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Living in Zelzate

In Zelzate, the median rent tenants pay is €800 a month (2025).

The city covered 13.8 km² in 2025. Population density was 998.3 people per km² in 2026. Annual NO₂ was 11.7 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Its population was 13,745 at the start of 2026.

Last checked 2026-09-2435 sources

Population13,745people1 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 rent800EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50
Unemployment rate5.78%country median 5.3% — 8% aboveIndependent source · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011
Recorded crime9,022offences per 100,000country median 5,167 — 75% aboveIndependent source · Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 2025
PM2.5, annual mean8.48µg/m³country median 7.4 — 15% aboveOfficial source · Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31

More recorded crime than 93% of Belgian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 80% of Belgian cities that publish it.

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

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

Housing and cost

What recurs every month3 published recurring costs, € per month
Zelzate 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 Go14Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB49.99 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Proximus Mobile Maxi15Official · national market
Monthly transport pass62 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Omnipas - subscriptions - De Lijn12Official
Dwellings5,577 dwellings1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units20Official
Main residence dwellings5,547 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics — Statistics Belgium)18Official
Median monthly rent800 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP501Official

Is Zelzate 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 worker60%strong on work, weak on safety · range 52–68%
Skilled employee61%strong on work, weak on education · range 52–70%
Student41%strong on cost, weak on education · range 31–51%
Family46%strong on housing, weak on education · range 37–55%
Retirement53%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 43–63%

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 5.78% at the start of 2011.

What is the unemployment rate in Zelzate?

The unemployment rate is about 5.8 % (January 2011).

  • Unemployment rate: 5.78 % · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 201130
Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Zelzate is 5.8%. 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 2000-202216Official · regional context
Gigabit broadband availability98.03 %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 2000-202217Official · regional context
Unemployment rate5.78 %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 Zelzate?

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€1,515of €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− €800
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€1,515
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Zelzate Salary needed to live in Zelzate

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Zelzate. 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

Le Forem — Public employment service

Le Forem Walloon public employment and training service

Job SearchRegistration

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

Safety

How safe is Zelzate?

Police recorded about 9,022 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: 9,022 offences per 100,000 · Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202525
Recorded crime across major citiesZelzate highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Zelzate 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
Zelzate9,022
Namur8,912
Brugge8,780
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents9,022 offences per 100,000country median 5,16731 Dec 2025Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202525Independent

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Nearest airportGNE3 Aug 2026OurAirports13Official
Distance to nearest airport20 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports13Official

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 8.48 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Is the air quality good in Zelzate?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.5 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: 8.48 µg/m³ · Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-3111
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 Zelzate is 8.5 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 mean11.74 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..2024-12-319Official
PM10 — annual mean15.1 µg/m³country median 13.131 Dec 2024Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 13019; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-3110Official
PM2.5 — annual mean8.48 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..2024-12-3111Official
Monthly extreme high temperatureJan 13.65 · Feb 17.38 · Mar 20.89 · Apr 26.05 · May 28.53 · Jun 31.21 · Jul 36.43 · Aug 33.35 · Sep 31.18 · Oct 24.82 · Nov 19.2 · Dec 14.76 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center5Official
Monthly extreme low temperatureJan -10.83 · Feb -12.18 · Mar -7.1 · Apr -4.17 · May 0.6 · Jun 4.7 · Jul 8.03 · Aug 7.22 · Sep 3.77 · Oct -2.95 · Nov -4.32 · Dec -10.11 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center5Official
Average temperature by monthJan 2.91 · Feb 3.41 · Mar 5.99 · Apr 9.57 · May 13.14 · Jun 16.32 · Jul 18.17 · Aug 17.82 · Sep 14.93 · Oct 11.22 · Nov 6.97 · Dec 3.69 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center5Official
Annual PM2.5 over time11 published observations, 2014–2024

Annual PM2.5 fell 43.5% between 2014 and 2024, from 15.0 to 8.5.

Population and city profile

How many people live in Zelzate?

The published population was 13,745 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 area13.77 km²1 Jan 2025Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2.6Official
Foreign-resident share16.47 %31 Dec 2025Statbel (Statistics Belgium)19Official
Foreign residents2,294 people1 Jan 2026Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row.7Official
Population density998.3 people/km²1 Jan 2026Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column.8Official
Population13,745 people1 Jan 2026Belgium official denominator source2Official

International community in Zelzate

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 population13,124100.0%
Born in Belgium10,72081.7%
Born in another EU member state1,2119.2%
Born in a non-EU country1,1929.1%
Not indicated10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source24

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 population13,124100.0%
Belgian nationality11,39286.8%
Foreign nationality: other EU member state1,2599.6%
Foreign nationality: non-EU country4693.6%
Stateless20.0%
Not indicated20.0%

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

Ancestry or ethnicity

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

Published groupPeopleShare
Total Belgian with foreign origin2,50819.1%
Total population13,124100.0%
Total population — born in Belgium10,72081.7%
Belgian of Belgian origin — total8,88467.7%
Belgian of Belgian origin — born in Belgium8,76166.8%
Total population — born outside Belgium2,40418.3%
Non-Belgian — total1,73213.2%
Total Belgian with foreign origin — born in Belgium1,69512.9%
Non-Belgian — born outside Belgium1,46811.2%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — total1,31310.0%
Total Belgian with foreign origin — born outside Belgium8136.2%
Show 10 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born outside Belgium7876.0%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — total7615.8%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born in Belgium7385.6%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born in Belgium5264.0%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — total4343.3%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born in Belgium4313.3%
Non-Belgian — born in Belgium2642.0%
Belgian of Belgian origin — born outside Belgium1230.9%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born outside Belgium230.2%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born outside Belgium30.0%

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

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents born abroad18.31 %1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by birthplace21Official
Median age42 years31 Dec 2026Population by place of residence, nationality, marital status, age and sex — 1 January 202619Official

Alternatives for people set on Zelzate

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.

Lochristi as a Zelzate alternative in the same region

11 km away, better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

  • Unemployment: 2.9% Lochristi vs 5.8% Zelzate−51%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 4,512 Lochristi vs 9,022 Zelzate−50%
  • Residents: 30,982 Lochristi vs 13,745 Zelzate+125%
  • Foreign residents: 5.1% Lochristi vs 16.5% Zelzate−69%
  • Nearest airport: 11.0 km Lochristi vs 20.0 km Zelzate−45%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,711 Lochristi vs €3,711 Zelzatesame level

Cities near Zelzate

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

Ghent Commuting Zone · 14.9 km away
Rent
700 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
Assenede 6.0 km away
Rent
885 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
Lochristi 11.4 km away
Rent
930 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
Evergem 12.4 km away
Rent
950 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
Kaprijke 15.1 km away
Rent
892.5 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Alternative cities in Belgium

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

All Belgium cities

How does Zelzate compare?

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

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

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

Is Zelzate part of Ghent?

Zelzate is in the published commuting zone of Ghent; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub. Ghent 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 Zelzate?

The published population was 13,745 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source.

Is the air quality good in Zelzate?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.5 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 Zelzate?

Police recorded about 9,022 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 Zelzate?

The unemployment rate is about 5.8 % (January 2011). Source: Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011.

What is the typical salary around Zelzate?

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 Zelzate?

2,294 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row..

Is Zelzate a good place to live?

Zelzate 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 Zelzate part of Ghent?

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

Which cities are near Zelzate?

Ghent, Ertvelde, Assenede, Axel, Terneuzen are near Zelzate. 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 Zelzate?

The official country of birth distribution records 10,720 people (81.7%) 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). Zelzate, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 00c991ee761dbf4b38b194fe5907cf02]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/zelzate/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_zelzate-belgium-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_e2b9b7f97ea6,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Zelzate, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {00c991ee761dbf4b38b194fe5907cf02},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/zelzate/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Zelzate, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/zelzate/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 00c991ee761dbf4b38b194fe5907cf02; 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. 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
  5. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2025-01-01
  7. Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
  8. Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
  9. 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
  10. 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
Show 25 more sources
  1. 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
  2. Omnipas - subscriptions - De Lijn delijn.be · checked 2026-09-19
  3. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Proximus Internet Go proximus.be · checked 2026-09-15
  5. Proximus Mobile Maxi proximus.be · checked 2026-09-15
  6. Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022 bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-09-23
  7. Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022 bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-09-23
  8. Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics — Statistics Belgium) Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics · statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-07
  9. Statbel (Statistics Belgium) statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-03
  10. Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
  11. Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by birthplace statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
  12. Statbel, Belgian statistical office statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-30
  13. Statbel, Belgian statistical office ancestry or ethnicity statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-29
  14. Statbel, Belgian statistical office country of birth statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-29
  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 — Q12437 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  22. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q12901 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  23. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q12997 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  24. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q14062 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  25. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q735827 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.