ImmigrationDBVerified immigration data
On this page

Living in Poperinge

In Poperinge, the median rent tenants pay is €675 a month (2025).

Poperinge is a city in Belgium, with a population of 19,890 at the start of 2026. For Poperinge, the unemployment rate was 4.08% at the start of 2011.

Last checked 2026-09-2435 sources

Population19,890people1 Jan 2026Official source · Belgium official denominator source
Median gross salary (region)3,711EUR/month31 Dec 2022Official source · Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022
Median rent675EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50
Unemployment rate4.08%country median 5.3% — 24% belowIndependent source · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011
Recorded crime5,299offences per 100,000country median 5,167 — 3% aboveIndependent source · Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 2025
PM2.5, annual mean7.74µg/m³country median 7.4 — 4% aboveOfficial source · Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31

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

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 Poperinge.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month3 published recurring costs, € per month
Poperinge recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Transport pass€62
Internet, 60 Mbps€60
Mobile plan, 10 GB€50
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited59.99 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Proximus Internet Go13Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB49.99 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Proximus Mobile Maxi14Official · national market
Monthly transport pass62 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Omnipas - subscriptions - De Lijn11Official
Dwellings8,475 dwellings1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units19Official
Main residence dwellings8,463 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics — Statistics Belgium)17Official
Median monthly rent675 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP501Official

Is Poperinge 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 worker61%strong on work, weak on safety · range 53–69%
Skilled employee62%strong on work, weak on education · range 53–71%
Student41%strong on cost, weak on education · range 31–51%
Family51%strong on family, weak on education · range 42–60%
Retirement57%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 47–67%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Poperinge?

The unemployment rate is about 4.1 % (January 2011).

  • Unemployment rate: 4.08 % · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 201130
Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Poperinge is 4.1%. Of 509 cities with data, 160 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Average gross earnings4,028 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-202215Official · regional context
Gigabit broadband availability94.78 %Jun 2025BIPT/IBPT fixed broadband Atlas municipality row: H_rate_1000 is the share of households with access to fixed broadband at a maximum attainable speed of at least 1,000 Mbps; availability, not subscribed plan or measured speed. H_1000 is the covered-household count and total_households is the denominator.3Official
Median gross salary (regional)3,711 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-202216Official · regional context
Unemployment rate4.08 %country median 5.3%1 Jan 2011Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 201130Independent

What does a salary buy in Poperinge?

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

regional median gross pay: €3,711 (Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022, 2022-12-31).
Left over each month€1,640of €2,487 take-home
  • Rent
  • Transport
  • 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− €675
Public transport pass€62 · official · Omnipas - subscriptions - De Lijn · 2026-09-30− €62
Utilities, 85 m²not published for this city—
Internet€60 · official · Proximus Internet Go · 2026-09-30− €60
Mobile plan€50 · official · Proximus Mobile Maxi · 2026-09-30− €50
Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish€1,640
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Poperinge Salary needed to live in Poperinge

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Poperinge. 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
Register Search jobs
Open the Belgium service overview

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

Safety

How safe is Poperinge?

Police recorded about 5,299 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

  • Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 5,299 offences per 100,000 · Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202525
Recorded crime across major citiesPoperinge highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Poperinge highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Brussels24,104
Liège17,918
Charleroi14,026
Leuven12,730
Ghent12,110
Anderlecht11,116
Schaerbeek10,141
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean10,075
Hasselt9,031
Namur8,912
Brugge8,780
Poperinge5,299
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents5,299 offences per 100,000country median 5,16731 Dec 2025Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202525Independent

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Nearest airportKJK3 Aug 2026OurAirports12Official
Distance to nearest airport34 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports12Official

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 7.74 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Annual NO₂ was 7.58 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Is the air quality good in Poperinge?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.7 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

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

  • PM2.5 — annual mean: 7.74 µg/m³ · Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-3110
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

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 Poperinge is 7.7 µg/m³. Of 442 cities with data, 142 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean7.58 µg/m³country median 9.031 Dec 2024Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 11055; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-318Official
PM10 — annual mean13.06 µg/m³country median 13.1 — about the same31 Dec 2024Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 13019; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-319Official
PM2.5 — annual mean7.74 µg/m³country median 7.431 Dec 2024Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-3110Official
Monthly extreme high temperatureJan 13.26 · Feb 15.68 · Mar 19.06 · Apr 23.86 · May 25.74 · Jun 28.52 · Jul 34.4 · Aug 30.96 · Sep 27.21 · Oct 24.43 · Nov 17.99 · Dec 14.15 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center4Official
Monthly extreme low temperatureJan -7.45 · Feb -7.7 · Mar -5.44 · Apr -2.15 · May 3.56 · Jun 6.04 · Jul 9.65 · Aug 10.44 · Sep 5.8 · Oct 0.27 · Nov -2.33 · Dec -5.66 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center4Official
Average temperature by monthJan 4.43 · Feb 4.52 · Mar 6.4 · Apr 9.36 · May 12.54 · Jun 15.5 · Jul 17.59 · Aug 17.71 · Sep 15.44 · Oct 12.23 · Nov 8.35 · Dec 5.31 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center4Official
Annual PM2.5 over time11 published observations, 2014–2024

Annual PM2.5 fell 40.5% between 2014 and 2024, from 13.0 to 7.7.

Population and city profile

The city covered 120.4 km² in 2025. Population density was 165.2 people per km² in 2026.

How many people live in Poperinge?

The published population was 19,890 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source2

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area120.4 km²1 Jan 2025Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2.5Official
Foreign-resident share3.9 %31 Dec 2025Statbel (Statistics Belgium)18Official
Foreign residents789 people1 Jan 2026Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row.6Official
Population density165.2 people/km²1 Jan 2026Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column.7Official
Population19,890 people1 Jan 2026Belgium official denominator source2Official

International community in Poperinge

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

All persons in Statbel Census 2021 municipality rows; the published male and female category rows are summed to total sex · 2021-01-01

Published groupPeopleShare
Total population19,686100.0%
Born in Belgium18,75695.3%
Born in another EU member state5632.9%
Born in a non-EU country3661.9%
Not indicated10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source23

Citizenship

All persons in Statbel Census 2021 municipality rows; the published male and female category rows are summed to total sex · 2021-01-01

Published groupPeopleShare
Total population19,686100.0%
Belgian nationality19,05396.8%
Foreign nationality: other EU member state4192.1%
Foreign nationality: non-EU country1981.0%
Not indicated160.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source21

Ancestry or ethnicity

All persons in the Statbel 2021-01-01 municipal origin publication · 2021-01-01

Published groupPeopleShare
Total Belgian with foreign origin1,2926.6%
Total population19,686100.0%
Total population — born in Belgium18,75695.3%
Belgian of Belgian origin — total17,76190.2%
Belgian of Belgian origin — born in Belgium17,65589.7%
Total Belgian with foreign origin — born in Belgium1,0295.2%
Total population — born outside Belgium9304.7%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — total7513.8%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born in Belgium7213.7%
Non-Belgian — total6333.2%
Non-Belgian — born outside Belgium5612.8%
Show 10 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — total4922.5%
Total Belgian with foreign origin — born outside Belgium2631.3%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born in Belgium2601.3%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born outside Belgium2321.2%
Belgian of Belgian origin — born outside Belgium1060.5%
Non-Belgian — born in Belgium720.4%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — total490.2%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born in Belgium480.2%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born outside Belgium300.2%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born outside Belgium10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source22

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents born abroad4.72 %1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by birthplace20Official
Median age46 years31 Dec 2026Population by place of residence, nationality, marital status, age and sex — 1 January 202618Official

Alternatives for people set on Poperinge

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.

Zonnebeke as a Poperinge alternative in the same region

18 km away, better on 3 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 3,043 Zonnebeke vs 5,299 Poperinge−43%
  • Unemployment: 3.2% Zonnebeke vs 4.1% Poperinge−22%
  • Nearest airport: 17.0 km Zonnebeke vs 34.0 km Poperinge−50%
  • Residents: 12,784 Zonnebeke vs 19,890 Poperinge−36%
  • Annual PM2.5: 8.5 µg/m³ Zonnebeke vs 7.7 µg/m³ Poperinge+10%
  • Foreign residents: 3.6% Zonnebeke vs 3.9% Poperinge−8%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,711 Zonnebeke vs €3,711 Poperingesame level
Full comparisonMore about Zonnebeke

Cities near Poperinge

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

Ieper 10.0 km away
Rent
710 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
Heuvelland 11.7 km away
Rent
750 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
Bailleul France · 13.0 km away
Rent
11.2 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2025-12-31
Zonnebeke 18.1 km away
Rent
770 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
Wormhout France · 18.4 km away
Rent
11.28 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2025-12-31
Nieppe France · 18.6 km away
Rent
11.36 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2025-12-31

Alternative cities in Belgium

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

All Belgium cities
Diepenbeek19,867 residentsRanst19,867 residentsKasterlee19,835 residentsKalmthout19,826 residentsStekene19,955 residentsBoom19,963 residents

How does Poperinge compare?

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

Open the full comparison

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

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

Put Poperinge'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 Poperinge?

The published population was 19,890 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source.

Is the air quality good in Poperinge?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.7 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31.

How safe is Poperinge?

Police recorded about 5,299 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 2025.

What is the unemployment rate in Poperinge?

The unemployment rate is about 4.1 % (January 2011). Source: Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011.

What is the typical salary around Poperinge?

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 Poperinge?

789 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row..

Is Poperinge a good place to live?

Poperinge 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 Poperinge?

Ieper, Heuvelland, Bailleul, Langemark, Langemark-Poelkapelle are near Poperinge. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Born in Belgium live in Poperinge?

The official country of birth distribution records 18,756 people (95.3%) in the source-defined population for 2021-01-01. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

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). Poperinge, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 5b4330d72b6b5fb0ca57f6bae67d4248]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/poperinge/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_poperinge-belgium-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_ca9b548a99a2,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Poperinge, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {5b4330d72b6b5fb0ca57f6bae67d4248},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/poperinge/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Poperinge, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/poperinge/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 5b4330d72b6b5fb0ca57f6bae67d4248; 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
  1. Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50 opendata.fin.belgium.be · checked 2026-09-23
  2. Belgium official denominator source statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-14
  3. BIPT/IBPT fixed broadband Atlas municipality row: H_rate_1000 is the share of households with access to fixed broadband at a maximum attainable speed of at least 1,000 Mbps; availability, not subscribed plan or measured speed. H_1000 is the covered-household count and total_households is the denominator. bipt-data.be · checked 2026-07-15
  4. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  5. Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2025-01-01
  6. Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
  7. Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
  8. Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 11055; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31 ftp.irceline.be · checked 2024-12-31
  9. Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 13019; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31 ftp.irceline.be · checked 2024-12-31
  10. Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31 ftp.irceline.be · checked 2024-12-31
Show 25 more sources
  1. Omnipas - subscriptions - De Lijn delijn.be · checked 2026-09-19
  2. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  3. Proximus Internet Go proximus.be · checked 2026-09-15
  4. Proximus Mobile Maxi proximus.be · checked 2026-09-15
  5. Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022 bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-09-23
  6. Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022 bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-09-23
  7. Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics — Statistics Belgium) Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics · statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-07
  8. Statbel (Statistics Belgium) statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-03
  9. Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
  10. Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by birthplace statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
  11. Statbel, Belgian statistical office statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-30
  12. Statbel, Belgian statistical office ancestry or ethnicity statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-29
  13. Statbel, Belgian statistical office country of birth statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-29
  14. static.data.gouv.fr static.data.gouv.fr · checked 2026-08-27
  15. Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 2025 Belgian Federal Police · police.be · checked 2026-07-26
  16. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  17. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  18. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  19. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  20. 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
  21. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q214154 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  22. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q499588 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  23. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q681803 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  24. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q735865 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  25. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q822755 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.