift for combining history and contemporary life without apparent effort. In the galleries Vivienne and Colbert, time stretches at the rhythm of footsteps over old mosaic floors — a journey through Paris that residents take again and again without ever tiring of it. A few alleys away, the Sentier reinvents an idea of the city every morning, with the quiet ambition shared by creators and entrepreneurs of every generation.
— METROREALTY · 22 ans d'expertise à Paris
Cartography

Les quatre
sous-quartiers du 2nd

Each sector of the 2nd has its identity, atmosphere and property typology. Click the map or cards to view their boundaries.

Interactive map Hover a district
Gaillon Vivienne Mail Bonne-Nouvelle
District 01 Heritage

Gaillon

Gaillon, between avenue de l'Opéra and place Gaillon, is the smartest part of the 2nd, with immaculate Haussmann buildings and fine-dining restaurants. Upper-floor apartments, often with running balconies over the wide avenues, appeal to senior executives and to the professions.

District 02 Lively

Vivienne

Vivienne belongs to bibliophiles, collectors and lovers of curiosities: the arcade of the same name, the Richelieu site of the Bibliothèque nationale and the antique dealers of rue de Richelieu give it an atmosphere found nowhere else in Paris. Homes here are scarce, and sought after by cultivated buyers with a taste for permanence.

District 03 Secret

Mail

Mail, around rue du Mail and place des Victoires, is one of the quietest and most beautiful corners of the 2nd — a well-kept secret a few steps from the bustle of the Grands Boulevards. Its eighteenth-century façades, inner courtyards and human-scale buildings make it a favourite with families looking for a genuinely residential setting.

District 04 Luxury

Bonne-Nouvelle

Bonne-Nouvelle comes alive in the evening along the Grands Boulevards, with its cinemas, theatres and restaurants from every corner of the world. The quarter has changed fast since digital companies moved into the neighbouring Sentier, drawing a young international crowd that has renewed the shops and the bistros.

Heritage

Lieux emblématiques

Bourse de Paris

Palais Brongniart 1826, ancien temple de la finance reconverti en lieu événementiel.

Galerie Vivienne

A covered arcade of 1823, with mosaic floors — one of the most elegant in Paris.

Passage des Panoramas

The oldest covered arcade in Paris (1799), given over to stamps and antique maps.

Rue Montorgueil

Rue piétonne historique, marché alimentaire et cafés, héritage des Halles.

Sentier

Ancien quartier textile devenu silicon sentier de la tech française.

Tour Jean-sans-Peur

Vestige médiéval 1409, escalier sculpté, témoin du Paris d'avant Haussmann.

Seller guide

Selling in the 2nd
at the best price

Everything you need to know to sell your property successfully in the 2nd arrondissement.

10 400 — 13 090 €
Fourchette typique au sqm
13 090 €
Haut du marché (Bourse, Montorgueil)
−3,5 %
Annual evolution (Dec 2024 → Dec 2025)

Strengths that boost your property value

  • Passages couverts à proximité immédiate
  • Étage élevé avec ascenseur
  • Métro multilignes
  • Volumes Haussmann préservés
  • Adresse Sentier valorisée par la tech

Frictions to anticipate

  • Copropriété ancienne aux charges élevées
  • RDC commercial côté rue animée
  • Étage bas sans ascenseur
  • Servitudes immeuble inscrit

Best-selling properties

  • Lofts du Sentier
  • Vues sur les passages
  • Pieds-à-terre Montorgueil
  • Plateaux haussmanniens rue de Cléry
7-step checklist

What to prepare before selling in the 2nd

  1. An independent professional valuation: have the value confirmed by an expert who knows the building and the street.
  2. Mandatory diagnostics : DPE, amiante, plomb (immeubles avant 1949), électricité, gaz, mesurage Loi Carrez.
  3. The last 3 sets of AGM minutes for the building: transparency on approved works, service charges and disputes.
  4. The co-ownership rules and an up-to-date schedule of division.
  5. Home staging avant les visites : photos professionnelles, dépersonnalisation, mise en scène.
  6. An exclusive mandate is recommended: faster response, marketing leverage and access to our network of qualified buyers.
  7. Anticipate questions : charges mensuelles, fonds de travaux, projets de copropriété, vétusté ascenseur.
At a glance

Le 2nd
en quelques traits

Buyer profiles, atmosphere and the property types in demand in the 2nd arrondissement.

Ideal for

Affluent first-time buyer Rental investor Young professional

Atmosphere

Dynamic Tech & start-ups Historic covered passages
Market tension: very high

Most sought-after typologies

  • 1-room/2-room Sentier-Bourse
  • Apartment in a covered passage
  • 3-room in the Mail district
Strategies & expertise METROREALTY

Investing in the 2nd
with a trusted partner

Two model strategies suited to central Paris, backed by 22 years of expertise on the ground.

— Professional rental

The Sentier rental play

1-room and 2-room flats let on long-term contracts are in very high demand from tech professionals and consultants. In the Sentier and Montorgueil areas: excellent occupancy rates and stable rents.

Estimated gross yield: ~3.0%
— Primary residence

The smart central buy

The 2nd offers one of the best value-for-money ratios among the central arrondissements. A well-chosen 3-room in the Mail or Vivienne sector provides access to historic Paris at more reasonable prices than the neighbouring arrondissements.

Target budget: €450,000 – €750,000
Our expertise

22 years in the 2nd arrondissement

METROREALTY has been guiding the most demanding transactions for 22 years in the 2nd arrondissement. Our team knows every building, every staircase, every concierge. From negotiating an apartment at Bourse to the sale of commercial premises at Montorgueil, we defend your interests with discretion and expertise.

Our base at 18 rue Molière, 200 metres from the Palais-Royal, gives us unmatched on-the-ground knowledge of the buildings, of the legal particulars — listed buildings, easements, pre-emption rights — and of the international buyers who make this market.

Estimate my property Paris 2nd
Frequently asked questions

Your questions about
le 2nd arrondissement

The median price per sqm in the 2nd arrondissement s'établit à 11 128 €/sqm en 2026 selon les données DVF DGFIP. La fourchette s'étend de 7 904 €/sqm (P10, entrée de gamme) à 15 000 €/sqm (P90, top 10 %), sur 388 transactions appartements enregistrées.

Over the past 12 months, prices changed by −3,5 % (Dec 2024 → Dec 2025). Over 5 years, the change is −9.7%, reflecting the Paris market correction after the 2020 peak. Premium areas (Sentier, Montorgueil) have held up better than average.

The 2nd arrondissement market recorded 388 transactions in 2026 according to DVF DGFIP data. This volume reflects an active market with a diverse supply for various buyer profiles.

The 2025 DRIHL reference median rent is €29.7/sqm/month. The maximum permitted rent is €35.76/sqm, the minimum €20.86/sqm. The indicative gross yield is around 3,0 %.

The areas around Bourse and Montorgueil, as well as Sentier are the most sought-after in the 2nd arrondissement.

Absolutely. The Sentier concentrates strong demand from young professionals and tech profiles, with very high rental tension. Well-renovated 1-room and 2-room flats let in less than a week and show near-zero vacancy rates.

Selling, buying, investing

Let's talk about your project in the 2nd

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The quarters of the 2nd arrondissement

Montorgueil real estate

The pedestrian street, the strongest demand.

 Sentier real estate

Open floors, high ceilings, lofts.

 Bourse real estate

Haussmann buildings, institutions, volume.

 Place des Victoires

The royal square of 1686, a market of scarcity.

 Covered arcades

Vivienne, Panoramas, Choiseul, Grand-Cerf.