Living in City
City is densely built and genuinely urban, and living here overwhelmingly means apartment living — 98% of the stock is flats.
At 7,035 residents per km² the buurt is busy without being packed.
Enschede is a university city near the German border with some of the lowest big-city prices in the country. The technical university sustains steady rental demand, and cross-border shopping in Gronau is a genuine local perk.
The housing market in City
The average home value (WOZ) in City is €226,000, which puts it at #61 of 66 neighborhoods in Enschede — 30% cheaper than most of the city, which makes it one of the more approachable entry points into the city. For scale: Enschede's cheapest buurt averages €157,000 and its priciest €964,000, so City sits among the city's more affordable ones.
Average WOZ value per year (CBS). The reference date lags the current market by ±1 year.
2015: €116,000 · 2016: €120,000 · 2017: €118,000 · 2018: €130,000 · 2019: €149,000 · 2020: €163,000 · 2021: €178,000 · 2022: €184,000 · 2023: €224,000 · 2024: €230,000 · 2025: €226,000
The direction of the market: between 2015 and 2025 the average WOZ value here rose from €116,000 to €226,000, up 95% — slower than the city as a whole (+100%). WOZ values lag the market by about a year, but the trend itself is reliable.
Only about 1 in 14 homes here is owner-occupied (48% 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, City is shaped by people in their late twenties to early forties (41% of its 3,905 residents), followed by 15-to-25 year olds at 30%. More than half of all households (75%) are single-person — this is a neighborhood of independents, not minivans. The average household counts 1.3 people.
As for who your neighbors would be: incomes lean modest — 80% of households are among the country's lower earners; average income per resident is €26,000 a year.
Daily errands, coffee and dinner
Day to day: groceries are a non-issue — 6 large supermarkets within a kilometer; with roughly 113 cafés and restaurants within a kilometer, you will never cook out of necessity.
The practical checklist most buyers forget to make: pharmacy 8 min walk · GP 7 min · hospital 0.9 km · library 0.5 km · 2 cinemas 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 8 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 7-minute bike ride, which Dutch teenagers do in all weather.
Getting around
Getting around: the station is a 7-minute cycle, standard Dutch commuting range; a highway on-ramp 1.9 km away makes car trips easy — check whether through-traffic noise reaches the street you're considering; and at 0.4 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 82% 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 City
Before you bid in City: listings are scarce here, which pushes bidding above asking more often — decide your maximum before the viewing, not during it. Also, the price gap with the rest of Enschede 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
Is City a good neighborhood to live in?
That depends on what you're looking for. City suits first-time buyers and buyers after city buzz best; it's a weaker match for families with children and buyers after peace and space. The average home value is €226,000 (30% cheaper than most of Enschede) and the neighborhood has 3,905 residents. Ultimately the specific street and home matter more than the neighborhood average.
What is the average home value in City?
The average home value (WOZ waarde) in City, Enschede is €226,000, based on the official CBS neighborhood statistics.
Is City mostly owner-occupied or rental?
7% of homes in City are owner-occupied and 92% are rentals, of which 48% of all homes are social housing (woningcorporatie).
Are house prices in City rising?
Between 2015 and 2025 the average WOZ value in City rose from €116,000 to €226,000 (+95%); Enschede as a whole moved up 100% over the same period. WOZ values lag the current market by about a year.
How old are the homes in City?
82% of homes in City were built before 2000 and 18% after. Older buildings can mean higher maintenance and energy costs — check the energy label before bidding.
How far is the nearest train station from City?
The average distance to a train station from City is 1.8 km; a large supermarket is 0.2 km away on average.
Is City an expensive part of Enschede?
No — homes here cost about 30% less than in most of Enschede, making it one of the more affordable parts of the city.
Is City good for families with children?
The nearest primary school is 0.7 km away and there are 2 daycare locations within a kilometer. 7% of households here have children at home.
Is there foundation risk in City?
City is not in a designated foundation attention area; the soil here is Hogere Zandgronden, which has adequate bearing capacity. Around 50% of homes predate 1970. According to the Klimaateffectatlas, the risk of pile rot in this neighbourhood is very low. A structural survey is still sensible for any older property.
Similar neighborhoods in Enschede
Closest in price — worth a look if City is out of reach or you want alternatives.
Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten — latest complete release (buurt BU01530000) · Updated 2026-08-09. WOZ values are neighborhood averages; individual homes vary.