Centrum Haven Zuid, Almere

Living in Centrum Haven Zuid

Centrum Haven Zuid is urban but not overwhelming, and this is apartment territory: only about 1 in 33 homes is a house.

With just 2,506 residents per km², this is space by Dutch standards.

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 Centrum Haven Zuid

At €295,000 average WOZ value, Centrum Haven Zuid ranks 147 out of 165 Almere neighborhoods on price — 22% cheaper than most of the city, leaving room in the budget that pricier neighborhoods would swallow. For scale: Almere's cheapest buurt averages €169,000 and its priciest €1,166,000, so Centrum Haven Zuid sits among the city's more affordable ones.

The direction of the market: between 2015 and 2025 the average WOZ value here rose from €140,000 to €295,000, up 111% — faster than the city as a whole (+105%). WOZ values lag the market by about a year, but the trend itself is reliable.

Ownership is split: 40% owner-occupied against 60% rental, including 48% social housing. Enough homes trade hands to give you comparable sales, but check what's actually for sale versus rented in the specific block you're eyeing — the mix can flip from one street to the next.

Who lives here

Demographically, Centrum Haven Zuid is one of the older neighborhoods in the city — seniors form the largest group (53% of its 1,010 residents), followed by 25-to-45 year olds at 18%. More than half of all households (56%) are single-person — this is a neighborhood of independents, not minivans. The average household counts 1.5 people.

As for who your neighbors would be: incomes lean modest — 46% of households are among the country's lower earners.

Daily errands, coffee and dinner

Day to day: groceries are a non-issue — 3 large supermarkets within a kilometer; there are about 24 cafés and restaurants within walking distance — enough choice without the crowds.

The practical checklist most buyers forget to make: pharmacy 8 min walk · GP 5 min · hospital 6.1 km · library 0.5 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 12 minutes on foot; daycare is 1.1 km away — check waiting lists early, they are long everywhere in the Netherlands; secondary school is a 2-minute bike ride, which Dutch teenagers do in all weather.

Getting around

Getting around: the nearest train station is 5.6 km out, so day-to-day life here leans on the car or bus; the nearest highway on-ramp is 3.1 km away; car ownership is moderate (0.8 per household).

Energy and running costs

81% of homes were built before 2000. Two identical-looking houses on the same street can differ by hundreds of euros a month once heating is counted — the energy label tells you which one you're looking at, and lenders increasingly price it into your mortgage too.

Before you bid in Centrum Haven Zuid

Before you bid in Centrum Haven Zuid: 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. Also, with many older residents, more homes will come to market here over the coming years than the recent past suggests — patience can pay.

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 Centrum Haven Zuid is out of reach or you want alternatives.