Westerveld: population and statistics
Westerveld has a population of 20,035 (2026) across 278.4 km², or 72.0 people per km². It ranks 277 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +5.8% between 2016 and 2026.
- 20,035 residents
- 278.4 km²
- 72 people/km²
- 15 m
Key points
Among the 12 municipalities in Drenthe, Westerveld ranks No. 12 by population.
Average distance to the nearest school: 1.6 km in Westerveld, compared with an average of 1.0 km in Drenthe and 0.8 km nationally.
Share of residents aged 65 and over: 32.3% in Westerveld, compared with an average of 25.6% in Drenthe and 21.1% nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 19.2% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,018 kWh a year here.
Westerveld in numbers
Where is Westerveld?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Meppel7.6 km · 36,616
- Steenwijkerland8.1 km · 45,926
- Staphorst15 km · 18,219
- De Wolden17 km · 24,819
- Hoogeveen17 km · 56,781
- Midden-Drenthe20 km · 34,402
- Weststellingwerf20 km · 26,622
- Zwartewaterland23 km · 23,733
All municipalities in Zuidwest-Drenthe (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Westerveld over time
Westerveld had 18,940 residents in 2016 and 20,035 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 19,661 |
| 2022 | 19,854 |
| 2023 | 19,860 |
| 2024 | 20,003 |
| 2025 | 19,983 |
| 2026 | 20,035 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Drenthe for “Share of residents aged 65 and over”.
- Number 1 in Drenthe for “Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water)”.
- “Average distance to the nearest school”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Share of residents aged 65 and over”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water)”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 38,997 football pitches.
- Its population density is 7.5 times lower than the national average.
All indicators for Westerveld
Value for the municipality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the municipality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Westerveld | Drenthe | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 32.3% | 25.6% | 23.6% | ranked 4 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 12.3% | 14.0% | 14.8% | ranked 315 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −6.1 ‰ | −4.0 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 316 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 5.4 ‰ | 8.9 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 193 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Westerveld | Drenthe | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 8,898 dwellings | 230,306 | 8,274,510 | ranked 272 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 20.1% | 13.5% | 13.1% | ranked 75 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 12.4% | 18.2% | 19.9% | ranked 309 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 90.4% | 80.9% | 79.5% | ranked 10 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 75.5% | 66.8% | 66.7% | ranked 14 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 16.7% | 23.9% | 23.7% | ranked 298 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 462,000 € | 359,206 € | 438,000 € | ranked 135 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 16.6 ‰ | 14.0 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 188 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Westerveld | Drenthe | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 1,070 m³ | 961 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 16 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 3,140 kWh | 2,818 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 41 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 7% | 6% | 7% | ranked 133 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 60% | 54% | 46% | ranked 15 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 14% | 13% | 12% | ranked 62 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 0 ha | 531 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 159 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 92.8% | 90.8% | 90.3% | ranked 42 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.1% | ranked 191 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 1,780 kWh | 1,460 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 20 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 1,795 Wp | 3,582 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 160 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 292.0 ‰ | 268.2 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 21 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Westerveld | Drenthe | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 62,900 € | 57,846 € | 63,450 € | ranked 175 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 3,025 | 60,970 | 2,612,530 | ranked 263 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 151.0 ‰ | 120.0 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 84 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Westerveld | Drenthe | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.4% | 1.6% | 1.5% | ranked 185 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 2.3% | 3.3% | 2.3% | ranked 164 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Westerveld | Drenthe | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 594 ‰ | 538 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 9 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 12.0 km | 7.1 km | 4.6 km | ranked 48 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Westerveld | Drenthe | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.2 persons | 2.2 | 2.2 | ranked 134 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 32.1% | 34.8% | 33.3% | ranked 210 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 18.8 ‰ | 30.1 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 320 of 338 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 2.3 km | 1.5 km | 1.0 km | ranked 3 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Westerveld | Drenthe | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 587 kg | 560 kg | 468 kg | ranked 48 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 3.9% | 14.3% | 16.8% | ranked 337 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 52.0% | 66.3% | 58.8% | ranked 202 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 42.0% | 15.8% | 11.7% | ranked 27 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Westerveld | Drenthe | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 2.2 km | 1.6 km | 1.2 km | ranked 10 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Westerveld | Drenthe | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 30.9% | 26.9% | 28.5% | ranked 124 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 1.6 km | 1.0 km | 0.8 km | ranked 1 of 342 |
Westerveld: indicators over time
Indicators available for several years. Hover over or tap a chart to read the value for each year.
Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler
92.8% in 2022, compared with 96.0% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
0.0% in 2022, compared with 0.0% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
1,795 Wp in 2025, compared with 730 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
292.0 ‰ in 2025, compared with 156.6 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
18.8 ‰ in 2025, compared with 22.5 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
5.2 ‰ in 2024, compared with 6.9 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Westerveld
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 3.3 |
| February | 37 | 3.5 |
| March | 80 | 5.7 |
| April | 128 | 9.5 |
| May | 156 | 13.3 |
| June | 164 | 16.6 |
| July | 162 | 18.3 |
| August | 136 | 17.7 |
| September | 95 | 15.1 |
| October | 54 | 11.5 |
| November | 26 | 7.0 |
| December | 16 | 4.4 |
Business sectors: Westerveld
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical19.2% ×0.9
- Health and social work11.6% ×1.1
- Wholesale and retail trade10.3% ×0.8
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing10.1% ×3.3
- Construction8.6% ×0.8
- Education6.5% ×1.1
- Other service activities6.1% ×1.1
- Accommodation and food services5.8% ×1.7
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Westerveld?
Westerveld has 20,035 residents (2026), ranking 277 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Westerveld?
Westerveld covers 278.4 km², with a density of 72 people per km².
Is the population of Westerveld growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Westerveld went from 18,940 to 20,035, a change of +5.8%.
Where is Westerveld?
Westerveld is in Drenthe. It belongs to Zuidwest-Drenthe (COROP region). Latitude 52.767, longitude 6.233.
Average distance to the nearest school: what is the figure for Westerveld?
In Westerveld, “Average distance to the nearest school” stands at 1.6 km (2025), ranking 1 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 0.8 km.
Share of residents aged 65 and over: what is the figure for Westerveld?
In Westerveld, “Share of residents aged 65 and over” stands at 32.3% (2026), ranking 4 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 23.6%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Westerveld?
In Westerveld, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,018 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Westerveld?
The nearest to Westerveld are Meppel (7.6 km), Steenwijkerland (8.1 km), Staphorst (15 km), De Wolden (17 km), Hoogeveen (17 km).