Living in Cradock

Cradock is a large place in Eastern Cape, South Africa, home to 43,936 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are early retirees (top 49%, #282 of 578), outdoor and mountain lovers (top 49%, #283 of 578), movers on a budget (top 59%, #341 of 578).

Residents43,936

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport203 km (Chief Dawid Stuurman International)

Nearest city of 100k+122 km

Within 30 km43,900 people

Climate typeCold semi-arid (BSk)

Terrain around itabout 1,010 m, height range 280 m

Main railway line1.5 km

Distance to Bloemfontein344 km

Within 10 km43,936 people

Winter daylight14 h 16 min, sunset 18:24

See Cradock on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about Cradock

On the shortest day the sun is up for 14 h 16 min and sets around 18:24; in late June it sets around 17:20.

How Cradock ranks

Scores run 0 to 100 against every municipality in South Africa. Ranks count only the places that pass each profile's minimums, so the totals differ by profile. Regional overview: population, geography and modelled indicators for costs, schools and safety.

Profile	Score	In South Africa	In Eastern Cape
Young family		not ranked: below the minimum for daily-services catchment	–	Map
Low-income household	23	#376 of 578	#34 of 87	Map
Low-income family		not ranked: below the minimum for daily-services catchment	–	Map
Single parent		not ranked: below the minimum for daily-services catchment	–	Map
Pensioner couple		not ranked: below the minimum for daily-services catchment	–	Map
Single pensioner		not ranked: below the minimum for daily-services catchment	–	Map
Early retiree	65	#282 of 578	#27 of 87	Map
Single professional		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Young professional		not ranked: below the minimum for commute	–	Map
DINKS		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Remote worker	55	#376 of 578	#34 of 87	Map
Commuter		not ranked: below the minimum for commute	–	Map
Car-free household		not ranked: below the minimum for commute	–	Map
Student		not ranked: below the minimum for campus	–	Map
First-home buyer		not ranked: below the minimum for daily-services catchment	–	Map
Budget-constrained mover	35	#341 of 578	#31 of 87	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Expat professional	0	#411 of 578	#42 of 87	Map
Healthcare-first mover		not ranked: below the minimum for daily-services catchment	–	Map
Nature-focused household	48	#364 of 578	#69 of 87	Map
Cross-border commuter	0	#357 of 578	#38 of 87	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	36	#283 of 578	#72 of 87	Map
Rural value seeker	40	#352 of 578	#68 of 87	Map
High-net-worth mover	42	#258 of 578	#23 of 87	Map
Lottery winner	21	#330 of 578	#31 of 87	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	63	#390 of 578	#71 of 87	Map
Coastal living		not ranked: below the minimum for coast	–	Map
Business owner	0	#412 of 578	#43 of 87	Map
Digital native		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)95
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)90
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)78
Green space40
Education and family40
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)35
Foundation34
Lifestyle and amenities31
Flat land (terrain relief)31
Affordability31
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)29
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)23
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)23
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)18
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)16
Jobs and economy16
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)9
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)7
Mobility and connectivity0
Port access (major sea or inland port)0
Chemical park nearby (sites with pipeline links)0
National border nearby (straight line)0
Financial centre (banking and capital markets) within commuting distance0
Commodity-trading or gold hub within commuting distance0
Crypto hub within commuting distance0
Wealth-management centre within commuting distance0

Nearby

Data: Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024; locations EDJNet LAU centres; airports OurAirports; coastline Natural Earth. Updated 2026-10-31. Rankings are decision aids, not advice.