Living in Wako
In Wako, rents across existing tenancies average €12.22 per m² a month (2023).
At the end of 2020, unemployment in Wako reached 3.09%.
Pricier rent than 96% of Japanese cities that publish it, lower unemployment than 82% of Japanese cities that publish it and dirtier air than 87% of Japanese cities that publish it.
Which Japan-wide rules apply when you move to Wako?
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 Wako?
Average net cold rent is about 12.22 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): 12.22 EUR/m²/month · www.e-stat.go.jp21
| 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23Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 21.56 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | docomo mini 10GB2Official · national market |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 12.22 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.27 | 31 Dec 2023 | www.e-stat.go.jp21Official |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 495.7 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 mura5Official |
Is Wako 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 733 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of about 12.22 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 Wako?
The unemployment rate is about 3.1 % (October 2020).
- Unemployment rate: 3.09 % · 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)26
Wako 3.1%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross salary (regional) | 360.5 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | www.e-stat.go.jp22Official |
| Unemployment rate | 3.09 %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)26Official |
What does a salary buy in Wako?
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€12.22/m² · official · e-stat.go.jp · 2023-12-31 | − €733 |
| 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 service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Wako. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Hello Work — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Wako. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Family and education
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schools | 17 schools | 1 May 2024 | MEXT School Basic Survey 2024 municipality table 0000402311278Official |
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital beds per 1,000 residents | 15.34 per 1,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | Japan official municipality health statistics 20246Official |
| Physicians per 1,000 residents | 3.38 per 1,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | Japan official municipality health statistics 20247Official |
| Physicians per 100,000 residents | 364.5 per 100,000 | 2022 | Exact e-Stat municipality row I6100 (医師数), derived with the exact same-JIS e-Stat A2301 total resident population row. No prefecture or parent-area value is used.4Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Wako 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
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 729.3 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | 令和７年の犯罪情勢 / 令和７年の犯罪情勢 統計表, 図表1-5-224Official · regional context |
Mobility and administration
Wako's nearest airport was HND, 30 km away and offered 73 direct destinations.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct destinations from the nearest major airport | 73 count | 3 Aug 2026 | OpenFlights12Official |
| Destinations from nearest airport | 4 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.19Official |
| Distance to the nearest major airport | 30 km | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports13Official |
| Nearest major airport (IATA code) | HND | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports13Official |
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Wako. 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
Wako's monthly mean temperatures were 5.4°C in January and 25.7°C in July. Wako's monthly precipitation totalled 59.7 mm in January and 156.2 mm in July. Wako's average monthly sunshine was 192.6 hours in January and 151.4 hours in July.
Is the air quality good in Wako?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 10.2 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 — 和光市9
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
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.
Wako 10.2
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 10.2 µg/m³country median 8.4 | 31 Mar 2024 | MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 — 和光市9Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 9.8 · Feb 10.9 · Mar 14.2 · Apr 19.4 · May 23.6 · Jun 26.1 · Jul 29.9 · Aug 31.3 · Sep 27.5 · Oct 22 · Nov 16.7 · Dec 12 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station TOKYO20Official · parent municipality |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 1.2 · Feb 2.1 · Mar 5 · Apr 9.8 · May 14.6 · Jun 18.5 · Jul 22.4 · Aug 23.5 · Sep 20.3 · Oct 14.8 · Nov 8.8 · Dec 3.8 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station TOKYO20Official · parent municipality |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 5.4 · Feb 6.1 · Mar 9.4 · Apr 14.3 · May 18.8 · Jun 21.9 · Jul 25.7 · Aug 26.9 · Sep 23.3 · Oct 18 · Nov 12.5 · Dec 7.7 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station TOKYO20Official · parent municipality |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 59.7 · Feb 56.5 · Mar 116 · Apr 133.7 · May 139.7 · Jun 167.8 · Jul 156.2 · Aug 154.7 · Sep 224.9 · Oct 234.8 · Nov 96.3 · Dec 57.9 mm | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station TOKYO20Official · parent municipality |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 192.6 · Feb 170.4 · Mar 175.3 · Apr 178.8 · May 179.6 · Jun 124.2 · Jul 151.4 · Aug 174.2 · Sep 126.7 · Oct 129.4 · Nov 149.8 · Dec 174.4 hours | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station TOKYO20Official · parent municipality |
Similar climate. In Japan: Ichinomiya ±0.7 °C. Elsewhere: Little Rock (United States) ±2.1 °C, Oklahoma City (United States) ±2.4 °C, Murfreesboro (United States) ±2.5 °C, Carrollton (United States) ±3.1 °C, Lewisville (United States) ±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
Wako's population density measured 7,607.7 people per km² at the end of 2020.
How many people live in Wako?
The published population was 84,917 people in 2026. Source: Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total18
By nationality
National passport96%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 11.04 km² | 3 Aug 2026 | 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)25Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 3.99 % | 3 Aug 2026 | 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民 ÷ 総計)28Official |
| Foreign residents | 3,392 people | 3 Aug 2026 | 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民)28Official |
| Population density | 7,608 people/km² | 31 Dec 2020 | 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表)27Official |
| Population | 84,917 people | 1 Jan 2026 | Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total18Official |
International community in Wako
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 | 83,989 | 100.0% |
| Japanese | 81,671 | 97.2% |
| Foreigner | 2,215 | 2.6% |
| People's Republic of China | 1,006 | 1.2% |
| Others | 399 | 0.5% |
| Republic of Korea | 245 | 0.3% |
| Socialist Republic of Viet Nam | 180 | 0.2% |
| Republic of the Philippines | 121 | 0.1% |
| Nationality not reported | 103 | 0.1% |
| Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal | 74 | 0.1% |
| Republic of Indonesia | 46 | 0.1% |
Show 6 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| India | 44 | 0.1% |
| United States of America | 39 | 0.0% |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 19 | 0.0% |
| Federative Republic of Brazil | 19 | 0.0% |
| Kingdom of Thailand | 16 | 0.0% |
| Republic of Peru | 7 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source3
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.9 years | 31 Dec 2026 | 2026 Resident Basic Register, population by age group by municipality (total residents)1Official |
Alternatives for people set on Wako
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.
Jōsō as a Wako alternative in the same region
42 km away, better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.
- Rent: €5.20/m² Jōsō vs €12.22/m² Wako−57%
- Foreign residents: 11.9% Jōsō vs 4.0% Wako+198%
- Median gross pay, region: €262 Jōsō vs €361 Wako−27%
- Unemployment: 3.4% Jōsō vs 3.1% Wako+11%
- Residents: 60,041 Jōsō vs 84,917 Wako−29%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 687 Jōsō vs 729 Wako−6%
- Annual PM2.5: 9.3 µg/m³ Jōsō vs 10.2 µg/m³ Wako−9%
Takayama as a Wako alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 217 km, better on 4 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.
- Rent: €5.81/m² Takayama vs €12.22/m² Wako−52%
- Median gross pay, region: €266 Takayama vs €361 Wako−26%
- Foreign residents: 2.1% Takayama vs 4.0% Wako−48%
- Annual PM2.5: 7.0 µg/m³ Takayama vs 10.2 µg/m³ Wako−31%
- Unemployment: 2.5% Takayama vs 3.1% Wako−18%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 671 Takayama vs 729 Wako−8%
Cities near Wako
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 11.48 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 9.96 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 11.61 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 11.59 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 9.95 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 7.8 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 9.22 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
Alternative cities in Japan
Other cities in Japan to compare with Wako, nearest in population first.
How does Wako compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Wako's.
Is Wako part of Tokyo?
Wako is near Tokyo, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 12.7 km away by straight-line distance. Tokyo city profile
Relationship type: Nearby Independent Place. Source38
Which comparable places record less crime than Wako?
9 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Wako in this strictly source-matched cohort.
Wako: 623.6 offences/100k (2024).
Only the same source family, offence definition, period, grain and denominator method are compared. This is recorded crime, not a claim about personal safety. Official source10
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Wako?
The published population was 84,917 people in 2026. Source: Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total.
How much does it cost to rent in Wako?
Average net cold rent is about 12.22 EUR/m² per month (2023 Housing and Land Survey), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 856 EUR a month before utilities. Source: www.e-stat.go.jp.
Is the air quality good in Wako?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 10.2 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 — 和光市.
What is the unemployment rate in Wako?
The unemployment rate is about 3.1 % (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 Wako?
The median gross salary is 360.5 EUR/month. Source: www.e-stat.go.jp.
Is Wako a good place to live?
Wako 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 Wako part of Tokyo?
Wako is near Tokyo, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 12.7 km away by straight-line distance.
Which cities are near Wako?
Asaka, Niiza, Toda, Shimotoda, Warabi are near Wako. 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 Wako?
The official citizenship distribution records 81,671 people (97.2%) in the source-defined population for 2020. This is a citizenship measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.
Which comparable places record less crime than Wako?
9 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Wako in this strictly source-matched cohort. The comparison uses Saitama Prefectural Police municipal crime table R6 2024 + Saitama Prefecture population estimate, period 2024, and does not compare across incompatible police definitions.
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). Wako, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 336db36a3a11ab333ddf815f9c3afcf1]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/wako/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_wako-japan-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living-jobs_9d80dc2510f2,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Wako, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {336db36a3a11ab333ddf815f9c3afcf1},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/wako/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Wako, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/wako/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 336db36a3a11ab333ddf815f9c3afcf1; 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
- 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
- Exact e-Stat municipality row I6100 (医師数), derived with the exact same-JIS e-Stat A2301 total resident population row. No prefecture or parent-area value is used. e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-07-15
- 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
- MEXT School Basic Survey 2024 municipality table 000040231127 e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-07-16
- MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 — 和光市 MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 · env.go.jp · checked 2026-07-26
- nlftp.mlit.go.jp recorded crime data nlftp.mlit.go.jp · checked 2026-08-28
Show 28 more sources
- nlftp.mlit.go.jp recorded crime data nlftp.mlit.go.jp · checked 2026-08-28
- OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- police.pref.saitama.lg.jp recorded crime data police.pref.saitama.lg.jp · checked 2026-08-28
- police.pref.saitama.lg.jp recorded crime data police.pref.saitama.lg.jp · checked 2026-08-28
- pref.saitama.lg.jp recorded crime data pref.saitama.lg.jp · checked 2026-08-28
- pref.saitama.lg.jp recorded crime data pref.saitama.lg.jp · checked 2026-08-28
- Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-10
- 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
- WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station TOKYO WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
- 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
- 令和７年の犯罪情勢 / 令和７年の犯罪情勢 統計表, 図表1-5-2 npa.go.jp · checked 2026-09-23
- 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
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q317830 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q329754 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q386691 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q646834 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q673010 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q823874 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q877202 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- wikidata.org place coordinates wikidata.org · checked 2026-08-28
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.