Leuven is located in the province of Vlaams-Brabant, in the Leuven district. On 1 January 2026 it had 105,357 inhabitants. The municipality covers 57.5 km², or 1,832 inhabitants per km². This guide brings together the key figures for anyone considering a move to Leuven, each compared with the Flemish average.

House prices

In 2025, the median sale price of a house in Leuven was €460,000, above the Flemish average (€355,500). This median is based on 810 sales. Compared with 2024, the median price is up 1.1%. A detached house had a median price of €522,500. An apartment had a median price of €285,000.

Source: Statbel, 2025.

Rents

In 2025, the average rent for an apartment in Leuven was €735 per month, below the Flemish average (€825). For a house it was €863 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 Leuven is 6.7% 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, Leuven levies 975 municipal surcharges, above the Flemish average (916); the province of Vlaams-Brabant adds 171.75. For a home with a cadastral income of €1,200, the property tax comes to about €1,366 per year.

Source: Gemeente-Stadsmonitor Vlaanderen, tax year 2026.

Schools and childcare

Leuven has 116 school locations (school year 2025-2026): 38 for nursery education, 36 for primary education, 32 for secondary education and 10 for special needs education. 14,793 pupils in compulsory education live in Leuven. Childcare offers 2,231 licensed places, or 79.6 per 100 children under 3, above the Flemish average (45.0). The nearest university is KU Leuven in Leuven, 0.7 km away as the crow flies; the nearest university college is UCLL in Leuven (0.5 km).

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

Safety

In 2025, the police registered 13,382 offences in Leuven, or 127.6 per 1,000 inhabitants, above the Flemish average (51.4). Compared with 2024, the number of registered offences is up 3.4%. The figure includes all offences registered in the municipality, including those involving non-residents.

Source: Federal Police via Gemeente-Stadsmonitor, 2025.

Nearby municipalities

Herent: median house price €439,000, APB 7.7%, rent apartment €882
Oud-Heverlee: median house price €475,000, APB 6.5%, rent apartment €887
Bierbeek: median house price €430,000, APB 7%, rent apartment €1,012

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

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