De Bras, Den Haag

Living in De Bras

De Bras is moderately urban — city amenities without the crush, and the housing is dominated by single-family houses (93%), which is what draws settlers rather than passers-through.

At 6,689 residents per km² the buurt is busy without being packed.

Den Haag combines government and expat demand — ministries, embassies, international courts and Shell — with one of the widest price ranges of any Dutch city: stately streets near the dunes at one end, dense and affordable neighborhoods a couple of kilometers inland at the other.

The housing market in De Bras

The average home value (WOZ) in De Bras is €550,000, which puts it at #18 of 110 neighborhoods in Den Haag — 48% above the city median. You pay for the location here. For scale: Den Haag's cheapest buurt averages €82,000 and its most expensive €919,000, so De Bras sits in the upper band of the city.

The direction of the market: between 2015 and 2025 the average WOZ value here rose from €302,000 to €609,000, up 102% — slower than the city as a whole (+125%). WOZ values lag the market by about a year, but the trend itself is reliable.

Ownership is split: 64% owner-occupied against 36% rental, including 28% 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 Bras is dominated by established households in the 45-to-65 bracket (38% of its 5,710 residents), followed by children under 15 at 21%. 66% of households have children at home, so expect school runs, playgrounds in use, and neighbors who stay put. The average household counts 3.0 people.

As for who your neighbors would be: 49% 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 €38,000 a year.

Daily errands, coffee and dinner

Day to day: plan your groceries: the nearest large supermarket is 1.8 km away; this is not a going-out neighborhood — the cafés are elsewhere.

The practical checklist most buyers forget to make: pharmacy 22 min walk · GP 20 min · hospital 6.2 km · library 1.8 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 10 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 an 11-minute bike ride, which Dutch teenagers do in all weather.

Getting around

Getting around: the nearest train station is 3.9 km out, so day-to-day life here leans on the car or bus; the nearest highway on-ramp is 2.3 km away; households here average 1.2 cars, so assume driveways and parking are part of daily logistics.

Energy and running costs

With 99% 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 Bras

Before you bid in De Bras: in a premium buurt the risk isn't buying a bad home, it's overpaying for a good one — anchor your bid on recent sales of comparable homes, not on the asking price. Also, 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 Den Haag

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