Living in Geraardsbergen

In Geraardsbergen, the median rent tenants pay is €790 a month (2025).

Geraardsbergen's population was 35,236 at the end of 2025. Geraardsbergen had a foreign population of 2,682 at the end of 2025. Annual PM2.5 levels for Geraardsbergen stood at 3 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Last checked 2026-10-0728 sources

Population35,236people31 Dec 2025Official source · Statbel (Belgian statistical office)

Median gross salary (region)3,711EUR/month31 Dec 2022Official source · Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022

Median rent790EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50

Unemployment rate4.58%country median 5.3% — 14% belowOfficial source · bestat.statbel.fgov.be

Recorded crime7,668incidents per 100,000country median 5,167 — 48% aboveOfficial source · Tableau des statistiques de faits criminels par commune, 2025

PM2.5, annual mean3µg/m³country median 7.4 — 59% belowOfficial source · IRCEL/CELINE (Belgian Interregional Environment Agency)

More recorded crime than 85% of Belgian cities that publish it and cleaner air than any other Belgian city that publishes it.

Which Belgium-wide rules apply when you move to Geraardsbergen?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in BelgiumNational rates and thresholds that apply in Geraardsbergen.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€60

Mobile plan, 10 GB€50

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	59.99 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Proximus Internet Go¹²Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	49.99 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Proximus Mobile Maxi¹³Official · national market
Median monthly rent	790 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50¹Official

Is Geraardsbergen a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker63%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–71%

Skilled employee62%strong on work, weak on education · range 53–71%

Student42%strong on cost, weak on education · range 32–52%

Family50%strong on family, weak on education · range 41–59%

Retirement62%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 52–72%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Geraardsbergen?

The unemployment rate is about 4.6 % (2011).

Unemployment rate: 4.58 % · bestat.statbel.fgov.be²

Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Geraardsbergen is 4.6%. Of 509 cities with data, 160 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

160

123

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1212–1414–1616–1818–2020–2222–2424–26

Geraardsbergen 4.6%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average gross earnings	4,028 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022¹⁴Official · regional context
Median gross salary (regional)	3,711 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022¹⁵Official · regional context
Unemployment rate	4.58 %country median 5.3%	31 Dec 2011	bestat.statbel.fgov.be²Official

What does a salary buy in Geraardsbergen?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€1,587of €2,487 take-home

Rent
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions.	€2,487
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50 · 2025-12-31	− €790
Internet€60 · official · Proximus Internet Go · 2026-09-30	− €60
Mobile plan€50 · official · Proximus Mobile Maxi · 2026-09-30	− €50
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities	—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish	€1,587

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Geraardsbergen Salary needed to live in Geraardsbergen

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Geraardsbergen. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Actiris — Public employment service

Actiris Brussels public employment service

Job Search

Search jobs

Le Forem — Public employment service

Le Forem Walloon public employment and training service

Job SearchRegistration

Open the Belgium service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Geraardsbergen. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Safety

How safe is Geraardsbergen?

Police recorded about 7,668 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Tableau des statistiques de faits criminels par commune, 2025¹⁹

Recorded crime across major citiesGeraardsbergen highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Brussels24,104

Liège17,918

Ixelles14,236

Charleroi14,026

Leuven12,730

Ghent12,110

Anderlecht11,116

Schaerbeek10,141

Molenbeek-Saint-Jean10,075

Hasselt9,031

Namur8,912

Brugge8,780

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	7,668 incidents per 100,000country median 5,167	31 Dec 2025	Tableau des statistiques de faits criminels par commune, 2025¹⁹Official

Mobility and administration

Geraardsbergen's nearest airport was BRU, 45 km away and offered 146 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	146 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights⁹Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	45 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁰Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	BRU	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁰Official

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperature moved from 4°C in January to 18.7°C in July. Geraardsbergen's monthly precipitation totalled 67.8 mm in January and 72.4 mm in July.

Is the air quality good in Geraardsbergen?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 3 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline. Source: IRCEL/CELINE (Belgian Interregional Environment Agency)⁴

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

7°1°

8°1°

11°3°

15°5°

19°9°

21°12°

24°14°

20°11°

15°8°

10°5°

7°2°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.53WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in BelgiumAnnual PM2.5 in Geraardsbergen is 3.0 µg/m³. Of 442 cities with data, 142 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.

142

2–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–10

Geraardsbergen 3.0

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	3 µg/m³country median 7.4	31 Dec 2024	IRCEL/CELINE (Belgian Interregional Environment Agency)⁴Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 6.6 · Feb 7.6 · Mar 11.1 · Apr 15.2 · May 18.6 · Jun 21.4 · Jul 23.6 · Aug 23.5 · Sep 20 · Oct 15.4 · Nov 10.3 · Dec 7 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan 1.4 · Feb 1.3 · Mar 3.1 · Apr 5.3 · May 9 · Jun 11.9 · Jul 13.9 · Aug 13.5 · Sep 10.7 · Oct 7.8 · Nov 4.6 · Dec 2.1 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO⁶Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan 4 · Feb 4.4 · Mar 7.1 · Apr 10.2 · May 13.8 · Jun 16.7 · Jul 18.7 · Aug 18.5 · Sep 15.4 · Oct 11.6 · Nov 7.5 · Dec 4.6 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO⁷Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 67.8 · Feb 55.5 · Mar 53.1 · Apr 43.5 · May 55.3 · Jun 69.9 · Jul 72.4 · Aug 79.8 · Sep 67 · Oct 67.7 · Nov 78.6 · Dec 83.9 mm	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO⁸Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In Belgium: Antwerp ±0.2 °C. Elsewhere: Werl (Germany) ±0.7 °C, Reims (France) ±0.8 °C, Lille (France) ±0.3 °C, Saanich (Canada) ±0.9 °C, Dusseldorf (Germany) ±0.4 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

How many people live in Geraardsbergen?

The published population was 35,236 people in 2025. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office)¹⁶

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport92.4%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Foreign-resident share	7.61 %	31 Dec 2025	Statbel (Statistics Belgium)¹⁷Official
Foreign residents	2,682 people	31 Dec 2025	Statbel (Statistics Belgium)¹⁷Official
Population	35,236 people	31 Dec 2025	Statbel (Belgian statistical office)¹⁶Official

Alternatives for people set on Geraardsbergen

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Jette as a Geraardsbergen alternative in the same region

31 km away, better on 2 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

Foreign residents: 26.8% Jette vs 7.6% Geraardsbergen+252%
Median gross pay, region: €4,340 Jette vs €3,711 Geraardsbergen+17%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 7,221 Jette vs 7,668 Geraardsbergenno percentage

Full comparison More about Jette

Genk as a Geraardsbergen alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 114 km, better on 1 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

Foreign residents: 13.3% Genk vs 7.6% Geraardsbergen+74%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 7,894 Genk vs 7,668 Geraardsbergenno percentage
Median gross pay, region: €3,711 Genk vs €3,711 Geraardsbergensame level

Full comparison More about Genk

Cities near Geraardsbergen

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Lierde 5.7 km away

Rent: 860 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Lessines 9.4 km away

Rent: 750 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Ninove 9.7 km away

Rent: 809.5 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Brakel 10.3 km away

Rent: 750 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Zottegem 11.5 km away

Rent: 750 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Herzele 11.6 km away

Rent: 820 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Alternative cities in Belgium

Other cities in Belgium to compare with Geraardsbergen, nearest in population first.

All Belgium cities

Heusden-Zolder35,032 residents Lommel35,451 residents Ieper35,587 residents Schoten34,849 residents Auderghem35,659 residents Pelt34,698 residents

How does Geraardsbergen compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Geraardsbergen's.

Open the full comparison

Geraardsbergen in rankings

#2 of 30 in Cities with cleanest air in Belgium #20 of 30 in Cities with the lowest annual PM2.5 #23 of 30 in Cities meeting the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Geraardsbergen when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 18. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: OKAN/OKATN (onthaalonderwijs, reception education for foreign-mother-tongue newcomers). How to enrol a child (belgium.be).

A country-wide rule for Belgium; Geraardsbergen's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.

Is Geraardsbergen part of Mechelen?

Geraardsbergen is in the published commuting zone of Mechelen; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub. Mechelen city profile

Relationship type: Commuting Zone Of. Source³

Which comparable places record less crime than Geraardsbergen?

11 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Geraardsbergen in this strictly source-matched cohort.

Geraardsbergen: 7,668.3 offences/100k (2025).

Sint-Genesius-Rode — 4,208.6 offences/100k2025 Kapellen — 4,346.6 offences/100k2025 Hove — 4,625.9 offences/100k2025 Zoutleeuw — 4,734.2 offences/100k2025 Hamme — 4,971.6 offences/100k2025 Herk-de-Stad — 5,028.2 offences/100k2025 Temse — 5,554.7 offences/100k2025 Oudenaarde — 6,960.2 offences/100k2025

Only the same source family, offence definition, period, grain and denominator method are compared. This is recorded crime, not a claim about personal safety. Official source¹⁸

Put Geraardsbergen's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Geraardsbergen?

The published population was 35,236 people in 2025. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office).

Is the air quality good in Geraardsbergen?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 3 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline. Source: IRCEL/CELINE (Belgian Interregional Environment Agency).

How safe is Geraardsbergen?

What is the unemployment rate in Geraardsbergen?

The unemployment rate is about 4.6 % (2011). Source: bestat.statbel.fgov.be.

What is the typical salary around Geraardsbergen?

The median gross salary is 3,711 EUR/month. Source: Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022.

How many foreign residents live in Geraardsbergen?

2,682 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Statbel (Statistics Belgium).

Is Geraardsbergen a good place to live?

Geraardsbergen may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Is Geraardsbergen part of Mechelen?

Geraardsbergen is in the published commuting zone of Mechelen; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub.

Which cities are near Geraardsbergen?

Sint-Maria-Lierde, Lierde, Lessines, Ninove, Brakel are near Geraardsbergen. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

Which comparable places record less crime than Geraardsbergen?

11 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Geraardsbergen in this strictly source-matched cohort. The comparison uses Police fédérale SPC municipal PDF 2025 + Statbel TF_SOC_POP_STRUCT_2025, period 2025, and does not compare across incompatible police definitions.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Geraardsbergen, Belgium: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version a9e0587b515f09635bb62e4cf60ada4c]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/geraardsbergen/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_geraardsbergen-belgium-population-rent-salary-jobs_c54e7b04c63d,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Geraardsbergen, Belgium: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {a9e0587b515f09635bb62e4cf60ada4c},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/geraardsbergen/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Geraardsbergen, Belgium: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/geraardsbergen/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version a9e0587b515f09635bb62e4cf60ada4c; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50 opendata.fin.belgium.be · checked 2026-09-23
bestat.statbel.fgov.be bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-26
GISCO Urban Audit 2021 — Functional Urban Areas (URAU_RG_100K_2021_4326_FUA) GISCO Urban Audit 2021 · gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-19
IRCEL/CELINE (Belgian Interregional Environment Agency) ftp.irceline.be · checked 2026-08-07
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03

Show 18 more sources

police.be recorded crime data police.be · checked 2026-08-28
Proximus Internet Go proximus.be · checked 2026-09-15
Proximus Mobile Maxi proximus.be · checked 2026-09-15
Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022 bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-09-23
Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022 bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-09-23
Statbel (Belgian statistical office) statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-04
Statbel (Statistics Belgium) statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-03
statbel.fgov.be recorded crime data statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-28
Tableau des statistiques de faits criminels par commune, 2025 police.be · checked 2026-10-05
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q226941 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q385026 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q587979 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q648509 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q667790 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q845980 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.