The whole center part of France is like that. Just old people, half of the houses abandoned, no families, not always too run down because it's mostly stone hous

The whole center part of France is like that. Just old people, half of the houses abandoned, no families, not always too run down because it's mostly stone houses that do not break down so fast. On my last visit I met an old (maybe 85?) Lady who told me that when she was young there were 2 shops in the town. Now there was about 30 inhabitants and all above 60, apart from the castle that was owned by some rich foreign family who came a few days a year. There is just no economic activity there, the only thing you have is services in the larger towns so that all the smaller towns around can get a doctor, some supermarket, oil station etc. The land is not flat so not ideal for agriculture, you're far away from everything so not great for a factory of any kind (plus not enough working age population anyways). They used to have a thriving cheap wine production 100 years ago before the grapes died and everyone left. Good news is you can get houses nearly for free.