Waterwijk Noord, Almere

Living in Waterwijk Noord

Waterwijk Noord is more village than city in feel, and most of its 591 homes are houses rather than apartments — front doors, gardens, street parking.

At 7,941 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 Waterwijk Noord

At €332,000 average WOZ value, Waterwijk Noord ranks 123 out of 165 Almere neighborhoods on price — 12% 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 Waterwijk Noord sits among the city's more affordable ones.

The direction of the market: between 2022 and 2025 the average WOZ value here rose from €255,000 to €332,000, up 30% — roughly in step with the rest of the city. WOZ values lag the market by about a year, but the trend itself is reliable.

Ownership is split: 62% owner-occupied against 38% rental, including 36% 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, Waterwijk Noord is shaped by people in their late twenties to early forties (28% of its 1,475 residents), followed by 45-to-65 year olds at 25%. 40% of households have children at home, so expect school runs, playgrounds in use, and neighbors who stay put. The average household counts 2.3 people.

As for who your neighbors would be: incomes lean modest — 37% of households are among the country's lower earners.

Daily errands, coffee and dinner

Day to day: the nearest large supermarket is about 5 minutes' walk; there are about 8 cafés and restaurants within walking distance — enough choice without the crowds.

The practical checklist most buyers forget to make: pharmacy 5 min walk · GP 6 min · hospital 3.4 km · library 3.2 km · 1 cinema within 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 11 minutes on foot; daycare is well covered (2 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 10-minute bike ride, which Dutch teenagers do in all weather.

Getting around

Getting around: the station is an 11-minute cycle, standard Dutch commuting range; a highway on-ramp 0.7 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

99% 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 Waterwijk Noord

Before you bid in Waterwijk Noord: 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 Waterwijk Noord is out of reach or you want alternatives.