Ask a visitor about the most beautiful spot in Nijmegen and you will hear the Waalkade, the Benedenstad or the Valkhof. Ask the people who live there and you get a different answer. On Buurtje.nl it is the districts few tourists ever see that score highest: Dukenburg in the west and Nijmegen-Zuid. The city centre comes last.
Do keep in mind that the numbers are small. Some districts have four reviews, Nijmegen-Oost has twenty. The fewer the reviews, the more a single resident decides the score. That is why each district shows how many ratings are behind it.
The ranking at a glance
- Dukenburg: 8.6 (4 reviews)
- Nijmegen-Zuid: 8.3 (14 reviews)
- Nijmegen-Oud-West: 8.0 (10 reviews)
- Nijmegen-Oost: 7.9 (20 reviews)
- Nijmegen-Midden: 7.7 (12 reviews)
- Nijmegen-Noord: 7.7 (9 reviews)
- Nijmegen-Nieuw-West: 6.8 (7 reviews)
- Nijmegen-Centrum: 6.1 (4 reviews)
A ranking means little if you do not know what you are looking for. So here it is by type of resident: where will you feel at home?
Looking for calm and somewhere to settle: Dukenburg
Dukenburg is a large district in the west of the city, with neighbourhoods such as Zwanenveld, Tolhuis and Weezenhof. Residents give it a 9.3 for safety and for accessibility, and a 9.0 for greenery. What stands out in the reviews is how long people stay: one resident has lived there since 1989 and does not want to leave. A family that arrived five years ago was welcomed with open arms; the school, shops and bus stop are a few minutes' walk away and every now and then there is a street barbecue. The downside is concrete: the Weezenhof shopping centre burned down years ago and, according to one resident, still looks desolate. Amenities therefore get the lowest score, 7.5. Dukenburg currently has over thirty homes for sale and a couple of homes for rent.
With children and close to the woods: Nijmegen-Zuid
With fourteen reviews, the score for Nijmegen-Zuid is on firmer ground than Dukenburg's. This is home to Hatert, Grootstal, Hatertse Hei and Brakkenstein. Greenery (8.7) and safety (8.6) score highest. A Brakkenstein resident describes quiet streets, playgrounds, good schools and woods "practically in your back garden". In Hatert people talk about a village feel, a close church community and neighbours who get on well. Criticism is mostly about litter: in Hatert some residents throw rubbish off their balconies. Supply is mainly homes for sale in Nijmegen-Zuid, with the odd home for rent.
Close to the station and the city: Oud-West and Oost
Nijmegen-Oud-West (8.0, ten reviews) is the Waterkwartier, with Biezen and the Wolfskuil. Residents call it a friendly working-class area right by the station and the centre, with bars and restaurants and a mixed population. Accessibility and amenities both get an 8.9. Greenery lags behind (7.2), and a student complains about rubbish bags left on the street that attract vermin. One resident feels the tunnel by the station could be safer. For this district, see the homes for sale and homes for rent in Oud-West.
Nijmegen-Oost (7.9) has twenty reviews, the best supported score on the list. It is also a district with many faces. Bottendaal is studenty and lively, with terraces and young families. In Groenewoud people live close to the woods and are in town within five minutes. Altrade is just around the corner from the centre; an English-speaking resident calls it clean and safe, except during the Four Days Marches, when many roads are closed. A student finds Hengstdal affordable. Safety scores 8.5 here. Oost also has the city's largest supply outside the centre: almost a hundred homes for sale and over thirty homes for rent.
New-build across the Waal: Nijmegen-Noord
Nijmegen-Noord (7.7, nine reviews) is the part of the city across the river Waal, with Lent, Oosterhout and Ressen. Lots of new-build, lots of children and lots of space. Residents value the accessibility (8.8) and feel safe (8.4); in Ressen someone writes that nothing ever happens. But the word that comes up most is "quiet", sometimes followed by "boring". Community scores lowest at 6.8: you do not always know your neighbours, and a resident living on the N325 road suffers from traffic noise. There are homes for sale and about ten homes for rent in Nijmegen-Noord.
In between lies Nijmegen-Midden (7.7, twelve reviews), with Hazenkamp, Sint Anna and Nije Veld around the Goffertpark. Residents of Hazenkamp are very satisfied: shops, schools, coffee places and the Goffert swimming pool nearby. In Nije Veld, a resident of 25 years sees the area changing and misses the neighbourly contact of the past. See the homes for sale in Nijmegen-Midden.
Where residents are more critical
Nijmegen-Nieuw-West scores 6.8 (seven reviews). Residents of Hees and Neerbosch-Oost are happy with the shopping centre, the parks and the canal for walks (amenities 8.0). Cleanliness (5.4) and housing (5.9) score low: there is litter in the streets, youths on scooters cause nuisance and young people cannot find a home. There are homes for sale and homes for rent in Nieuw-West.
Nijmegen-Centrum closes the list with a 6.1, based on four reviews. Amenities get an 8.8: everything is around the corner. Greenery and education get a 4.3 and safety a 5.5. Residents mention litter, homeless people on the streets and a vandalised bike. If you still want to live in the heart of the city, this is where most homes are listed: homes for sale and homes for rent in the centre.
How we arrive at these scores
The scores come from reviews residents posted on Buurtje.nl up to 15 October 2026. A district is included from three reviews. Residents rate eight topics: safety, accessibility, community, greenery, housing, education, amenities and cleanliness. The district score is the average. We follow the 2025 district boundaries of Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Nijmegen as a whole scores 7.8, based on 88 reviews.
Look further
All districts, neighbourhoods and reviews are on the page for the municipality of Nijmegen. Find the full supply under homes for sale in Nijmegen and homes for rent in Nijmegen. Live in Nijmegen? Rate your neighbourhood and this list becomes more reliable with every review.
Curious how the safety figures compare with what residents think? Read the safest neighbourhoods in Nijmegen. Or compare with the neighbours in the best neighbourhoods in Arnhem and the best municipalities in Gelderland.
