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Living in Essen

The unemployment rate was 10.8% in 2024. For Essen, monthly precipitation was 85 mm in January and 86 mm in July. The population of Essen, in Germany, was 596,710 at the end of 2025. The city covered 210.3 km² in 2026. Population density was 2,732.2 people per km² in 2024.

Higher unemployment than any other German city that publishes it and dirtier air than 68% of German cities that publish it.

Which Germany-wide rules apply when you move to Essen?

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 GermanyNational rates and thresholds that apply in Essen.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

A city-level estimate placed average net cold rent at €9.93 per m² per month in May 2026.

How much does it cost to rent in Essen?

Average net cold rent is 9.93 EUR/m² per month (May 2026), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

  • Average net rent (nettokalt): 9.93 EUR/m²/month · wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Essen33
What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Essen recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€289
Utilities, 85 m² flat€220
Transport pass€80
Internet, 60 Mbps€37
Mobile plan, 10 GB€34
Fitness club€19

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Net rent across major citiesEssen highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Essen highlighted

net rent, € / m² / month

Hamburg€9.94
Stuttgart€9.72
Augsburg€9.10
Mannheim€9.09
Dortmund€6.00
Halle (Saale)€5.99
Show the other 6 cities
Berlin€7.71
Dresden€7.20
Braunschweig€6.79
Bielefeld€6.72
Duisburg€6.66
Leipzig€6.27
MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly19.28 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v232Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited37.32 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v232Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly288.6 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v232Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant10.95 EUR31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v232Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB34.09 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in Essen. Jun 2026. Prices in Essen31Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass79.61 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v232Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home220.4 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v232Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
G02 Vacancy Rate Pct3.94 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder27Official
Dwellings316,150 dwellings31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder27Official
Housing Vacancy Rate Percent3.94 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder27Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)9.93 EUR/m²/month1 May 2026wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Essen33Commercial estimate · Supplemental context

Cost of living

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat were about €1,215 in the latest published figures. From a median gross salary of €4,400, that leaves €3,185 before income tax and social contributions.

Where a Essen salary goesfixed monthly costs, share of the €1,215 basket · median gross salary €4,400/month
€3,185left of €4,400
  • Net rent, 85 m² · 69%€844
  • Utilities, 85 m² · 18%€220
  • Transport pass · 7%€80
  • Internet and mobile · 6%€71

One person, 85 m² flat; the ring splits the €1,215 fixed basket before income tax and social contributions, latest published figures (checked 2026-08-04).

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 596 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 9.93 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: May 2026

Is rent affordable on a local salary?

A 60 m² flat at the published average rent is about 596 EUR a month, which is 14% of the published median gross salary of 4,400 (2024). Gross, not take-home, and before heating and operating charges.

Source period: May 2026

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Essen?

The median gross salary is 4,400 EUR/month (2024). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table.

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions. the regional series (home-region basis, {period}) is a separate labelled row in the table — shown in the table below.

  • Median gross salary: 4,400 EUR/month · Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit26
  • Median gross salary (regional): 4,200 EUR/month · 2026-07-29 · BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 20243

What is the unemployment rate in Essen?

The unemployment rate is 10.8 % (2024). Source: Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average2

Unemployment across cities in GermanyUnemployment in Essen is 10.8%. Of 3,107 cities with data, 1,343 have unemployment of 4 to under 6%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Germany per band822 cities: 2% to under 4%8222–41343 cities: 4% to under 6%13434–6668 cities: 6% to under 8%6686–8242 cities: 8% to under 10%2428–1026 cities: 10% to under 12%2610–12Essen 10.8%4 cities: 12% to under 14%412–142 cities: 14% to under 16%214–16

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fibre-to-the-building availability45.41 %31 Dec 2025data.bundesnetzagentur.de8Official
Gigabit broadband availability85.82 %31 Dec 2025Bundesnetzagentur / BMDV — Breitbandatlas7Official
People in employment263,660 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder28Official
Median gross salary4,400 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit26Official
Median gross salary (regional)4,200 EUR/month31 Dec 2024BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 20243Official · regional context
Unemployment rate10.8 %country median 5.1%31 Dec 2024Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average2Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Essen. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Public employment service

Bundesagentur für Arbeit

Job Search
Search jobs
Open the Germany service overview

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

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital Beds Per 100k709.2 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2024Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Bundesklinik-Atlas)6Official

Yes — migrants receive medical care in Essen through valid health insurance.

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
Hospital Beds Per 100k709.2 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-08-03
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Essen?

Police recorded 9,619 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte21

Recorded crime across major citiesEssen highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Essen highlighted15,424Bremen14,600Frankfurt am Main13,900Berlin13,192Hanover12,343Cologne12,283Dortmund12,172Dusseldorf11,129Leipzig9,619Essen8,853Dresden8,552Stuttgart7,079Nurembergrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents9,619 incidents per 100,000country median 9,39831 Dec 2024PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte21Official
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residentsAlternative estimate8,610 incidents per 100,0002022All recorded crimes per 100,000 residents in the BBSR/PKS Kreis indicator.1Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · district-level figure
Safety City Crime Reporting Coverage12 months/year31 Dec 2025BKA PKS T01 Staedte-Falltabelle5Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport147 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat19Official
Nearest airportDUS13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv20Official
Distance to nearest airport23.7 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv20Official

Language courses and integration in Essen

46 exact course-location records are linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally
46verified local records
Check courses in EssenHow the country programme works
Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-09. Showing 3 representative locations from 46 verified records. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were 3°C in January and 18.8°C in July. Annual PM2.5 was 8.86 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Essen?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.9 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: 8.86 µg/m³ · Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.18
Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Essen average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND24°1°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Essen average monthly precipitation, mm0255075100856766526779869274777994JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Essen average monthly sunshine, hours05511016522055731261732051982081931501106145JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Essen annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5258.9PM2.5154016.1PM10104021.8NO₂µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in GermanyAnnual PM2.5 in Essen is 8.9 µg/m³. Of 475 cities with data, 163 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Germany per band1 city: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³13–410 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³104–54 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³45–645 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³456–7109 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³1097–8163 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³1638–9Essen 8.9101 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³1019–1032 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³3210–115 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³511–122 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³212–133 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³313–14

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean21.82 µg/m³country median 13.62024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.18Official
NO₂ — latest reading18.67 µg/m³15 Jul 2026Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.18Official
PM10 — annual mean16.09 µg/m³country median 13.52024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.18Official
PM2.5 — annual mean8.86 µg/m³country median 8.02024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.18Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 5.1 · Feb 6.1 · Mar 10 · Apr 14.5 · May 18.2 · Jun 21.1 · Jul 23.5 · Aug 23 · Sep 19 · Oct 14.2 · Nov 9.1 · Dec 5.7 °C1991–2020DWD CLIMAT global multi-annual daily maximum/minimum normals 1991-202010Official
Average night-time low by monthJan 0.6 · Feb 0.8 · Mar 3.1 · Apr 5.9 · May 9.2 · Jun 12 · Jul 14.3 · Aug 14.2 · Sep 11.3 · Oct 7.9 · Nov 4.3 · Dec 1.6 °C1991–2020DWD CLIMAT global multi-annual daily maximum/minimum normals 1991-202011Official
Average temperature by monthJan 3 · Feb 3.5 · Mar 6.5 · Apr 10.3 · May 13.9 · Jun 16.7 · Jul 18.8 · Aug 18.5 · Sep 14.9 · Oct 10.9 · Nov 6.7 · Dec 3.7 °C31 Dec 1991DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (temperature)15Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 85 · Feb 67 · Mar 66 · Apr 52 · May 67 · Jun 79 · Jul 86 · Aug 92 · Sep 74 · Oct 77 · Nov 79 · Dec 94 mm31 Dec 1991DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (precipitation)13Official
Average sunshine by monthJan 55 · Feb 73 · Mar 126 · Apr 173 · May 205 · Jun 198 · Jul 208 · Aug 193 · Sep 150 · Oct 110 · Nov 61 · Dec 45 hours31 Dec 1991DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (sunshine)14Official
Annual mean temperature9.8 °C31 Dec 2020DWD Climate Data Center — Klimanormal 1991-2020, Jahresmittel Lufttemperatur 2m (1×1 km Raster)12Official · land
Annual PM2.5 over time9 published observations, 2014–2024
Annual PM2.5 in Essen by year, µg/m³8.311.013.816.6201420172019202220248.9µg/m³

Annual PM2.5 fell 44.6% between 2014 and 2024, from 16.0 to 8.9.

Alternatives with a better balance

same official-source families, comparable grain — left of gross salary after the same fixed costs
Essen€3,185this cityStuttgart€3,924+€739Mannheim€3,431+€246Dortmund€3,273+€89Bochum€3,234+€49Bonn€3,155−€29

Nearby is not always better: the greyed row leaves less than Essen at the same fixed-cost basket. Every alternative publishes the same metric families, each with its own source and date.

Cities of a similar size in Germany

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Germany cities
Stuttgart605,663 residentsBremen586,603 residentsDortmund612,165 residentsDresden571,510 residentsLeipzig633,592 residentsHanover558,767 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Essen?

The published population was 596,710 people in 2025. Source: Stadt Essen Statistik23

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Essen residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport83.6%Foreign residents16.4%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents503 cars/1000 residents1 Jan 2026Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — FZ 3 vehicle stock by municipality16Official
City area210.3 km²31 May 2026Stadt Essen Geographie22Official
Foreign residents97,691 people15 May 2022Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities30Official
Population density2,732 people/km²31 Dec 2024Official municipality population divided by official municipality area from the same Destatis row.17Official
Population Female293,860 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder30Official
Population Male277,179 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder30Official
Population596,710 people31 Dec 2025Stadt Essen Statistik23Official
Safety City Crime Covered Population574,682 people31 Dec 2025BKA PKS Bevölkerungsdaten (04-KR-BV-insg, Quelle Statistisches Bundesamt)4Official
Population over time14 published observations, 2012–2025
Population in Essen by year, residents563,435575,348587,262599,175201220182025596,710residents

Population rose 5.4% between 2012 and 2025, from 565,900 to 596,710.

Foreign residents over time8 published observations, 2016–2023
Foreign residents in Essen by year, residents77,64889,047100,445111,8442016201820202023109,486residents

Foreign residents rose 36.8% between 2016 and 2023, from 80,006 to 109,486.

People and communities

MetricValuePeriodSource
Catholic residents176,983 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
Catholic share31 %31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
No religion or other272,895 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
No religion or other, share47.8 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis)9Official
Protestant residents121,163 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
Protestant share21.2 %31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official

International community in Essen

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

Country of birth

Persons · 2022-05-15

Published groupPeopleShare
Total571,039100.0%
Germany443,54077.7%
Poland19,1273.3%
Turkey12,7512.2%
Syrian Arab Republic12,3282.2%
Iraq6,1081.1%
Russian Federation5,0490.9%
Ukraine4,3300.8%
Afghanistan4,0510.7%
Romania3,8150.7%
Iran, Islamic Republic of3,3910.6%
Show 157 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Kazakhstan3,0380.5%
Morocco2,6300.5%
Lebanon2,5020.4%
China2,3610.4%
Italy2,1940.4%
Bulgaria2,1290.4%
Greece2,1000.4%
Serbia2,0240.4%
India1,9780.3%
Bosnia and Herzegovina1,8770.3%
Kosovo1,8630.3%
Croatia1,7280.3%
Spain1,3960.2%
Nigeria1,2500.2%
Ghana1,2370.2%
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of1,1210.2%
Not stated1,1060.2%
Sri Lanka9500.2%
Austria8870.2%
Netherlands8050.1%
Viet Nam7890.1%
Tunisia7670.1%
France7380.1%
Albania7110.1%
Czech Republic6980.1%
United Kingdom6700.1%
Cameroon6400.1%
Hungary5800.1%
United States5710.1%
Korea, Republic of5620.1%
Brazil5430.1%
Moldova, Republic of5120.1%
Egypt4930.1%
Pakistan4740.1%
Thailand4580.1%
Portugal4540.1%
Philippines4110.1%
Slovenia3960.1%
Georgia3850.1%
Bangladesh3720.1%
Lithuania3650.1%
Guinea2990.1%
Azerbaijan2980.1%
Jordan2980.1%
Latvia2880.1%
Switzerland2870.1%
Algeria2840.0%
Belgium2820.0%
Uzbekistan2780.0%
Libya2560.0%
Togo2480.0%
Kyrgyzstan2460.0%
Congo, the Democratic Republic of the2340.0%
Eritrea2260.0%
Armenia2200.0%
Belarus2150.0%
Indonesia1910.0%
Dominican Republic1900.0%
Slovakia1880.0%
Colombia1840.0%
Somalia1810.0%
Sweden1780.0%
Saudi Arabia1710.0%
Mexico1580.0%
Nepal1470.0%
Israel1430.0%
Japan1410.0%
Kenya1360.0%
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of1330.0%
Argentina1300.0%
Montenegro1280.0%
Cuba1280.0%
Tajikistan1260.0%
Palestinian territories1180.0%
Ecuador1170.0%
Canada1170.0%
Peru1170.0%
United Arab Emirates1110.0%
Angola1020.0%
South Africa1010.0%
Taiwan, Province of China980.0%
Denmark900.0%
Australia890.0%
Gambia870.0%
Ireland860.0%
Chile840.0%
Sierra Leone790.0%
Ethiopia770.0%
Chad770.0%
Finland750.0%
Kuwait740.0%
Yemen640.0%
Congo630.0%
Malaysia600.0%
Senegal580.0%
Mongolia560.0%
Côte D'Ivoire530.0%
Bolivia, Plurinational State of530.0%
Honduras530.0%
Luxembourg500.0%
Estonia480.0%
Madagascar480.0%
Zimbabwe430.0%
Cyprus410.0%
Paraguay410.0%
Norway400.0%
Tanzania, United Republic of340.0%
Lao People'S Democratic Republic340.0%
Liberia330.0%
Rwanda300.0%
Uganda280.0%
Jamaica270.0%
Singapore270.0%
Turkmenistan250.0%
Benin230.0%
Sudan220.0%
Guatemala220.0%
Malta210.0%
Namibia210.0%
El Salvador210.0%
Niger200.0%
Mauritius190.0%
Zambia190.0%
Burkina Faso180.0%
Korea, Democratic People'S Republic of180.0%
Mali170.0%
Cambodia160.0%
New Zealand160.0%
Uruguay150.0%
Oman130.0%
Qatar120.0%
Mauritania110.0%
Costa Rica110.0%
Haiti110.0%
Mozambique100.0%
Burundi100.0%
Panama100.0%
Suriname100.0%
Myanmar90.0%
Iceland70.0%
Botswana60.0%
Gabon60.0%
Guinea-Bissau50.0%
Nicaragua50.0%
Trinidad and Tobago50.0%
Bahamas40.0%
Papua New Guinea40.0%
Cape Verde30.0%
Malawi30.0%
South Sudan30.0%
Dominica30.0%
Bahrain30.0%
Bhutan30.0%
Timor-Leste30.0%
Fiji30.0%
Palau30.0%
Tonga30.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source25

Citizenship

Persons · 2022-05-15

Published groupPeopleShare
Total571,039100.0%
Germany473,34882.9%
Syrian Arab Republic13,7212.4%
Turkey13,0692.3%
Poland6,1161.1%
Iraq5,1520.9%
Romania4,2010.7%
Ukraine3,7530.7%
Afghanistan2,8380.5%
Croatia2,7280.5%
Italy2,7200.5%
Show 149 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Greece2,6220.5%
Bulgaria2,3320.4%
Serbia2,1960.4%
China2,1220.4%
Iran, Islamic Republic of1,9080.3%
Spain1,8630.3%
India1,7360.3%
Kosovo1,7000.3%
Russian Federation1,5930.3%
Lebanon1,4280.3%
Nigeria1,3580.2%
Morocco1,3540.2%
Uncertain1,2380.2%
Netherlands1,2270.2%
Bosnia and Herzegovina1,1090.2%
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of1,0610.2%
Ghana8420.1%
Austria6480.1%
Albania5460.1%
Viet Nam5220.1%
Portugal5210.1%
France5140.1%
Hungary5060.1%
Sri Lanka5060.1%
Tunisia4910.1%
Korea, Republic of4660.1%
Stateless4430.1%
Cameroon4170.1%
United States4110.1%
Egypt3990.1%
United Kingdom3680.1%
Pakistan3610.1%
Bangladesh3600.1%
Thailand3160.1%
Guinea3120.1%
Azerbaijan3030.1%
Brazil3010.1%
Sweden2830.0%
Lithuania2800.0%
Belgium2710.0%
Kazakhstan2610.0%
Georgia2580.0%
Eritrea2570.0%
Latvia2330.0%
Somalia2040.0%
Libya2010.0%
Jordan1890.0%
Slovenia1790.0%
Congo, the Democratic Republic of the1780.0%
Armenia1730.0%
Togo1530.0%
Algeria1460.0%
Czech Republic1450.0%
Philippines1410.0%
Nepal1350.0%
Slovakia1340.0%
Japan1320.0%
Montenegro1230.0%
Belarus1200.0%
Indonesia1200.0%
Switzerland1150.0%
Canada1080.0%
Mexico1020.0%
Moldova, Republic of1000.0%
Israel980.0%
Ireland940.0%
Colombia930.0%
Uzbekistan910.0%
Tajikistan780.0%
Angola760.0%
Gambia730.0%
Finland720.0%
Denmark690.0%
Kenya640.0%
Dominican Republic620.0%
Taiwan, Province of China600.0%
Cuba580.0%
Malaysia570.0%
Australia550.0%
Congo520.0%
Mongolia490.0%
Sierra Leone480.0%
Peru450.0%
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of450.0%
Ethiopia430.0%
Madagascar400.0%
Honduras400.0%
Estonia360.0%
Chile350.0%
Kyrgyzstan350.0%
Ecuador340.0%
Norway330.0%
Côte D'Ivoire330.0%
Cyprus300.0%
Luxembourg290.0%
Zimbabwe290.0%
Argentina270.0%
Yemen260.0%
South Africa240.0%
Senegal230.0%
Tanzania, United Republic of220.0%
Not stated210.0%
El Salvador200.0%
Jamaica190.0%
Uganda170.0%
Palestinian territories160.0%
Benin140.0%
Mauritius140.0%
Rwanda140.0%
Turkmenistan140.0%
Singapore140.0%
Zambia130.0%
Mali120.0%
Myanmar120.0%
Liberia110.0%
Mozambique110.0%
Bolivia, Plurinational State of110.0%
Paraguay110.0%
Saudi Arabia100.0%
Guinea-Bissau80.0%
Namibia80.0%
Guatemala80.0%
Lao People'S Democratic Republic80.0%
Niger70.0%
Kuwait70.0%
Iceland60.0%
Sudan60.0%
New Zealand60.0%
Mauritania50.0%
Burkina Faso50.0%
Panama50.0%
Saint Kitts and Nevis50.0%
Malta40.0%
Chad40.0%
Dominica40.0%
Costa Rica40.0%
Oman40.0%
Botswana30.0%
Cape Verde30.0%
Malawi30.0%
South Sudan30.0%
Burundi30.0%
Bahamas30.0%
Uruguay30.0%
Trinidad and Tobago30.0%
China (Hong Kong)30.0%
Bahrain30.0%
Korea, Democratic People'S Republic of30.0%
Fiji30.0%

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

Is Essen 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 44–60%
Skilled employee56%strong on work, weak on education · range 48–64%
Student53%strong on cost, weak on education · range 44–62%
Family41%strong on family, weak on education · range 33–49%
Retirement45%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 36–54%
Foreign residents97,691 people15 May 2022Official source · Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities
Population596,710 people31 Dec 2025Official source · Stadt Essen Statistik
NO₂ — latest reading18.67 µg/m³15 Jul 2026Official source · Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.
Average net rent (nettokalt)9.93 EUR/m²/month1 May 2026Commercial source · wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Essen
Dwellings316,150 dwellings31 Dec 2022Official source · Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder
Fibre-to-the-building availability45.41 %31 Dec 2025Official source · data.bundesnetzagentur.de
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-05

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Owner-occupied homes26.05 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder27Official
Labour Supply Count287,680 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder28Official
Local business-tax multiplier480 %31 Dec 2022www.statistikportal.de29Official
Local property-tax multiplier670 %31 Dec 2022www.statistikportal.de29Official

How does Essen compare?

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Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

Is Essen expensive?

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat — net rent, utilities, a transport pass, internet and mobile — came to about €1,215 against a median gross salary of €4,400 (figures), leaving about €3,185 before income tax. Sources: the rent, recurring-cost and salary series published on this page, each with its own source and date.

How many people live in Essen?

The published population was 596,710 people in 2025. Source: Stadt Essen Statistik.

How much does it cost to rent in Essen?

Average net cold rent is 9.93 EUR/m² per month (May 2026), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 695 EUR a month before utilities. Source: wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Essen.

Is the air quality good in Essen?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.9 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted..

How safe is Essen?

Police recorded 9,619 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte.

What is the typical salary in Essen?

The median gross salary is 4,400 EUR/month (2024). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit.

What is the unemployment rate in Essen?

The unemployment rate is 10.8 % (2024). Source: Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average.

Is Essen a good place to live?

Essen 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.

How many people born in Total live in Essen?

The official country of birth distribution records 571,039 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2022-05-15. 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 14). Essen, Germany: cost of living, rent and salaries [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/essen/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_essen-germany-cost-of-living-rent-and-salaries_ba02ef97606a,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Essen, Germany: cost of living, rent and salaries},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  snapshot = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/essen/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Essen, Germany: cost of living, rent and salaries](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/essen/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

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. All recorded crimes per 100,000 residents in the BBSR/PKS Kreis indicator. inkar.de · checked 2026-07-16
  2. Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average Arbeitslosenquoten · statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-07-26
  3. BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 2024 BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich · statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-07-29
  4. BKA PKS Bevölkerungsdaten (04-KR-BV-insg, Quelle Statistisches Bundesamt) bka.de · checked 2026-09-05
  5. BKA PKS T01 Staedte-Falltabelle polizei.de · checked 2026-09-05
  6. Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Bundesklinik-Atlas) bundes-klinik-atlas.de · checked 2026-08-03
  7. Bundesnetzagentur / BMDV — Breitbandatlas Bundesnetzagentur / BMDV · gigabitgrundbuch.bund.de · checked 2026-07-14
  8. data.bundesnetzagentur.de data.bundesnetzagentur.de · checked 2026-08-08
  9. Destatis destatis.de · checked 2026-08-08
  10. DWD CLIMAT global multi-annual daily maximum/minimum normals 1991-2020 opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
Show 23 more sources
  1. DWD CLIMAT global multi-annual daily maximum/minimum normals 1991-2020 opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
  2. DWD Climate Data Center — Klimanormal 1991-2020, Jahresmittel Lufttemperatur 2m (1×1 km Raster) DWD Climate Data Center · opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-06-05
  3. DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (precipitation) opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
  4. DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (sunshine) opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
  5. DWD multi-annual station means 1991-2020 (temperature) opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-07-26
  6. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — FZ 3 vehicle stock by municipality Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt · kba.de · checked 2026-07-14
  7. Official municipality population divided by official municipality area from the same Destatis row. destatis.de · checked 2024-12-31
  8. Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted. umweltbundesamt.de · checked 2026-07-15
  9. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  10. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  11. PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte bka.de · checked 2026-07-16
  12. Stadt Essen Geographie essen.de · checked 2026-07-14
  13. Stadt Essen Statistik media.essen.de · checked 2026-07-14
  14. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany citizenship distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  15. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany country_of_birth distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  16. Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-08-04
  17. Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder destatis.de · checked 2026-08-07
  18. Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder destatis.de · checked 2026-08-07
  19. www.statistikportal.de statistikportal.de · checked 2026-08-08
  20. Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities Zensus 2022 regional tables · destatis.de · checked 2026-07-26
  21. Cost of Living in Essen. Jun 2026. Prices in Essen numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
  22. Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
  23. wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Essen wohnungsboerse.net · checked 2026-06-04

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