Hochsauerlandkreis
View on the map →- Population
- 261,193
- Area
- 1,960 km²
- Population density
- 133/km²
- 10-year change
- -0.3%
- Average age
- 45.2 years
- Seat
- Meschede
- Municipalities
- 12
- Constituency
- 146 Hochsauerlandkreis
landläufigkeit.indexilandläufigkeit.indexHow well people live here, measured by the figures for all 400 districts: each theme from 0 (the worst district) to 100 (the best), the index their mean.
54.6 out of 100
Rank 147 of 400 districts · in North Rhine-Westphalia rank 2 of 53
- Work & incomeiWork & income: 70
In it:
- Child poverty (SGB II): 9.9%
- Unemployment rate: 4.9%
- Disposable income: 30,632 € p.c.
- Company insolvencies: 29.2/10,000 firms
- Electricity use of industry: 4.4 MWh p.c.
- HousingiHousing: 66
In it:
- Rent against income: 14 % of income (a year's rent for 70 m², in % of disposable income per resident)
- Homes in new buildings: 2.1/1,000
- HealthiHealth: 38
In it:
- Drive time to the nearest GP: 4.6 min
- Drive time to the nearest emergency department: 10.7 min
- Everyday lifeiEveryday life: 49
In it:
- Drive time to the nearest supermarket: 4.2 min
- Drive time to the nearest primary school: 4.9 min
- Public transport nearby: 92.2%
- Gigabit internet: 87.8%
- Long commutes (50 km+): 9.8%
- Safety & natureiSafety & nature: 76
In it:
- Recorded crime: 4,812/100,000
- Forest share: 55.1%
- FutureiFuture: 30
In it:
- Average age: 45.2 years
- Debt of the Land and its municipalities: 10,352 € p.c.
Population
| Figure | Value | StatusiStatus The dot shows where Hochsauerlandkreis stands among all 400 districts, the lowest value on the left, the highest on the right; the lines: North Rhine-Westphalia (light) and Germany (dark). | North Rhine-Westphalia | Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PopulationPopulation Everyone living here. 2023 | 261,193 | 18,017,500 | 83,456,000 | |
| Population densityPopulation density Residents per square kilometre. 2023 | 133/km² | 528/km² | 233/km² | |
| Foreign nationalsForeign nationals Share of residents without German citizenship. 2023 | 11.1% | 15.5% | 14.5% | |
| Share under 18Share under 18 Share of residents younger than 18. 2024 | 16.3% | 17.0% | 16.7% | |
| Share aged 65+Share aged 65+ Share of residents aged 65 or older. 2024 | 23.9% | 22.1% | 22.7% | |
| Share aged 75+Share aged 75+ Share of residents aged 75 or older. 2024 | 11.3% | 10.6% | 11.1% | |
| Average ageAverage age Average age of the residents, census 2022 (15 May). 2022 | 45.2 years | 43.9 years | 44.3 years | |
| Foreign nationals, census 2022Foreign nationals, census 2022 Share of residents without German citizenship, census 2022 (15 May). Counted by the census, not by the population register: not the same figure as the foreign nationals above. 2022 | 9.9% | 14.4% | 13.2% | |
| Single-person householdsSingle-person households Share of private households with one person, census 2022 (15 May). 2022 | 39.4% | 43.7% | 43.4% | |
| Births minus deathsBirths minus deaths Births minus deaths in a year, per 1,000 residents. Below zero: more deaths than births. 2023 | -4.9/1,000 | -3.9/1,000 | -4.0/1,000 | |
| Net migrationNet migration People moving in minus people moving out in a year, per 1,000 residents. Above zero: the area gained people. 2023 | 5.5/1,000 | 6.8/1,000 | 7.9/1,000 | |
| Population change, 10 yearsPopulation change, 10 years Change in the number of residents from 2013 to 2023, in percent. The 2023 figures rest on the 2022 census, the 2013 ones on the 2011 census: part of a change can be statistical. 2023 | -0.3% | 2.5% | 3.3% | |
| School leavers with AbiturSchool leavers with Abitur Share of school leavers from general schools who gained the Abitur or Fachhochschulreife. 2023 | 32.2% | 38.5% | 33.2% | |
| School leavers without qualificationSchool leavers without qualification Share of school leavers from general schools who left without even a Hauptschulabschluss. 2023 | 5.9% | 6.4% | 7.1% | |
| Basic income support (SGB II)Basic income support (SGB II) People receiving basic income support (SGB II, Bürgergeld), per 1,000 residents. 2026 | 44.2/1,000 | 84.4/1,000 | 64.0/1,000 | |
| Child poverty (SGB II)Child poverty (SGB II) Share of children under 15 living on basic income support (SGB II, Bürgergeld). 2023 | 9.9% | 17.3% | 13.0% | |
| Recorded crimeRecorded crime Crimes recorded by the police per 100,000 residents, per Kreis. The median of the five years 2018–2022: crimes count where a case is closed, so a single large fraud case can push one year far up (Nordfriesland 2022: five times its usual level). 2022 | 4,812/100,000 | 6,675/100,000 | 6,406/100,000 |
Economy
| Figure | Value | StatusiStatus The dot shows where Hochsauerlandkreis stands among all 400 districts, the lowest value on the left, the highest on the right; the lines: North Rhine-Westphalia (light) and Germany (dark). | North Rhine-Westphalia | Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disposable incomeDisposable income What private households have left per person after taxes and social contributions, including pensions and benefits. 2023 | 30,632 € p.c. | 27,754 € p.c. | 28,452 € p.c. | |
| GDP per personGDP per person Value of all goods and services produced here, per resident. High where many commuters work. 2024 | 46,125 € p.c. | 48,810 € p.c. | 51,834 € p.c. | |
| Income per taxpayerIncome per taxpayer Total income before tax (Gesamtbetrag der Einkünfte) per person liable to income tax in 2021; couples filing jointly count as one. Higher than disposable income: before taxes and without pensions or benefits. 2021 | 45,894 €/taxpayer | 45,793 €/taxpayer | 45,835 €/taxpayer | |
| Unemployment rateUnemployment rate Unemployed people as a share of the civilian labour force. 11/2025–10/2026 | 4.9% | 7.8% | 6.4% | |
| Youth unemployment (15–24)Youth unemployment (15–24) Unemployment rate among 15- to 24-year-olds. 11/2025–10/2026 | 4.3% | 6.7% | 5.9% | |
| Jobs with social insuranceJobs with social insurance Employees paying social insurance contributions (not civil servants or the self-employed), per 1,000 residents. 2025 | 428/1,000 | 408/1,000 | 417/1,000 | |
| Jobs in industry & constructionJobs in industry & construction Share of those employees working in manufacturing, energy, mining or construction. 2024 | 39.2% | 24.9% | 26.8% | |
| People in work in agriculturePeople in work in agriculture Share of everyone in work (employees, self-employed, civil servants) working in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 2024 annual average. 2024 | 1.9% | 0.8% | 1.2% | |
| People in work in industry & constructionPeople in work in industry & construction Share of everyone in work (employees, self-employed, civil servants) working in manufacturing, energy, mining or construction, 2024 annual average. 2024 | 32.0% | 21.5% | 23.2% | |
| People in work in servicesPeople in work in services Share of everyone in work (employees, self-employed, civil servants) working in trade, transport, hospitality, finance, business and public services, 2024 annual average. 2024 | 66.1% | 77.7% | 75.6% | |
| Employees with a degreeEmployees with a degree Share of employees with social insurance living here who hold a university or college degree. 2023 | 10.8% | 18.1% | 19.4% | |
| BusinessesBusinesses Businesses in the official business register, per 1,000 residents. 2024 | 45.1/1,000 | 41.1/1,000 | 42.4/1,000 | |
| Craft businessesCraft businesses Craft businesses (Handwerk), per 1,000 residents. 2024 | 7.6/1,000 | 6.1/1,000 | 6.8/1,000 | |
| Company insolvenciesCompany insolvencies Insolvency filings by companies per year (mean of 2021 to 2023), per 10,000 business establishments (business register 2024). 2021–2023 | 29.2/10,000 firms | 50.9/10,000 firms | 39.6/10,000 firms | |
| Overnight staysOvernight stays Overnight stays of guests in 2025 in establishments with at least 10 beds (campsites with at least 10 pitches), per resident. 2025 | 16.0 p.c. | 3.1 p.c. | 6.0 p.c. | |
| Municipal tax revenueMunicipal tax revenue Tax revenue of the Gemeinden and Gemeindeverbände per resident, mainly trade tax, property tax and their share of income tax. 2023 | 1,584 € p.c. | 1,704 € p.c. | 1,685 € p.c. | |
| Municipal debtMunicipal debt Debt of the core budgets of the Gemeinden and Gemeindeverbände per resident. Figures per Kreis. None for Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen: in the city states, municipal debt is part of the Land's. 2023 | 1,309 € p.c. | 2,697 € p.c. | 1,729 € p.c. | |
| Debt of the Land and its municipalitiesDebt of the Land and its municipalities Debt of the core budgets of the Land, the Gemeinden and the Gemeindeverbände to banks and on the capital market, per resident: the debt of the Gemeinden and the Kreis plus each resident's share of the Land's debt. Without the federal debt. In the city states, the Land also does the work of the municipalities: here it is the Land's debt alone (Bremen: one figure for Bremen and Bremerhaven). 2023 | 10,352 € p.c. | 11,656 € p.c. | 8,110 € p.c. |
Living
| Figure | Value | StatusiStatus The dot shows where Hochsauerlandkreis stands among all 400 districts, the lowest value on the left, the highest on the right; the lines: North Rhine-Westphalia (light) and Germany (dark). | North Rhine-Westphalia | Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RentRent Average rent per square metre of rented flats, without heating and service charges (net cold rent). 2022 | 5.17 €/m² | 6.82 €/m² | 7.28 €/m² | |
| Home ownershipHome ownership Share of occupied homes lived in by their owners. 2022 | 54.6% | 40.6% | 44.3% | |
| Empty homesEmpty homes Share of homes standing empty. 2022 | 4.6% | 3.3% | 4.3% | |
| Homes in new buildingsHomes in new buildings Homes completed in 2023 in new residential buildings, per 1,000 residents. Without conversions or homes in other buildings: fewer than all new homes. 2023 | 2.1/1,000 | 2.3/1,000 | 3.1/1,000 | |
| Price of building landPrice of building land Average price paid per square metre of building land in 2025, all kinds. Where few plots are sold it jumps from year to year. 2025 | 64 €/m² | 194 €/m² | 160 €/m² | |
| Gas heatingGas heating Share of homes (in buildings with living space) heated with gas. Many heating systems have been replaced since the census. Small numbers are slightly altered for confidentiality. 2022 | 63.3% | 68.5% | 55.9% | |
| Oil heatingOil heating Share of homes (in buildings with living space) heated with heating oil. Many heating systems have been replaced since the census. Small numbers are slightly altered for confidentiality. 2022 | 20.9% | 13.9% | 18.8% | |
| District heatingDistrict heating Share of homes (in buildings with living space) connected to district heating. How green it is depends on the plants behind it, in many cities still coal or gas. Many heating systems have been replaced since the census. Small numbers are slightly altered for confidentiality. 2022 | 2.0% | 9.8% | 15.1% | |
| Heat pumpsHeat pumps Share of homes (in buildings with living space) heated with heat pumps, solar thermal or geothermal energy (the census counts them together; mostly heat pumps). Many heating systems have been replaced since the census. Small numbers are slightly altered for confidentiality. 2022 | 2.5% | 2.7% | 2.7% | |
| Wood & biomassWood & biomass Share of homes (in buildings with living space) heated with wood, wood pellets, other biomass or biogas. Many heating systems have been replaced since the census. Small numbers are slightly altered for confidentiality. 2022 | 6.4% | 1.5% | 4.2% | |
| CarsCars Registered passenger cars per 1,000 residents. 2026 | 669/1,000 | 592/1,000 | 592/1,000 | |
| Electric & hybrid carsElectric & hybrid cars Share of registered cars with electric or hybrid drive. 2026 | 12.2% | 13.3% | 12.9% | |
| Long commutes (50 km+)Long commutes (50 km+) Share of employees with social insurance living here whose way to work is 50 km or longer. 2023 | 9.8% | 10.5% | 11.5% |
Infrastructure
| Figure | Value | StatusiStatus The dot shows where Hochsauerlandkreis stands among all 400 districts, the lowest value on the left, the highest on the right; the lines: North Rhine-Westphalia (light) and Germany (dark). | North Rhine-Westphalia | Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drive time to the nearest supermarketDrive time to the nearest supermarket Average drive by car from where people live to the nearest supermarket or discounter, in minutes. Small village shops and bakeries do not count. 2021 | 4.2 min | 3.3 min | 3.5 min | |
| Drive time to the nearest pharmacyDrive time to the nearest pharmacy Average drive by car from where people live to the nearest public pharmacy, in minutes. Mail-order pharmacies and delivery services do not count. 2024 | 5.6 min | 3.7 min | 4.1 min | |
| Drive time to the nearest primary schoolDrive time to the nearest primary school Average drive by car from where people live to the nearest primary school, in minutes. 2024 | 4.9 min | 3.7 min | 3.9 min | |
| Drive time to the nearest secondary schoolDrive time to the nearest secondary school Average drive by car from where people live to the nearest school teaching up to year 10 (Sekundarstufe I: Hauptschule, Realschule, Gesamtschule or Gymnasium), in minutes. 2024 | 8.6 min | 6.0 min | 6.2 min | |
| DoctorsDoctors Doctors per 100,000 residents, counted where they work. 2023 | 121/100,000 | 141/100,000 | 149/100,000 | |
| Drive time to the nearest GPDrive time to the nearest GP Drive by car from where people live to the nearest general practice, in minutes (per Gemeinde: the typical resident, the median). Whether a practice takes new patients is not known. 2021 | 4.6 min | 3.0 min | 3.1 min | |
| General practitionersGeneral practitioners General practitioners per 100,000 residents, counted where they work. High where practices also serve the surrounding area. Says nothing about waiting times or whether practices take new patients. 2023 | 58/100,000 | 59/100,000 | 65/100,000 | |
| Drive time to the nearest emergency departmentDrive time to the nearest emergency department Average drive by car from where people live to the nearest hospital with a central emergency department or emergency unit, in minutes. Not every such hospital treats every emergency (strokes, heart attacks), and ambulances and air rescue are not part of it. 2024 | 10.7 min | 9.1 min | 11.1 min | |
| Drive time to the nearest IC/ICE stationDrive time to the nearest IC/ICE station Average drive by car from where people live to the nearest station served by long-distance trains (IC or ICE), in minutes. How often the trains stop there does not count, and regional stations are not part of it. 2024 | 31.0 min | 14.8 min | 18.0 min | |
| Public transport nearbyPublic transport nearby Share of residents living within 600 m of a stop (1,200 m of a railway station) with at least 20 departures a day on average from Monday to Friday: bus, tram, train and on-demand services that run to a timetable. 20 departures can mean ten buses each way. Changed method: not comparable with earlier figures. 2025 | 92.2% | 96.2% | 93.0% | |
| Gigabit internetGigabit internet Share of households where a wired connection of at least 1,000 Mbit/s is available (fibre or cable). Available means it could be booked, not that it is. 2025 | 87.8% | 85.0% | 80.2% | |
| 5G mobile coverage5G mobile coverage Share of the area with 5G mobile coverage. A share of the land, not of the people: forests and mountains count as much as villages, which is why it is weighted by area. Reception indoors can be weaker. 2025 | 89.7% | 96.8% | 95.3% | |
| Public charging pointsPublic charging points Publicly accessible charging points for electric cars per 10,000 residents, placed by their coordinates. Ladesäulenregister of the Bundesnetzagentur: only points whose registration is complete. Wallboxes at home or at work do not count. Over time: the points in operation at the end of each year (only points still in the register). 2026 | 22.0/10,000 | 23.1/10,000 | 25.3/10,000 |
Resources
| Figure | Value | StatusiStatus The dot shows where Hochsauerlandkreis stands among all 400 districts, the lowest value on the left, the highest on the right; the lines: North Rhine-Westphalia (light) and Germany (dark). | North Rhine-Westphalia | Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renewable power capacityRenewable power capacity Installed capacity of solar, onshore wind, biomass and hydro power in operation per resident, where the units stand. Capacity, not generation: a kilowatt of wind yields about twice as much electricity in a year as a kilowatt of solar. Over time: the units in operation at the end of each year, the last point at the register’s newest state, per resident of 2023. Wind turbines taken down before the register began (2019) are often missing: the early years are too low, before 2010 markedly. 2026 | 3.26 kW p.c. | 1.50 kW p.c. | 2.57 kW p.c. | |
| Solar powerSolar power Installed solar capacity in operation (peak power of the modules) per resident, wherever it stands: rooftops and solar parks. Over time: the units in operation at the end of each year, the last point at the register’s newest state, per resident of 2023. 2026 | 1.52 kW p.c. | 0.88 kW p.c. | 1.56 kW p.c. | |
| Wind powerWind power Installed onshore wind capacity in operation per resident, where the turbines stand. Offshore wind farms belong to no area on the map. Over time: the units in operation at the end of each year, the last point at the register’s newest state, per resident of 2023. The register began in 2019: turbines taken down before then are often missing, so the early years are too low (2000: about half of the wind capacity of the time, 2010: nine tenths; from 2015 nearly all). 2026 | 1.49 kW p.c. | 0.55 kW p.c. | 0.85 kW p.c. | |
| Biomass powerBiomass power Installed electrical capacity of biomass and biogas plants in operation per resident, where they stand. Over time: the units in operation at the end of each year, the last point at the register’s newest state, per resident of 2023. 2026 | 0.17 kW p.c. | 0.06 kW p.c. | 0.11 kW p.c. | |
| Balcony solar unitsBalcony solar units Plug-in solar units (balcony power plants) in the Marktstammdatenregister per 1,000 residents. They must be registered, but many are not: the real number is higher. Over time: the units in operation at the end of each year, the last point at the register’s newest state, per 1,000 residents of 2023. 2026 | 25.2/1,000 | 16.8/1,000 | 18.2/1,000 | |
| Battery storageBattery storage Usable capacity of battery storage in operation per resident, home batteries and large grid batteries alike: a single large battery can dominate a rural area. Over time: the units in operation at the end of each year, the last point at the register’s newest state, per resident of 2023. 2026 | 0.47 kWh p.c. | 0.34 kWh p.c. | 0.42 kWh p.c. | |
| Home batteriesHome batteries Battery storage units with up to 30 kWh usable capacity, the usual size of a home battery, per 1,000 residents. Over time: the units in operation at the end of each year, the last point at the register’s newest state, per 1,000 residents of 2023. 2026 | 40.7/1,000 | 30.4/1,000 | 33.2/1,000 | |
| Electricity use of industryElectricity use of industry Electricity used by manufacturing, mining and quarrying (firms with 20 or more employees) per resident. Households, shops and offices are not included. 2024 | 4.4 MWh p.c. | 2.8 MWh p.c. | 2.3 MWh p.c. | |
| Forest shareForest share Share of the area covered by forest, thicket included. 2023 | 55.1% | 26.8% | 31.2% | |
| Farmland shareFarmland share Share of the area used for agriculture: fields, meadows, pastures, orchards. 2023 | 30.7% | 46.7% | 50.3% | |
| Settlement & transport areaSettlement & transport area Share of the area used for buildings, yards, industry, roads and railways, but also parks, sports grounds and cemeteries: not the same as sealed ground. Ground-mounted solar parks count too. 2023 | 12.7% | 23.4% | 14.2% | |
| Land take for settlement & transportLand take for settlement & transport Settlement and transport area added per year from 2019 to 2023, per resident. Ground-mounted solar parks count as settlement area, so new solar parks raise the value. When a Land reclassifies its land register, areas can seem to shrink (Hessen 2022). Earlier years are left out: the switch to a new register made areas jump. 2023 | 1.6 m² p.c./yr | 1.4 m² p.c./yr | 2.4 m² p.c./yr | |
| Household wasteHousehold waste Household waste collected by the public services in 2024, per resident: residual and bulky waste, organic waste and separately collected recyclables. 2024 | 401 kg p.c. | 454 kg p.c. | 452 kg p.c. | |
| Hot daysHot days Days a year reaching 30 °C or more, average of 2016–2025, where people live (each 100 m census cell weighted by its residents). 2016–2025 | 8.3 days/yr | 12.1 days/yr | 13.8 days/yr | |
| Frost daysFrost days Days a year with a minimum temperature below 0 °C, average of 2016–2025, where people live (each 100 m census cell weighted by its residents). 2016–2025 | 79.2 days/yr | 46.2 days/yr | 63.4 days/yr | |
| Days with 20 mm of rain or moreDays with 20 mm of rain or more Days a year with 20 mm of precipitation or more (20 litres per m²), average of 2016–2025, where people live (each 100 m census cell weighted by its residents). 2016–2025 | 5.3 days/yr | 4.7 days/yr | 4.8 days/yr | |
| Snow daysSnow days Days a year with more than 1 cm of snow on the ground in the morning, average of 2016–2025, where people live (each 100 m census cell weighted by its residents). 2016–2025 | 20.3 days/yr | 5.2 days/yr | 12.2 days/yr |
Municipalities
The 12 municipalities in Hochsauerlandkreis, by population; a click shows one on the map.
- Arnsberg 74,957
- Meschede 29,612
- Sundern (Sauerland) 27,693
- Brilon 25,456
- Schmallenberg 24,608
- Marsberg 19,578
- Olsberg 14,728
- Winterberg 13,164
- Bestwig 10,235
- Eslohe (Sauerland) 8,815
- Medebach 7,991
- Hallenberg 4,356
Neighbours
The districts bordering Hochsauerlandkreis, with their landläufigkeit.index.
- Höxter district 48.7
- Märkischer Kreis 50.3
- Olpe district 54.2
- Paderborn district 55.9
- Siegen-Wittgenstein district 49.5
- Soest district 51.0
- Waldeck-Frankenberg district 57.2
Sources
- Structural data for the constituencies of the 21st Bundestag – Die Bundeswahlleiterin, Wiesbaden 2025
- Regional database Germany, table 12411-02-03-5 – © Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder
- Census 2022: municipal tables and 100 m grid – © Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder
- INKAR: indicators and maps on spatial and urban development – © BBSR Bonn 2025
- Municipal directory (GV-ISys) – © Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis)
- Labour market and basic income statistics – Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit
- Regional database Germany, table 73111-01-01-4 – © Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder
- Regional database Germany, table 13312-01-05-4 – © Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder
- Regional database Germany, table 52411-02-01-4 – © Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder
- Regional database Germany, table 45412-01-03-4 – © Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder
- Regional database Germany, table 71327-01-05-4 – © Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder
- Debt of the public budgets 2023 (statistical report) – © Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis)
- Regional database Germany, table 31121-01-02-4 – © Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder
- Regional database Germany, table 61511-01-03-4 – © Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder
- Deutschlandatlas, release HA26 – Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building; Federal Statistical Office
- Charging station register – © Bundesnetzagentur
- Market master data register – © Bundesnetzagentur
- Regional database Germany, table 43531-01-02-4 – © Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder
- Regional database Germany, table 32121-01-02-4 – © Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder
- Annual grids of the Climate Data Center: hot days, frost days, precipitation, snow cover – Deutscher Wetterdienst
- Wikidata: seat of the district administration – Wikidata (Wikimedia Foundation)
Spotted a mistake? Let us know: · Data status & changes