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Living in Niigata

Niigata is one of the cities recorded in Japan. At the end of 2020, unemployment in Niigata reached 3.89%. Niigata had a population density of 1,086.8 people per km² at the end of 2020.

Which Japan-wide rules apply when you move to Niigata?

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 JapanNational rates and thresholds that apply in Niigata.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Niigata yet. We do not infer one from another place.

Net rent across major citiesNiigata highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Niigata highlighted€15.18川崎市€13.60Yokohama€12.11大阪市€11.89京都市€11.78さいたま市€10.32千葉市€10.23福岡市€10.08神戸市€10.06仙台市€10.01名古屋市€9.52広島市€8.59札幌市net rent, € / m² / month

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Niigata?

The unemployment rate is about 3.9 % (October 2020).

  • Unemployment rate: 3.89 % · 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)6
Unemployment across cities in JapanUnemployment in Niigata is 3.9%. Of 2,344 cities with data, 1,088 have unemployment of 3 to under 4%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Japan per band1 city: 0% to under 1%10–125 cities: 1% to under 2%251–2310 cities: 2% to under 3%3102–31088 cities: 3% to under 4%10883–4Niigata 3.9%688 cities: 4% to under 5%6884–5158 cities: 5% to under 6%1585–649 cities: 6% to under 7%496–714 cities: 7% to under 8%147–84 cities: 8% to under 9%48–97 cities: 9% to under 10%79–10

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Unemployment rate3.89 %country median 3.7%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)6Official

Public employment service

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

Country-level information

Hello Work — Public employment service

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan

Job Search
Search jobs
Open the Japan service overview

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

Mobility and administration

Niigata's nearest airport was KIJ, 7 km away and offered 10 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count10 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights1Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km7 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports2Official
Nearest Major Airport IataKIJ3 Aug 2026OurAirports2Official

Language courses and integration

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

Country-level information

Japanese Language Education Program for Foreigners Living in Japan — State Language Course

Agency for Cultural Affairs

For foreigners living in Japan.

JapaneseIn Person, Online
Open official information
Open the full Japan section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Niigata.

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Niigata?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.8 µg/m³ (2023) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: tenbou.nies.go.jp4

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

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Niigata annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5257.8PM2.5µg/m³

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

PM2.5 across cities in JapanAnnual PM2.5 in Niigata is 7.8 µg/m³. Of 646 cities with data, 178 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Japan per band9 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³94–519 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³195–675 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³756–7155 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³1557–8Niigata 7.8178 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³1788–9126 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³1269–1054 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³5410–1124 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³2411–124 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³412–132 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³213–14

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean7.8 µg/m³country median 8.331 Dec 2023tenbou.nies.go.jp4Official

Cities of a similar size in Japan

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

All Japan cities
Ōta759,409 residents熊本市738,865 residentsHamamatsu778,346 residentsKumamoto728,700 residents相模原市725,493 residents岡山市724,691 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Niigata?

The published population was 755,462 people in January 2026. Source: Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 20263

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Niigata residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport98.9%Foreign residents 1.1%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area726 km²3 Aug 2026国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)5Official
Foreign-resident share1.06 %3 Aug 2026総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民 ÷ 総計)8Official
Foreign residents8,017 people3 Aug 2026総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民)8Official
Population density1,087 people/km²31 Dec 2020総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表)7Official
Population755,462 people1 Jan 2026Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 20263Official

Is Niigata 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 worker57%strong on work, weak on safety · range 47–67%
Skilled employee64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 54–74%
Student50%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 38–62%
Family55%strong on family, weak on safety · range 43–67%
Retirement51%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 39–63%
Foreign residents8,017 people3 Aug 2026Official source · 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民)
Population755,462 people1 Jan 2026Official source · Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 2026
Unemployment rate3.89 %31 Dec 2020Official 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)
PM2.5 — annual mean7.8 µg/m³31 Dec 2023Official source · tenbou.nies.go.jp
City area726 km²3 Aug 2026Official source · 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)
Foreign-resident share1.06 %3 Aug 2026Official source · 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民 ÷ 総計)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-11

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Niigata 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 guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

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

How many people live in Niigata?

The published population was 755,462 people in January 2026. Source: Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 2026.

Is the air quality good in Niigata?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.8 µg/m³ (2023) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: tenbou.nies.go.jp.

What is the unemployment rate in Niigata?

The unemployment rate is about 3.9 % (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).

How many foreign residents live in Niigata?

8,017 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民).

Is Niigata a good place to live?

Niigata 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.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Niigata, Japan: jobs, air quality [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/niigata/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_niigata-japan-jobs-air-quality_cc7357055c03,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Niigata, Japan: jobs, air quality},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/niigata/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Niigata, Japan: jobs, air quality](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/niigata/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

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. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  2. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  3. Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 2026 Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey · e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-10
  4. tenbou.nies.go.jp tenbou.nies.go.jp · checked 2026-08-26
  5. 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan) gsi.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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

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.