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After over a century of rural exodus, and even if recent signs of a rural recovery prevail, extensive regions characterized by low population density and distance from larger cities appear to be excluded from this recovery. Maintaining population in these fragile systems is an important issue for development politics. Aveyron and Lozère, two adjacent departments south of the Massif central and within the European diagonal void, are a favourable region for study. We aimed to gain a better understanding of the factors that contribute to local development. We developed a measure of population and socio-economic growth on the micro-local scale,and a comparative analysis of roughly 500 communities revealed the local comparative advantages of the communities and their special interaction. This approach enabled us to identify and classify the major geographical factors. Differences in rural dynamics can largely be accounted for by communities' relative geographical location and notably by their proximity to small towns. In some of those that are farthest from towns, the economic exploitation of local resources through agro-tourism is producing pockets of growth.