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Living in Gelsenkirchen

In Gelsenkirchen, the median gross salary is €3,961 a month (2025), rents across existing tenancies average €5.47 per m² a month (2022) and unemployment is 14.8% (2024).

A city-level estimate placed average net cold rent at €7.44 per m² per month in May 2026. The population of Gelsenkirchen, in Germany, was 270,934 in March 2026. Gigabit broadband availability was 93.1% in 2025. Car density was 470 vehicles per 1,000 residents in 2026.

Last checked 2026-09-2445 sources

Population270,934people31 Mar 2026Official source · Gelsenkirchen Bevoelkerung Open Data
Median gross salary3,961EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025
Average net rent5.47EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.81 — 6% belowOfficial source · Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen
Unemployment rate14.8%country median 5.1% — 190% aboveOfficial source · Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average
Recorded crime9,676incidents per 100,000country median 9,397 — 3% aboveOfficial source · PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte
PM2.5, annual mean10.16µg/m³country median 8.0 — 27% aboveOfficial source · Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.

Cheaper rent than 62% of German cities that publish it, higher unemployment than any other German city that publishes it and dirtier air than 96% of German cities that publish it.

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

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 Gelsenkirchen.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

How much does it cost to rent in Gelsenkirchen?

Average net cold rent is 5.47 EUR/m² per month (May 2022), 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): 5.47 EUR/m²/month · Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen34
What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Gelsenkirchen recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Utilities, 85 m² flat€297
Private kindergarten€239
Transport pass€119
Mobile plan, 10 GB€50
Internet, 60 Mbps€28
Fitness club€22

Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Fitness club, Internet, 60 Mbps. The others are published prices.

Net rent across major citiesGelsenkirchen highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Gelsenkirchen highlighted

net rent, € / m² / month

Munich€15.38
Hamburg€9.94
Stuttgart€9.72
Augsburg€9.10
Leipzig€6.27
Dortmund€6.00
Show the other 6 cities
Mannheim€9.09
Berlin€7.71
Dresden€7.20
Brunswick€6.79
Bielefeld€6.72
Duisburg€6.66
MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly22.36 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v244Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited27.68 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v244Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly238.8 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v244Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant9.95 EUR31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v244Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB49.95 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Telekom MagentaMobil M29Official · national market
Monthly transport pass119.2 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr / Vestische Straßenbahnen30Official
Basic utilities, 85 m² home297.2 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v244Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings137,189 dwellings31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder34Official
Housing vacancy rate5.31 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder34Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)5.47 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.8115 May 2022Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen34Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)Alternative estimate7.44 EUR/m²/month1 May 2026wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Gelsenkirchen45Commercial estimate · Supplemental context

Is Gelsenkirchen 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 employee60%strong on work, weak on safety · range 52–68%
Student63%strong on education, weak on safety · range 56–70%
Family50%strong on education, weak on cost · range 43–57%
Retirement47%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 38–56%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 328 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 5.47 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 2022

Is rent affordable on a local salary?

A 60 m² flat at the published average rent is about 328 EUR a month, which is 8% of the published median gross salary of 3,961 (2025). Gross, not take-home, and before heating and operating charges.

Source period: May 2022

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 14.8% in 2024.

What is the typical salary in Gelsenkirchen?

The median gross salary is about 3,961 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table.

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

  • Median gross salary: 3,961 EUR/month · Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.202525
  • Median gross salary (regional): 3,750 EUR/month · 2026-07-29 · BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 20243

What is the unemployment rate in Gelsenkirchen?

The unemployment rate is 14.8 % (2024). Source: Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average2

Unemployment across cities in GermanyUnemployment in Gelsenkirchen is 14.8%. Of 3,080 cities with data, 1,332 have unemployment of 4 to under 6%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fibre-to-the-building availability61.63 %31 Dec 2025data.bundesnetzagentur.de8Official
Gigabit broadband availability93.08 %31 Dec 2025Bundesnetzagentur / BMDV — Breitbandatlas7Official
Public employment offices1 count15 Sept 2026Agentur für Arbeit Gelsenkirchen — official office page1Official
People in employment106,450 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder28Official
Median gross salary3,961 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.202525Official
Median gross salary (regional)3,750 EUR/month31 Dec 2024BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 20243Official · regional context
Unemployment rate14.8 %country median 5.1%31 Dec 2024Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average2Official
Unemployment rate over time11 published observations, 2015–2025

Unemployment rate rose 51.4% between 2015 and 2025, from 10.0% to 15.2%.

What does a salary buy in Gelsenkirchen?

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

Gelsenkirchen median gross pay: €3,961 (Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025, 2025-12-31).
Left over each month€1,640of €2,580 take-home
  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • 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.€2,580
Rent, 60 m²€7.44/m² advertised for new lettings (market price · wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Gelsenkirchen · 2026-05-01). Official average for existing leases: €5.47/m² (official · Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen · 2022-05-15).− €446
Public transport pass€119 · official · Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr / Vestische Straßenbahnen · 2025-12-31− €119
Utilities, 85 m²€297 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31− €297
Internet€28 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31− €28
Mobile plan€50 · official · Telekom MagentaMobil M · 2026-09-30− €50
Left over€1,640
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Gelsenkirchen Salary needed to live in Gelsenkirchen

Public employment offices in Gelsenkirchen

Agentur für Arbeit Gelsenkirchen lists 1 public employment office in Gelsenkirchen (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.

Office count verified

Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Public employment service

Bundesagentur für Arbeit

Job Search
Search jobs
Open the Germany service overview

The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Public language course providers8 count9 Aug 2026Official accepted language-service location records19Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 15, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Länder Sprachförderung (e.g. Sprachlernklassen BW/Berlin; vorklassen); Starting Opportunities Programme. How to enrol a child (kmk.org).

A country-wide rule for Germany; Gelsenkirchen's school authority applies it locally.

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

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents593.6 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2024Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Bundesklinik-Atlas)6Official
Hospitals6 count31 Dec 2024Krankenhausverzeichnis 202417Official

Yes — migrants receive medical care in Gelsenkirchen 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 100,000 residents593.6 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-08-03
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Gelsenkirchen?

Police recorded 9,676 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) - Städte24

Recorded crime across major citiesGelsenkirchen highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Gelsenkirchen highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Bremen15,424
Frankfurt14,600
Berlin13,900
Cologne12,343
Dortmund12,283
Dusseldorf12,172
Leipzig11,129
Gelsenkirchen9,676
Essen9,619
Dresden8,853
Stuttgart8,552
Munich6,214
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents9,676 incidents per 100,000country median 9,39731 Dec 2024PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte24Official
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residentsAlternative estimate8,635 incidents per 100,0002022INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table15Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · district-level figure
Months covered by crime statistics12 months/year31 Dec 2025BKA PKS T01 Staedte-Falltabelle5Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport147 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat22Official
Nearest airportDUS13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv23Official
Distance to nearest airport33.4 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv23Official

Language courses and integration in Gelsenkirchen

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

Verified locally
17verified local records
8publicly funded course providers
Check courses in GelsenkirchenHow the country programme works
Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-09. Showing 3 representative locations from 17 verified records. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Gelsenkirchen

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 10.2 µg/m³ in 2024. Annual NO₂ was 23.2 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Gelsenkirchen?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 10.2 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: 10.16 µg/m³ · Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.21
Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
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 GermanyAnnual PM2.5 in Gelsenkirchen is 10.2 µg/m³. Of 477 cities with data, 164 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean23.16 µg/m³country median 13.72024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.21Official
NO₂ — latest reading14.04 µg/m³15 Jul 2026Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.21Official
PM10 — annual mean16.28 µg/m³country median 13.52024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.21Official
PM2.5 — annual mean10.16 µg/m³country median 8.02024Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted.21Official
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 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Essen-Bredeney31Official · nearest-station reading
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 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Essen-Bredeney31Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 2.9 · Feb 3.4 · Mar 6.4 · Apr 10.2 · May 13.8 · Jun 16.6 · Jul 18.7 · Aug 18.4 · Sep 14.9 · Oct 10.8 · Nov 6.7 · Dec 3.7 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Essen-Bredeney31Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 84.8 · Feb 66.7 · Mar 65.6 · Apr 52.5 · May 67 · Jun 79.1 · Jul 85.6 · Aug 92.2 · Sep 74 · Oct 77.3 · Nov 79.4 · Dec 94 mm1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Essen-Bredeney31Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by monthJan 55.4 · Feb 72.8 · Mar 125.9 · Apr 172.9 · May 204.7 · Jun 197.7 · Jul 208.2 · Aug 193 · Sep 149.7 · Oct 109.7 · Nov 60.6 · Dec 45.1 hours1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Essen-Bredeney31Official · nearest-station reading
Annual mean temperature9.8 °C31 Dec 2020DWD Climate Data Center — Klimanormal 1991-2020, Jahresmittel Lufttemperatur 2m (1×1 km Raster)10Official · land
Annual PM2.5 over time9 published observations, 2014–2024

Annual PM2.5 fell 36.5% between 2014 and 2024, from 16.0 to 10.2.

Similar climate. In Germany: Bremerhaven ±0.7 °C. Elsewhere: Reims (France) ±1.2 °C, Saanich (Canada) ±1.3 °C, Gentofte (Denmark) ±1.3 °C, Lyngby-Taarbæk (Denmark) ±1.3 °C, Rudersdal (Denmark) ±1.3 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

The city covered 104.9 km² in 2024. Population density was 2,553.2 people per km² in 2024.

How many people live in Gelsenkirchen?

The published population was 270,934 people in March 2026. Source: Gelsenkirchen Bevoelkerung Open Data12

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents470 cars/1000 residents1 Jan 2026Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — FZ 3 vehicle stock by municipality16Official
City area104.9 km²31 Dec 2024Gelsenkirchen Feuerwehr Jahresbericht 202413Official
Foreign-resident share24.3 %31 Dec 2024Eurostat11Official
Foreign residents59,574 people15 May 2022Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities33Official
Population density2,553 people/km²31 Dec 2024Official municipality population divided by official municipality area from the same Destatis row.20Official
Female residents133,913 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder33Official
Male residents130,216 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder33Official
Population270,934 people31 Mar 2026Gelsenkirchen Bevoelkerung Open Data12Official
Population covered by crime statistics265,885 people31 Dec 2024BKA PKS Bevölkerungsdaten (04-KR-BV-insg, Quelle Statistisches Bundesamt)4Official
Population over time14 published observations, 2012–2026

Population rose 5.0% between 2012 and 2026, from 257,994 to 270,934.

Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2016–2025

Foreign residents rose 51.0% between 2016 and 2025, from 44,242 to 66,787.

People and communities

MetricValuePeriodSource
Catholic residents71,030 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
Catholic share26.9 %31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
No religion or other134,205 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
No religion or other, share50.8 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis)9Official
Protestant residents58,897 people31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official
Protestant share22.3 %31 Dec 2022Destatis9Official

International community in Gelsenkirchen

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
Total264,130100.0%
Germany196,99374.6%
Turkey15,5935.9%
Poland10,7984.1%
Syrian Arab Republic6,8412.6%
Romania4,5881.7%
Bulgaria3,2071.2%
Serbia1,8240.7%
Bosnia and Herzegovina1,6910.6%
Kazakhstan1,6800.6%
Russian Federation1,6540.6%
Show 133 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Ukraine1,6490.6%
Iraq1,4980.6%
Italy1,4550.6%
Kosovo1,0990.4%
Morocco9070.3%
Lebanon8250.3%
Croatia7070.3%
Spain6830.3%
Afghanistan5870.2%
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of5760.2%
Greece4550.2%
Albania4490.2%
Nigeria4090.2%
Iran, Islamic Republic of3590.1%
Moldova, Republic of3370.1%
Tunisia2970.1%
France2900.1%
Not stated2820.1%
Netherlands2670.1%
Portugal2640.1%
Pakistan2490.1%
Hungary2430.1%
Austria2360.1%
Czech Republic2270.1%
United Kingdom2080.1%
Thailand2050.1%
India1980.1%
China1900.1%
Ghana1760.1%
Brazil1740.1%
Cameroon1650.1%
Viet Nam1650.1%
Egypt1310.0%
Sri Lanka1310.0%
Lithuania1300.0%
Belgium1190.0%
Montenegro1150.0%
Slovenia1130.0%
Libya1130.0%
Kyrgyzstan1120.0%
Azerbaijan1050.0%
United States1010.0%
Philippines1010.0%
Latvia890.0%
Bangladesh890.0%
Eritrea880.0%
Algeria850.0%
Guinea740.0%
Georgia740.0%
Jordan660.0%
Switzerland610.0%
Dominican Republic600.0%
Somalia590.0%
Belarus570.0%
Slovakia560.0%
Korea, Republic of560.0%
Tajikistan530.0%
Uzbekistan520.0%
Saudi Arabia500.0%
Kenya460.0%
Sweden430.0%
Armenia430.0%
Mexico370.0%
Congo350.0%
Argentina350.0%
Australia340.0%
Indonesia330.0%
Denmark320.0%
Colombia310.0%
United Arab Emirates310.0%
Cuba300.0%
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of280.0%
Nepal280.0%
Japan250.0%
Cambodia250.0%
Canada220.0%
Israel220.0%
Ireland210.0%
Turkmenistan210.0%
Congo, the Democratic Republic of the200.0%
Togo200.0%
Côte D'Ivoire190.0%
Chile190.0%
Malaysia190.0%
Peru180.0%
Angola170.0%
Kuwait160.0%
Palestinian territories160.0%
Estonia150.0%
Gambia140.0%
Sudan140.0%
Mali130.0%
Norway120.0%
Cyprus120.0%
South Africa120.0%
Yemen120.0%
Liberia110.0%
Ethiopia100.0%
Benin100.0%
Senegal100.0%
Bolivia, Plurinational State of100.0%
Finland80.0%
Luxembourg80.0%
Tanzania, United Republic of80.0%
Jamaica80.0%
Korea, Democratic People'S Republic of80.0%
Taiwan, Province of China80.0%
Zimbabwe60.0%
Sierra Leone60.0%
Chad60.0%
Uganda60.0%
Mongolia60.0%
El Salvador50.0%
Guatemala50.0%
Myanmar50.0%
Oman50.0%
Madagascar40.0%
Namibia40.0%
South Sudan40.0%
Uruguay40.0%
Iceland30.0%
Botswana30.0%
Cape Verde30.0%
Niger30.0%
Zambia30.0%
Burkina Faso30.0%
Guinea-Bissau30.0%
Rwanda30.0%
Ecuador30.0%
Nicaragua30.0%
Suriname30.0%
Bhutan30.0%
Lao People'S Democratic Republic30.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source27

Citizenship

Persons · 2022-05-15

Published groupPeopleShare
Total264,130100.0%
Germany204,56077.4%
Turkey16,3086.2%
Syrian Arab Republic8,0543.0%
Romania5,9972.3%
Poland3,8021.4%
Bulgaria3,7161.4%
Serbia2,2660.9%
Italy1,6880.6%
Ukraine1,4460.5%
Croatia1,4180.5%
Show 119 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Iraq1,3700.5%
Kosovo1,2680.5%
Bosnia and Herzegovina1,1110.4%
Spain8420.3%
Nigeria6340.2%
Afghanistan5980.2%
Uncertain5530.2%
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of5410.2%
Morocco5210.2%
Greece5020.2%
Lebanon4990.2%
Albania4080.2%
Russian Federation4080.2%
Portugal3640.1%
Netherlands3410.1%
Hungary2680.1%
Iran, Islamic Republic of2410.1%
Ghana1940.1%
Tunisia1830.1%
Austria1810.1%
China1590.1%
Pakistan1580.1%
Cameroon1470.1%
India1430.1%
Thailand1430.1%
Eritrea1210.0%
Kazakhstan1180.0%
France1150.0%
Stateless1120.0%
Lithuania1110.0%
Azerbaijan1060.0%
Montenegro1050.0%
Brazil1000.0%
Libya990.0%
Egypt930.0%
United Kingdom910.0%
Belgium900.0%
Moldova, Republic of870.0%
Latvia810.0%
Slovenia800.0%
Guinea770.0%
Somalia750.0%
Bangladesh750.0%
Viet Nam740.0%
United States710.0%
Sweden680.0%
Sri Lanka640.0%
Georgia580.0%
Algeria530.0%
Korea, Republic of470.0%
Jordan460.0%
Slovakia430.0%
Tajikistan410.0%
Belarus390.0%
Czech Republic370.0%
Switzerland340.0%
Palestinian territories320.0%
Armenia310.0%
Philippines270.0%
Kenya250.0%
Congo, the Democratic Republic of the240.0%
Dominican Republic230.0%
Nepal230.0%
Canada210.0%
Angola200.0%
Mexico200.0%
Indonesia200.0%
Japan200.0%
Ireland180.0%
Congo180.0%
Kyrgyzstan160.0%
Uzbekistan160.0%
Argentina150.0%
Denmark140.0%
Peru140.0%
Colombia130.0%
Yemen130.0%
Mali120.0%
Togo110.0%
Cuba110.0%
Malaysia110.0%
Norway100.0%
Côte D'Ivoire100.0%
Gambia100.0%
Sudan100.0%
Chile100.0%
Israel100.0%
Mongolia90.0%
Australia90.0%
Niger80.0%
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of80.0%
Estonia70.0%
Ethiopia70.0%
Tanzania, United Republic of70.0%
Jamaica70.0%
Myanmar70.0%
Finland60.0%
Senegal50.0%
Not stated50.0%
Luxembourg40.0%
Cyprus40.0%
Benin40.0%
Zimbabwe40.0%
Namibia40.0%
Iceland30.0%
Botswana30.0%
Liberia30.0%
Madagascar30.0%
Burkina Faso30.0%
Rwanda30.0%
Sierra Leone30.0%
South Sudan30.0%
Uganda30.0%
Ecuador30.0%
Nicaragua30.0%
Uruguay30.0%
Trinidad and Tobago30.0%
Cambodia30.0%
Taiwan, Province of China30.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source26

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Owner-occupied homes23.72 %31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder34Official
Labour force119,590 people31 Dec 2022Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder28Official
Local business-tax multiplier480 %31 Dec 2022www.statistikportal.de32Official
Local property-tax multiplier675 %31 Dec 2022www.statistikportal.de32Official

Alternatives for people set on Gelsenkirchen

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.

Oberhausen as a Gelsenkirchen alternative in the same region

17 km away, better on 4 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2. Rent cannot be compared like for like.

  • Rent: €6.65/m² (2025) Oberhausen vs €5.47/m² (2022) Gelsenkirchenno percentage
  • Unemployment: 10.9% Oberhausen vs 14.8% Gelsenkirchen−26%
  • Empty flats: 3.7% Oberhausen vs 5.3% Gelsenkirchen−31%
  • Foreign residents: 17.6% Oberhausen vs 24.3% Gelsenkirchen−28%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 8,351 Oberhausen vs 9,676 Gelsenkirchen−14%
  • Basic utilities, 85 m²: €203 Oberhausen vs €297 Gelsenkirchen−32%
  • Nearest airport: 20.9 km Oberhausen vs 33.4 km Gelsenkirchen−37%
Full comparisonMore about Oberhausen

Mainz as a Gelsenkirchen alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 187 km, better on 5 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent cannot be compared like for like.

  • Unemployment: 5.4% Mainz vs 14.8% Gelsenkirchen−64%
  • Median gross pay, city: €4,891 Mainz vs €3,961 Gelsenkirchen+24%
  • Rent: €10.78/m² (2025) Mainz vs €5.47/m² (2022) Gelsenkirchenno percentage
  • Median gross pay, region: €4,650 Mainz vs €3,750 Gelsenkirchen+24%
  • Empty flats: 2.9% Mainz vs 5.3% Gelsenkirchen−46%
  • Hospital beds, per 100k: 886.1 Mainz vs 593.6 Gelsenkirchen+49%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 6,987 Mainz vs 8,635 Gelsenkirchen−19%
Full comparisonMore about Mainz

Valencia as a Gelsenkirchen alternative in another country

A move, not a commute, at 1458 km, better on 1 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent and median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.

  • Rent: €8.20/m² (2024) Valencia vs €5.47/m² (2022) Gelsenkirchenno percentage
  • Nearest airport: 9.2 km Valencia vs 33.4 km Gelsenkirchen−72%
  • Median gross pay, region: €1,888 Valencia vs €3,750 Gelsenkirchenno percentage
  • Foreign residents: 15.7% Valencia vs 24.3% Gelsenkirchen−35%
Full comparisonMore about Valencia

Cities near Gelsenkirchen

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

Gladbeck Commuting Zone · 10.3 km away
Rent
5.74 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Herten Commuting Zone · 10.3 km away
Rent
5.71 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Hattingen Commuting Zone · 13.9 km away
Rent
6.22 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Castrop-Rauxel Commuting Zone · 16.0 km away
Rent
5.92 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Mülheim an der Ruhr Commuting Zone · 17.3 km away
Rent
6.5 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Oer-Erkenschwick Commuting Zone · 18.2 km away
Rent
5.6 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Dorsten Commuting Zone · 18.9 km away
Rent
5.81 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Sprockhövel Commuting Zone · 19.5 km away
Rent
6.35 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15

Alternative cities in Germany

Other cities in Germany to compare with Gelsenkirchen, nearest in population first.

All Germany cities
Mönchengladbach277,662 residentsAachen259,171 residentsBrunswick254,867 residentsKiel251,379 residentsChemnitz251,323 residentsMagdeburg245,834 residents

How does Gelsenkirchen compare?

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Gelsenkirchen in rankings

#14 of 30 in Most international cities in Germany #26 of 30 in Largest cities in Germany

Put Gelsenkirchen'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 Gelsenkirchen?

The published population was 270,934 people in March 2026. Source: Gelsenkirchen Bevoelkerung Open Data.

How much does it cost to rent in Gelsenkirchen?

Average net cold rent is 5.47 EUR/m² per month (May 2022), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 383 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen.

Is the air quality good in Gelsenkirchen?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 10.2 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 Gelsenkirchen?

Police recorded 9,676 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 Gelsenkirchen?

The median gross salary is about 3,961 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025.

What is the unemployment rate in Gelsenkirchen?

The unemployment rate is 14.8 % (2024). Source: Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average.

Is Gelsenkirchen a good place to live?

Gelsenkirchen 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 Gelsenkirchen?

Gladbeck, Herten, Hattingen, Castrop-Rauxel, Mülheim an der Ruhr are near Gelsenkirchen. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Germany live in Gelsenkirchen?

The official country of birth distribution records 196,993 people (74.6%) 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, October 16). Gelsenkirchen, Germany: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version ac738e9e0c5bb2d443623525c2b0fec5]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/gelsenkirchen/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_gelsenkirchen-germany-population-rent-salary-jobs_865148c316d2,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Gelsenkirchen, Germany: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {ac738e9e0c5bb2d443623525c2b0fec5},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/gelsenkirchen/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Gelsenkirchen, Germany: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/gelsenkirchen/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version ac738e9e0c5bb2d443623525c2b0fec5; 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. Agentur für Arbeit Gelsenkirchen — official office page Agentur für Arbeit Gelsenkirchen · arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-09-15
  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 Climate Data Center — Klimanormal 1991-2020, Jahresmittel Lufttemperatur 2m (1×1 km Raster) DWD Climate Data Center · opendata.dwd.de · checked 2026-06-05
Show 35 more sources
  1. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  2. Gelsenkirchen Bevoelkerung Open Data gelsenkirchen.opendata.ruhr · checked 2026-07-14
  3. Gelsenkirchen Feuerwehr Jahresbericht 2024 gelsenkirchen.de · checked 2026-07-14
  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. INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table INKAR · inkar.de · checked 2026-07-16
  6. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — FZ 3 vehicle stock by municipality Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt · kba.de · checked 2026-07-14
  7. Krankenhausverzeichnis 2024 statistikportal.de · checked 2026-09-19
  8. oecd.org place coordinates oecd.org · checked 2026-08-28
  9. Official accepted language-service location records bamf-navi.bamf.de · checked 2026-09-15
  10. Official municipality population divided by official municipality area from the same Destatis row. destatis.de · checked 2024-12-31
  11. Official UBA station observation retained; station lies outside the exact target municipality and is not promoted. umweltbundesamt.de · checked 2026-07-15
  12. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  13. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  14. PKS 2024 T01 Grundtabelle - Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl (HZ) - Städte bka.de · checked 2026-07-16
  15. Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025 statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-09-19
  16. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany citizenship distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  17. Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder, Germany country of birth distribution ergebnisse.zensus2022.de · checked 2026-08-28
  18. Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) / Statistical Offices of the Länder destatis.de · checked 2026-08-07
  19. Telekom MagentaMobil M telekom.de · checked 2026-09-15
  20. Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr / Vestische Straßenbahnen vestische.de · checked 2026-09-15
  21. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Essen-Bredeney WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  22. www.statistikportal.de statistikportal.de · checked 2026-08-08
  23. Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities Zensus 2022 regional tables · destatis.de · checked 2026-07-26
  24. Zensus 2022: Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen destatis.de · checked 2026-09-17
  25. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  26. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  27. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  28. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  29. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  30. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  31. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  32. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  33. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  34. Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
  35. wohnungsboerse Mietspiegel Gelsenkirchen wohnungsboerse.net · checked 2026-06-04

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.