Living in Hakodate
In Hakodate, rents across existing tenancies average €5.71 per m² a month (2023).
The city faced an unemployment rate of 4.87% at the end of 2020. Annual PM2.5 was 6.4 µg/m³ in March 2024.
Cheaper rent than 61% of Japanese cities that publish it, higher unemployment than 88% of Japanese cities that publish it and cleaner air than 92% of Japanese cities that publish it.
Which Japan-wide rules apply when you move to Hakodate?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
Japan's Housing and Land Survey monthly-rent measure excludes security deposits, key money/right money and common-area charges. The Ministry of Land says deposit terms vary by regional custom; these sources provide context, not a comparable city-level distribution. Statistics Bureau glossary (2018) · MLIT rental-housing Q&A.
How much does it cost to rent in Hakodate?
Average net cold rent is about 5.71 EUR/m² per month (2023 Housing and Land Survey), 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): 5.71 EUR/m²/month · www.e-stat.go.jp17
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 31.61 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | ドコモ光 月額料金 — NTTドコモ19Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 21.56 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | docomo mini 10GB3Official · national market |
| Housing vacancy rate | 19.25 % | 31 Oct 2023 | 2023 Housing and Land Survey, Table 1-2: Housing by occupancy status1Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 5.71 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.27 | 31 Dec 2023 | www.e-stat.go.jp17Official |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 289.2 EUR/month | 31 Oct 2023 | Housing and Land Survey 2023, Table 112-3-2: Monthly Rent of Dwelling by Type of Dwelling — Japan, prefecture, shi, ku, machi and mura6Official |
Is Hakodate 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.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 343 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of about 5.71 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.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Hakodate?
The unemployment rate is about 4.9 % (October 2020).
- Unemployment rate: 4.87 % · 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表)24
Hakodate 4.9%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public employment offices | 1 count | 15 Sept 2026 | MHLW — Hello Work nationwide location list12Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 274.7 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | www.e-stat.go.jp18Official |
| Unemployment rate | 4.87 %country median 3.8% | 31 Dec 2020 | 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表)24Official |
What does a salary buy in Hakodate?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentInternetMobile
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; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08. | outside the model's range |
| Rent, 60 m²€5.71/m² · official · e-stat.go.jp · 2023-12-31 | − €343 |
| Internet€32 · official · ドコモ光 月額料金 · 2026-09-30 | − €32 |
| Mobile plan€22 · official · docomo mini 10GB · 2026-09-30 | − €22 |
| Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities | — |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | — |
Public employment offices in Hakodate
MHLW lists 1 public employment office in Hakodate (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.
Hello Work — Public employment service
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
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schools | 100 schools | 1 May 2024 | MEXT School Basic Survey 2024 municipality table 00004023112711Official |
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| GP practices | 73 count | 1 Jun 2026 | 医療情報ネット clinics facility and specialty CSV 2026-06-0120Official |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 residents | 24.24 per 1,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | Japan official municipality health statistics 20247Official |
| Hospital beds per 100,000 residents | 2,424 beds per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | Japan official municipality health statistics 20247Official |
| Hospitals | 25 count | 1 Jun 2026 | 医療情報ネット hospitals facility CSV21Official |
| Pharmacies | 161 count | 1 Jun 2026 | 医療情報ネット pharmacies CSV22Official |
| Physicians per 1,000 residents | 3.32 per 1,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | Japan official municipality health statistics 20248Official |
| Physicians per 100,000 residents | 331.8 per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | Japan official municipality health statistics 20248Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Hakodate when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSafety
How safe is Hakodate?
Police recorded about 489 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.
- Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 489.5 incidents per 100,000 · JP-01-Hokkaido-202510
Mobility and administration
Hakodate's nearest airport was HKD, 7 km away and offered 6 direct destinations.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct destinations from the nearest major airport | 6 count | 3 Aug 2026 | OpenFlights14Official |
| Destinations from nearest airport | 7 count | 2024 | Unique direct scheduled destination endpoints for the nearest scheduled-service airport in the complete 97-airport MLIT universe; domestic endpoints come from the official 2024 annual route table and international endpoints from the official 2024 summer and winter direct scheduled-flight tables.16Official |
| Distance to the nearest major airport | 7 km | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports15Official |
| Nearest major airport (IATA code) | HKD | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports15Official |
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Hakodate. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
Japanese Language Education Program for Foreigners Living in Japan — State Language Course
Agency for Cultural Affairs
For foreigners living in Japan.
Climate and air quality
Monthly mean temperature moved from −2.4°C in January to 20.3°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 77.4 mm in January and 123.6 mm in July. Average monthly sunshine totalled 103.1 hours in January and 134.4 hours in July.
Is the air quality good in Hakodate?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.4 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: 6.37 µg/m³ · MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 — 函館市13
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
hours
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Hakodate 6.4
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 6.37 µg/m³country median 8.4 | 31 Mar 2024 | MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 — 函館市13Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 0.9 · Feb 1.8 · Mar 5.8 · Apr 12 · May 17 · Jun 20.4 · Jul 24.1 · Aug 25.9 · Sep 23.2 · Oct 17.1 · Nov 10 · Dec 3.2 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 函館9Official · parent municipality |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan -6 · Feb -5.7 · Mar -2.2 · Apr 2.8 · May 8 · Jun 12.6 · Jul 17.3 · Aug 18.9 · Sep 14.6 · Oct 7.8 · Nov 1.8 · Dec -3.6 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 函館9Official · parent municipality |
| Average temperature by month | Jan -2.4 · Feb -1.8 · Mar 1.9 · Apr 7.3 · May 12.3 · Jun 16.2 · Jul 20.3 · Aug 22.1 · Sep 18.8 · Oct 12.5 · Nov 6 · Dec -0.1 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 函館9Official · parent municipality |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 77.4 · Feb 64.5 · Mar 64.1 · Apr 71.9 · May 88.9 · Jun 79.8 · Jul 123.6 · Aug 156.5 · Sep 150.5 · Oct 105.6 · Nov 110.8 · Dec 94.6 mm | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 函館9Official · parent municipality |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 103.1 · Feb 117.9 · Mar 158.7 · Apr 186.1 · May 198.5 · Jun 172.6 · Jul 134.4 · Aug 148 · Sep 160.8 · Oct 163.9 · Nov 109.4 · Dec 91.5 hours | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 函館9Official · parent municipality |
Population and city profile
Hakodate had a population density of 370.4 people per km² at the end of 2020.
How many people live in Hakodate?
The published population was 236,515 people in 2024. Source: e-Stat 社会・人口統計体系 市区町村データ 基礎データ(オリジナル)0000020101 — A2301 住民基本台帳人口(総数), 調査年 2024年度5
By nationality
National passport99.1%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 677.8 km² | 3 Aug 2026 | 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)23Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 0.939 % | 3 Aug 2026 | 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民 ÷ 総計)26Official |
| Foreign residents | 2,186 people | 3 Aug 2026 | 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民)26Official |
| Population density | 370.4 people/km² | 31 Dec 2020 | 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表)25Official |
| Population | 236,515 people | 31 Dec 2024 | e-Stat 社会・人口統計体系 市区町村データ 基礎データ(オリジナル)0000020101 — A2301 住民基本台帳人口(総数), 調査年 2024年度5Official |
International community in Hakodate
Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.
Citizenship
Persons in the official 2020 Population Census Basic Complete Tabulation on Population and Households; sex-total population by source-native nationality category. · 2020
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 251,084 | 100.0% |
| Japanese | 248,208 | 98.9% |
| Nationality not reported | 1,887 | 0.8% |
| Foreigner | 989 | 0.4% |
| Socialist Republic of Viet Nam | 307 | 0.1% |
| People's Republic of China | 217 | 0.1% |
| Others | 155 | 0.1% |
| Republic of Korea | 126 | 0.1% |
| Republic of the Philippines | 73 | 0.0% |
| Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal | 31 | 0.0% |
| Republic of Indonesia | 23 | 0.0% |
Show 6 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| United States of America | 23 | 0.0% |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 13 | 0.0% |
| Kingdom of Thailand | 9 | 0.0% |
| India | 4 | 0.0% |
| Federative Republic of Brazil | 4 | 0.0% |
| Republic of Peru | 4 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source4
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 56.3 years | 31 Dec 2026 | 2026 Resident Basic Register, population by age group by municipality (total residents)2Official |
Alternatives for people set on Hakodate
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.
Hokuto as a Hakodate alternative in the same region
9 km away, better on 1 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 3. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Rent: €4.63/m² Hokuto vs €5.71/m² Hakodate−19%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 479 Hokuto vs 489 Hakodateno percentage
- Median gross pay, region: €248 Hokuto vs €275 Hakodate−10%
- Unemployment: 5.4% Hokuto vs 4.9% Hakodate+11%
- Foreign residents: 0.9% Hokuto vs 0.9% Hakodate−4%
Shimonoseki as a Hakodate alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 1220 km, better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Foreign residents: 2.3% Shimonoseki vs 0.9% Hakodate+147%
- Annual PM2.5: 9.7 µg/m³ Shimonoseki vs 6.4 µg/m³ Hakodate+52%
- Unemployment: 3.6% Shimonoseki vs 4.9% Hakodate−26%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 400 Shimonoseki vs 489 Hakodateno percentage
- Hospital beds, per 100k: 2,010.1 Shimonoseki vs 2,423.6 Hakodate−17%
- Rent: €5.53/m² Shimonoseki vs €5.71/m² Hakodate−3%
- Residents: 243,422 Shimonoseki vs 236,515 Hakodate+3%
Cities near Hakodate
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
Alternative cities in Japan
Other cities in Japan to compare with Hakodate, nearest in population first.
How does Hakodate compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Hakodate's.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Hakodate?
The published population was 236,515 people in 2024. Source: e-Stat 社会・人口統計体系 市区町村データ 基礎データ(オリジナル)0000020101 — A2301 住民基本台帳人口(総数), 調査年 2024年度.
How much does it cost to rent in Hakodate?
Average net cold rent is about 5.71 EUR/m² per month (2023 Housing and Land Survey), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 400 EUR a month before utilities. Source: www.e-stat.go.jp.
Is the air quality good in Hakodate?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.4 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 — 函館市.
How safe is Hakodate?
Police recorded about 489 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: JP-01-Hokkaido-2025.
What is the unemployment rate in Hakodate?
The unemployment rate is about 4.9 % (October 2020). Source: 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表).
What is the typical salary around Hakodate?
The median gross salary is 274.7 EUR/month. Source: www.e-stat.go.jp.
Is Hakodate a good place to live?
Hakodate 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 Hakodate?
Hokuto, Kamiiso, Nanae-cho are near Hakodate. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people are in the Japanese citizenship group in Hakodate?
The official citizenship distribution records 248,208 people (98.9%) in the source-defined population for 2020. This is a citizenship 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). Hakodate, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 49a4bcea2737fa0181d10afa2027d0dd]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/hakodate/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_hakodate-japan-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_e8605ee8669a,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Hakodate, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {49a4bcea2737fa0181d10afa2027d0dd},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/hakodate/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Hakodate, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/hakodate/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 49a4bcea2737fa0181d10afa2027d0dd; 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
- 2023 Housing and Land Survey, Table 1-2: Housing by occupancy status e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-17
- 2026 Resident Basic Register, population by age group by municipality (total residents) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-24
- docomo mini 10GB docomo.ne.jp · checked 2026-09-15
- e-Stat / Statistics Bureau of Japan 2020 Population Census table 44-1 nationality e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-01
- e-Stat 社会・人口統計体系 市区町村データ 基礎データ(オリジナル)0000020101 — A2301 住民基本台帳人口(総数), 調査年 2024年度 e-Stat 社会・人口統計体系 市区町村データ 基礎データ(オリジナル)0000020101 · e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-18
- Housing and Land Survey 2023, Table 112-3-2: Monthly Rent of Dwelling by Type of Dwelling — Japan, prefecture, shi, ku, machi and mura Housing and Land Survey 2023, Table 112-3-2: Monthly Rent of Dwelling by Type of Dwelling · e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-12
- Japan official municipality health statistics 2024 mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-08-13
- Japan official municipality health statistics 2024 mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-08-13
- JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 函館 JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals · data.jma.go.jp · checked 2026-07-26
- JP-01-Hokkaido-2025 police.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp · checked 2026-09-15
Show 20 more sources
- MEXT School Basic Survey 2024 municipality table 000040231127 e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-07-16
- MHLW — Hello Work nationwide location list MHLW · mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-09-15
- MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 — 函館市 MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 · env.go.jp · checked 2026-07-26
- OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- Unique direct scheduled destination endpoints for the nearest scheduled-service airport in the complete 97-airport MLIT universe; domestic endpoints come from the official 2024 annual route table and international endpoints from the official 2024 summer and winter direct scheduled-flight tables. mlit.go.jp · checked 2026-07-15
- www.e-stat.go.jp e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-27
- www.e-stat.go.jp e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-27
- ドコモ光 月額料金 — NTTドコモ ドコモ光 月額料金 · docomo.ne.jp · checked 2026-09-19
- 医療情報ネット clinics facility and specialty CSV 2026-06-01 mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-09-18
- 医療情報ネット hospitals facility CSV mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-09-15
- 医療情報ネット pharmacies CSV mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-09-15
- 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan) gsi.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
- 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
- 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
- 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民) soumu.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q1354276 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q26418 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q842301 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.