Gent is located in the province of Oost-Vlaanderen, in the Gent district. On 1 January 2026 it had 274,042 inhabitants. The municipality covers 157.8 km², or 1,737 inhabitants per km². This guide brings together the key figures for anyone considering a move to Gent, each compared with the Flemish average.

House prices

In 2025, the median sale price of a house in Gent was €386,000, above the Flemish average (€355,500). This median is based on 2,767 sales. Compared with 2024, the median price is up 4.6%. A detached house had a median price of €560,000. An apartment had a median price of €305,000.

Source: Statbel, 2025.

Rents

In 2025, the average rent for an apartment in Gent was €839 per month, around the Flemish average (€825). For a house it was €804 per month, below the Flemish average (€1,025).

Source: Gemeente-Stadsmonitor Vlaanderen, 2025 (average rent per property type).

Municipal taxes

The additional personal income tax (APB) in Gent is 6.5% in tax year 2026, below the Flemish average (7.2%). The APB is a percentage on top of the personal income tax you pay to the federal government.

On the property tax, Gent levies 1,088 municipal surcharges, above the Flemish average (916); the province of Oost-Vlaanderen adds 148.47. For a home with a cadastral income of €1,200, the property tax comes to about €1,464 per year.

Source: Gemeente-Stadsmonitor Vlaanderen, tax year 2026.

Schools and childcare

Gent has 307 school locations (school year 2025-2026): 96 for nursery education, 98 for primary education, 71 for secondary education and 42 for special needs education. 44,021 pupils in compulsory education live in Gent. Childcare offers 4,480 licensed places, or 55.9 per 100 children under 3, above the Flemish average (45.0). The nearest university is UGent in Gent, 2.7 km away as the crow flies; the nearest university college is Arteveldehogeschool in Gent (2 km).

Source: Flemish Ministry of Education, school year 2025-2026; childcare: Opgroeien, 2024.

Safety

In 2025, the police registered 33,092 offences in Gent, or 121.4 per 1,000 inhabitants, above the Flemish average (51.4). Compared with 2024, the number of registered offences is down 4.2%. The figure includes all offences registered in the municipality, including those involving non-residents.

Source: Federal Police via Gemeente-Stadsmonitor, 2025.

Nearby municipalities

Destelbergen: median house price €450,000, APB 6.9%, rent apartment €942
Evergem: median house price €363,000, APB 7.4%, rent apartment €913
Merelbeke-Melle: median house price €412,500, APB 7.5%, rent apartment €730

Put Gent side by side with Destelbergen in the comparison tool. All figures for Gent, including the price trend since 2010, are on the municipality page.

Moving to Gent? House prices, taxes and schools in figures