Living environment

Continued high pressure on the housing market

Pressure on Utrecht’s housing market remains high, despite the housing stock increasing from 147,500 to 171,400 homes over the past ten years. In 2025, the housing stock grew by around 2,700 homes, mostly through new construction.

• Of the entire Utrecht housing stock, 45% consists of privately owned homes, and more than half (53%) consists of rental homes. The number of privately owned homes is rising again after two years of decline. House prices in Utrecht are increasing (+9%) faster than in the other major cities.
• The number of rental homes is decreasing for the first time since 2019. This decline is due to the sale of private rental homes and is likely the result of stricter legislation and regulations in this segment.
• Over the past ten years, the data shows that private tenants (often young people) are spending a much larger share of their income on housing costs, and the gap with homeowners and social housing tenants is widening.
• At the same time, pressure on the social rental sector remains high: both the waiting time (11.7 years) and the search time (5.9 years) for a social rental home remain persistently high.

Sustainability in the city continues to progress

Multiple indicators show that Utrecht is becoming more sustainable:

• Utrecht is a city where people walk and cycle a lot: three quarters of all trips within the city are made on foot or by bicycle. Half of all residents use shared transportation (cars and bicycles), and the number of electric cars and public charging stations continues to increase each year.
• Air quality has improved considerably over the last ten years, with decreasing concentrations of nitrogen, particulate matter and soot due in part to more sustainable forms of mobility. However, air quality in Utrecht still does not meet the WHO guideline values.
• Utrecht is also making progress in energy transition: in 2024, 14% of electricity used was generated from renewable sources, and the share of rooftops with solar panels increased to 40% in 2025. The figure below shows the differences between neighbourhoods.

• The number of households implementing environmental measures at home (e.g., insulation, heat pumps) is increasing. However, the electricity grid is full, placing constraints on new housing development, new business establishment, and the installation of large scale solar rooftops.
• CO₂ emissions from electricity consumption are falling due to the national trend toward greener electricity generation. Total CO₂ emissions in Utrecht decreased by 3% in 2024.

Liveability in the city: positive and negative developments

Indicators concerning liveability in Utrecht present a mixed picture. Both positive and negative developments are evident, with large differences between districts and neighbourhoods.

• The overall neighbourhood rating—a composite score reflecting satisfaction with the neighbourhood—has remained stable for years, averaging 7.3 for the municipality as a whole.
• The share of Utrecht residents who experience their own neighbourhood as pleasant or very pleasant has also remained around 90% for years.
• However, over the past decade, residents have become increasingly negative about the future of their own neighbourhood. The underlying causes and motivations for this are not yet fully understood, though we do know that perceived nuisances from noise, litter on the streets, and dangerous traffic behaviour have increased in recent years. There are also large differences throughout the city regarding the odour nuisance experienced.
• Satisfaction with green spaces in Utrecht has been stable over the past ten years, but also varies strongly by district. So far, the city’s greening efforts have not kept up with the increase in housing.
• At the same time, satisfaction with children's play areas in neighbourhoods has increased in recent years.