Living in Heijendaal
Heijendaal is urban but not overwhelming, and this is apartment territory: only about 1 in 5 homes is a house.
With just 1,535 residents per km², this is space by Dutch standards.
Nijmegen, the country's oldest city, has a university-driven rental market, a compact center and hilly, green surroundings that are genuinely rare in the Netherlands. Homes on the right side of the Waal bridge command a premium for the cycling commute.
The housing market in Heijendaal
The average home value (WOZ) in Heijendaal is €289,000, which puts it at #30 of 40 neighborhoods in Nijmegen — 17% below the city median, leaving room in the budget that pricier neighborhoods would swallow. For scale: Nijmegen's cheapest buurt averages €228,000 and its most expensive €644,000, so Heijendaal sits in the budget band of the city.
Average WOZ value per year (CBS). The reference date lags the current market by ±1 year.
The direction of the market: between 2015 and 2025 the average WOZ value here rose from €178,000 to €272,000, up 53% — slower than the city as a whole (+108%). WOZ values lag the market by about a year, but the trend itself is reliable.
Here is the catch for buyers: only 27% of homes are owner-occupied, and 59% of the stock is social housing that never reaches the open market. Few homes come up for sale, so when one does, expect competition and act fast on viewings. The upside of the same number: neighborhoods with a big rental base tend to feel lively and transient rather than settled — decide which you want before you fall for a listing.
Who lives here
Demographically, Heijendaal is a young-adult neighborhood — the 25-to-45 group outnumbers everyone else (39% of its 2,240 residents), followed by 15-to-25 year olds at 28%. More than half of all households (72%) are single-person — this is a neighborhood of independents, not minivans. The average household counts 1.4 people.
As for who your neighbors would be: incomes skew modest — 67% of households are in the lower national bracket.
Daily errands, coffee and dinner
Day to day: plan your groceries: the nearest large supermarket is 1.0 km away; dining out means a short trip: only 5 cafés or restaurants sit within a kilometer.
The practical checklist most buyers forget to make: pharmacy 12 min walk · GP 7 min · hospital 1.2 km · library 2.5 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 13 minutes on foot; daycare is 0.8 km away — check waiting lists early, they are long everywhere in the Netherlands; secondary school is a 5-minute bike ride, which Dutch teenagers do in all weather.
Getting around
Getting around: the train station is 10 minutes on foot — commuting without a car is the natural choice; a highway on-ramp 2.0 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 68% 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 Heijendaal
Before you bid in Heijendaal: 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 Nijmegen 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 Heijendaal a good neighborhood to live in?
That depends on what you're looking for. Heijendaal suits first-time buyers best; it's a weaker match for families with children and buyers after city buzz. The average home value is €289,000 (17% below the Nijmegen median) and the neighborhood has 2,240 residents. Ultimately the specific street and home matter more than the neighborhood average.
What is the average home value in Heijendaal?
The average home value (WOZ waarde) in Heijendaal, Nijmegen is €289,000, based on the official CBS neighborhood statistics.
Is Heijendaal mostly owner-occupied or rental?
27% of homes in Heijendaal are owner-occupied and 73% are rentals, of which 59% of all homes are social housing (woningcorporatie).
Are house prices in Heijendaal rising?
Between 2015 and 2025 the average WOZ value in Heijendaal rose from €178,000 to €272,000 (+53%); Nijmegen as a whole moved up 108% over the same period. WOZ values lag the current market by about a year.
How old are the homes in Heijendaal?
68% of homes in Heijendaal were built before 2000 and 32% after. Older buildings can mean higher maintenance and energy costs — check the energy label before bidding.
How far is the nearest train station from Heijendaal?
The average distance to a train station from Heijendaal is 0.8 km; a large supermarket is 1.0 km away on average.
Is Heijendaal an expensive part of Nijmegen?
No — average home values are 17% below the Nijmegen median, making it one of the more affordable parts of the city.
Is Heijendaal good for families with children?
The nearest primary school is 1.1 km away and there are 1 daycare locations within a kilometer. 7% of households here have children at home.
Similar neighborhoods in Nijmegen
Closest in price — worth a look if Heijendaal is out of reach or you want alternatives.
Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (buurt BU02680517) · Data updated 2026-07-11. WOZ values are neighborhood averages; individual homes vary.