Living in Waterloo
In Waterloo, the median rent tenants pay is €1,400 a month (2025).
Waterloo had 30,386 residents at the start of 2026 and is a city in Belgium. At the start of 2026, the foreign population was 5,522. Gigabit broadband availability was 99.7% in June 2025.
Higher unemployment than 69% of Belgian cities that publish it and more recorded crime than 70% of Belgian cities that publish it.
Which Belgium-wide rules apply when you move to Waterloo?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 59.99 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Proximus Internet Go13Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 49.99 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Proximus Mobile Maxi14Official · national market |
| G05 Main Residential Dwellings | 12,233 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics — Statistics Belgium)17Official |
| Median monthly rent | 1,400 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP501Official |
Is Waterloo 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.
Work and income
The unemployment rate was 7.85% at the start of 2011.
What is the unemployment rate in Waterloo?
The unemployment rate is about 7.9 % (January 2011).
- Unemployment rate: 7.85 % · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 201129
Waterloo 7.9%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average gross earnings | 3,794 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-202215Official · regional context |
| Gigabit broadband availability | 99.71 % | Jun 2025 | 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.3Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 3,540 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-202216Official · regional context |
| Unemployment rate | 7.85 %country median 5.3% | 1 Jan 2011 | Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 201129Independent |
What does a salary buy in Waterloo?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentInternetMobileLeft 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. | €2,412 |
| Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50 · 2025-12-31 | − €1,400 |
| 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 | €902 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Waterloo. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Actiris — Public employment service
Le Forem — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Waterloo. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Safety
How safe is Waterloo?
Police recorded about 6,394 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: 6,394 offences per 100,000 · Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202523
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 6,394 offences per 100,000country median 5,167 | 31 Dec 2025 | Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202523Independent |
Mobility and administration
Climate and air quality
Annual PM2.5 was 6.77 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Annual NO₂ was 9.98 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.
Is the air quality good in Waterloo?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.8 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: 6.77 µg/m³ · Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-3110
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
hours
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Waterloo 6.8
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 9.98 µg/m³country median 9.0 | 31 Dec 2024 | Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 11055; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-318Official |
| PM10 — annual mean | 12.18 µg/m³country median 13.1 | 31 Dec 2024 | Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 13019; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-319Official |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 6.77 µg/m³country median 7.4 | 31 Dec 2024 | Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-3110Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 6.1 · Feb 7.1 · Mar 10.9 · Apr 15 · May 18.4 · Jun 21.2 · Jul 23.2 · Aug 23 · Sep 19.5 · Oct 14.9 · Nov 9.9 · Dec 6.6 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station UCCLE_06447.csv22Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 1.4 · Feb 1.5 · Mar 3.5 · Apr 6 · May 9.2 · Jun 12 · Jul 14.1 · Aug 13.9 · Sep 11.3 · Oct 8.1 · Nov 4.6 · Dec 2.1 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station UCCLE_06447.csv22Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 3.7 · Feb 4.2 · Mar 7.1 · Apr 10.4 · May 13.9 · Jun 16.7 · Jul 18.7 · Aug 18.4 · Sep 15.2 · Oct 11.3 · Nov 7.2 · Dec 4.3 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station UCCLE_06447.csv22Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 75.5 · Feb 65.1 · Mar 59.3 · Apr 46.7 · May 59.7 · Jun 70.8 · Jul 76.9 · Aug 86.5 · Sep 65.3 · Oct 67.8 · Nov 76.2 · Dec 87.4 mm | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station UCCLE_06447.csv22Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 59.1 · Feb 72.9 · Mar 125.8 · Apr 171.3 · May 198.3 · Jun 199.3 · Jul 203.2 · Aug 192.4 · Sep 154.5 · Oct 112.6 · Nov 65.8 · Dec 48.6 hours | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station UCCLE_06447.csv22Official · nearest-station reading |
Annual PM2.5 fell 60.2% between 2014 and 2024, from 17.0 to 6.8.
Population and city profile
The city covered 21.3 km² in 2025. Population density was 1,424.9 people per km² in 2026.
How many people live in Waterloo?
The published population was 30,386 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source2
By nationality
National passport81.8%Foreign residents18.2%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 21.32 km² | 1 Jan 2025 | Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2.5Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 18.6 % | 31 Dec 2025 | Statbel (Statistics Belgium)18Official |
| Foreign residents | 5,522 people | 1 Jan 2026 | Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row.6Official |
| Population density | 1,425 people/km² | 1 Jan 2026 | Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column.7Official |
| Population | 30,386 people | 1 Jan 2026 | Belgium official denominator source2Official |
International community in Waterloo
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 group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 30,379 | 100.0% |
| Born in Belgium | 22,561 | 74.3% |
| Born in a non-EU country | 4,166 | 13.7% |
| Born in another EU member state | 3,644 | 12.0% |
| Not indicated | 8 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source21
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 group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 30,379 | 100.0% |
| Belgian nationality | 24,919 | 82.0% |
| Foreign nationality: other EU member state | 3,968 | 13.1% |
| Foreign nationality: non-EU country | 1,475 | 4.9% |
| Not indicated | 17 | 0.1% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source19
Ancestry or ethnicity
All persons in the Statbel 2021-01-01 municipal origin publication · 2021-01-01
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total Belgian with foreign origin | 7,668 | 25.2% |
| Total population | 30,379 | 100.0% |
| Total population — born in Belgium | 22,561 | 74.3% |
| Belgian of Belgian origin — total | 17,251 | 56.8% |
| Belgian of Belgian origin — born in Belgium | 16,441 | 54.1% |
| Total population — born outside Belgium | 7,818 | 25.7% |
| Non-Belgian — total | 5,460 | 18.0% |
| Total Belgian with foreign origin — born in Belgium | 5,193 | 17.1% |
| Non-Belgian — born outside Belgium | 4,533 | 14.9% |
| Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — total | 3,470 | 11.4% |
| Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — total | 3,116 | 10.3% |
Show 10 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born in Belgium | 2,926 | 9.6% |
| Total Belgian with foreign origin — born outside Belgium | 2,475 | 8.1% |
| Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born outside Belgium | 2,242 | 7.4% |
| Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born in Belgium | 1,228 | 4.0% |
| Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — total | 1,082 | 3.6% |
| Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born in Belgium | 1,039 | 3.4% |
| Non-Belgian — born in Belgium | 927 | 3.1% |
| Belgian of Belgian origin — born outside Belgium | 810 | 2.7% |
| Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born outside Belgium | 190 | 0.6% |
| Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born outside Belgium | 43 | 0.1% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source20
Alternatives for people set on Waterloo
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.
Beersel as a Waterloo alternative in the same region
7 km away, better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Unemployment: 3.8% Beersel vs 7.9% Waterloo−51%
- Foreign residents: 13.0% Beersel vs 18.6% Waterloo−30%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 5,286 (2024) Beersel vs 6,394 (2025) Waterloono percentage
- Median gross pay, region: €3,711 Beersel vs €3,540 Waterloo+5%
- Annual PM2.5: 7.3 µg/m³ Beersel vs 6.8 µg/m³ Waterloo+7%
- Residents: 26,800 Beersel vs 30,386 Waterloo−12%
- Nearest airport: 20.0 km Beersel vs 22.0 km Waterloo−9%
Cities near Waterloo
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 1,250 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
- Rent
- 1,250 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
- Rent
- 1,100 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
- Rent
- 1,460 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
Alternative cities in Belgium
Other cities in Belgium to compare with Waterloo, nearest in population first.
How does Waterloo compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Waterloo's.
Waterloo in rankings
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Waterloo 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 guideSchool 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; Waterloo's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Is Waterloo part of Mechelen?
Waterloo 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. Source4
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Waterloo?
The published population was 30,386 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source.
Is the air quality good in Waterloo?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.8 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 Waterloo?
Police recorded about 6,394 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 Waterloo?
The unemployment rate is about 7.9 % (January 2011). Source: Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011.
What is the typical salary around Waterloo?
The median gross salary is 3,540 EUR/month. Source: Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022.
How many foreign residents live in Waterloo?
5,522 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row..
Is Waterloo a good place to live?
Waterloo 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 Waterloo part of Mechelen?
Waterloo is in the published commuting zone of Mechelen; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub.
Which cities are near Waterloo?
Sint-Genesius-Rode, Alsemberg, Dworp, Ohain, La Hulpe are near Waterloo. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people born in Born in another EU member state live in Waterloo?
The official country of birth distribution records 3,644 people (12.0%) 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, September 29). Waterloo, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 4a339fb1059f7b9c16a22e0e519a36ae]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/waterloo/ Retrieved 2026-09-29. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_waterloo-belgium-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_b1d6a6aa96fe,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Waterloo, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-09-29},
version = {4a339fb1059f7b9c16a22e0e519a36ae},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/waterloo/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-09-29. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Waterloo, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/waterloo/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 4a339fb1059f7b9c16a22e0e519a36ae; retrieved 2026-09-29; built 2026-09-29.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
- Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50 opendata.fin.belgium.be · checked 2026-09-23
- Belgium official denominator source statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-14
- 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
- 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
- Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2025-01-01
- Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
- Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
- 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
- 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
- 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 23 more sources
- 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
- 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 (Directorate-general Statistics — Statistics Belgium) Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics · statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-07
- Statbel (Statistics Belgium) statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-03
- Statbel, Belgian statistical office statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-30
- Statbel, Belgian statistical office ancestry_or_ethnicity statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-29
- Statbel, Belgian statistical office country_of_birth statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-29
- WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station UCCLE_06447.csv WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
- Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 2025 Belgian Federal Police · police.be · checked 2026-07-26
- 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 — Q179034 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q670407 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q678158 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q692168 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.