Living in Heist

The city faced an unemployment rate of 5.4% at the start of 2011. At the end of 2024, annual PM2.5 reached 9 µg/m³.

Last checked 2026-10-0722 sources

Population12,973people1 Jan 2025Official source · Population by statistical sector 2025

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

Median rent1,050EUR/month31 Dec 2025Municipality figureOfficial source · Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50

Unemployment rate5.4%1 Jan 2011Municipality figureIndependent source · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011

Recorded crime9,199incidents per 100,000country median 5,167 — 78% aboveOfficial source · Tableau des statistiques de faits criminels par commune, 2025

PM2.5, annual mean9µg/m³31 Dec 2024Nearest stationOfficial source · European Environment Agency (EEA)

More recorded crime than 94% of Belgian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 97% of Belgian cities that publish it.

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

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 Heist.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 Go⁸Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	49.99 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Proximus Mobile Maxi⁹Official · national market
Median monthly rent	1,050 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50¹Official · parent municipality

Is Heist 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 worker51%strong on work, weak on safety · range 37–65%

Skilled employee56%strong on work, weak on education · range 44–68%

Student33%strong on cost, weak on education · range 20–46%

Family37%strong on family, weak on education · range 26–48%

Retirement30%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 17–43%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Heist?

The unemployment rate is 5.4 % (January 2011). Source: Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011¹⁸

Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Heist is 5.4%. 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

Heist 5.4%

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 2000-2022¹⁰Official · regional context
Median gross salary (regional)	3,711 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022¹¹Official · regional context
Unemployment rate	5.4 %	1 Jan 2011	Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011¹⁸Independent · parent municipality

What does a salary buy in Heist?

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

Left over each month€1,327of €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	− €1,050
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	€1,327

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

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Heist. 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 Heist. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Safety

How safe is Heist?

Police recorded about 9,199 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, 2025¹²

Recorded crime across major citiesHeist 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	9,199 incidents per 100,000country median 5,167	31 Dec 2025	Tableau des statistiques de faits criminels par commune, 2025¹²Official

Mobility and administration

Heist's nearest airport was OST, 30 km away and offered 1 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	1 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights⁵Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	30 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁶Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	OST	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁶Official

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were 5.5°C in January and 17.6°C in July. Heist's monthly precipitation totalled 58.9 mm in January and 72.4 mm in July.

Is the air quality good in Heist?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency (EEA)²

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

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

PM2.59WHO 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 Heist is 9.0 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

Heist 9.0

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	9 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	European Environment Agency (EEA)²Official · nearest-station reading
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 12.74 · Feb 13 · Mar 15.84 · Apr 20.2 · May 21.25 · Jun 24.78 · Jul 30.52 · Aug 28.27 · Sep 24.88 · Oct 21.73 · Nov 16.98 · Dec 13.64 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center³Official · parent municipality
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan -2.71 · Feb -4.02 · Mar -4.16 · Apr 1.04 · May 5.76 · Jun 9.23 · Jul 12.91 · Aug 13.7 · Sep 9.85 · Oct 5.21 · Nov 0.67 · Dec -2.7 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center³Official · parent municipality
Average temperature by month	Jan 5.48 · Feb 5.14 · Mar 6.41 · Apr 9.13 · May 12.22 · Jun 15.24 · Jul 17.59 · Aug 18.18 · Sep 16.41 · Oct 13.36 · Nov 9.72 · Dec 6.72 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center³Official · parent municipality
Average precipitation by month	Jan 58.9 · Feb 52.8 · Mar 44.6 · Apr 35 · May 49.4 · Jun 62 · Jul 72.4 · Aug 81.8 · Sep 73.6 · Oct 73.8 · Nov 78.9 · Dec 75.7 mm	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO⁴Official · parent municipality

Population and city profile

How many people live in Heist?

The published population was 12,973 people in January 2025. Source: Population by statistical sector 2025⁷

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Population	12,973 people	1 Jan 2025	Population by statistical sector 2025⁷Official

Alternatives for people set on Heist

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.

Varsenare as a Heist alternative in the same region

18 km away, better on 2 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Recorded crime, per 100k: 3,201 Varsenare vs 9,199 Heist−65%
Unemployment: 2.9% Varsenare vs 5.4% Heist−47%
Residents: 5,592 Varsenare vs 12,973 Heist−57%
Median gross pay, region: €3,711 Varsenare vs €3,711 Heistsame level
Annual PM2.5: 9.0 µg/m³ Varsenare vs 9.0 µg/m³ Heistsame level

Full comparison More about Varsenare

Forest as a Heist alternative in the same country

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

Median gross pay, region: €4,340 Forest vs €3,711 Heist+17%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 13,100 (2024) Forest vs 9,199 (2025) Heistno percentage
Annual PM2.5: 7.0 µg/m³ Forest vs 9.0 µg/m³ Heist−22%

Full comparison More about Forest

Cities near Heist

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

Knokke-Heist 3.5 km away

Rent: 1,050 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Blankenberge 7.9 km away

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

Damme 10.2 km away

Rent: 875 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Alternative cities in Belgium

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

All Belgium cities

Malmedy12,973 residents Aywaille12,999 residents Olen12,945 residents Herk-de-Stad12,927 residents Kortemark13,084 residents Hechtel-Eksel13,089 residents

How does Heist compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Heist 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; Heist's school authority applies it locally.

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

Put Heist'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 Heist?

The published population was 12,973 people in January 2025. Source: Population by statistical sector 2025.

Is the air quality good in Heist?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency (EEA).

How safe is Heist?

What is the unemployment rate in Heist?

The unemployment rate is 5.4 % (January 2011). Source: Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011.

What is the typical salary around Heist?

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

Is Heist a good place to live?

Heist 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.

Which cities are near Heist?

Knokke, Knokke-Heist, Uitkerke, Blankenberge, Damme are near Heist. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

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). Heist, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version f131455abb97dfedf73b8cc1fc5e6e9d]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/heist/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_heist-belgium-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_42430ad9a735,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Heist, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {f131455abb97dfedf73b8cc1fc5e6e9d},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/heist/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Heist, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/heist/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version f131455abb97dfedf73b8cc1fc5e6e9d; 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
European Environment Agency (EEA) air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-06
NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
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
Population by statistical sector 2025 services9.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-24
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

Show 12 more sources

Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022 bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-09-23
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
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011 Statbel be.STAT · bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-26
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q12988 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q323408 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q328104 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q492351 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05

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