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Living in Gouda

Gouda is in the Netherlands; its population was 77,818 at the start of 2026. At the end of 2024, the unemployment rate was 3.6%.

Higher unemployment than 81% of Dutch cities that publish it and more recorded crime than 89% of Dutch cities that publish it.

Which Netherlands-wide rules apply when you move to Gouda?

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 NetherlandsNational rates and thresholds that apply in Gouda.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Gouda yet. Netherlands has country-level context; it is not substituted for this city.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Housing Stock Total33,439 dwellings31 Dec 2020CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official
Rental Share Pct45 pct31 Dec 2020CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Gouda?

The unemployment rate is 3.6 % (2024). Source: CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality8

Unemployment across cities in NetherlandsUnemployment in Gouda is 3.6%. Of 337 cities with data, 146 have unemployment of 3 to under 3.5%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Netherlands per band1 city: 2% to under 2.5%12–2.5113 cities: 2.5% to under 3%1132.5–3146 cities: 3% to under 3.5%1463–3.551 cities: 3.5% to under 4%513.5–4Gouda 3.6%16 cities: 4% to under 4.5%164–4.56 cities: 4.5% to under 5%64.5–54 cities: 5% to under 5.5%45–5.5

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Gigabit broadband availability96.98 %2025 Q1Percentage of households in the Dutch municipality with access to a fixed internet connection of at least 1 Gbps (1000 Mbit/s); availability, not subscribed plan, measured speed or FTTH-only coverage.18Official
Median Income Eur Year35,400 EUR/year31 Dec 2024CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek4Official
Unemployment rate3.6 %country median 3.1%31 Dec 2024CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality8Official
Unemployment rate over time10 published observations, 2010–2024
Unemployment rate in Gouda by year, %1.7%5.1%8.4%11.8%201020152019202120243.6%%

Unemployment rate fell 35.3% between 2010 and 2024, from 5.6% to 3.6%.

Public employment service

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

Country-level information

UWV public employment service — Public employment service

Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen (UWV)

Job Search
Open official service
Open the Netherlands service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Gouda. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Primary School Count22 count3 Aug 2026DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs)10Official
School Count47 count3 Aug 2026DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs)10Official

Safety

How safe is Gouda?

Police recorded 5,100 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

  • Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 5,100 offences per 100,000 · CBS StatLine 83648NED — registered crime by municipality, total, 20249
Recorded crime across major citiesGouda highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Gouda highlighted8,970Amsterdam8,200Rotterdam7,990Eindhoven6,970Arnhem6,890's-Gravenhage6,800Utrecht6,280Nijmegen6,160Groningen5,870Breda5,560Tilburg5,100Gouda4,280Almererecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents5,100 offences per 100,000country median 3,08031 Dec 2024CBS StatLine 83648NED — registered crime by municipality, total, 20249Official

Mobility and administration

The nearest airport was RTM, 19.6 km away, with 29 listed destinations in June 2026. Car density was 401 vehicles per 1,000 residents at the start of 2025. Gigabit broadband availability was 97% in Q1 2025.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport29 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat16Official
Nearest airportRTM13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv17Official
Distance to nearest airport19.6 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv17Official

Language courses and integration

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

Country-level information

Blik op Werk integration-provider quality register — Other

Blik op Werk

For integration-course applicants.

DutchIn Person, Online
Open official information

DUO choosing an integration course — State Language Course

Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO)

For people who must integrate.

DutchIn Person
Open official information
Open the full Netherlands section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Gouda.

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Gouda?

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: EEA air quality statistics — NL PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station Cabauw-Wielsekade)13

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
Gouda average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND23°1°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Gouda average monthly precipitation, mm0255075100716657425669799290878886JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Gouda average monthly sunshine, hours06012018024070901431932262162212031531156756JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Gouda annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5259.0PM2.5154014.0PM10104011.0NO₂µg/m³

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

PM2.5 across cities in NetherlandsAnnual PM2.5 in Gouda is 9.0 µg/m³. Of 50 cities with data, 19 have annual PM2.5 of 9 to under 10 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Netherlands per band2 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³26–711 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³117–87 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³78–919 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³199–10Gouda 9.010 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³1010–111 city: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³111–12

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean11 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — NL NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Cabauw-Wielsekade)11Official · nearest-station reading
PM10 — annual mean14 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — NL PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Cabauw-Wielsekade)12Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5 — annual mean9 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — NL PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station Cabauw-Wielsekade)13Official · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by monthJan 6 · Feb 6.9 · Mar 10.3 · Apr 14.5 · May 18 · Jun 20.6 · Jul 22.8 · Aug 22.7 · Sep 19.3 · Oct 14.7 · Nov 9.8 · Dec 6.5 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station CabauwTowerAws_06348.csv21Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 0.7 · Feb 0.6 · Mar 2.3 · Apr 4.6 · May 8.2 · Jun 11 · Jul 13.2 · Aug 12.9 · Sep 10.5 · Oct 7.2 · Nov 3.9 · Dec 1.4 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station CabauwTowerAws_06348.csv21Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 3.5 · Feb 3.8 · Mar 6.3 · Apr 9.6 · May 13.3 · Jun 16 · Jul 18.1 · Aug 17.8 · Sep 14.8 · Oct 10.9 · Nov 7 · Dec 4.1 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station CabauwTowerAws_06348.csv21Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 70.8 · Feb 65.9 · Mar 56.5 · Apr 42.1 · May 55.7 · Jun 68.6 · Jul 78.6 · Aug 91.9 · Sep 90.3 · Oct 87.3 · Nov 87.6 · Dec 86.2 mm1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station RotterdamTheHagueAp_06344.csv22Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by monthJan 69.6 · Feb 89.9 · Mar 143.4 · Apr 192.9 · May 226.2 · Jun 216 · Jul 221.2 · Aug 202.5 · Sep 152.9 · Oct 115.1 · Nov 66.8 · Dec 55.5 hours1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station RotterdamTheHagueAp_06344.csv22Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Netherlands

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

All Netherlands cities
Vlaardingen77,480 residentsRoosendaal78,165 residentsLeidschendam-Voorburg78,916 residentsHoorn76,202 residentsAlmelo75,166 residentsVoorne aan Zee75,012 residents

Population and city profile

The city covered 18.1 km² in 2026. Population density was 4,296 people per km² in 2026.

How many people live in Gouda?

The published population was 77,818 people in January 2026. Source: CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Gouda (GM0513)6

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Gouda residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport69.7%Foreign residents30.3%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Address Density2,617 addresses/km²27 Aug 2026CBS2Official
Area18.11 km²10 Jun 2026Wikidata (P2046)23Independent · gemeente
Cars per 1,000 residents401 cars/1000 residents1 Jan 2025CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2025, municipality-grain passenger-car universe (Personenauto's totaal) divided by the same-table municipality population.7Official
City area18.11 km²28 Jan 2026Kadaster BRK Bestuurlijke Gebieden, current municipality boundary polygon in EPSG:28992; area is the polygon area converted from m² to km².15Official
Foreign-resident share7.5 %31 Dec 2024Eurostat14Official
Foreign residents23,596 people1 Jan 2025CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2025, municipality-grain passenger-car universe (Personenauto's totaal) divided by the same-table municipality population.7Official
Population density4,296 people/km²10 Jun 2026CBS2Official · gemeente
Population77,818 people10 Jun 2026CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Gouda (GM0513)6Official
Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2014–2025
Foreign residents in Gouda by year, residents1,4489,37817,30725,2372014201620202022202523,596residents

Foreign residents rose 663.9% between 2014 and 2025, from 3,089 to 23,596.

International community in Gouda

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

Country of birth

Population registered in Dutch municipalities; CBS population on 1 January · 2026-01-01

Published groupPeopleShare
Born in the Netherlands63,80582.0%
Born outside the Netherlands14,01318.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source20

Citizenship

Residents in the Dutch population register; 1 January · 2025-01-01

Published groupPeopleShare
Totaal76,514100.0%
Nederlands70,54192.2%
Totaal niet-Nederlandse nationaliteit5,9737.8%
Europa (exclusief Nederlands)3,5274.6%
Europese Unie (exclusief Nederlands)2,7863.6%
Buiten-Europa2,3543.1%
Midden- en Oost-Europese nat. in de EU1,8242.4%
Azië1,3371.7%
Pools1,3081.7%
Azië (exclusief Indonesisch en Turks)1,0601.4%
Show 55 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Afrika7601.0%
GIPS-Nationaliteiten in de EU5070.7%
Marokkaans5040.7%
Oekraïens4710.6%
Syrisch3440.4%
Afrika (exclusief Marokkaans)2560.3%
Amerika2440.3%
Turks2160.3%
Amerika en Oceanië (exclusief Surinaams)2140.3%
Burger van Bondsrepubliek Duitsland1900.2%
Indiaas1850.2%
Spaans1820.2%
Chinees1710.2%
Hongaars1550.2%
Italiaans1300.2%
Portugees1210.2%
Roemeens1130.1%
Frans1030.1%
Brits1010.1%
Staatloos / onbekend920.1%
Belgisch910.1%
Russisch790.1%
Jemenitisch770.1%
Grieks740.1%
Zuid-Afrikaans740.1%
Amerikaans700.1%
Afghaans660.1%
Bulgaars640.1%
Indonesisch610.1%
Slowaaks590.1%
Eritrees510.1%
Litouws500.1%
Braziliaans430.1%
Surinaams430.1%
Iraans420.1%
Thais310.0%
Kroatisch290.0%
Lets270.0%
Filippijns240.0%
Canadees220.0%
Pakistaans220.0%
Nigeriaans190.0%
Zweeds180.0%
Egyptisch160.0%
Iers160.0%
Japans160.0%
Tsjechisch160.0%
Oceanië130.0%
Colombiaans130.0%
Somalisch130.0%
Vietnamees130.0%
Oostenrijks110.0%
Iraaks100.0%
Ghanees70.0%
Zuid-Koreaans60.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source19

Is Gouda 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 worker39%strong on work, weak on safety · range 30–48%
Skilled employee61%strong on work, weak on safety · range 53–69%
Student47%strong on education, weak on housing · range 40–54%
Family52%strong on family, weak on cost · range 44–60%
Retirement35%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 24–46%
Foreign residents23,596 people1 Jan 2025Official source · CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2025, municipality-grain passenger-car universe (Personenauto's totaal) divided by the same-table municipality population.
Population77,818 people10 Jun 2026Official source · CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Gouda (GM0513)
Gigabit broadband availability96.98 %2025 Q1Official source · Percentage of households in the Dutch municipality with access to a fixed internet connection of at least 1 Gbps (1000 Mbit/s); availability, not subscribed plan, measured speed or FTTH-only coverage.
Unemployment rate3.6 %31 Dec 2024Official source · CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality
NO₂ — annual mean11 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · EEA air quality statistics — NL NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Cabauw-Wielsekade)
PM10 — annual mean14 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · EEA air quality statistics — NL PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Cabauw-Wielsekade)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Avg Download Mbps 2024250 Mbps27 Aug 2026ACM1Official
Avg Woz Value K Eur221 kEUR31 Dec 2020CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official
Banen Total38,000 jobs31 Dec 2024CBS — Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek5Official
Fttp Nl 5g Availabilitytrue27 Aug 2026ACM1Official
Fttp Nl Avg Pct95 %27 Aug 2026ACM1Official
Owner Occupied Share Pct55 pct31 Dec 2020CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official
Universities0 count3 Aug 2026DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs)10Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Gouda 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
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 Gouda?

The published population was 77,818 people in January 2026. Source: CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Gouda (GM0513).

Is the air quality good in Gouda?

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: EEA air quality statistics — NL PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station Cabauw-Wielsekade).

How safe is Gouda?

Police recorded 5,100 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: CBS StatLine 83648NED — registered crime by municipality, total, 2024.

What is the unemployment rate in Gouda?

The unemployment rate is 3.6 % (2024). Source: CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality.

How many foreign residents live in Gouda?

23,596 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2025, municipality-grain passenger-car universe (Personenauto's totaal) divided by the same-table municipality population..

Is Gouda a good place to live?

Gouda 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 born in Born in the Netherlands live in Gouda?

The official country of birth distribution records 63,805 people (82.0%) in the source-defined population for 2026-01-01. This is a country of birth 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). Gouda, Netherlands: rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nl/gouda/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_gouda-netherlands-rent-salary-jobs_f336086a18c3,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Gouda, Netherlands: rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nl/gouda/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Gouda, Netherlands: rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nl/gouda/) — 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. ACM acm.nl · checked 2026-06-12
  2. CBS opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-06-12
  3. CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-06-11
  4. CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-06-12
  5. CBS — Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek CBS · opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-06-12
  6. CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Gouda (GM0513) CBS · opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-08-14
  7. CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2025, municipality-grain passenger-car universe (Personenauto's totaal) divided by the same-table municipality population. opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-07-15
  8. CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality CBS labour market in figures 2024 · longreads.cbs.nl · checked 2026-07-26
  9. CBS StatLine 83648NED — registered crime by municipality, total, 2024 CBS StatLine 83648NED · opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-07-26
  10. DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs) duo.nl · checked 2026-08-03
Show 13 more sources
  1. EEA air quality statistics — NL NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Cabauw-Wielsekade) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  2. EEA air quality statistics — NL PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Cabauw-Wielsekade) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  3. EEA air quality statistics — NL PM2.5 annual mean 2024 (station Cabauw-Wielsekade) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  4. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  5. Kadaster BRK Bestuurlijke Gebieden, current municipality boundary polygon in EPSG:28992; area is the polygon area converted from m² to km². api.pdok.nl · checked 2026-07-15
  6. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  7. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  8. Percentage of households in the Dutch municipality with access to a fixed internet connection of at least 1 Gbps (1000 Mbit/s); availability, not subscribed plan, measured speed or FTTH-only coverage. services.arcgis.com · checked 2026-07-15
  9. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) citizenship distribution opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-08-28
  10. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) country_of_birth opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-08-29
  11. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station CabauwTowerAws_06348.csv WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  12. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station RotterdamTheHagueAp_06344.csv WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  13. Wikidata (P2046) wikidata.org · checked 2026-07-14

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.