Skip to content
Immolytics

Living · portrait by municipality

Living in Mechelen: what the figures say

Flanders · Antwerp · official figures

In brief

  • Mechelen has 89,313 inhabitants over 65.2 km², that is 1,370 per km².
  • Over five years, the municipality gained residents (+3.1%).
  • Police record 80.8 offences per 1,000 residents here. That is 61% more than a typical Belgian municipality (50.1).
  • Median income: €30,566 per tax return (half earn more, half earn less). That is +53% compared with Belgium.
  • On average, 1,719 hours of sunshine and 802 mm of rain a year (RMI, 1991 to 2020). A typical Belgian municipality: 1,703 h and 837 mm.

Sources: Statbel, Federal Police and OpenStreetMap. Immolytics computes the scores out of 100.

Flanders

Where Mechelen is in Belgium

The municipality scored out of 100

We count stops, schools, shops and parks.

75/100overall score
100/100public transport
49/100schools
89/100shops and services
63/100green space
76/100everything on foot

What does a home cost in Mechelen?

Sale prices at the notary, published in September 2026. The median price splits sales in two: half above, half below.

€375,000house, median price
€282,500apartment, median price
12.3years of income to pay for a house
The full budget to buy in MechelenThe full price page

Who lives here?

89,313Population+3.1 % over five years
1,370Population densityinhabitants per km²
18,208HouseholdsAverage household size : 4.9
12.8 %Foreign population

Age distribution

Income and jobs

€30,566Median income+52.8 % National comparison
8,575Enterprises96.0 per 1,000 inhabitants

Tax pressure : 25.2 %

How many offences do the police record here?

The number of offences police recorded, per 1,000 residents.

Offences recorded by the police in 2024

80.8

recorded offences per 1,000 residents

Above median
Mechelen
80.8
Belgian median
50.1
Comparable density
71.2

This figure counts the offences recorded on the municipality's territory, divided by the number of residents. Towns that receive commuters, shoppers and visitors every day come out higher, because offences against them are counted although they do not live there. It is therefore not a measure of the risk to a resident, which is why we do not give a safety score.

Source: Belgian Federal Police, police crime statistics, offences recorded in 2024 by place of offence. Population: Statbel.

Schools and transport

The schools and stops actually in the municipality.

Schools

School map

Total schools

48

School density

5.4

per 10,000 pop.

Primary / kindergarten
29
Secondary
19
Higher education
0

Source: FASE 2026 (Wallonia-Brussels Federation) and Onderwijs Vlaanderen

Public Transport

Total stops

261

Transit density

29.2

stops per 10,000 pop.

Train stations
2
Bus stops
259

Source: GTFS Belgium, SNCB, De Lijn, TEC, STIB (CC BY 4.0)

Climate of Mechelen

RMI normals for 1991-2020, each set against the median Belgian municipality.

11.1 °Cmean annual temperaturemedian municipality: 10.8 °C
1,719 hhours of sunshine per yearmedian municipality: 1,703 h
802 mmprecipitation per yearmedian municipality: 837 mm
130rainy days (at least 1 mm)median municipality: 134
46frost daysmedian municipality: 51
7days at 30 °C or moremedian municipality: 7

Last frost on average on 8 April, first frost on 10 November; growing season from 11 May to 13 October.

Source: RMI (Royal Meteorological Institute), climate statistics of Belgian municipalities, reference period 1991-2020. RMI sheet for the municipality (PDF, in French)

What about nearby municipalities?

For each one: the median house price and the overall score.

Antwerp€377,50070/100Turnhout€297,50078/100Heist-op-den-Berg€405,10067/100Geel€325,00065/100Mol€300,00071/100Brasschaat€440,00066/100

More about Mechelen

Frequently asked questions

Mechelen has 89,313 residents, or 1,370 per km². In five years, the population changed by +3.1% (Statbel).
The federal police recorded 80.8 offences per 1,000 residents here. A typical Belgian municipality has 50.1. The figure covers everything, from bike theft to assault. It describes the whole municipality, not your street.
The median house price is €375,000. For an apartment: €282,500. These are sales at the notary (Statbel, September 2026). The 'Buying in Mechelen' page adds registration duties and fees.
The municipality has 48 schools: 29 primary and 19 secondary (Community registers). The full list, school by school, is higher up this page.

Sources: Statbel for population, households, incomes and prices. Federal Police for safety, Community registers for schools. Transport operators' timetables for buses and trains, OpenStreetMap for the scores. These are figures, not an opinion.

Moving to Mechelen: internet and energy

The practical steps of your move, in a few clicks.

📶

Proximus

Fibre internet, TV and mobile: Proximus packs for your new address.

See the packs🌐

Scarlet

Internet, TV and phone at a low price, no surprises.

See the Scarlet offer

Sponsored links: Immolytics may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.