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Living in 원주시

원주시 is a city in South Korea. Car density was 562.5 vehicles per 1,000 residents in 2024. For 원주시, the unemployment rate was 3.2% at the end of 2025. Its population was 364,811 in June 2026. There were 3 doctors per 1,000 people in 2024.

Higher unemployment than 61% of South Korean cities that publish it and dirtier air than 88% of South Korean cities that publish it.

Which South Korea-wide rules apply when you move to 원주시?

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 South KoreaNational rates and thresholds that apply in 원주시.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

The housing-vacancy rate was 9.39% at the end of 2024.

No city-level rent figure is published for 원주시. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month4 published recurring costs, € per month
원주시 recurring monthly costs, € per month€218Private kindergarten€73Utilities, 85 m² flat€58Fitness club€20Internet, 60 Mbps€ / month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly58.04 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v215Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited20.07 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v215Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly217.7 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v215Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant5.08 EUR31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v215Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home72.55 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v215Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings151,987 dwellings31 Dec 2024DT_1JU1501 2024 housing units by municipality2Official
Housing Vacancy Rate Percent9.39 %31 Dec 2024DT_1JU1512 2024 vacant housing units by municipality3Official

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in 원주시?

The unemployment rate is 3.2 % (2025). Source: KOSIS Local Area Labour Force Survey — si/gun/gu unemployment rate7

Unemployment across cities in South KoreaUnemployment in 원주시 is 3.2%. Of 218 cities with data, 34 have unemployment of 0.5 to under 1%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in South Korea per band13 cities: 0% to under 0.5%130–0.534 cities: 0.5% to under 1%340.5–116 cities: 1% to under 1.5%161–1.520 cities: 1.5% to under 2%201.5–215 cities: 2% to under 2.5%152–2.527 cities: 2.5% to under 3%272.5–327 cities: 3% to under 3.5%273–3.5원주시 3.2%32 cities: 3.5% to under 4%323.5–418 cities: 4% to under 4.5%184–4.511 cities: 4.5% to under 5%114.5–53 cities: 5% to under 5.5%35–5.52 cities: 5.5% to under 6%25.5–6

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Unemployment rate3.2 %country median 2.7%31 Dec 2025KOSIS Local Area Labour Force Survey — si/gun/gu unemployment rate7Official

Public employment service

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

Country-level information

Work24 public employment service — Public employment service

Ministry of Employment and Labor, Republic of Korea

Job Search
Search jobs
Open the South Korea service overview

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

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
School Count96 schools21 Jul 2026Schoolinfo official open-data callback response13Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Doctors per 1,000 residents3 per 1,00031 Dec 2024KOSIS e-RegionIndex doctors_per_10005Official
Hospital Beds Per 100k1,510 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2024KOSIS e-RegionIndex hospital_beds_per_100k6Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in 원주시 under the national coverage rules.

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
Doctors per 1,000 residents3 per 1,000Verified 2026-07-21
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Language courses and integration

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

Country-level information

Early Adaptation Program — Newcomer Adaptation

Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service

For newly arrived foreign residents, international students, workers, marriage migrants.

KoreanIn Person
Open official information

Social Integration Program (KIIP) — Integration course

Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service

For foreign residents in Korea, people within three years of naturalization.

KoreanIn Person, Online
Open official information
Open the full South Korea section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in 원주시.

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 18.3 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Is the air quality good in 원주시?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 18.3 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: 18.27 µg/m³ · Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations1
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
원주시 annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit52518.3PM2.5µg/m³

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

PM2.5 across cities in South KoreaAnnual PM2.5 in 원주시 is 18.3 µg/m³. Of 234 cities with data, 46 have annual PM2.5 of 17 to under 18 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in South Korea per band3 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³39–105 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³510–116 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³611–1217 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³1712–1332 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³3213–1425 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³2514–1527 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³2715–1624 cities: 16 µg/m³ to under 17 µg/m³2416–1746 cities: 17 µg/m³ to under 18 µg/m³4617–1828 cities: 18 µg/m³ to under 19 µg/m³2818–19원주시 18.39 cities: 19 µg/m³ to under 20 µg/m³919–207 cities: 20 µg/m³ to under 21 µg/m³720–214 cities: 21 µg/m³ to under 22 µg/m³421–221 city: 22 µg/m³ to under 23 µg/m³122–23

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean18.27 µg/m³country median 16.031 Dec 2024Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations1Official

Cities of a similar size in South Korea

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

All South Korea cities
부산진구364,912 residents아산시363,678 residents영통구362,099 residents양산시361,389 residents수지구369,230 residents권선구360,286 residents

Population and city profile

The city covered 868.2 km² in 2020. Population density was 417.1 people per km² in 2024.

How many people live in 원주시?

The published population was 364,811 people in June 2026. Source: MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 20268

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
원주시 residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport98.4%Foreign residents 1.6%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents562.5 cars/1000 residents31 Dec 2024Registered motor vehicles by si, gun and gu12Official
City area868.2 km²2020Official KOSIS visual statistics, Korea City Statistics, regional area; joined to the archived MOIS/KOSIS si-gun-gu code and name.10Official
Foreign-resident share1.57 %31 Dec 2025Korea Immigration Service registered foreigners by si/gun/gu and nationality, 2025-12-314Official
Foreign residents5,736 people31 Mar 2026Registered foreigners by local government, March 202611Official
Population density417.1 people/km²31 Dec 2024Exact si-gun-gu density derived from archived official MOIS/KOSIS resident population and exact official KOSIS area row.10Official
Population Female184,119 people30 Jun 2026MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 20269Official
Population Male180,692 people30 Jun 2026MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 20269Official
Population364,811 people30 Jun 2026MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 20268Official

International community in 원주시

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Citizenship

Persons recorded in the official KOSIS registered-foreigner population table; this is not the total resident population and is not interchangeable with resident citizenship. · 2025

Published groupPeopleShare
계5,709100.0%
중국1,35223.7%
베트남1,04618.3%
우즈베키스탄3846.7%
네팔3816.7%
타이(태국)3666.4%
한국계중국인2925.1%
캄보디아2744.8%
필리핀2013.5%
인도네시아1592.8%
Show 66 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
러시아(연방)1542.7%
몽골1262.2%
미국1172.0%
타이완(대만)1152.0%
일본1132.0%
스리랑카951.7%
미얀마751.3%
남아프리카공화국480.8%
방글라데시360.6%
키르기즈360.6%
카자흐스탄320.6%
라오스250.4%
파키스탄230.4%
영국230.4%
시리아220.4%
말레이시아190.3%
캐나다180.3%
인도170.3%
튀르키예130.2%
가나110.2%
타지키스탄110.2%
에티오피아80.1%
모로코80.1%
프랑스60.1%
홍콩50.1%
한국계러시아인50.1%
멕시코50.1%
우간다50.1%
요르단50.1%
오스트레일리아40.1%
독일40.1%
이집트40.1%
우크라이나40.1%
탄자니아40.1%
레바논40.1%
나이지리아30.1%
이란30.1%
아일랜드30.1%
브라질30.1%
스페인30.1%
콜롬비아30.1%
투르크메니스탄30.1%
티모르민주공화국(동티모르)20.0%
이탈리아20.0%
폴란드20.0%
케냐20.0%
르완다20.0%
헝가리20.0%
베네수엘라20.0%
칠레20.0%
파라과이20.0%
노르웨이10.0%
뉴질랜드10.0%
싱가포르10.0%
네덜란드10.0%
덴마크10.0%
페루10.0%
예멘공화국10.0%
핀란드10.0%
벨라루스10.0%
불가리아10.0%
체코10.0%
아르헨티나10.0%
과테말라10.0%
세네갈10.0%
부룬디10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source14

Is 원주시 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 46–66%
Skilled employee64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–73%
Student64%strong on education, weak on safety · range 55–73%
Family64%strong on family, weak on safety · range 54–74%
Retirement47%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 36–58%
Foreign residents5,736 people31 Mar 2026Official source · Registered foreigners by local government, March 2026
Population364,811 people30 Jun 2026Official source · MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026
Dwellings151,987 dwellings31 Dec 2024Official source · DT_1JU1501 2024 housing units by municipality
Unemployment rate3.2 %31 Dec 2025Official source · KOSIS Local Area Labour Force Survey — si/gun/gu unemployment rate
PM2.5 — annual mean18.27 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations
Cars per 1,000 residents562.5 cars/1000 residents31 Dec 2024Official source · Registered motor vehicles by si, gun and gu
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-07-27

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households178,430 households30 Jun 2026MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 20269Official

Common questions

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

How many people live in 원주시?

The published population was 364,811 people in June 2026. Source: MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026.

Is the air quality good in 원주시?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 18.3 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations.

What is the unemployment rate in 원주시?

The unemployment rate is 3.2 % (2025). Source: KOSIS Local Area Labour Force Survey — si/gun/gu unemployment rate.

How many foreign residents live in 원주시?

5,736 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Registered foreigners by local government, March 2026.

Is 원주시 a good place to live?

원주시 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.

How many people are in the 지부티 citizenship group in 원주시?

The official citizenship distribution records 0 people (0.0%) in the source-defined population for 2025. 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, September 12). 원주시, South Korea: cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/kr/wonjusi/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_south-korea-cost-of-living-jobs_000e73634517,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {원주시, South Korea: cost of living, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/kr/wonjusi/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[원주시, South Korea: cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/kr/wonjusi/) — 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. Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data · data.go.kr · checked 2026-07-26
  2. DT_1JU1501 2024 housing units by municipality kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  3. DT_1JU1512 2024 vacant housing units by municipality kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  4. Korea Immigration Service registered foreigners by si/gun/gu and nationality, 2025-12-31 immigration.go.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  5. KOSIS e-RegionIndex doctors_per_1000 kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  6. KOSIS e-RegionIndex hospital_beds_per_100k kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  7. KOSIS Local Area Labour Force Survey — si/gun/gu unemployment rate KOSIS Local Area Labour Force Survey · kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-26
  8. MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026 jumin.mois.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  9. MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 2026 jumin.mois.go.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  10. Official KOSIS visual statistics, Korea City Statistics, regional area; joined to the archived MOIS/KOSIS si-gun-gu code and name. kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-15
Show 5 more sources
  1. Registered foreigners by local government, March 2026 immigration.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  2. Registered motor vehicles by si, gun and gu stat.molit.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  3. Schoolinfo official open-data callback response schoolinfo.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  4. Statistics Korea / KOSIS citizenship distribution kosis.kr · checked 2026-08-28
  5. Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27

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.