Living in Welkom

Welkom is a city in Free State, South Africa, home to 431,944 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are young families (top 2%, #4 of 367), low-income families (top 3%, #10 of 367), single parents (top 3%, #10 of 367).

Residents431,944

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport131 km (Bram Fischer International)

Nearest city of 100k+Itself

Within 30 km780,400 people

Climate typeCold semi-arid (BSk)

Terrain around itabout 1,370 m, height range 60 m

Main railway line2.5 km

Distance to Bloemfontein136 km

Within 10 km431,944 people

Greater areaGreater Welkom, the core

Winter daylight13 h 55 min, sunset 18:09

See Welkom on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about Welkom

On the shortest day the sun is up for 13 h 55 min and sets around 18:09; in late June it sets around 17:26.

How Welkom 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 Free State
Young family	66	#4 of 367	#1 of 27	Map
Low-income household	76	#24 of 578	#1 of 69	Map
Low-income family	68	#10 of 367	#3 of 27	Map
Single parent	70	#10 of 367	#3 of 27	Map
Pensioner couple	72	#103 of 367	#5 of 27	Map
Single pensioner	80	#62 of 367	#4 of 27	Map
Early retiree	71	#61 of 578	#2 of 69	Map
Single professional	78	#25 of 224	#1 of 22	Map
Young professional	80	#25 of 204	#1 of 18	Map
DINKS	79	#27 of 164	#1 of 15	Map
Remote worker	78	#51 of 578	#2 of 69	Map
Commuter	87	#27 of 212	#1 of 20	Map
Car-free household	83	#24 of 168	#2 of 13	Map
Student	0	#43 of 74	#5 of 9	Map
First-home buyer	74	#27 of 367	#1 of 27	Map
Budget-constrained mover	70	#29 of 578	#2 of 69	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker	78	#25 of 186	#2 of 15	Map
Expat professional	73	#38 of 578	#2 of 69	Map
Healthcare-first mover	79	#33 of 367	#3 of 27	Map
Nature-focused household	23	#536 of 578	#67 of 69	Map
Cross-border commuter	16	#111 of 578	#14 of 69	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	0	#564 of 578	#64 of 69	Map
Rural value seeker	34	#440 of 578	#60 of 69	Map
High-net-worth mover	83	#6 of 578	#1 of 69	Map
Lottery winner	74	#33 of 578	#3 of 69	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	68	#212 of 578	#27 of 69	Map
Coastal living		not ranked: below the minimum for coast	–	Map
Business owner	76	#62 of 578	#4 of 69	Map
Digital native	60	#32 of 233	#2 of 22	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)100
Foundation99
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)90
Flat land (terrain relief)89
Lifestyle and amenities85
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)78
Jobs and economy73
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)72
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)71
Mobility and connectivity65
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)62
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)62
Affordability52
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)28
Green space5
Education and family5
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)3
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)3
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)2
Sea or lake shore0
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

Odendaalsrus 12 km
Kutloanong 16 km
Virginia 19 km
Allanridge 26 km
Hennenman 28 km
Phomolong 34 km
Wesselsbron 39 km
Ventersburg 41 km

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