Molenwijk, Amsterdam

Living in Molenwijk

Molenwijk is urban but not overwhelming, and living here overwhelmingly means apartment living — 100% of the stock is flats.

At 9,882 residents per km² the buurt is busy without being packed.

Amsterdam is the tightest housing market in the Netherlands: international workers, students and families chase the same limited stock, overbidding is routine in popular price bands, and a large social-housing sector keeps much of the city permanently off the open market. Where a buurt sits relative to the ring road (A10) and a metro or tram line explains a surprising share of its price.

The housing market in Molenwijk

The average home value (WOZ) in Molenwijk is €286,000, which puts it at #407 of 426 neighborhoods in Amsterdam — 43% cheaper than most of the city, which makes it one of the more approachable entry points into the city. For scale: Amsterdam's cheapest buurt averages €42,000 and its priciest €2,286,000, so Molenwijk sits among the city's more affordable ones.

The direction of the market: between 2023 and 2025 the average WOZ value here fell from €323,000 to €286,000, down 11% — slower than the city as a whole (+0%). WOZ values lag the market by about a year, but the trend itself is reliable.

Only about 1 in 7 homes here is owner-occupied (80% is social housing) — supply on Funda is structurally thin, which concentrates bidding on the few listings that appear. If you find a home here you like, being prepared (financing check done, valuation lined up) is worth more than in neighborhoods where something new lists every week.

Who lives here

Demographically, Molenwijk is shaped by people in their late twenties to early forties (26% of its 2,995 residents), followed by 45-to-65 year olds at 23%. Households split into 49% singles and 35% families with children — a real mix rather than one lifestyle. The average household counts 2.0 people.

As for who your neighbors would be: incomes lean modest — 60% of households are among the country's lower earners; average income per resident is €21,000 a year.

Daily errands, coffee and dinner

Day to day: the nearest large supermarket is about 8 minutes' walk; dining out means a short trip: only 2 cafés or restaurants sit within a kilometer.

The practical checklist most buyers forget to make: pharmacy 10 min walk · GP 10 min · hospital 4.0 km · library 0.8 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 8 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 5-minute bike ride, which Dutch teenagers do in all weather.

Getting around

Getting around: the nearest train station is 6.6 km out, so day-to-day life here leans on the car or bus; a highway on-ramp 1.1 km away makes car trips easy — check whether through-traffic noise reaches the street you're considering; and at 0.5 cars per household, most residents simply don't own one — if you do, factor in permit costs and waiting lists before you buy.

Energy and running costs

Since 100% 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 Molenwijk

Before you bid in Molenwijk: the national soil map leaves built-up areas unclassified, and city centres like this one often sit on peat, and pre-1970 homes may stand on wooden piles — since the 2026 appraisal rules, a foundation risk class (A–E) appears in every valuation, so check it before you bid, not after the deal is already emotional. Also, listings are scarce here, which pushes bidding above asking more often — decide your maximum before the viewing, not during it. Beyond that, the price gap with the rest of Amsterdam is real, but so is the reason for it — walk the neighborhood at different times of day before committing.

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 Amsterdam

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