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Living in Saalfeld

The regional median gross salary reached €3,350 per month at the end of 2024. Saalfeld registered an unemployment rate of 5.84% in May 2022.

Last checked 2026-09-2426 sources

Population28,474people31 Dec 2025Official source · GV100AD annual edition at 31 December 2025
Median gross salary (region)3,350EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich (Wohnort)
Average net rent7EUR/m²/month2024Municipality figureOfficial source · INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table
Unemployment rate5.84%15 May 2022Municipality figureOfficial source · Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities
Recorded crime5,935incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025District figureOfficial source · Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik 2025, T01 Grundtabelle – Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl, Kreise
PM2.5, annual mean9µg/m³31 Dec 2024Nearest stationOfficial source · European Environment Agency (EEA)

Higher unemployment than 67% of German cities that publish it, less recorded crime than 97% of German cities that publish it and dirtier air than 70% of German cities that publish it.

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

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 Saalfeld.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

How much does it cost to rent in Saalfeld?

Average net cold rent is 7 EUR/m² per month (2024), 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): 7 EUR/m²/month · INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table6
What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Saalfeld recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Mobile plan, 10 GB€50
Internet, 60 Mbps€49
Net rent across major citiesSaalfeld highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Saalfeld 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
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited48.95 EUR/month30 Sept 2026MagentaZuhause L 100 Mbps7Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB49.95 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Telekom MagentaMobil M16Official · national market
Average net rent (nettokalt)7 EUR/m²/month2024BBSR INKAR — advertised asking rent for re-let flats (indicator 2113)6Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · parent municipality

Is Saalfeld 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 worker56%strong on work, weak on safety · range 42–70%
Skilled employee61%strong on work, weak on education · range 49–73%
Student58%strong on cost, weak on education · range 44–72%
Family57%strong on family, weak on education · range 43–71%
Retirement58%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 44–72%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 420 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 7 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: 2024

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Saalfeld?

The unemployment rate is about 5.8 % (May 2022).

  • Unemployment rate: 5.84 % · Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities17
Unemployment across cities in GermanyUnemployment in Saalfeld is 5.8%. Of 3,080 cities with data, 1,332 have unemployment of 4 to under 6%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary (regional)3,350 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich (Wohnort)1Official · parent municipality
Unemployment rate5.84 %15 May 2022Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities17Official · parent municipality

What does a salary buy in Saalfeld?

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

regional median gross pay: €3,350 (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, 2024-12-31).
Left over each month€1,728of €2,247 take-home
  • Rent
  • 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.€2,247
Rent, 60 m²€7.00/m² · market price · INKAR · 2024− €420
Internet€49 · official · MagentaZuhause L 100 Mbps · 2026-09-30− €49
Mobile plan€50 · official · Telekom MagentaMobil M · 2026-09-30− €50
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish€1,728
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Saalfeld Salary needed to live in Saalfeld

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Saalfeld. 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 Saalfeld. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Healthcare

Saalfeld maintained 1,819.9 beds per 100,000 residents at the end of 2024.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents1,820 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2024Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Bundesklinik-Atlas)2Official

Yes — migrants receive medical care in Saalfeld 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 residents1,820 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-08-03
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Recorded crime across major citiesSaalfeld highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Saalfeld highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Bremen15,424
Frankfurt14,600
Berlin13,900
Hanover13,192
Cologne12,343
Dortmund12,283
Dusseldorf12,172
Leipzig11,129
Essen9,619
Dresden8,853
Stuttgart8,552
Munich6,214
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents5,935 incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik 2025, T01 Grundtabelle – Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl, Kreise15Official · district-level figure

Mobility and administration

Saalfeld's nearest airport was ERF, 46 km away and offered 6 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport6 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights13Official
Distance to the nearest major airport46 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports14Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)ERF3 Aug 2026OurAirports14Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Saalfeld. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

BAMF Integrationskurse — Integration course

Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF)

For eligible migrants.

GermanIn Person
Open official information

BAMF job-related German courses — Job-related language course

Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF)

For migrants needing job-related German.

GermanIn Person
Open official information
Open the full Germany section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Saalfeld.

Find courses near Saalfeld

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 9 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Saalfeld's monthly mean temperatures were −2.6°C in January and 15.1°C in July. Saalfeld's monthly precipitation totalled 117.4 mm in January and 119.6 mm in July.

Is the air quality good in Saalfeld?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency (EEA)4

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

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 Saalfeld is 9.0 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
PM2.5 — annual mean9 µg/m³31 Dec 2024European Environment Agency (EEA)4Official · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by monthJan -0.5 · Feb 0.5 · Mar 4.3 · Apr 9.8 · May 14.1 · Jun 17.4 · Jul 19.5 · Aug 19.3 · Sep 14.5 · Oct 9.2 · Nov 3.8 · Dec 0.4 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO8Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -4.5 · Feb -4.2 · Mar -1.6 · Apr 2.1 · May 6 · Jun 9.2 · Jul 11.3 · Aug 11.3 · Sep 7.7 · Oct 3.8 · Nov -0.3 · Dec -3.5 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO9Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan -2.6 · Feb -2 · Mar 1.1 · Apr 5.8 · May 9.9 · Jun 13.1 · Jul 15.1 · Aug 15 · Sep 10.8 · Oct 6.2 · Nov 1.6 · Dec -1.6 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO10Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 117.4 · Feb 91.1 · Mar 90.9 · Apr 63.2 · May 86.1 · Jun 84.2 · Jul 119.6 · Aug 87.1 · Sep 89.7 · Oct 96.6 · Nov 99.8 · Dec 129.7 mm31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO11Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by monthJan 48.1 · Feb 69.4 · Mar 112 · Apr 160.6 · May 187 · Jun 194.5 · Jul 203 · Aug 196.8 · Sep 142.2 · Oct 98.6 · Nov 47.6 · Dec 41.1 hours31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO12Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In Germany: Ilmenau ±0.5 °C. Elsewhere: Jönköping (Sweden) ±1.1 °C, Bærum (Norway) ±0.8 °C, Gentofte (Denmark) ±3.1 °C, Lyngby-Taarbæk (Denmark) ±3.1 °C, Rudersdal (Denmark) ±3.1 °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

How many people live in Saalfeld?

The published population was 28,474 people in 2025. Source: GV100AD annual edition at 31 December 20255

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population28,474 people31 Dec 2025GV100AD annual edition at 31 December 20255Official

Alternatives for people set on Saalfeld

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.

Gräfenthal as a Saalfeld alternative in the same region

15 km away, better on 1 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Rent and median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.

  • Rent: €4.78/m² (2022) Gräfenthal vs €7.00/m² (2024) Saalfeldno percentage
  • Annual PM2.5: 6.0 µg/m³ Gräfenthal vs 9.0 µg/m³ Saalfeld−33%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,350 Gräfenthal vs €3,350 Saalfeldno percentage
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 5,935 Gräfenthal vs 5,935 Saalfeldsame level
Full comparisonMore about Gräfenthal

Bad Oeynhausen as a Saalfeld alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 248 km, better on 2 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent and median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.

  • Rent: €5.98/m² (2022) Bad Oeynhausen vs €7.00/m² (2024) Saalfeldno percentage
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 4,696 Bad Oeynhausen vs 5,935 Saalfeld−21%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,800 Bad Oeynhausen vs €3,350 Saalfeldno percentage
  • Annual PM2.5: 8.0 µg/m³ Bad Oeynhausen vs 9.0 µg/m³ Saalfeld−11%
  • Hospital beds, per 100k: 1,654.1 Bad Oeynhausen vs 1,819.9 Saalfeld−9%
Full comparisonMore about Bad Oeynhausen

Cities near Saalfeld

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

Saalfeld/Saale 1.6 km away
Rent
5.27 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Rudolstadt 8.0 km away
Rent
5.57 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Bad Blankenburg 8.5 km away
Rent
5.11 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Leutenberg 11.2 km away
Rent
4.73 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Ranis 13.6 km away
Rent
5.23 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Gräfenthal 14.8 km away
Rent
4.78 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Pößneck 16.7 km away
Rent
5.4 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Orlamünde 17.6 km away
Rent
5.27 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15

Alternative cities in Germany

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

All Germany cities
Hattersheim am Main28,467 residentsUnterschleißheim28,482 residentsGeilenkirchen28,494 residentsWangen im Allgäu28,412 residentsBühl28,608 residentsArnstadt28,615 residents

How does Saalfeld compare?

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

Open the full comparison

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; Saalfeld's school authority applies it locally.

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

Put Saalfeld'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 Saalfeld?

The published population was 28,474 people in 2025. Source: GV100AD annual edition at 31 December 2025.

How much does it cost to rent in Saalfeld?

Average net cold rent is 7 EUR/m² per month (2024), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 490 EUR a month before utilities. Source: BBSR INKAR — advertised asking rent for re-let flats (indicator 2113).

Is the air quality good in Saalfeld?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency (EEA).

What is the unemployment rate in Saalfeld?

The unemployment rate is about 5.8 % (May 2022). Source: Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities.

What is the typical salary around Saalfeld?

The median gross salary is 3,350 EUR/month. Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich (Wohnort).

Is Saalfeld a good place to live?

Saalfeld 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 Saalfeld?

Saalfeld/Saale, Rudolstadt, Bad Blankenburg, Leutenberg, Ranis are near Saalfeld. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

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). Saalfeld, Germany: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version ae2b2200626d087ff9b617f6499e5451]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/saalfeld/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_saalfeld-germany-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_ddd58a7557bf,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Saalfeld, Germany: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {ae2b2200626d087ff9b617f6499e5451},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/saalfeld/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Saalfeld, Germany: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/saalfeld/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version ae2b2200626d087ff9b617f6499e5451; 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. Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich (Wohnort) Bundesagentur für Arbeit · statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-07-14
  2. Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Bundesklinik-Atlas) bundes-klinik-atlas.de · checked 2026-08-03
  3. Destatis Zensus 2022 — Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen Destatis Zensus 2022 · destatis.de · checked 2026-08-30
  4. European Environment Agency (EEA) air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  5. GV100AD annual edition at 31 December 2025 destatis.de · checked 2026-09-24
  6. INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table INKAR · inkar.de · checked 2026-07-16
  7. MagentaZuhause L 100 Mbps telekom.de · checked 2026-09-15
  8. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  9. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  10. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
Show 16 more sources
  1. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  2. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  3. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  4. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  5. Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik 2025, T01 Grundtabelle – Fälle mit Häufigkeitszahl, Kreise bka.de · checked 2026-09-23
  6. Telekom MagentaMobil M telekom.de · checked 2026-09-15
  7. Zensus 2022 regional tables — Germany municipalities Zensus 2022 regional tables · destatis.de · checked 2026-07-26
  8. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  9. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  10. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  11. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  12. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  13. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  14. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  15. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  16. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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.