Velsen: population and statistics
Velsen has a population of 70,361 (2026) across 45.4 km², or 1,551 people per km². It ranks 59 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +4.3% between 2016 and 2026.
- 70,361 residents
- 45.4 km²
- 1,551 people/km²
- 0 m
Key points
Among the 44 municipalities in North Holland, Velsen ranks No. 11 by population.
Share of agricultural land (excluding water): 9.8% in Velsen, compared with an average of 33.6% in North Holland and 44.5% nationally.
Average distance to the nearest GP practice: 0.7 km in Velsen, compared with an average of 0.9 km in North Holland and 1.1 km 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 1,075 kWh a year here.
Velsen in numbers
Where is Velsen?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Beverwijk3.5 km · 43,052
- Heemskerk6.2 km · 39,529
- Bloemendaal7.1 km · 23,554
- Uitgeest9.4 km · 13,489
- Haarlem9.6 km · 168,898
- Castricum9.9 km · 37,077
- Zaanstad11 km · 165,201
- Zandvoort12 km · 17,335
All municipalities in North Holland
All municipalities in IJmond (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Velsen over time
Velsen had 67,448 residents in 2016 and 70,361 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 68,617 |
| 2022 | 68,482 |
| 2023 | 68,790 |
| 2024 | 69,241 |
| 2025 | 70,026 |
| 2026 | 70,361 |
Did you know?
- “Share of agricultural land (excluding water)”: lower than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Average distance to the nearest GP practice”: lower than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Dwellings with solar power”: lower than in 95% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 6,354 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.9 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Beverwijk, 3.5 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Haarlem (168,898 residents), 9.6 km away.
All indicators for Velsen
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 | Velsen | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 22.2% | 19.4% | 23.6% | ranked 234 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 14.9% | 14.5% | 14.8% | ranked 153 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −3.0 ‰ | 0.7 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 233 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 14.3 ‰ | 4.6 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 28 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Velsen | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 32,231 dwellings | 1,420,067 | 8,274,510 | ranked 57 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 24.1% | 25.0% | 13.1% | ranked 35 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 13.2% | 20.8% | 19.9% | ranked 295 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 60.2% | 50.2% | 79.5% | ranked 303 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 56.7% | 51.8% | 66.7% | ranked 290 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 35.6% | 30.5% | 23.7% | ranked 19 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 463,000 € | 524,447 € | 438,000 € | ranked 133 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 9.7 ‰ | 22.5 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 283 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Velsen | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 830 m³ | 746 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 230 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,370 kWh | 2,350 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 310 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 4% | 13% | 7% | ranked 287 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 26% | 28% | 46% | ranked 323 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 6% | 8% | 12% | ranked 318 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 0 ha | 191 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 159 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 88.9% | 80.6% | 90.3% | ranked 216 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 3.0% | 8.8% | 0.1% | ranked 58 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 510 kWh | 600 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 325 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 728 Wp | 890 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 314 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 130.1 ‰ | 137.7 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 323 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Velsen | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 59,700 € | 65,353 € | 63,450 € | ranked 233 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 9,385 | 533,195 | 2,612,530 | ranked 58 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 133.4 ‰ | 177.2 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 184 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Velsen | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.4% | 1.7% | 1.5% | ranked 185 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 3.3% | 3.5% | 2.3% | ranked 86 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Velsen | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 472 ‰ | 385 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 243 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 3.2 km | 3.7 km | 4.6 km | ranked 219 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Velsen | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.1 persons | 2.0 | 2.2 | ranked 235 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 37.6% | 43.0% | 33.3% | ranked 82 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 41.4 ‰ | 56.3 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 74 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 13.1 ‰ | 27.4 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 130 of 320 | |
| Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.0 ‰ | 4.8 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | ranked 31 of 171 | |
| Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.8 ‰ | 5.9 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | ranked 97 of 178 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 0.8 km | 0.8 km | 1.0 km | ranked 242 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Velsen | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 504 kg | 445 kg | 468 kg | ranked 114 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 42.7% | 44.6% | 16.8% | ranked 49 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 9.8% | 33.6% | 58.8% | ranked 328 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 30.6% | 11.0% | 11.7% | ranked 55 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Velsen | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 0.7 km | 0.9 km | 1.2 km | ranked 323 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Velsen | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 28.4% | 39.0% | 28.5% | ranked 174 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 0.7 km | 0.7 km | 0.8 km | ranked 219 of 342 |
Velsen: 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
88.9% in 2022, compared with 90.0% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
3.0% in 2022, compared with 0.8% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
728 Wp in 2025, compared with 227 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
130.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with 37.2 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
41.4 ‰ in 2025, compared with 38.9 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
13.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with 14.5 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
5.0 ‰ in 2025, compared with 5.1 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
3.8 ‰ in 2025, compared with 3.8 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Velsen
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 4.6 |
| February | 39 | 4.4 |
| March | 85 | 6.3 |
| April | 134 | 9.4 |
| May | 166 | 12.8 |
| June | 173 | 16.0 |
| July | 169 | 17.9 |
| August | 139 | 17.8 |
| September | 95 | 15.8 |
| October | 54 | 12.5 |
| November | 26 | 8.3 |
| December | 16 | 5.7 |
Business sectors: Velsen
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
- Construction15.7% ×1.5
- Wholesale and retail trade12.8% ×1.0
- Health and social work9.3% ×0.9
- Administrative and support services6.1% ×1.1
- Education6.0% ×1.0
- Other service activities5.4% ×1.0
- Arts, entertainment and recreation4.7% ×0.8
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Velsen?
Velsen has 70,361 residents (2026), ranking 59 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Velsen?
Velsen covers 45.4 km², with a density of 1,551 people per km².
Is the population of Velsen growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Velsen went from 67,448 to 70,361, a change of +4.3%.
Where is Velsen?
Velsen is in North Holland. It belongs to IJmond (COROP region). Latitude 52.467, longitude 4.617.
Share of agricultural land (excluding water): what is the figure for Velsen?
In Velsen, “Share of agricultural land (excluding water)” stands at 9.8% (2022), ranking 328 of 341 municipalities; the national median is 58.8%.
Average distance to the nearest GP practice: what is the figure for Velsen?
In Velsen, “Average distance to the nearest GP practice” stands at 0.7 km (2025), ranking 323 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 1.2 km.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Velsen?
In Velsen, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,075 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Velsen?
The nearest to Velsen are Beverwijk (3.5 km), Heemskerk (6.2 km), Bloemendaal (7.1 km), Uitgeest (9.4 km), Haarlem (9.6 km).