Enschede is a city of contrasts. Around the inner ring road, students, young professionals and shop owners live close together, while from the edges of town you can cycle into open farmland within minutes. Put the reviews residents leave on Buurtje.nl side by side and the pattern is clear: the further from the centre, the happier people are.
One thing first. Enschede has 60 reviews in total, and each district has between three and eleven. Twekkelerveld and the rural area have only three each. A score like that can move half a point with a single new review. Treat the order as a direction, not a final verdict.
Every district at a glance
| District | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Enschede-Zuid | 8.4 | 9 |
| Ribbelt - Stokhorst | 8.1 | 4 |
| Enschede-Noord | 8.1 | 6 |
| Glanerbrug and surroundings | 7.8 | 6 |
| Rural area and villages | 7.8 | 3 |
| Boswinkel - Stadsveld | 7.7 | 11 |
| Binnensingelgebied | 7.0 | 10 |
| Hogeland - Velve | 6.7 | 8 |
| Twekkelerveld - T.H.T. | 6.5 | 3 |
On average, residents give Enschede a 7.6. Accessibility is the city's strongest point (8.0); community and cleanliness are the weakest (both 7.2).
The south: green and spacious
Enschede-Zuid scores 8.4 from nine reviews, a clear lead. It is also the largest district in the city, with over 33,000 residents in areas such as Wesselerbrink, Stroinkslanden and Helmerhoek. Greenery gets a 9.0 and housing an 8.6. Residents write about birdsong in the morning, a park for walking the dog and shops within walking distance. One resident of Helmerhoek has lived there for almost 32 years and says they have never lived anywhere nicer. The only critical note is about youths hanging around in part of Wesselerbrink. Cleanliness is the lowest score at 7.8, which is still comfortably good. If you want to live here, the homes for sale in Enschede-Zuid offer the most choice; there are a few rentals too.
Old and familiar: Ribbelt - Stokhorst
In second place is Ribbelt - Stokhorst with an 8.1 (4 reviews). Safety and accessibility both get a 9.0. What stands out is how long people stay: one resident has lived in the area for 53 years, another for almost 45 years in the same house. Greenery is the lowest score at 7.0, and someone in Park Stokhorst misses a café or terrace nearby. For this district, look mainly at the homes for sale; rentals are scarce.
Noord: from Roombeek to the campus
Enschede-Noord also ends up on 8.1, from six reviews. The district runs from Roombeek, rebuilt after the fireworks disaster of 2000, to the grounds of the University of Twente. Accessibility (9.0) and amenities (8.7) are its strengths; community is lowest at 7.0. Residents call it a tidy area but are annoyed by dog mess and a few quarrelsome neighbours. In Roombeek, on the other hand, one resident describes how neighbours talk problems through together. Noord is one of the few districts with a decent number of homes for rent, alongside the homes for sale.
On the edges: Glanerbrug and the villages
Glanerbrug and surroundings, right on the German border, gets a 7.8 (6 reviews). Safety and greenery both score 8.5. A resident born and raised there describes real noaberschap, the Twente tradition of neighbours looking after each other: you just drop in next door for coffee. The downside is distance. Amenities get a 6.0, one resident finds the railway station a long way off, and cycling into town takes fifteen to twenty minutes. See the homes for sale or homes for rent in Glanerbrug.
The rural area with Boekelo, Lonneker and Usselo also lands on 7.8, though from only three reviews. Greenery gets a 9.7, the highest category score in this whole list. Residents walk to the Rutbeek lake and watch squirrels from their garden. Accessibility (6.7) and amenities (6.3) lag behind; one resident lost the bus stop outside their door. You will find homes for sale in the countryside and the odd rental.
Boswinkel - Stadsveld: two faces
With eleven reviews, Boswinkel - Stadsveld has the most solid score in Enschede. That score, a 7.7, hides big differences. In 't Zwering, residents of 32 years say newcomers are easily welcomed. In Pathmos and Stadsveld-Noord, reviews mention boarded-up houses, litter and rats. One resident does note that a lot has been renovated and greened recently. Accessibility gets an 8.3, cleanliness a 7.0. There are homes for sale and a fair number of rentals.
Why the centre scores lower
The Binnensingelgebied, the area inside the ring road (7.0, 10 reviews), has the most homes on offer and the best amenities (8.2). But greenery gets a 5.8, and community and cleanliness a 6.2. A family that has run a shop in the centre for 83 years sees fine buildings disappear and shops stand empty. Another shop owner is pleased with the new housing for students and starters. Bike theft comes up more than once. If city life is what you want, look at the homes for sale and homes for rent around the ring.
Hogeland - Velve scores 6.7 (8 reviews). Education (8.2) and accessibility (8.0) are fine; greenery (5.5) and tidiness are not. A few residents describe litter and nuisance, while others call their street quiet and their neighbours friendly. See the homes for sale and homes for rent in Hogeland - Velve.
Twekkelerveld - T.H.T. closes the list on 6.5, based on just three reviews. Residents feel safe (8.0) and find it easy to get around, but would like more greenery and notice youths hanging around lately. Community scores 5.3. See the homes for sale or homes for rent here.
How the scores work
On Buurtje.nl, residents rate their area on eight points: safety, accessibility, community, greenery, housing, education, amenities and cleanliness. A district's score is the average of these across all its reviews. Only districts with at least three reviews are included. We use the 2025 district boundaries of Statistics Netherlands (CBS); figures as of October 2026.
Searching in Enschede?
The page for the municipality of Enschede lists every neighbourhood with its reviews. All listings are under homes for sale and homes for rent in Enschede. Do you live in one of these districts, especially one with few reviews? Rate your neighbourhood and sharpen the picture for the next person looking.
More on Overijssel: the best neighbourhoods in Deventer, the best-rated municipalities in Overijssel and the cleanest neighbourhoods in Zwolle.
