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Living in Wattenscheid

The regional median gross salary reached €4,150 per month at the end of 2024. The city faced an unemployment rate of 9% at the end of 2024.

Last checked 2026-09-2427 sources

Population74,075people31 Dec 2025Official source · Population in Bochum city districts 2025
Median gross salary (region)4,150EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 2024
Average net rent8EUR/m²/month2024Municipality figureOfficial source · INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table
Unemployment rate9%31 Dec 2024Municipality figureOfficial source · Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average
Recorded crime8,754incidents per 100,000country median 9,397 — 7% belowOfficial source · Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie (BKG)
PM2.5, annual mean9µg/m³31 Dec 2024Nearest stationOfficial source · European Environment Agency (EEA)

Higher unemployment than 96% 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 Wattenscheid?

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 Wattenscheid.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

How much does it cost to rent in Wattenscheid?

Average net cold rent is 8 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): 8 EUR/m²/month · INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table7
What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Wattenscheid recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Mobile plan, 10 GB€50
Internet, 60 Mbps€49
Net rent across major citiesWattenscheid highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Wattenscheid 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 Mbps8Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB49.95 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Telekom MagentaMobil M18Official · national market
Average net rent (nettokalt)8 EUR/m²/month2024BBSR INKAR — advertised asking rent for re-let flats (indicator 2113)7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · parent municipality

Is Wattenscheid 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 38–66%
Skilled employee57%strong on work, weak on education · range 45–69%
Student51%strong on cost, weak on education · range 38–64%
Family38%strong on family, weak on education · range 27–49%
Retirement48%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 35–61%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 480 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 8 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 Wattenscheid?

The unemployment rate is 9 % (2024). Source: Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average1

Unemployment across cities in GermanyUnemployment in Wattenscheid is 9.0%. Of 3,080 cities with data, 1,332 have unemployment of 4 to under 6%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary (regional)4,150 EUR/month31 Dec 2024BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 20242Official · parent municipality
Unemployment rate9 %31 Dec 2024Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average1Official · parent municipality

What does a salary buy in Wattenscheid?

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

regional median gross pay: €4,150 (BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich, 2024-12-31).
Left over each month€2,103of €2,682 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.€2,682
Rent, 60 m²€8.00/m² · market price · INKAR · 2024− €480
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€2,103
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Wattenscheid Salary needed to live in Wattenscheid

Public employment service

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

Safety

At the end of 2023, the crime rate reached 8,754 incidents per 100,000 residents.

How safe is Wattenscheid?

Police recorded about 8,754 incidents per 100,000 (2023). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie (BKG)3

Recorded crime across major citiesWattenscheid highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Wattenscheid highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Bremen15,424
Frankfurt14,600
Berlin13,900
Cologne12,343
Dortmund12,283
Dusseldorf12,172
Leipzig11,129
Essen9,619
Dresden8,853
Wattenscheid8,754
Stuttgart8,552
Munich6,214
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents8,754 incidents per 100,000country median 9,39731 Dec 2023Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie (BKG)3Official

Mobility and administration

Wattenscheid's nearest airport was DTM, 33 km away and offered 28 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport28 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights14Official
Distance to the nearest major airport33 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports15Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)DTM3 Aug 2026OurAirports15Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Wattenscheid. 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 Wattenscheid.

Find courses near Wattenscheid

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 in the air was 9 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Monthly mean temperatures were 2.9°C in January and 18.7°C in July. Wattenscheid's monthly precipitation totalled 84.8 mm in January and 85.6 mm in July.

Is the air quality good in Wattenscheid?

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)5

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 Wattenscheid 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)5Official · nearest-station reading
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 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO9Official · 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 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO10Official · 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 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO11Official · 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 mm31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO12Official · 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 hours31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO13Official · nearest-station reading

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

How many people live in Wattenscheid?

The published population was 74,075 people in 2025. Source: Population in Bochum city districts 202516

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population74,075 people31 Dec 2025Population in Bochum city districts 202516Official

Alternatives for people set on Wattenscheid

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.

Niederwenigern as a Wattenscheid alternative in the same region

9 km away, better on 1 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Median gross pay, region and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

  • Median gross pay, region: €4,100 Niederwenigern vs €4,150 Wattenscheidno percentage
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 5,655 (2025) Niederwenigern vs 8,754 (2023) Wattenscheidno percentage
  • Annual PM2.5: 8.0 µg/m³ Niederwenigern vs 9.0 µg/m³ Wattenscheid−11%
  • Rent: €8.00/m² Niederwenigern vs €8.00/m² Wattenscheidsame level
Full comparisonMore about Niederwenigern

Dessau as a Wattenscheid alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 355 km, better on 2 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.

  • Rent: €7.00/m² Dessau vs €8.00/m² Wattenscheid−13%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,500 Dessau vs €4,150 Wattenscheidno percentage
  • Annual PM2.5: 10.0 µg/m³ Dessau vs 9.0 µg/m³ Wattenscheid+11%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 8,219 Dessau vs 8,754 Wattenscheid−6%
Full comparisonMore about Dessau

Cities near Wattenscheid

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

Bochum Commuting Zone · 5.8 km away
Rent
6.25 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Salary
4,360 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2025-12-31
Herne Commuting Zone · 8.9 km away
Rent
5.71 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Witten Commuting Zone · 14.9 km away
Rent
5.88 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Gelsenkirchen 4.0 km away
Rent
5.47 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Salary
3,961 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2025-12-31
Essen 9.1 km away
Rent
6.72 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Salary
4,387 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2025-12-31
Hattingen 10.0 km away
Rent
6.22 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15
Herten 13.0 km away
Rent
5.71 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-05-15

Alternative cities in Germany

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

All Germany cities
Brandenburg an der Havel74,113 residentsDetmold74,278 residentsMarburg73,544 residentsLueneburg74,785 residentsCastrop-Rauxel73,282 residentsArnsberg74,879 residents

How does Wattenscheid compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Yes — migrants receive medical care in Wattenscheid 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
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

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; Wattenscheid's school authority applies it locally.

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

Is Wattenscheid part of Bochum?

Wattenscheid is in the published commuting zone of Bochum; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub. Bochum city profile

Relationship type: Commuting Zone Of. Source6

Put Wattenscheid'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 Wattenscheid?

The published population was 74,075 people in 2025. Source: Population in Bochum city districts 2025.

How much does it cost to rent in Wattenscheid?

Average net cold rent is 8 EUR/m² per month (2024), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 560 EUR a month before utilities. Source: BBSR INKAR — advertised asking rent for re-let flats (indicator 2113).

Is the air quality good in Wattenscheid?

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).

How safe is Wattenscheid?

Police recorded about 8,754 incidents per 100,000 (2023). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie (BKG).

What is the unemployment rate in Wattenscheid?

The unemployment rate is 9 % (2024). Source: Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average.

What is the typical salary around Wattenscheid?

The median gross salary is 4,150 EUR/month. Source: BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 2024.

Is Wattenscheid a good place to live?

Wattenscheid 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 Wattenscheid part of Bochum?

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

Which cities are near Wattenscheid?

Bochum, Herne, Witten, Gelsenkirchen, Niederwenigern are near Wattenscheid. 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). Wattenscheid, Germany: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version a8458ed70c14676e90554aae940419b0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/wattenscheid/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_wattenscheid-germany-population-rent-salary-jobs_e33d7cec65ca,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Wattenscheid, Germany: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {a8458ed70c14676e90554aae940419b0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/wattenscheid/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Wattenscheid, Germany: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/de/wattenscheid/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version a8458ed70c14676e90554aae940419b0; 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. Arbeitslosenquoten — Länder, Kreise und Gemeinden, Gesamt, 2024 annual average Arbeitslosenquoten · statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-07-26
  2. BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich — Medianentgelt Kreise Wohnort 2024 BA Entgelte im regionalen Vergleich · statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-07-29
  3. Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie (BKG) tigis.bkg.bund.de · checked 2026-08-05
  4. Destatis Zensus 2022 — Regionaltabelle Gebäude und Wohnungen Destatis Zensus 2022 · destatis.de · checked 2026-08-30
  5. European Environment Agency (EEA) air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-06
  6. 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
  7. INKAR — Indikatoren und Karten zur Raum- und Stadtentwicklung, district (Kreis) indicator table INKAR · inkar.de · checked 2026-07-16
  8. MagentaZuhause L 100 Mbps telekom.de · checked 2026-09-15
  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 17 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. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  4. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  5. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Population in Bochum city districts 2025 bochum.de · checked 2026-09-24
  7. Sozialversicherungspflichtige Bruttoarbeitsentgelte – Deutschland, West/Ost, Länder und Kreise (Jahreszahlen), Stichtag 31.12.2025 statistik.arbeitsagentur.de · checked 2026-09-19
  8. Telekom MagentaMobil M telekom.de · checked 2026-09-15
  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
  17. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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