Houtwijk, Den Haag

Living in Houtwijk

Houtwijk is densely built and genuinely urban, and the stock is a genuine mix of apartments and family houses (48% houses).

At 8,927 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 Houtwijk

At €337,000 average WOZ value, Houtwijk ranks 60 out of 110 Den Haag neighborhoods on price — 9% below the city median, which makes it one of the more approachable entry points into the city. For scale: Den Haag's cheapest buurt averages €82,000 and its most expensive €919,000, so Houtwijk sits in the middle band of the city.

The direction of the market: between 2015 and 2025 the average WOZ value here rose from €182,000 to €363,000, up 99% — 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: 56% owner-occupied against 44% rental, including 38% 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, Houtwijk is dominated by established households in the 45-to-65 bracket (27% of its 12,735 residents), followed by 25-to-45 year olds at 23%. Households split into 36% singles and 37% families with children — a real mix rather than one lifestyle. The average household counts 2.2 people.

As for who your neighbors would be: incomes skew modest — 37% of households are in the lower national bracket; average income per resident is €29,000 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 5 cafés or restaurants sit within a kilometer.

The practical checklist most buyers forget to make: pharmacy 8 min walk · GP 10 min · hospital 1.4 km · library 1.4 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 6 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 nearest train station is 5.4 km out, so day-to-day life here leans on the car or bus; the nearest highway on-ramp is 2.5 km away; car ownership is moderate (0.9 per household).

Energy and running costs

95% 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 Houtwijk

Before you bid in Houtwijk: much of Den Haag sits on soft soil, 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.

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 Houtwijk is out of reach or you want alternatives.