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Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony had 7,919,337 residents at the 2022 census, in 45 districts and independent cities. Average net rent was €6.62/m², from €4.61/m² in Holzminden district to €8.23/m² in Harburg district. 50.3% of homes were lived in by their owners.

State · Code 03 · Zensus 2022 · Updated 24 October 2026
7,919,337residentscensus, 15 May 2022
€6.62/m²net rentaverage
50.3%owner-occupiedof homes
16%green within 500 maverage
Lower Saxony by municipality
Map of Lower Saxony: Share of land within 500 m that is green space
0%30%+
Share of land within 500 m that is green space

Sources: Federal and State Statistical Offices of Germany, 2022 census grid results (open data, with attribution) · © GeoBasis-DE / BKG (2023), administrative areas VG250 as of 15 May 2022, dl-de/by-2-0 · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

All 45 districts and independent cities.

Colour shows where each one sits among the others in the table, from lowest to highest.

DistrictResidentsRentOwner-occupiedVacantAvg. ageGreen 500 mServices 15 min
Ammerland district125,281€6.78/m²58%3.4%45.110%100
Aurich district185,868€6.68/m²63%4.4%45.511%84
Braunschweig252,730€7.28/m²30%3.7%43.522%191
Celle district171,938€6.08/m²57%5.5%45.021%63
Cloppenburg district174,812€5.98/m²57%2.7%40.69%111
Cuxhaven district196,453€6.02/m²58%4.5%46.411%95
Delmenhorst80,900€6.35/m²45%3.5%43.813%89
Diepholz district217,186€6.27/m²60%3.9%44.917%69
Emden48,783€6.15/m²46%4.2%43.718%292
Emsland district327,620€5.99/m²61%3.0%42.714%68
Friesland district99,131€5.92/m²59%3.7%46.96%83
Gifhorn district174,193€6.47/m²65%4.1%43.913%76
Goslar district127,537€5.56/m²49%8.8%48.110%147
Grafschaft Bentheim district141,604€6.13/m²63%2.6%43.516%65
Göttingen district325,237€7.13/m²44%5.4%45.024%157
Hameln-Pyrmont district149,739€5.26/m²50%5.8%46.413%82
Harburg district260,183€8.23/m²58%3.1%44.913%100
Heidekreis142,071€5.89/m²54%4.7%44.722%109
Helmstedt district90,219€5.47/m²59%7.4%45.714%87
Hildesheim district266,850€5.91/m²48%4.8%45.416%95
Holzminden district65,882€4.61/m²57%8.2%46.910%54
Leer district167,656€6.22/m²61%4.0%44.110%87
Lüchow-Dannenberg district46,055€4.80/m²58%6.1%48.121%53
Lüneburg district176,031€7.88/m²48%3.5%43.821%83
Nienburg (Weser) district119,828€5.41/m²57%4.8%44.820%68
Northeim district126,170€5.08/m²56%7.1%47.114%106
Oldenburg district129,019€6.48/m²59%3.3%44.711%85
Oldenburg (Oldb)172,594€7.80/m²36%2.8%42.717%132
Osnabrück165,363€7.31/m²31%3.1%41.922%164
Osnabrück district354,889€5.78/m²55%3.7%43.916%71
Osterholz district112,918€6.77/m²65%3.3%45.615%73
Peine district136,016€6.10/m²62%4.4%44.210%56
Hanover Region1,128,298€7.22/m²38%3.5%43.916%159
Rotenburg (Wümme) district162,912€6.12/m²59%4.0%44.418%62
Salzgitter104,054€5.59/m²44%7.4%43.822%64
Schaumburg district156,214€5.69/m²56%5.4%46.412%75
Stade district203,576€7.41/m²53%3.2%44.011%109
Uelzen district90,011€5.82/m²54%5.3%46.817%79
Vechta district143,959€6.46/m²55%2.3%40.96%109
Verden district136,615€6.64/m²59%3.9%44.414%92
Wesermarsch district87,887€5.34/m²55%4.5%45.516%79
Wilhelmshaven75,295€5.69/m²30%6.8%46.016%97
Wittmund district55,023€6.44/m²61%6.2%46.117%57
Wolfenbüttel district117,552€6.27/m²57%5.0%46.216%59
Wolfsburg127,185€7.20/m²42%5.8%43.833%96

Sources: Federal and State Statistical Offices of Germany, 2022 census grid results (open data, with attribution) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

People.

Age and households at the 2022 census.

17%
aged under 18
13%
aged 18–29
24%
aged 30–49
22%
aged 65 and over
44.5
years, average age
2.0
people per household

Source: Federal and State Statistical Offices of Germany, 2022 census grid results (open data, with attribution)

Homes.

2,223,731 residential buildings.

€6.62/m²
average net rent
50.3%
of homes owner-occupied
4.3%
of homes empty
59.9 m²
living space per resident

When residential buildings were built

before 19197%
1919–19496%
1950–19598%
1960–196912%
1970–197912%
1980–19898%
1990–199912%
2000–20098%
2010–20153%
2016 or later4%

Main type of heating

Central heating77%
District heating8%
Single-storey heating12%
Block heating1%
Room stoves2%

Net rent comes from the 2022 census (reference date 15 May 2022) and covers every rented home, including long-standing tenancies, so it is usually lower than the asking rents in new listings.

Figures for municipalities, districts and states are built up from the census 100-metre grid cells, with rents weighted by the number of homes. Vacancy and owner-occupation rates come from the one-kilometre grid, as they are mostly withheld in the 100-metre cells.

Source: Federal and State Statistical Offices of Germany, 2022 census grid results (open data, with attribution)

Everyday life.

105 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk, for the average resident; 16% green space within 500 metres.

Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

Crime.

Offences recorded by the police in 2025 (Lower Saxony), next to the national average.

6,041offences per 100,000 residentsGermany: 6,240
483,572recorded offences2025
63%clearance rateGermany: 57%
OffenceCasesper 100,000Germany, per 100,000
Violent crime19,997250253
Common assault42,755534516
Robbery3,7634748
Domestic burglary7,98410099
All theft155,8971,9482,156
Bicycle theft20,733259256
Car theft1,9282433
Theft from vehicles15,264191283
Shoplifting35,718446458
Pickpocketing6,72584113
Fraud59,214740770
Criminal damage49,410617650
Street crime83,6451,0451,215

Police crime statistics count offences that became known to the police and were fully processed by them, by place of offence. The rate relates them to the resident population, so cities with many commuters, visitors and shops show higher rates. Offences against residence and asylum law and drug offences are not shown here; drug offences mostly reflect how actively the police carry out checks.

Source: PKS Bundeskriminalamt (Federal Criminal Police Office), reporting year 2025, version 1.1 (Data licence Germany – attribution 2.0)

Around here.

Photographs taken near Lower Saxony, shared on Wikimedia Commons under free licences.

Georgstraße 29, Hannover, Foto 1469
i
Georgstraße 29, Hannover, Foto 1469
Photo: Gerd Fahrenhorst · CC BY 4.0
View on Wikimedia Commons
Hannover -Fridays for Future- 2019 by-RaBoe 001
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Hannover -Fridays for Future- 2019 by-RaBoe 001
Photo: © Ra Boe / Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
View on Wikimedia Commons
Hannover -Fridays for Future- 2019 by-RaBoe 002
i
Hannover -Fridays for Future- 2019 by-RaBoe 002
Photo: © Ra Boe / Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
View on Wikimedia Commons

Districts and independent cities.