Living in Houthalen

The unemployment rate was 7.32% at the start of 2011. Annual PM2.5 was 9 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Last checked 2026-10-0723 sources

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

Median rent875EUR/month31 Dec 2025Municipality figureOfficial source · Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50

Unemployment rate7.32%1 Jan 2011Municipality figureIndependent source · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011

Recorded crime6,431incidents per 100,000country median 5,167 — 24% aboveOfficial source · Tableau des statistiques de faits criminels par commune, 2025

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

Higher unemployment than 64% of Belgian cities that publish it, more recorded crime than 72% 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 Houthalen?

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 Houthalen.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 Go⁹Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	49.99 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Proximus Mobile Maxi¹⁰Official · national market
Median monthly rent	875 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50¹Official · parent municipality

Is Houthalen 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 worker52%strong on work, weak on safety · range 38–66%

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

Student35%strong on cost, weak on education · range 22–48%

Family43%strong on family, weak on education · range 32–54%

Retirement50%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 37–63%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Houthalen?

The unemployment rate is about 7.3 % (January 2011).

Unemployment rate: 7.32 % · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011¹⁸

Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Houthalen is 7.3%. 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

Houthalen 7.3%

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 2000-2022¹¹Official · regional context
Median gross salary (regional)	3,711 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022¹²Official · regional context
Unemployment rate	7.32 %	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 Houthalen?

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

Left over each month€1,502of €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	− €875
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	€1,502

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

Public employment service

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

Safety

How safe is Houthalen?

Police recorded about 6,431 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, 2025¹³

Recorded crime across major citiesHouthalen 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	6,431 incidents per 100,000country median 5,167	31 Dec 2025	Tableau des statistiques de faits criminels par commune, 2025¹³Official

Mobility and administration

Houthalen's nearest airport was LGG, 44 km away and offered 7 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	7 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights⁷Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	44 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁸Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	LGG	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁸Official

Climate and air quality

Houthalen's monthly mean temperatures were 3.3°C in January and 19.1°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 67.8 mm in January and 72.7 mm in July.

Is the air quality good in Houthalen?

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.

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

0°

6°0°

8°0°

12°2°

16°4°

20°8°

23°11°

25°13°

24°13°

21°10°

16°7°

10°3°

7°1°

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

PM2.59WHO 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 Houthalen 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

Houthalen 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
Average daytime high by month	Jan 6.3 · Feb 7.5 · Mar 11.6 · Apr 16.3 · May 20 · Jun 22.8 · Jul 24.9 · Aug 24.5 · Sep 20.7 · Oct 15.6 · Nov 10.2 · Dec 6.6 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO³Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan 0.3 · Feb 0.1 · Mar 1.7 · Apr 4 · May 8.2 · Jun 11.2 · Jul 13.3 · Aug 12.6 · Sep 9.6 · Oct 6.6 · Nov 3.4 · Dec 1.1 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO⁴Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan 3.3 · Feb 3.8 · Mar 6.6 · Apr 10.2 · May 14.1 · Jun 17 · Jul 19.1 · Aug 18.5 · Sep 15.1 · Oct 11.1 · Nov 6.8 · Dec 3.9 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 67.8 · Feb 64.1 · Mar 56 · Apr 45.6 · May 57.7 · Jun 72.7 · Jul 72.7 · Aug 80.5 · Sep 60.3 · Oct 61.5 · Nov 71.1 · Dec 85.3 mm	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO⁶Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In Belgium: Leuven ±0.8 °C. Elsewhere: Reims (France) ±0.3 °C, Werl (Germany) ±0.6 °C, Cologne (Germany) ±0.2 °C, Bergisch Gladbach (Germany) ±0.2 °C, Bruehl (Germany) ±0.2 °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.

Alternatives for people set on Houthalen

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.

Hechtel as a Houthalen alternative in the same region

10 km away, better on 2 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Unemployment: 4.4% Hechtel vs 7.3% Houthalen−40%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 5,853 Hechtel vs 6,431 Houthalen−9%
Median gross pay, region: €3,711 Hechtel vs €3,711 Houthalensame level
Annual PM2.5: 9.0 µg/m³ Hechtel vs 9.0 µg/m³ Houthalensame level

Full comparison More about Hechtel

Forest as a Houthalen 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 Houthalen+17%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 13,100 (2024) Forest vs 6,431 (2025) Houthalenno percentage
Annual PM2.5: 7.0 µg/m³ Forest vs 9.0 µg/m³ Houthalen−22%

Full comparison More about Forest

Cities near Houthalen

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

Zonhoven 5.1 km away

Rent: 925 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Heusden-Zolder 6.6 km away

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

Beringen 10.9 km away

Rent: 840 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Genk 11.6 km away

Rent: 800 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Hechtel-Eksel 12.3 km away

Rent: 800 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

How does Houthalen compare?

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

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

Put Houthalen'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.

Is the air quality good in Houthalen?

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 Houthalen?

What is the unemployment rate in Houthalen?

The unemployment rate is about 7.3 % (January 2011). Source: Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011.

What is the typical salary around Houthalen?

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

Is Houthalen a good place to live?

Houthalen 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 Houthalen?

Helchteren, Zonhoven, Heusden, Heusden-Zolder, Hechtel are near Houthalen. 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). Houthalen, Belgium: rent, salary, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 91d2ca90409d3494f030059a98a3b33b]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/houthalen/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_houthalen-belgium-rent-salary-cost-of-living-jobs_e2efe3f6225b,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Houthalen, Belgium: rent, salary, cost of living, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {91d2ca90409d3494f030059a98a3b33b},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/houthalen/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Houthalen, Belgium: rent, salary, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/houthalen/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 91d2ca90409d3494f030059a98a3b33b; 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
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
Proximus Internet Go proximus.be · checked 2026-09-15
Proximus Mobile Maxi proximus.be · checked 2026-09-15

Show 13 more sources

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
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
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 — Q133769 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q189692 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q242407 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q319792 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q819164 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05

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