Ambachtsmark, Vrijmark en Zuidmark, Almere

Living in Ambachtsmark, Vrijmark en Zuidmark

Ambachtsmark, Vrijmark en Zuidmark is urban but not overwhelming, and the housing is dominated by single-family houses (69%), which is what draws settlers rather than passers-through.

At 5,473 residents per km² the buurt is busy without being packed.

Almere is the Netherlands' youngest city — planned, spacious and car-friendly, with newer housing stock than almost anywhere else in the country. Many residents commute: Amsterdam is around 25 minutes by train, which is exactly the trade many buyers here have chosen.

The housing market in Ambachtsmark, Vrijmark en Zuidmark

At €270,000 average WOZ value, Ambachtsmark, Vrijmark en Zuidmark ranks 144 out of 164 Almere neighborhoods on price — 23% below the city median, which makes it one of the more approachable entry points into the city. For scale: Almere's cheapest buurt averages €130,000 and its most expensive €1,212,000, so Ambachtsmark, Vrijmark en Zuidmark sits in the budget band of the city.

The direction of the market: between 2022 and 2025 the average WOZ value here rose from €234,000 to €322,000, up 38% — faster than the city as a whole (+28%). WOZ values lag the market by about a year, but the trend itself is reliable.

Here is the catch for buyers: only 25% of homes are owner-occupied, and 54% of the stock is social housing that never reaches the open market. Few homes come up for sale, so when one does, expect competition and act fast on viewings. The upside of the same number: neighborhoods with a big rental base tend to feel lively and transient rather than settled — decide which you want before you fall for a listing.

Who lives here

Demographically, Ambachtsmark, Vrijmark en Zuidmark is shaped by people in their late twenties to early forties (26% of its 1,090 residents), followed by children under 15 at 22%. 46% of households have children at home, so expect school runs, playgrounds in use, and neighbors who stay put. The average household counts 2.5 people.

As for who your neighbors would be: incomes skew modest — 40% of households are in the lower national bracket.

Daily errands, coffee and dinner

Day to day: the nearest large supermarket is about 5 minutes' walk; dining out means a short trip: only 1 café or restaurant sit within a kilometer.

The practical checklist most buyers forget to make: pharmacy 18 min walk · GP 18 min · hospital 4.9 km · library 1.7 km. None of these will decide a purchase on their own, but a GP taking new patients nearby is the kind of thing you only miss after moving.

Families and schools

For families: the nearest primary school is 4 minutes on foot; daycare is well covered (4 locations nearby) — though Dutch waiting lists mean you register the week you know you're expecting, not the week you need it; secondary school is a 6-minute bike ride, which Dutch teenagers do in all weather.

Getting around

Getting around: the nearest train station is 4.4 km out, so day-to-day life here leans on the car or bus; a highway on-ramp 1.5 km away makes car trips easy — check whether through-traffic noise reaches the street you're considering; car ownership is moderate (0.9 per household).

Energy and running costs

Since 81% of the stock predates 2000, always check the energy label of a specific listing — the difference between label C and label F on an average home here is easily a few thousand euros a year in heating, and it changes what you can sensibly bid.

Before you bid in Ambachtsmark, Vrijmark en Zuidmark

Before you bid in Ambachtsmark, Vrijmark en Zuidmark: listings are scarce here, which pushes bidding above asking more often — decide your maximum before the viewing, not during it. Also, the price gap with the rest of Almere is real, but so is the reason for it — walk the neighborhood at different times of day before committing. Beyond that, family neighborhoods like this one turn over slowly; when a good house appears it often goes to the first serious, well-prepared bidder.

None of these averages can tell you whether the specific house you found is fairly priced — that depends on its size, energy label, state of maintenance and the recent sales around it. That is exactly what a free HomeReview report checks, in about 10 seconds, for any Dutch address.

Frequently asked questions

Similar neighborhoods in Almere

Closest in price — worth a look if Ambachtsmark, Vrijmark en Zuidmark is out of reach or you want alternatives.