De Baken, Amersfoort

Living in De Baken

De Baken is moderately urban — city amenities without the crush, and the stock is a genuine mix of apartments and family houses (58% houses).

At 9,220 residents per km² the buurt is busy without being packed.

Amersfoort sits at the rail crossroads of the Netherlands, which makes it a favorite for couples commuting in different directions. A well-preserved medieval center is ringed by thoughtfully planned newer districts like Vathorst.

The housing market in De Baken

The average home value (WOZ) in De Baken is €459,000, which puts it at #50 of 125 neighborhoods in Amersfoort — 11% above the city median. That premium is the location speaking. For scale: Amersfoort's cheapest buurt averages €102,000 and its most expensive €1,329,000, so De Baken sits in the middle band of the city.

The direction of the market: between 2015 and 2025 the average WOZ value here rose from €191,000 to €489,000, up 156% — faster than the city as a whole (+110%). WOZ values lag the market by about a year, but the trend itself is reliable.

Ownership is split: 50% owner-occupied against 50% 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, De Baken is a young-adult neighborhood — the 25-to-45 group outnumbers everyone else (36% of its 3,425 residents), followed by children under 15 at 26%. 49% 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: 32% of households sit in the country's top income bracket — which helps explain both the café density and the bidding behavior; average income per resident is €35,000 a year.

Daily errands, coffee and dinner

Day to day: plan your groceries: the nearest large supermarket is 1.6 km away; dining out means a short trip: only 2 cafés or restaurants sit within a kilometer.

The practical checklist most buyers forget to make: pharmacy 7 min walk · GP 7 min · hospital 6.9 km · library 1.9 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 5 minutes on foot; daycare is well covered (3 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 station is an 8-minute cycle, standard Dutch commuting range; the nearest highway on-ramp is 2.2 km away; car ownership is moderate (1.0 per household).

Energy and running costs

With 100% of homes built after 2000, insulation standards here are decent by default — but newer also means VvE service costs for apartments and less room to add value through renovation. Different math, not automatically better.

Before you bid in De Baken

Before you bid in De Baken: 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 Amersfoort

Closest in price — worth a look if De Baken is out of reach or you want alternatives.