Visitors know Deventer for the Brink square, the Bergkwartier and the quays along the IJssel. People who live there see the city differently. In the reviews on Buurtje.nl, the historic centre actually scores lowest, while a village on the northern edge comes out well ahead of everywhere else.
A fair warning: Deventer still has few reviews. There are 35 for the whole municipality, and only six districts reach the three reviews needed to be included, with three to five each. Any new review could change the order below. On average, residents give their municipality a 7.7.
1. Diepenveen: 9.2
Five reviews, and not one below 8.6. Diepenveen gets a 9.6 for safety, accessibility and greenery alike. Residents describe a village of woods, gardens and lovely cycling routes, where everyone knows each other and the city is still close by. A younger resident lists everything packed into such a small place: two schools, sports clubs, parties and committees. There are reservations too. One person finds the locals not the friendliest, another misses proper shops. Community and housing are the lowest scores at 8.6, which says enough. Supply is small: a handful of homes for sale and the occasional rental in Diepenveen.
2. Colmschate-Zuid: 8.0
In Colmschate-Zuid, on the east side of town, it is all about the neighbours. There is a neighbourhood app, a yearly barbecue and a New Year's drinks, and according to one resident nobody has to join in but many people do. Safety gets an 8.8 and amenities an 8.5: the shopping centre, swimming pool and ice rink are close, as is the motorway. Greenery trails at 7.0, though one resident says it is well maintained. Occasional youths hanging around, some mess around New Year, not much else to report. See the homes for sale or the few rentals in Colmschate-Zuid.
3. Zandweerd: 7.7
Zandweerd, just north of the centre, has the highest education score in Deventer: a 9.0. Residents mention the big playground, the many children and strong social ties. Two reviews say evenings are different, with youths hanging around and noisy passers-by. One resident worries about the shops on the Boxbergerweg, which are closing or making way for businesses the neighbourhood gets little out of. There are homes for sale and a few rentals in Zandweerd.
Closer to the centre, opinions vary more
Voorstad: 7.1
Voorstad, which includes the Rode Dorp, gets a 9.0 for accessibility. The centre is a ten-minute walk and there is a square with supermarkets, a gym and a GP. Residents call it peaceful and say everyone tidies up their own mess after New Year's Eve. Greenery gets a 5.0. There are three reviews, so the picture is still narrow. See the homes for sale and homes for rent in Voorstad.
Keizerslanden: 6.9
In Keizerslanden opinions differ most, from a 10 down to a 3.8. One resident of the Oranjekwartier calls it a top location, close to the centre and the station. Another from the same area describes drug use, graffiti and 1960s houses in need of maintenance. In Tuindorp the complaints are about loud music and speeding. Housing is the lowest score at 6.0. Keizerslanden does have plenty of homes for sale, and now and then a rental.
Binnenstad: 6.6
The Binnenstad, the old centre, is the prettiest part of Deventer but not the best rated. Safety is fine at 8.3. Education and cleanliness both get a 5.3. One central resident has everything within walking distance: the theatre, restaurants and bars, museums and the IJssel to sit by the water. In the Knutteldorp area, mostly older people live, and one resident feels enforcement could be better. For anyone who wants to live right in town, there is a good choice of homes for sale and homes for rent in the centre.
Districts still waiting for reviews
A large part of Deventer is missing from this list simply because too few residents have responded. Colmschate-Vijfhoek, Borgele and Platvoet, De Hoven across the IJssel, Schalkhaar and Colmschate-Noord have two each. Rivierenwijk and Bergweide, Bathmen and Lettele have none yet. If you are looking there, you can already browse the homes for sale in Colmschate-Vijfhoek, in Bathmen or the rentals in the Rivierenwijk.
Where the scores come from
Every review on Buurtje.nl includes scores for safety, accessibility, community, greenery, housing, education, amenities and cleanliness. A district's score is the average of these across all its reviews. A district counts from three reviews. Boundaries follow Statistics Netherlands (CBS) 2025; figures as of October 2026.
Living in Deventer
All neighbourhoods and reviews are on the page for the municipality of Deventer. The full supply is under homes for sale and homes for rent in Deventer. Live in one of the districts without a score? That is exactly where your neighbourhood review helps most.
Also worth reading: how people in Enschede rate their districts, the best-rated municipalities in Overijssel and, just across the border in Gelderland, the best and worst rated districts of Apeldoorn.
