Mechelen is located in the province of Antwerpen, in the Mechelen district. On 1 January 2026 it had 90,355 inhabitants. The municipality covers 65.8 km², or 1,373 inhabitants per km². This guide brings together the key figures for anyone considering a move to Mechelen, each compared with the Flemish average.

House prices

In 2025, the median sale price of a house in Mechelen was €364,000, around the Flemish average (€355,500). This median is based on 873 sales. Compared with 2024, the median price is up 2.5%. A detached house had a median price of €520,000. An apartment had a median price of €275,000.

Source: Statbel, 2025.

Rents

In 2025, the average rent for an apartment in Mechelen was €899 per month, above the Flemish average (€825). For a house it was €1,050 per month, around the Flemish average (€1,025).

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

Municipal taxes

The additional personal income tax (APB) in Mechelen 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, Mechelen levies 1,200 municipal surcharges, above the Flemish average (916); the province of Antwerpen adds 160. For a home with a cadastral income of €1,200, the property tax comes to about €1,600 per year.

Source: Gemeente-Stadsmonitor Vlaanderen, tax year 2026.

Schools and childcare

Mechelen has 104 school locations (school year 2025-2026): 34 for nursery education, 36 for primary education, 26 for secondary education and 8 for special needs education. 16,571 pupils in compulsory education live in Mechelen. Childcare offers 1,661 licensed places, or 57.5 per 100 children under 3, above the Flemish average (45.0). The nearest university is UAntwerpen in Antwerpen, 21.5 km away as the crow flies; the nearest university college is Thomas More in Mechelen (2 km).

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

Safety

In 2025, the police registered 7,818 offences in Mechelen, or 87.2 per 1,000 inhabitants, above the Flemish average (51.4). Compared with 2024, the number of registered offences is up 2.6%. The figure includes all offences registered in the municipality, including those involving non-residents.

Source: Federal Police via Gemeente-Stadsmonitor, 2025.

Nearby municipalities

Zemst: median house price €429,500, APB 7%, rent apartment €939
Willebroek: median house price €325,000, APB 7.3%, rent apartment €996
Rumst: median house price €350,000, APB 6.5%, rent apartment €858

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

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