Most expensive communes of Belgium for real estate

[Maciamo]

The Belgian government has released statistics on real estate sales for January to September 2006. The 50 most expensives of the 589 municipalities in Belgium for ordinnary houses are (listed by average house price in euro) :

Average for Belgium : 148,723 euro per house


1) Woluwe-St-Pierre : 395,746
2) Woluwe-St-Lambert : 363,623
3) Kraainem : 338,451
4) Uccle : 335,459
5) Lasne : 335,081
6) Auderghem : 319,013
7) Ixelles : 305,147
8) Watermael-Boitsfort : 303,745
9) Etterbeek : 301,640
10) Knokke-Heist : 298,537
11) Forest : 295,210
12) Wezembeek-Oppem : 282,811
13) Evere : 278,234
14) St-Gilles : 274,447
15) La Hulpe : 266,398
16) Rixensart : 264,360
17) Schaerbeek : 263,424
18) Brussels City : 258,662
19) Linkebeek : 255,467
20) Ganshoren : 255,083
21) Waterloo : 247,940
22) Pepingen : 245,270
23) Wemmel : 244,657
24) Berchem-St-Agathe : 243,971
25) St-Josse-ten-Noode : 243,271
26) Meise : 242,352
27) Baerle-Duc : 239,843
28) Edegem : 239,142
29) Koksijde : 237,018
30) Lint : 235,195
31) Overijse : 233,594
32) Koekelberg : 233,463
33) Rhode-St-Genese : 232,834
34) Schilde : 232,708
35) Molenbeek-St-Jean : 232,262
36) St-Martens-Latem : 232,160
37) Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve : 231,308
38) Chaumont-Gistoux : 230,729
39) Zaventem : 230,169
40) Jette : 229,101
41) Tervuren : 227,923
42) Hove : 226,756
43) Grez-Doiceau : 226,469
44) Mortsel : 224,297
45) Assesse : 223,896
46) Hoogstraten : 222,942
47) Drogenbos : 221,395
48) Walhain : 221,350
49) Anderlecht : 221,019
50) Brasschaat : 219,219


Classification by region

* 19 communes of the Brussels Capital-Region
* Suburbs of Brussels
* Suburbs of Antwerp
* Suburb of Ghent
* Belgian seaside
* Dutch border
* Wallonia


Naturally, Brussels and its suburbs are the most expensive area, followed by the best suburbs of Antwerp. Two municipalities at the Belgian seaside, and two others right on the border of the Netherlands also make the top 50.

If we include the southern outskirt of Brussels, 9 municipalities in the top 50 are located in Wallonia (Lasne, La Hulpe, Rixensart, Waterloo, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Chaumont-Gistoux, Grez-Doiceau, Assesse and Walhain). 22 are in Flanders, including 7 in bilingual suburbs of Brussels, where the Francophones represents 1/3 to 2/3 of the commune's population (Linkebeek, Rhode-St-Genese, Overijse, Tervuren, Kraainem, Wezembeek-Oppem and Zaventem).



Bottom 50 cheapest municipalities in Belgium

1) Colfontaine : 67,056 euro per house
2) Quaregnon : 69,909
3) Boussu : 71,180
4) Frameries : 76,034
5) Dour : 76,336
6) Quievrain : 77,138
7) Hensies : 77,996
8) Fontaine-l'Eveque : 80,836
9) Viroinval : 81,455
10) Erquelinnes : 81,547
11) Martelange : 82,980
12) Charleroi : 83,130
13) Seraing : 84,079
14) Doische : 84,731
15) Burg Reuland : 84,845
16) Courcelles : 84,876
17) Chatelet : 85,172
18) Bernissart : 85,598
19) Binche : 86,218
20) Engis : 86,357
21) Anderlues : 86,837
22) Honnelles : 87,660
23) Beloeil : 87,802
24) Gedinne : 87,988
25) Peruwelz : 88,561
26) Neufchateau : 88,968
27) Morlanwelz : 89,394
28) Saint-Nicolas (Liege) : 89,259
29) La Louviere : 89,613
30) Menin : 89,694
31) Alveringem : 90,344
32) Saint-Hubert : 90,574
33) Ronse : 90,850
34) Manage : 91,418
35) Vleteren : 91,908
36) Quevy : 92,374
37) Bütgenbach : 92,900
38) Brugelette : 93,096
39) Bouillon : 93,403
40) Visé : 93,894
41) Chapelle-lez-Herlaimont : 93,929
42) Hotton : 94,218
43) Herstal : 94,847
44) Merbes-le-Chateau : 95,157
45) Marchin : 95,250
46) Couvin : 96,117
47) Antoing : 96,160
48) Flémalle : 96,607
49) Chimay : 97,622
50) Mons : 97,640

The three cheapest municipalities in Belgium are Colfontaine (67,056), Quargnon (69,909) and Boussu (71,180), all in the suburbs of Mons. Mons itself is the 50th cheapest nationwide. The Hainaut province is by far the poorest. Indeed, over half of the 50 cheapest municipalities are located in Hainaut, especially around Mons, La Louviere and Charleroi, and along the French border. Two communes of the bottom 50 are in the German-speaking region. Only 4 of the cheapest municipalities are in Flanders.


Here is a map of the 50 most expensive and 50 cheapest communes in Belgium.


Conclusion, the French-speaking part of Belgium (Brussels included) has the biggest share of the dearest and cheapest places to live in Belgium, reflecting bigger socio-economic gaps than among Dutch speakers.

[Maciamo]

Top 50 for villas, bungalows and country houses

N.B. : Municipalities with less than 10 sales in this category in 2006 were ignored for the ranking purpose.

Average price for Belgium : 284.534 euro per villa/country house

1) Knokke-Heist : 1.091.386
2) Uccle : 947.657
3) Woluwe-St-Pierre : 746.275
4) Watermael-Boitsfort : 654.462
5) Rhode-St-Genese : 623.359
6) Lasne : 573.049
7) Brasschaat : 572.721
8) Schilde : 561.167
9) Kraainem : 555.213
10) Sint-Martens-Latem : 505.262
11) Brussels City : 457.941
12) Tervuren : 452.085
13) Kapellen : 449.150
14) Wemmel : 436.628
15) Antwerp : 428.912
16) Oud-Turnhout : 427.139
17) Edegem : 425.069
18) Waterloo : 423.339
19) Schoten : 414.298
20) Merchtem : 410.625
21) Wezembeek-Oppem : 408.298
22) Overijse : 406.676
23) La Hulpe : 400.158
24) Duffel : 399.016
25) Linkebeek : 390.633
26) Waasmunster : 385.445
27) Aartselaar : 384.309
28) Hoogstraten : 384.135
29) Leuven : 381.970
30) Hove : 372.563
31) Boechout : 367.927
32) Veurne : 366.243
33) Grez-Doiceau : 364.882
34) De Panne : 361.494
35) Zuienkerke : 360.977
36) Nieuwpoort : 358.573
37) Putte : 358.464
38) Roosdaal : 357.185
39) Braine-l'Alleud : 355.879
40) Beersel : 355.735
41) Rixensart : 354.194
42) Lier : 353.857
43) Keerbergen : 353.739
44) Oud-Heverlee : 348.171
45) Meise : 347.165
46) Grimbergen : 345.750
47) Zaventem : 344.333
48) Herent : 343.022
49) Lanaeken : 341.135
50) Sint-Pieters-Leeuw : 337.240

Classification by region

* Brussels Capital-Region
* Surburbs of Brussels
* Belgian seaside
* Dutch border
* Antwerp & suburbs
* Flanders

Results are quite different for villas than for ordinnary houses. Only 4 municipalities of the Brussels Region are listed (toward the top, nevertheless), instead of all 19. More suburbs of Brussels are listed, and higher in the ranking .

Prices in Knokke-Heist, where the well-off of all the country buy their seaside residence, goes through the roof, with over 1 million euro per villa in average.

The big winners are Antwerp and its surburbs, as well as Mechelen and Leuven + suburbs. Only one town is listed in Limburg (Lanaeken), one in East Flanders (Sint-Martens-Latem), and none in West Flanders except for the touristic seaside (only holiday residences). No municipality in Wallonia makes the top 50, except the 6 suburbs of Brussels in Walloon Brabant.

[Duo]

Very interesting, I would have never thought Woluwe-St pierre and St. Lambert are on the top..

[Maciamo]

WSP is well-known for being poshest and most expensive place to live in Brussels (especially along Avenue de Tervuren), with Uccle (see map of socio-economic divisions in Brussels). These prices are for "ordinnary houses", so WSL is ranked 2nd. For villas, Uccle is actually first in Brussels.

But Woluwe-St-Pierre is still relatively cheap (3,000 to 5,000 euro per m2) compared to the most demanded neighbourhoods of Knokke-Le Zoute at the Belgian seaside, where some apartments sell for up to 20,000 euro per m2 !!

[Maciamo]

It is enlighteneing to compare the real estate prices to the average revenues based on the tax declaration. If the suburbs of Mons and the south-west of the Hainaut province make the botom 20 for real estate prices, the 4 out of the 5 poorest municipalities for individual revenues are all with the Brussels Region (St Josse, Molenbeek, St Gilles and Schaerbeek).

Poverty in Brussels

This means that poverty is a much bigger problem in the immigrant suburbs of Brussels than in the poorest areas of the Hainaut in Wallonia.

Indeed, a recent study revealed that 28% of the people in Brussels lived in poverty, while even more people were much wealthier than the national average.

Brussels has the 3rd highest GDP per capita of any European city after Inner London and Luxembourg. Yet, it is a city of sharp contrast, where the most abject poverty meets some of the biggest fortunes in the continental Europe.

Who is really poorer than whom ?

It takes 35 years of net revenue for the inhabitants of St. Josse to pay off their house (6,893 euro of net revenue per person/243,271 euro per house), excluding monthly charges, food, clothing, transportation, hobbies and other expenses.

In comparison, it only takes 6.7 years for people in Colfontaine, the cheapest municipality for houses in Belgium (9,959 euro of net revenue per person/67,056 euro per house).

In other words, it is fairly easy for people in the province of Hainaut, even in the poorest suburbs of Mons, to purchase a house with their salary, while it is nearly impossible for people in the poorest neighbourhoods of Brussels.

[Maciamo]

Just for fun, here is the top 35 of the richest municipalities in the Brabant (Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant) + Brussels, based on the average declared revenues. Flemish muncipalities with a sizeable Francophone community are indicated in red.

We see that the places where people earn the most are quite different from the most expensive places for real estate. Brussels municipalities are all in the top 20 for Belgium for real estate, but none make the top 20 for just Brabant in revenues.

1. Keerbergen 18.984 euro per person
2. Lasne 18.730
3. Dilbeek 18.283
4. Lubbeek 17.964
5. Oud-Heverlee 17.891
6. Herent 17.840
7. Meise 17.495
8. Steenokkerzeel 17.454
9. Grimbergen 17.361
10. Kortenberg 16.888
11. Boortmeerbeek 16.858
12. Bierbeek 16.798
13. Zemst 16.781
14. Wemmel 16.701
15. Kampenhout 16.652
16. Lennik 16.649
17. La Hulpe 16.623
18. Braine-l'Alleud 16.507
19. Bertem 16.287
20. Sint-Genesius-Rode 16.264
21. Chaumont-Gistoux 16.255
22. Rixensart 16.233
23. Huldenberg 16.165
24. Boutersem 16.023
25. Beersel 15.987
26. Grez-Doiceau 15.824
27. Walhain 15.625
28. Beauvechain 15.559
29. Waterloo 15.320
30. Woluwe-Saint-Pierre 15.282
31. Mont-Saint-Guibert 15.206
32. Nivelles 15.197
33. Ittre 15.185
34. Villers-la-Ville 15.170
35. Watermael-Boitsfort 15.144

And here is the bottom 20 :

1. Berchem-Sainte-Agathe 13.685
2. Woluwe-Saint-Lambert 13.563
3. Ganshoren 13.414
4. Rebecq 13.412
5. Kortenaken 13.241
6. Drogenbos 13.127
7. Geetbets 13.021
8. Tubize 12.768
9. Jette 12.415
10. Evere 11.976
11. Ixelles 11.663
12. Forest 11.639
13. Koekelberg 11.184
14. Etterbeek 10.793
15. Anderlecht 10.373
16. Brussels City 10.162
17. Schaerbeek 9.343
18. Saint-Gilles 8.918
19. Molenbeek-Saint-Jean 8.620
20. Saint-Josse-ten-Noode 6.897

[Maciamo]

A recent study by Dexia Bank confirms the correlation between real estate prices and quality of life. The criteria taken into account include car ownership, income, the average household size, crime levels and the level of unemployment.

Ironically, declared revenues alone do not correlate so much with the ranking for quality of life. But the richest people aren't always those who have the highest salary. There can be inherited fortune, investment, or even money earned in foreign companies/governments and not declared in Belgium. That is why a place like Woluwe-St-Pierre, the most expensive for real estate, ranks only 30th for average declared revenue in Belgium, as many EU workers, diplomats and expats live there, none of whom pay income taxes in Belgium.

[bossbaig007]

Absolutely beautiful. But I don't think I would ever want to move back to California. The taxes are too high, the threat of earthquakes is high and the economy is not as strong as it used to be. But the trade off is Southern Cali is a beautiful place to live.  The weather is the best in the country.

[bossbaig007]

I seen it coming 20 years ago! Hong Kong remember! It's Vancouver, even if you want to come back there is no future to be a land owner in a life time. Those dreams went away back then! God help us but praying won't. Welcome to Lotus Land?