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Living in Utrecht

The unemployment rate was 4.3% at the end of 2024. For Utrecht, annual PM2.5 was 9 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. The population of Utrecht, in the Netherlands, was 378,121 at the start of 2026. Gigabit broadband availability was 97.7% in 2025. Car density was 331.1 vehicles per 1,000 residents in 2025. An estimate placed a monthly public-transport pass at €62 in 2026.

Higher unemployment than 96% of Dutch cities that publish it and more recorded crime than 97% of Dutch cities that publish it.

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

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Housing and cost

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

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Utrecht recurring monthly costs, € per month€2737Private kindergarten€209Utilities, 85 m² flat€62Transport pass€42Fitness club€41Internet, 60 Mbps€20Mobile plan, 10 GB€ / month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly42.28 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Col Groceries Index Basket Eur Month86.38 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited40.77 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly2,737 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant20 eur3 Aug 2026Numbeo23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB20.07 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in Utrecht. Jul 2026. Prices in Utrecht23Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass61.8 EUR/month26 Jul 2026U-OV Zonal Subscription21Official
Basic utilities, 85 m² home209.5 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Housing Stock Total156,678 dwellings31 Dec 2020CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official
Rental Share Pct54 pct31 Dec 2020CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Utrecht?

The unemployment rate is 4.3 % (2024). Source: CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality8

Unemployment across cities in NetherlandsUnemployment in Utrecht is 4.3%. 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%513.5–416 cities: 4% to under 4.5%164–4.5Utrecht 4.3%6 cities: 4.5% to under 5%64.5–54 cities: 5% to under 5.5%45–5.5

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Gigabit broadband availability97.73 %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 Year39,300 EUR/year31 Dec 2024CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek4Official
Unemployment rate4.3 %country median 3.1%31 Dec 2024CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality8Official
Unemployment rate over time10 published observations, 2011–2024
Unemployment rate in Utrecht by year, %2.7%4.2%5.6%7.1%201120152019202120244.3%%

Unemployment rate rose 11.1% between 2011 and 2024, from 3.9% to 4.3%.

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Utrecht. 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

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

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Primary School Count81 count3 Aug 2026DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs)10Official
School Count123 count3 Aug 2026DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs)10Official

Safety

How safe is Utrecht?

Police recorded 6,800 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: 6,800 offences per 100,000 · CBS StatLine 83648NED — registered crime by municipality, total, 20249
Recorded crime across major citiesUtrecht highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Utrecht highlighted8,970Amsterdam8,200Rotterdam7,990Eindhoven6,970Arnhem6,890's-Gravenhage6,800Utrecht6,280Nijmegen6,160Groningen5,870Breda5,560Tilburg4,530Apeldoorn4,280Almererecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents6,800 offences per 100,000country median 3,08031 Dec 2024CBS StatLine 83648NED — registered crime by municipality, total, 20249Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport232 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat16Official
Nearest airportAMS13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv17Official
Distance to nearest airport34.4 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv17Official
Public transport monthly pass120 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Language courses and integration in Utrecht

0 exact private or nonprofit provider records are linked to this city as supplemental evidence. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally

Utrecht municipal integration route — Integration course

Gemeente Utrecht

For newcomers in Utrecht.

DutchIn Person
Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Utrecht?

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 Annual Statistics — NL 2024 PM2.5 follow-up exact station subset11

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
Utrecht average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND23°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Utrecht average monthly precipitation, mm0255075100716358425971858478818084JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Utrecht average monthly sunshine, hours05511016522067901391892182072141961531196756JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Utrecht annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5259.0PM2.5154015.0PM10104013.0NO₂µg/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 Utrecht 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/m³199–10Utrecht 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 mean13 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — NL NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Utrecht-Griftpark)12Official · nearest-station reading
PM10 — annual mean15 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — NL PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Utrecht-Kardinaal de Jongweg)13Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5 — annual mean9 µg/m³country median 9.0 — about the same31 Dec 2024EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — NL 2024 PM2.5 follow-up exact station subset11Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 6.1 · Feb 7 · Mar 10.5 · Apr 14.8 · May 18.3 · Jun 20.9 · Jul 23.1 · Aug 22.9 · Sep 19.5 · Oct 14.8 · Nov 9.9 · Dec 6.7 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station DeBiltAws_06260.csv22Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 0.9 · Feb 0.7 · Mar 2.4 · Apr 4.5 · May 8 · Jun 10.8 · Jul 13 · Aug 12.5 · Sep 10 · Oct 7.1 · Nov 3.9 · Dec 1.6 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station DeBiltAws_06260.csv22Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 3.6 · Feb 3.9 · Mar 6.5 · Apr 9.8 · May 13.4 · Jun 16.2 · Jul 18.3 · Aug 17.9 · Sep 14.7 · Oct 10.9 · Nov 7 · Dec 4.2 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station DeBiltAws_06260.csv22Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 70.8 · Feb 63.1 · Mar 57.8 · Apr 41.6 · May 59.3 · Jun 70.5 · Jul 85.2 · Aug 83.6 · Sep 77.9 · Oct 81.1 · Nov 80 · Dec 83.8 mm1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station DeBiltAws_06260.csv22Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by monthJan 66.6 · Feb 89.6 · Mar 139.4 · Apr 189.2 · May 217.5 · Jun 207.1 · Jul 213.9 · Aug 196.3 · Sep 152.8 · Oct 119.3 · Nov 67.4 · Dec 55.5 hours1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station DeBiltAws_06260.csv22Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Netherlands

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

All Netherlands cities

Population and city profile

The city covered 99.2 km² in 2026. Population density was 3,809 people per km² in 2026.

How many people live in Utrecht?

The published population was 378,121 people in January 2026. Source: CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Utrecht (gemeente) (GM0344)6

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Utrecht residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport59.3%Foreign residents40.7%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Address Density3,659 addresses/km²27 Aug 2026CBS2Official
Area99.32 km²9 Jun 2026Wikidata (P2046)24Independent · gemeente
Cars per 1,000 residents331.1 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 area99.21 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 share11.3 %31 Dec 2024Eurostat14Official
Foreign residents154,010 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 density3,809 people/km²9 Jun 2026CBS2Official · gemeente
Population378,121 people9 Jun 2026CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Utrecht (gemeente) (GM0344)6Official
Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2014–2025
Foreign residents in Utrecht by year, residents12,05269,983127,913185,84420142016202020222025154,010residents

Foreign residents rose 540.7% between 2014 and 2025, from 24,038 to 154,010.

International community in Utrecht

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 Netherlands286,98175.9%
Born outside the Netherlands91,14024.1%

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
Totaal376,757100.0%
Nederlands329,03187.3%
Totaal niet-Nederlandse nationaliteit47,72612.7%
Europa (exclusief Nederlands)25,3146.7%
Buiten-Europa21,7475.8%
Europese Unie (exclusief Nederlands)20,3965.4%
Azië13,5853.6%
Azië (exclusief Indonesisch en Turks)9,7312.6%
GIPS-Nationaliteiten in de EU8,8742.4%
Midden- en Oost-Europese nat. in de EU5,1831.4%
Show 55 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Afrika4,6871.2%
Turks3,3270.9%
Amerika en Oceanië (exclusief Surinaams)3,2730.9%
Indiaas3,2220.9%
Amerika3,1410.8%
Italiaans2,8760.8%
Burger van Bondsrepubliek Duitsland2,5890.7%
Spaans2,5350.7%
Afrika (exclusief Marokkaans)2,4530.7%
Grieks2,4340.6%
Marokkaans2,2340.6%
Chinees1,7900.5%
Oekraïens1,7880.5%
Brits1,5650.4%
Bulgaars1,5000.4%
Syrisch1,4120.4%
Frans1,3210.4%
Pools1,2530.3%
Amerikaans1,2210.3%
Portugees1,0290.3%
Roemeens8550.2%
Russisch7740.2%
Belgisch7690.2%
Zuid-Afrikaans7290.2%
Iraans7190.2%
Staatloos / onbekend6650.2%
Iers6190.2%
Hongaars5310.1%
Indonesisch5270.1%
Braziliaans5050.1%
Eritrees3680.1%
Afghaans3620.1%
Oceanië3340.1%
Jemenitisch2740.1%
Canadees2630.1%
Egyptisch2530.1%
Colombiaans2470.1%
Zweeds2290.1%
Japans2180.1%
Oostenrijks2180.1%
Litouws2160.1%
Nigeriaans2140.1%
Surinaams2020.1%
Tsjechisch1980.1%
Kroatisch1930.1%
Filippijns1770.0%
Slowaaks1690.0%
Pakistaans1650.0%
Lets1340.0%
Zuid-Koreaans1340.0%
Somalisch1250.0%
Iraaks1210.0%
Vietnamees1190.0%
Thais830.0%
Ghanees620.0%

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

Is Utrecht 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 worker40%strong on work, weak on safety · range 32–48%
Skilled employee62%strong on work, weak on safety · range 54–70%
Student49%strong on education, weak on housing · range 42–56%
Family51%strong on family, weak on housing · range 43–59%
Retirement33%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 23–43%
Foreign residents154,010 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.
Population378,121 people9 Jun 2026Official source · CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Utrecht (gemeente) (GM0344)
Gigabit broadband availability97.73 %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 rate4.3 %31 Dec 2024Official source · CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality
NO₂ — annual mean13 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · EEA air quality statistics — NL NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Utrecht-Griftpark)
PM10 — annual mean15 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · EEA air quality statistics — NL PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Utrecht-Kardinaal de Jongweg)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Avg Download Mbps 2024250 Mbps31 Dec 2024ACM1Official
Avg Woz Value K Eur331 kEUR31 Dec 2020CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official
Banen Total357,700 jobs31 Dec 2024CBS — Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek5Official
Fttp Nl 5g Availabilitytrue31 Dec 2024ACM1Official
Fttp Nl Avg Pct95 %31 Dec 2024ACM1Official
Owner Occupied Share Pct45 pct31 Dec 2020CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official
Universities4 count3 Aug 2026DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs)10Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Utrecht 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 Utrecht?

The published population was 378,121 people in January 2026. Source: CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Utrecht (gemeente) (GM0344).

Is the air quality good in Utrecht?

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 Annual Statistics — NL 2024 PM2.5 follow-up exact station subset.

How safe is Utrecht?

Police recorded 6,800 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 Utrecht?

The unemployment rate is 4.3 % (2024). Source: CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality.

How many foreign residents live in Utrecht?

154,010 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..

How much is public transport in Utrecht?

A monthly transport pass is 61.8 EUR/month. Source: U-OV Zonal Subscription.

Is Utrecht a good place to live?

Utrecht 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 Utrecht?

The official country of birth distribution records 286,981 people (75.9%) 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). Utrecht, Netherlands: rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nl/utrecht/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_utrecht-netherlands-rent-salary-jobs_30a148818caa,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Utrecht, 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/utrecht/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Utrecht, Netherlands: rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nl/utrecht/) — 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 Utrecht (gemeente) (GM0344) 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 14 more sources
  1. EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — NL 2024 PM2.5 follow-up exact station subset EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-29
  2. EEA air quality statistics — NL NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Utrecht-Griftpark) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  3. EEA air quality statistics — NL PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Utrecht-Kardinaal de Jongweg) 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. U-OV Zonal Subscription u-ov.nl · checked 2026-07-26
  12. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station DeBiltAws_06260.csv WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  13. Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
  14. 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.