Opsterland: population and statistics
Opsterland has a population of 30,068 (2026) across 224.4 km², or 134 people per km². It ranks 192 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +0.8% between 2016 and 2026.
- 30,068 residents
- 224.4 km²
- 134 people/km²
- 1 m
Key points
Among the 18 municipalities in Friesland, Opsterland ranks No. 9 by population.
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants: 17.2 ‰ in Opsterland, compared with an average of 31.7 ‰ in Friesland and 45.2 ‰ nationally.
Average distance to the nearest railway station: 17.4 km in Opsterland, compared with an average of 8.8 km in Friesland and 5.2 km nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 18.1% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,007 kWh a year here.
Opsterland in numbers
Where is Opsterland?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Heerenveen4.3 km · 51,955
- Smallingerland11 km · 57,188
- Weststellingwerf14 km · 26,622
- Ooststellingwerf15 km · 25,898
- Tytsjerksteradiel22 km · 32,874
- Achtkarspelen24 km · 28,254
- Steenwijkerland25 km · 45,926
- De Fryske Marren27 km · 52,248
All municipalities in Friesland
All municipalities in Zuidoost-Friesland (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Opsterland over time
Opsterland had 29,830 residents in 2016 and 30,068 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 29,812 |
| 2022 | 29,791 |
| 2023 | 30,054 |
| 2024 | 30,059 |
| 2025 | 30,012 |
| 2026 | 30,068 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Friesland for “Average disposable income per household”.
- “Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average distance to the nearest railway station”: higher than in 94% of municipalities.
- “Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water)”: lower than in 93% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 31,430 football pitches.
- Its population density is 4.0 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Heerenveen (51,955 residents), 4.3 km away.
All indicators for Opsterland
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 | Opsterland | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 25.0% | 23.9% | 23.6% | ranked 115 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 14.7% | 14.6% | 14.8% | ranked 176 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −3.0 ‰ | −2.2 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 233 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 1.4 ‰ | 5.8 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 282 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Opsterland | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 13,509 dwellings | 312,294 | 8,274,510 | ranked 191 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 22.1% | 21.7% | 13.1% | ranked 52 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 19.9% | 17.1% | 19.9% | ranked 168 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 85.4% | 80.0% | 79.5% | ranked 79 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 70.1% | 62.6% | 66.7% | ranked 110 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 21.3% | 26.2% | 23.7% | ranked 223 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 397,000 € | 335,172 € | 438,000 € | ranked 236 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 14.5 ‰ | 13.4 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 227 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Opsterland | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 980 m³ | 910 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 67 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,880 kWh | 2,570 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 139 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 7% | 7% | 7% | ranked 133 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 49% | 48% | 46% | ranked 133 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 15% | 12% | 12% | ranked 42 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 4 ha | 284 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 117 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 89.3% | 89.5% | 90.3% | ranked 202 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 0.0% | 0.8% | 0.1% | ranked 191 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 1,500 kWh | 1,289 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 86 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 2,659 Wp | 2,214 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 66 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 236.4 ‰ | 242.2 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 130 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Opsterland | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 60,900 € | 55,151 € | 63,450 € | ranked 212 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 4,055 | 88,090 | 2,612,530 | ranked 194 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 134.9 ‰ | 132.4 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 176 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Opsterland | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.5% | 1.6% | 1.5% | ranked 133 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 2.6% | 4.1% | 2.3% | ranked 134 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Opsterland | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 572 ‰ | 510 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 34 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 17.4 km | 8.8 km | 4.6 km | ranked 22 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Opsterland | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.3 persons | 2.1 | 2.2 | ranked 55 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 31.7% | 38.2% | 33.3% | ranked 222 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 17.2 ‰ | 31.7 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 333 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.7 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 315 of 320 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 1.9 km | 1.5 km | 1.0 km | ranked 19 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Opsterland | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 624 kg | 595 kg | 468 kg | ranked 29 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 6.5% | 11.6% | 16.8% | ranked 316 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 75.8% | 77.6% | 58.8% | ranked 74 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 16.4% | 8.6% | 11.7% | ranked 131 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Opsterland | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 1.5 km | 1.6 km | 1.2 km | ranked 73 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Opsterland | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 28.9% | 26.5% | 28.5% | ranked 162 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 1.0 km | 0.9 km | 0.8 km | ranked 36 of 342 |
Opsterland: 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
89.3% in 2022, compared with 94.3% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
0.0% in 2022, compared with 0.0% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
2,659 Wp in 2025, compared with 611 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
236.4 ‰ in 2025, compared with 88.7 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
17.2 ‰ in 2025, compared with 20.2 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
4.7 ‰ in 2025, compared with 5.7 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Opsterland
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 20 | 3.3 |
| February | 36 | 3.5 |
| March | 80 | 5.6 |
| April | 127 | 9.2 |
| May | 155 | 12.8 |
| June | 162 | 16.1 |
| July | 159 | 17.9 |
| August | 134 | 17.4 |
| September | 93 | 15.0 |
| October | 53 | 11.4 |
| November | 25 | 7.0 |
| December | 16 | 4.4 |
Business sectors: Opsterland
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical18.1% ×0.9
- Wholesale and retail trade14.1% ×1.1
- Construction11.1% ×1.1
- Health and social work11.0% ×1.0
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing9.5% ×3.1
- Other service activities5.6% ×1.0
- Manufacturing4.8% ×1.4
- Arts, entertainment and recreation4.8% ×0.9
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Opsterland?
Opsterland has 30,068 residents (2026), ranking 192 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Opsterland?
Opsterland covers 224.4 km², with a density of 134 people per km².
Is the population of Opsterland growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Opsterland went from 29,830 to 30,068, a change of +0.8%.
Where is Opsterland?
Opsterland is in Friesland. It belongs to Zuidoost-Friesland (COROP region). Latitude 53.004, longitude 6.066.
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Opsterland?
In Opsterland, “Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 17.2 ‰ (2025), ranking 333 of 338 municipalities; the national median is 30.9 ‰.
Average distance to the nearest railway station: what is the figure for Opsterland?
In Opsterland, “Average distance to the nearest railway station” stands at 17.4 km (2025), ranking 22 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 4.6 km.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Opsterland?
In Opsterland, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,007 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Opsterland?
The nearest to Opsterland are Heerenveen (4.3 km), Smallingerland (11 km), Weststellingwerf (14 km), Ooststellingwerf (15 km), Tytsjerksteradiel (22 km).