Think of North Brabant and you probably think of Eindhoven, Breda, Tilburg and Den Bosch. But ask residents how much they like living where they do, and those cities are not at the top. The highest scores come from municipalities with villages, woodland and a church in the middle.
Worth knowing up front: North Brabant is a big province. 37 municipalities have at least five reviews, 747 in total. But Gemert-Bakel has six reviews, Tilburg 106. A small municipality with a handful of enthusiastic residents reaches the top more easily than a big city where a hundred people share their views. Keep that in mind as you read.
The ten best rated municipalities
- Gemert-Bakel: 8.6 (6 reviews)
Safety, greenery, education and cleanliness all get a 9.0 here. In the centre of Gemert residents describe car-free courtyards with a play area and a small orchard in the middle, nature right behind the garden and an annual neighbours' day. Milheeze sounds less rosy: no shops, and for the GP or pharmacy you have to go to Bakel. See the homes for sale in Gemert-Bakel. - Meierijstad: 8.6 (18 reviews)
The municipality around Veghel, Schijndel and Sint-Oedenrode has the highest accessibility score in the province (9.3), and with eighteen reviews it is a solid result. Mariaheide in particular produces enthusiastic accounts of peace, nature and activities for children. For bigger shops you go to Veghel or Uden; amenities score 7.3. See the homes for sale and homes for rent in Meierijstad. - Oirschot: 8.6 (7 reviews)
Safety and greenery both get a 9.6, the highest scores on this entire list. Residents of Spoordonk and Middelbeers call it rural, friendly and extremely safe. The downside is just as clear: it is hard to reach by public transport, and in Oostelbeers there is no bus at weekends. Accessibility scores 6.7. See the homes for sale in Oirschot. - Woensdrecht: 8.3 (13 reviews)
On the western edge of the province, against the Belgian border. Greenery gets a 9.5: residents of Hoogerheide and Putte mention the woods and the polders. In Putte the street sometimes holds a barbecue; in Hoogerheide one resident has lived in the same house for 36 years. Education scores lowest at 7.4. See the homes for sale in Woensdrecht. - Dongen: 8.2 (12 reviews)
Dongen has no peaks or troughs: every category lies between 7.8 and 8.4. "Everyone knows everyone," wrote a resident of West. Another would like more parking. See the homes for sale in Dongen. - Vught: 8.2 (6 reviews)
Safety (8.8), accessibility and amenities (both 8.7) stand out. Residents mention the woods five minutes away and the centre within cycling distance. One person in the centre would like some greenery against the long, bare side walls. Vught has quite a lot on the market: see the homes for sale and homes for rent in Vught. - Asten: 8.1 (6 reviews)
Accessibility (9.2) and safety (8.8) score highly. Residents describe a green, safe place where community matters, although one person in the Oude Bloemenbuurt misses contact with the neighbours. See the homes for sale in Asten. - Helmond: 8.1 (25 reviews)
The surprise of the list. Helmond is a city of almost 100,000 people and scores higher than every other city in the province. Accessibility (8.6), education and greenery (both 8.4) are its strengths. One resident of Binderen has lived there happily for 24 years. At the same time, residents in West and Leonardus mention growing drug-related nuisance and rubbish dumped in the street. Cleanliness scores 7.4. See the homes for sale and homes for rent in Helmond. - Etten-Leur: 8.1 (20 reviews)
With twenty reviews, a well supported score. Safety gets an 8.5, education is the lowest at 7.7. See the homes for sale and homes for rent in Etten-Leur. - Gilze en Rijen: 8.1 (6 reviews)
Safety (9.2) and accessibility (9.0) score exceptionally high, amenities lowest at 7.0. There are a notable number of rentals for a municipality this size: see the homes for rent and homes for sale in Gilze en Rijen.
And the big cities?
The five largest cities in the province have the most reviews between them. That makes their scores more reliable, but also more ordinary: a big city always has an area where things go less well.
| City | Score | Reviews | Strongest | Weakest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helmond | 8.1 | 25 | accessibility 8.6 | cleanliness 7.4 |
| Den Bosch | 8.0 | 39 | accessibility 8.6 | cleanliness 7.4 |
| Eindhoven | 7.7 | 83 | greenery 8.1 | cleanliness 7.0 |
| Breda | 7.6 | 60 | accessibility 8.2 | cleanliness 7.2 |
| Tilburg | 7.3 | 106 | education 7.8 | cleanliness 6.7 |
At 8.0, Den Bosch just misses the top 10 and comes closest to the villages. Eindhoven, Breda and Tilburg sit in the middle of the provincial table. Tilburg has the most reviews in the whole province, and the lowest score of the five. What all five have in common: cleanliness is the weakest point everywhere. If you're searching in one of these cities, see the homes for sale in Den Bosch, Eindhoven, Breda and Tilburg, or the homes for rent in Den Bosch, Eindhoven, Breda and Tilburg.
At the bottom of the list
No municipality in North Brabant with enough reviews actually fails. The lowest three:
- Roosendaal: 6.9 (19 reviews). In Kroeven residents mention the walking paths along the Molenbeek stream and neighbours who pick up litter themselves. Elsewhere the complaint is a lack of space for children to play. Cleanliness (6.3) and amenities (6.5) score lowest. See the homes for sale and homes for rent in Roosendaal.
- Boxtel: 6.5 (10 reviews). Residents like the atmosphere and find people friendly, but in Boxtel-Oost several warn about trouble in the evening around a bicycle roundabout. In the centre someone mentions litter along the river Dommel. See the homes for sale in Boxtel.
- Steenbergen: 6.2 (5 reviews). With five reviews this is the thinnest picture on the list, and the two lowest ratings come from one and the same street. Other residents call Steenbergen-Zuid child-friendly and always feel at home in Dinteloord. Housing scores highest at 7.6. See the homes for sale in Steenbergen.
What people in Brabant keep mentioning
Read the reviews from the top-scoring municipalities and they are rarely about the house itself. They are about neighbours who keep an eye on your home while you're on holiday, a street barbecue, local clubs, the neighbours' day. Residents are just as honest about the flip side of village life: the bus that doesn't come at weekends, the shop that's in the next village. If you want somewhere quiet in Brabant, you often trade amenities for community.
See for yourself
Live in North Brabant? Rate your neighbourhood. Many municipalities only have a few reviews, so every rating counts.
The scores are based on residents' reviews on Buurtje.nl, as of October 2026. A municipality counts from five reviews. The score is the average of safety, accessibility, community, greenery, housing, education, amenities and cleanliness.
Want to zoom in on the cities? Read the top 5 districts of Eindhoven, the best districts of Tilburg or the best districts of Den Bosch. Or look at the neighbours in Limburg.
