Kerkrade: population and statistics
Kerkrade has a population of 45,824 (2026) across 21.9 km², or 2,089 people per km². It ranks 117 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is stable: −0.4% between 2016 and 2026.
- 45,824 residents
- 21.9 km²
- 2,089 people/km²
- 158 m
Key points
Among the 31 municipalities in Limburg, Kerkrade ranks No. 7 by population.
Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings: 241,000 € in Kerkrade, compared with an average of 351,319 € in Limburg and 440,410 € nationally.
Average disposable income per household: 46,600 € in Kerkrade, compared with an average of 56,081 € in Limburg and 61,843 € nationally.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 18.2% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,072 kWh a year here.
Kerkrade in numbers
Where is Kerkrade?
Population of Kerkrade over time
Kerkrade had 46,023 residents in 2016 and 45,824 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 45,442 |
| 2022 | 45,324 |
| 2023 | 45,620 |
| 2024 | 45,311 |
| 2025 | 45,490 |
| 2026 | 45,824 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Limburg for “Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water)”.
- “Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average disposable income per household”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 3,073 football pitches.
- Its population density is 3.9 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Landgraaf, 5.3 km away.
All indicators for Kerkrade
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 | Kerkrade | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 27.4% | 26.2% | 23.6% | ranked 45 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 12.3% | 12.6% | 14.8% | ranked 315 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −8.9 ‰ | −4.3 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 337 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 13.0 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 42 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Kerkrade | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 24,035 dwellings | 551,489 | 8,274,510 | ranked 84 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 20.4% | 15.4% | 13.1% | ranked 72 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 10.1% | 14.5% | 19.9% | ranked 327 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 64.3% | 72.3% | 79.5% | ranked 287 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 53.1% | 61.1% | 66.7% | ranked 315 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 31.8% | 25.2% | 23.7% | ranked 36 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 241,000 € | 351,319 € | 438,000 € | ranked 341 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 9.6 ‰ | 13.8 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 288 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Kerkrade | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 870 m³ | 887 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 193 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,550 kWh | 2,783 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 272 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 3% | 6% | 7% | ranked 318 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 39% | 44% | 46% | ranked 251 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 7% | 11% | 12% | ranked 306 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 14 ha | 112 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 62 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 88.6% | 88.3% | 90.3% | ranked 225 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 0.1% | 1.1% | 0.1% | ranked 164 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 930 kWh | 1,254 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 251 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 1,509 Wp | 1,958 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 193 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 217.3 ‰ | 225.6 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 189 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Kerkrade | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 46,600 € | 56,081 € | 63,450 € | ranked 335 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 4,065 | 133,200 | 2,612,530 | ranked 192 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 88.7 ‰ | 117.0 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 339 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Kerkrade | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.8% | 1.9% | 1.5% | ranked 28 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 5.1% | 3.6% | 2.3% | ranked 14 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Kerkrade | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 528 ‰ | 520 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 137 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 1.7 km | 3.9 km | 4.6 km | ranked 324 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Kerkrade | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 1.9 persons | 2.0 | 2.2 | ranked 320 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 42.8% | 39.8% | 33.3% | ranked 30 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 50.5 ‰ | 45.6 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 38 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 16.3 ‰ | 17.2 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 78 of 320 | |
| Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.7 ‰ | 4.7 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | ranked 37 of 171 | |
| Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.3 ‰ | 5.4 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | ranked 40 of 178 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 0.8 km | 1.0 km | 1.0 km | ranked 242 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Kerkrade | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 484 kg | 489 kg | 468 kg | ranked 147 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 62.1% | 32.1% | 16.8% | ranked 19 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 16.8% | 46.3% | 58.8% | ranked 308 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 11.0% | 15.4% | 11.7% | ranked 178 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Kerkrade | 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 | Kerkrade | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 18.7% | 28.5% | 28.5% | ranked 333 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 0.6 km | 0.8 km | 0.8 km | ranked 304 of 342 |
Kerkrade: 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
88.6% in 2022, compared with 86.9% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
0.1% in 2022, compared with 0.0% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
1,509 Wp in 2025, compared with 360 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
217.3 ‰ in 2025, compared with 101.4 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
50.5 ‰ in 2025, compared with 54.4 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
16.3 ‰ in 2025, compared with 22.5 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
4.7 ‰ in 2025, compared with 6.3 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
5.3 ‰ in 2025, compared with 6.4 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Kerkrade
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 25 | 2.6 |
| February | 42 | 3.2 |
| March | 84 | 5.8 |
| April | 129 | 9.5 |
| May | 157 | 13.3 |
| June | 167 | 16.9 |
| July | 166 | 18.5 |
| August | 138 | 17.8 |
| September | 104 | 15.0 |
| October | 62 | 11.4 |
| November | 32 | 6.7 |
| December | 21 | 3.9 |
Business sectors: Kerkrade
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Wholesale and retail trade18.2% ×1.4
- Professional, scientific and technical13.5% ×0.6
- Construction13.2% ×1.3
- Health and social work11.8% ×1.1
- Other service activities9.2% ×1.7
- Arts, entertainment and recreation5.2% ×0.9
- Administrative and support services5.0% ×0.9
- Education4.4% ×0.8
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kerkrade?
Kerkrade has 45,824 residents (2026), ranking 117 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Kerkrade?
Kerkrade covers 21.9 km², with a density of 2,089 people per km².
Is the population of Kerkrade growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Kerkrade went from 46,023 to 45,824, a change of −0.4%.
Where is Kerkrade?
Kerkrade is in Limburg. It belongs to Zuid-Limburg (COROP region). Latitude 50.867, longitude 6.067.
Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings: what is the figure for Kerkrade?
In Kerkrade, “Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings” stands at 241,000 € (2026), ranking 341 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 438,000 €.
Average disposable income per household: what is the figure for Kerkrade?
In Kerkrade, “Average disposable income per household” stands at 46,600 € (2024), ranking 335 of 336 municipalities; the national median is 63,450 €.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Kerkrade?
In Kerkrade, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,072 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Kerkrade?
The nearest to Kerkrade are Landgraaf (5.3 km), Heerlen (6.1 km), Simpelveld (6.9 km), Voerendaal (11 km), Vaals (11 km).