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Neighbourhood · Zoetermeer

Living in Palenstein-West

The population is growing about as fast as in Zoetermeer. Homes cost less than the average in the municipality of Zoetermeer, and registered crime per resident is lower.

1,330 residents, 710 homes, Data: CBS, Politie, Kiesraad, Kadaster

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At a glance

Compared with the municipality of Zoetermeer · newest year available

Location

© Kadaster / PDOK, CBS

01 · Prices & homes

Homes cost less than the Zoetermeer average.

The average WOZ value in Palenstein-West is €364,000, 3% lower than in Zoetermeer (€375,000). 45% of the homes are owner-occupied, 11 percentage points less than in Zoetermeer (56%).

Key figures
  • Average WOZ value
    €364,000
    3% lower than Zoetermeer (€375,000)
  • More figures
  • Owner-occupied dwellings
    45%
    11 percentage points lower than Zoetermeer (56%)
  • Social housing
    47%
    13 percentage points higher than Zoetermeer (34%)
  • Private rent
    8%
    2 percentage points lower than Zoetermeer (10%)
  • Single-family dwellings
    19%
    37 percentage points lower than Zoetermeer (56%)
  • Built 1992–2005
    0%
    19 percentage points lower than Zoetermeer (19%)
  • Built 2006–2015
    21%
    12 percentage points higher than Zoetermeer (9%)
  • Built 1975–1991
    37%
    7 percentage points lower than Zoetermeer (44%)

Modelled ownership costs

Modelled ownership costs for a typical dwelling here: ~€245 per month (excluding mortgage and energy)

€245/ month

Typical home here, before mortgage and energy

  • 91 m² · measured buurt average
  • WOZ €364,000 · average here
Levies you'll be billed€121NL median
  • Water board levy€42–
  • Property tax (OZB)€39€32
  • Waste levy€28€27
  • Sewage levy€12€22
Costs to set aside€124
  • Maintenance reserve€116–
  • Buildings insurance€8–

Model estimates, not bills.

For this home, Zoetermeer's OZB, sewage and waste levies rank 130th of 334 gemeenten, cheapest first.

cheapestdearest

Water board, maintenance and insurance are estimated from national rates and the home's value and size, so they aren't compared.

Explanation
  • The home: one typical home of 91 m² (measured average in this buurt) with the average WOZ value here, €364,000.
  • Levies: Zoetermeer's own OZB, sewage and waste rates for 2026. The water board levy uses national average rates.
  • Set aside: maintenance at 0.85% and buildings insurance at 0.06% a year of the rebuild cost (€1,800 per m²).
  • NL median: what the same home would pay in the middle gemeente. Gemeenten where a regional body collects the waste levy are left out.
  • Not included: mortgage and energy. These are estimates, not actual bills.

Source: Municipal levies + CBS 2026

Dwelling value ladder

Palenstein-West has the 2nd-highest WOZ value of the 6 buurten in Palenstein.

Netherlands€398,000
Zoetermeer€375,000
Palenstein€307,000
Palenstein-Zuid€384,000
Palenstein-West€364,000

Geuzenbuurt€364,000
Palenstein-Oost€192,000
Explanation

Average WOZ value from the Netherlands down to this area, and its rank within its own group (e.g. buurten within the same wijk). Provincie is omitted: KWB publishes no province rows to average.

Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (KWB)

WOZ value and age structure

Here: €364,000 average WOZ value.

ValueDwellingsAged 65+
Palenstein-West364,000710–
Palenstein-Noord337,0000–
Palenstein-Centrum289,000402–
Palenstein-Oost192,000863–
Geuzenbuurt364,000357–
Palenstein-Zuid384,000590–
Explanation

Each circle is an area: position by average WOZ value, size by dwelling count. The 65-and-over share (pct_65_plus) travels on every point but is not yet drawn as a second axis.

Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (KWB)

Dwellings by ownership

The largest category is social housing, at 47% of dwellings.

  • Owner-occupied45%
  • Social housing47%
  • Private rent8%
Explanation

CBS publishes this as a share of the dwelling stock, not a count.

Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (KWB) 2025

Dwellings by type

81% of the dwelling stock is multi-family homes.

  • Single-family homes19%
  • Multi-family homes81%
Explanation

CBS publishes this as a share of the dwelling stock, not a count.

Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (KWB) 2025

Dwellings by build period

42% of dwellings were built in 2016 or later, against 6% in the municipality of Zoetermeer.

  • 1975-199137.2%
  • 1992-20050.1%
  • 2006-201520.6%
  • 2016 and later42.1%
Explanation

Based on 710 dwellings with a registered construction year in the BAG (verblijfsobjecten whose pand has no usable bouwjaar, such as 1005 or 9999, are excluded).

Source: Kadaster BAG (bag-light.gpkg) 2026-09-01

02 · Safety

Less registered crime per resident than the Zoetermeer average.

In 2025, 22 crimes per 1,000 residents were registered in Palenstein-West, 49% lower than in Zoetermeer (43). Crimes are counted where they happen, not where the offender lives.

Key figures
  • Crimes per 1,000 residents, 2025
    22
    49% lower than Zoetermeer (43)
  • Home burglary per 1,000 dwellings
    3.8
    2.0 times as high as Zoetermeer (1.9)

Registered crimes per 1,000 residents, 2025

In 2025, Palenstein-West registered 22 crimes per 1,000 residents, against 43 in the municipality of Zoetermeer.

Palenstein-West22
The municipality of Zoetermeer43
Explanation

Crime is counted where it happens and divided by the number of residents, so places with many visitors — city centres, nightlife, stations — score higher.

Source: CBS/Politie geregistreerde misdrijven (47018NED) 2025

Registered crime per year

In 2025, Palenstein-West registered 22 crimes per 1,000 residents, against 43 in the municipality of Zoetermeer.

Registered crimes per 1,000 residents, 2025
2249% below Zoetermeer
Explanation

Registered crime, not all crime — CBS/Politie 47018NED. A year without a matching population figure (KWB) is left out.

Source: CBS/Politie geregistreerde misdrijven (47018NED) 2025

Crime by category

The largest category in Palenstein-West is 'Theft and burglary': 12.1 per 1,000 residents in 2025, against 15.0 in the municipality of Zoetermeer.

Palenstein-WestZoetermeer
  • Theft and burglary12.1
  • Fraud and scams3.8
  • Vandalism and public order2.3
  • Traffic2.3
  • Violence and threats1.5
  • Environmental0.0
  • Other and withheld0.0
Explanation

Four categories are structurally withheld at buurt level (sex offences, child pornography, child prostitution, other integrity offences); the gap with the published total is shown under 'other'.

Source: CBS/Politie geregistreerde misdrijven (47018NED) 2025

Home burglary

Home burglary 2023-2025: 3.8 per 1,000 dwellings a year on average, against 1.9 in the municipality of Zoetermeer.

Palenstein-West3.76
The municipality of Zoetermeer1.88
Explanation

Averaged over 3 years (2023-2025) to dampen year-to-year noise at low counts.

Source: CBS/Politie geregistreerde misdrijven (47018NED) 2025

Traffic accidents by outcome

In 2023, police in Palenstein-West registered 2 traffic accidents, of which 1 with injury and none fatal.

2021
2022
2023
FatalInjuryMaterial damage only
Explanation

Registered accidents (BRON, Rijkswaterstaat); material-damage-only accidents have not been systematically registered since roughly 2010 and are not comparable between areas. This area shows only accidents with an exactly known location (roughly 80-85% of all registered accidents); the rest is known only at street, intersection or gemeente level. The comparison with the gemeente therefore also uses only the gemeente's exactly-located accidents, which is why that figure is lower than on the gemeente's own page.

Source: BRON — Bestand geRegistreerde Ongevallen Nederland (Rijkswaterstaat) 2023

03 · Living environment

Living environment

Distance to amenities

A gp practice lies here at an average road distance of 400 m.

DistanceValue
Large supermarket500 m–
GP practice400 m–
Primary school400 m–
Daycare400 m–
Large supermarkets–4
GP practices–1.9
Daycares–3.1
Explanation

Average road distance from every address in this buurt to the nearest amenity, and the average count within 1 km — a buurt average, not a distance from one address.

Source: CBS proximity statistics 2025

04 · Residents

The population is growing about as fast as the Zoetermeer average.

Palenstein-West has 1,330 inhabitants (2026), or 10,652 per km² (2.8 times as high as in Zoetermeer). Between 2025 and 2026 the population rose 1%, the same as in Zoetermeer. In the 2025 House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) election, turnout in the municipality of Zoetermeer was 74%, 4 percentage points below the national 78%. Of the parties that are largest nationally, PVV (Partij voor de Vrijheid) had the highest share there: 20% of the vote, against 17% nationally. Election results exist only per municipality, so these are the municipality's figures.

Key figures
  • Population growth since 2025
    +1%
    about the same as Zoetermeer (+1%)
  • Turnout, municipality of Zoetermeer
    74%
    4 percentage points lower than the Netherlands (78%)
  • More figures
  • Aged 25 to 45
    27%
    2 percentage points higher than Zoetermeer (25%)
  • Never married
    44%
    5 percentage points lower than Zoetermeer (49%)
  • Dutch origin
    63%
    1 percentage point higher than Zoetermeer (62%)
  • PVV (Partij voor de Vrijheid), share of the vote
    20%
    3 percentage points higher than the Netherlands (17%)

Population per year

The population held steady between 2025 and 2026, at 1,330.

Residents, 2026
1,330
  • +1% since 2025
  • Zoetermeer +1%

Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (KWB) 2026

Density

With 10,652 residents per km², this buurt is 2.8 times as densely populated as the municipality of Zoetermeer.

Residents per km²10,652
Dwellings per km²5,916.7

Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (KWB) 2026

Births and deaths per 1,000 residents

In 2025, 15.2 children were born per 1,000 residents; 11.4 died per 1,000.

2025
BirthsDeaths

Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (KWB) 2025

Residents by age group

27% of residents are between 25 and 45.

  • 0 to 15195
  • 15 to 2590
  • 25 to 45355
  • 45 to 65250
  • 65 to 80325
  • 80 and over110

Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (KWB) 2026

Marital status

44% of residents are never married.

  • Never married585
  • Married505
  • Divorced145
  • Widowed90

Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (KWB) 2026

Residents by country of origin

63% of residents have Dutch origin.

  • Netherlands835
  • Europe (excluding the Netherlands)95
  • Outside Europe395

Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (KWB) 2026

Parliamentary election

These figures are for the whole municipality of Zoetermeer; there is no result per buurt or wijk. At the general election (Tweede Kamer) of 29 October 2025, 74% of eligible voters in Zoetermeer voted. The largest party was PVV (Partij voor de Vrijheid) with 20% of the valid votes.

Municipality of ZoetermeerThe Netherlands
D66
17.1%
16.9%
PVV (Partij voor de Vrijheid)
19.7%
16.7%
VVD
14.8%
14.2%
GROENLINKS / Partij van de Arbeid (PvdA)
11.6%
12.8%
CDA
10%
11.8%
JA21
7%
5.9%
Forum voor Democratie
5%
4.5%
BBB
1.4%
2.6%
Other
13.5%
14.4%
Explanation

Official election result (Kiesraad), top 8 parties by national vote count plus 'Other'; share of valid votes. A voter may vote at any polling station in their own gemeente; there is therefore no reliable buurt- or wijk-level result. This figure is the whole gemeente's own result.

Source: Kiesraad — Verkiezingsuitslag Tweede Kamer (data.overheid.nl) TK2025

05 · More figures

More figures

Palenstein-West has an average of 0.7 cars per household, 30% lower than in Zoetermeer (1.0). 20% of cars run on something other than petrol (diesel, LPG or electricity, hybrids included), 3 percentage points less than in Zoetermeer (23%).

Key figures
  • Government, education and care, share of businesses
    35%
    14 percentage points higher than Zoetermeer (21%)
  • Business services, share of businesses
    29%
    4 percentage points higher than Zoetermeer (25%)
  • Trade and hospitality, share of businesses
    12%
    4 percentage points lower than Zoetermeer (16%)
  • Cars per household (2025)
    0.7
    30% lower than Zoetermeer (1.0)
  • Cars not on petrol (2025)
    20%
    3 percentage points lower than Zoetermeer (23%)
  • Residential, share of addresses
    98%
    7 percentage points higher than Zoetermeer (91%)
  • Industrial, share of addresses
    0%
    2 percentage points lower than Zoetermeer (2%)
  • Office, share of addresses
    0%
    2 percentage points lower than Zoetermeer (2%)
  • Single-family dwellings
    19%
    44 percentage points lower than the Netherlands (63%)
  • Multi-family dwellings
    81%
    44 percentage points higher than the Netherlands (37%)
  • Private rent
    8%
    6 percentage points lower than the Netherlands (14%)

Business establishments by sector

Overheid, onderwijs en zorg is the largest sector, with 30 establishments.

Landbouw, bosbouw en visserij0
Nijverheid en energie10
Handel en horeca10
Vervoer, informatie en communicatie5
Financiële diensten, onroerend goed0
Zakelijke dienstverlening25
Overheid, onderwijs en zorg30
Cultuur, recreatie, overige diensten5

Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (KWB) 2025

Passenger cars by fuel type

20% of passenger cars do not run on petrol (diesel, LPG, electric etc.), against 23% in the municipality of Zoetermeer (2025).

  • Petrol80.4%
  • Other fuel (diesel, LPG, electric etc.)19.6%
Explanation

CBS splits passenger cars into 'petrol' and 'other fuel' only. That second category bundles diesel, LPG, electric (including hybrid), hydrogen, alcohol, LNG and CNG together — CBS publishes no separate electric-car count per buurt, wijk or gemeente, so this is not the same as an 'electric share'.

Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (KWB) 2025

Vehicles by kind

In 2025, 535 passenger cars and 25 motorcycles were registered here.

Passenger cars535
Motorcycles25
Explanation

At this level CBS publishes only passenger cars and motorcycles, no vans or trucks.

Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (KWB) 2025

Addresses by building use

98% of addresses are residential; the largest other use is retail (1%).

  • Residential98.2%
  • Retail1.1%
  • Office0.1%
  • Assembly0.8%
  • Healthcare0.4%
  • Industrial0.1%
  • Education0.1%
  • Other0.6%
Explanation

Based on 723 verblijfsobjecten in use. An object with several registered uses (e.g. a flat above a shop) is counted under each of them, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.

Source: Kadaster BAG (bag-light.gpkg) 2026-09-01

Biggest difference from the Netherlands

10,652 residents per km²: 20 times as densely populated as the Dutch average.

This areaThe Netherlands
  • Residents per km²10,652
  • Single-family dwellings19%
  • Multi-family dwellings81%
  • Private rent8%
  • Social housing47%
Explanation

The 5 characteristics that differ most from the national average, ranked by log ratio (so a halving and a doubling count as equally different); the shown percentage is the ordinary difference against the Netherlands.

Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (KWB) 2026

06 · Nearby areas

Other neighbourhoods in Zoetermeer

Other neighbourhoods in Zoetermeer
Palenstein-Zuid1,530€384,00028
Geuzenbuurt770€364,00024
Palenstein-Centrum895€289,00085
Palenstein-Oost1,465€192,00054
Ontwikkelgebied5––

Sources: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten (KWB) 2026, Kadaster BAG (bag-light.gpkg) 2026-09-01, CBS proximity statistics 2025, CBS/Politie geregistreerde misdrijven (47018NED) 2025, BRON — Bestand geRegistreerde Ongevallen Nederland (Rijkswaterstaat) 2023, Kiesraad — Verkiezingsuitslag Tweede Kamer (data.overheid.nl) TK2025, Municipal levies + CBS 2026. Figures describe the whole neighbourhood.

How we calculate
Living in Palenstein-West (Zoetermeer): WOZ, prices & safety