Heerlen: population and statistics
Heerlen has a population of 87,764 (2026) across 44.8 km², or 1,958 people per km². It ranks 44 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is stable: +0.4% between 2016 and 2026.
- 87,764 residents
- 44.8 km²
- 1,958 people/km²
- 120 m
Key points
Among the 31 municipalities in Limburg, Heerlen ranks No. 4 by population.
Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings: 238,000 € in Heerlen, compared with an average of 351,319 € in Limburg and 440,410 € nationally.
Average disposable income per household: 46,000 € in Heerlen, compared with an average of 56,081 € in Limburg and 61,843 € nationally.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 16.6% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,068 kWh a year here.
Heerlen in numbers
Where is Heerlen?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Landgraaf4.3 km · 36,844
- Voerendaal4.7 km · 12,432
- Simpelveld5.4 km · 10,459
- Kerkrade6.1 km · 45,824
- Brunssum7.5 km · 27,474
- Beekdaelen9.5 km · 35,903
- Gulpen-Wittem9.6 km · 13,945
- Valkenburg aan de Geul11 km · 16,481
All municipalities in Zuid-Limburg (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Heerlen over time
Heerlen had 87,406 residents in 2016 and 87,764 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 86,936 |
| 2022 | 86,845 |
| 2023 | 87,122 |
| 2024 | 87,461 |
| 2025 | 87,522 |
| 2026 | 87,764 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Limburg for “Housing association dwellings”.
- Number 1 in Limburg for “Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65”.
- “Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average disposable income per household”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 6,279 football pitches.
- Its population density is 3.6 times the national average.
All indicators for Heerlen
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 | Heerlen | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 25.2% | 26.2% | 23.6% | ranked 103 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 12.8% | 12.6% | 14.8% | ranked 302 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −5.2 ‰ | −4.3 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 301 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 6.0 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 182 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Heerlen | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 46,795 dwellings | 551,489 | 8,274,510 | ranked 34 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 18.5% | 15.4% | 13.1% | ranked 96 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 8.1% | 14.5% | 19.9% | ranked 336 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 62.6% | 72.3% | 79.5% | ranked 295 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 47.2% | 61.1% | 66.7% | ranked 326 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 36.2% | 25.2% | 23.7% | ranked 13 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 238,000 € | 351,319 € | 438,000 € | ranked 342 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 7.3 ‰ | 13.8 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 312 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Heerlen | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 790 m³ | 887 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 259 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,450 kWh | 2,783 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 299 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 6% | 6% | 7% | ranked 184 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 28% | 44% | 46% | ranked 318 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 7% | 11% | 12% | ranked 306 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 0 ha | 112 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 159 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 85.7% | 88.3% | 90.3% | ranked 267 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 3.0% | 1.1% | 0.1% | ranked 58 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 700 kWh | 1,254 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 298 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 1,198 Wp | 1,958 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 256 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 158.9 ‰ | 225.6 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 298 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Heerlen | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 46,000 € | 56,081 € | 63,450 € | ranked 336 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 8,995 | 133,200 | 2,612,530 | ranked 61 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 102.5 ‰ | 117.0 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 330 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Heerlen | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.5% | ranked 5 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 7.1% | 3.6% | 2.3% | ranked 2 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Heerlen | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 504 ‰ | 520 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 177 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 2.5 km | 3.9 km | 4.6 km | ranked 267 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Heerlen | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 1.9 persons | 2.0 | 2.2 | ranked 320 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 47.7% | 39.8% | 33.3% | ranked 19 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 66.9 ‰ | 45.6 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 9 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 23.2 ‰ | 17.2 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 32 of 320 | |
| Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.8 ‰ | 4.7 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | ranked 9 of 171 | |
| Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 8.3 ‰ | 5.4 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | ranked 3 of 178 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 0.7 km | 1.0 km | 1.0 km | ranked 298 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Heerlen | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 469 kg | 489 kg | 468 kg | ranked 166 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 59.4% | 32.1% | 16.8% | ranked 24 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 13.8% | 46.3% | 58.8% | ranked 317 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 13.1% | 15.4% | 11.7% | ranked 157 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Heerlen | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 0.8 km | 1.1 km | 1.2 km | ranked 288 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Heerlen | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 23.4% | 28.5% | 28.5% | ranked 290 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 0.6 km | 0.8 km | 0.8 km | ranked 304 of 342 |
Heerlen: 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
85.7% in 2022, compared with 84.7% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
3.0% in 2022, compared with 3.9% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
1,198 Wp in 2025, compared with 328 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
158.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 60.4 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
66.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 64.7 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
23.2 ‰ in 2025, compared with 26.4 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
5.8 ‰ in 2025, compared with 7.5 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
8.3 ‰ in 2025, compared with 7.0 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Heerlen
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 25 | 2.7 |
| February | 42 | 3.3 |
| March | 84 | 5.8 |
| April | 129 | 9.6 |
| May | 157 | 13.3 |
| June | 167 | 17.0 |
| July | 167 | 18.5 |
| August | 138 | 17.8 |
| September | 103 | 15.0 |
| October | 62 | 11.5 |
| November | 32 | 6.7 |
| December | 20 | 4.0 |
Business sectors: Heerlen
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Wholesale and retail trade16.6% ×1.3
- Professional, scientific and technical16.6% ×0.8
- Health and social work14.0% ×1.3
- Construction11.0% ×1.0
- Other service activities7.7% ×1.4
- Administrative and support services5.7% ×1.1
- Education5.1% ×0.9
- Arts, entertainment and recreation4.7% ×0.9
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Heerlen?
Heerlen has 87,764 residents (2026), ranking 44 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Heerlen?
Heerlen covers 44.8 km², with a density of 1,958 people per km².
Is the population of Heerlen growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Heerlen went from 87,406 to 87,764, a change of +0.4%.
Where is Heerlen?
Heerlen is in Limburg. It belongs to Zuid-Limburg (COROP region). Latitude 50.883, longitude 5.983.
Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings: what is the figure for Heerlen?
In Heerlen, “Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings” stands at 238,000 € (2026), ranking 342 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 438,000 €.
Average disposable income per household: what is the figure for Heerlen?
In Heerlen, “Average disposable income per household” stands at 46,000 € (2024), ranking 336 of 336 municipalities; the national median is 63,450 €.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Heerlen?
In Heerlen, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,068 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Heerlen?
The nearest to Heerlen are Landgraaf (4.3 km), Voerendaal (4.7 km), Simpelveld (5.4 km), Kerkrade (6.1 km), Brunssum (7.5 km).