Cheaper areas outside the Randstad becoming more popular among homebuyers

High housing prices and a limited supply in the Randstad have led to an increasing number of residents of the Netherlands purchasing homes in quieter, more affordable areas outside the major cities. This is causing a ripple effect, resulting in increasing housing prices in less populated regions.

Lower house prices outside the Randstad

Based on figures from mortgage advisor De Hypotheker, the average mortgage to buy a house in the Netherlands reached a record high of 360.770 euros in the second quarter of 2025. This is 14 percent higher than two years ago, when the average cost was 316.000 euros. 

While cities in the Randstad, such as Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague and Rotterdam, still have some of the highest housing prices, cities in Dutch provinces outside the country’s most populated regions have recently seen the sharpest rises. In the past two years, Groningen in particular has seen the largest increase of 23 percent, while Overijssel (22 percent) and Drenthe (20 percent) follow closely behind. 

For example, an average mortgage in Zuid-Holland is 366.814 euros, while in Groningen it is significantly lower at 283.271 euros. "It's perfectly logical that you'd look further afield if you could get more bang for your buck there," commercial director of De Hypotheker Mark de Rijke told AD. This reflects figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) that show population growth dropped in the Randstad for 2024 and increased outside the major cities. 

Housing prices throughout the Netherlands still on the rise 

Unfortunately, housing prices in regions outside of the Randstad are seeing rising prices as more residents try to escape the tight housing market in the major cities. "This upward trend is due to people consciously looking for a home outside the Randstad," said De Rijke.

People are even willing to live further away from work and have a longer commute. "If you only have to go to the office twice a week, they prefer a slightly longer commute and a higher-quality home for their money."

According to CBS, existing homes cost an average of 9,3 percent more in June this year than they did in the same period of 2024. This trend is likely to continue in the future as people are able to borrow more with low interest rates and incomes rising rapidly. 

“As long as this mechanism isn't addressed, things will continue like this. House prices will continue to rise, and people will take out even higher mortgages," De Rijke explained. To solve this problem, more housing needs to be built quickly. "The population is growing, and there are more and more single people who need somewhere to live. We really need more housing."