Living in Knysna

Knysna is a large place in Western Cape, South Africa, home to 68,659 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are outdoor and mountain lovers (top 5%, #27 of 578), retired couples (top 6%, #20 of 367), early retirees (top 17%, #97 of 578).

Residents68,659

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport62 km (George)

Nearest city of 100k+55 km

Within 30 km123,600 people

Sea coast1 km

Climate typeHumid subtropical (Cfa)

Terrain around itabout 140 m, height range 360 m

Main railway line1.1 km

Distance to Bloemfontein624 km

Within 10 km68,659 people

Winter daylight14 h 25 min, sunset 18:39

See Knysna on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about Knysna

It is right on the coast of the INDIAN OCEAN.
On the shortest day the sun is up for 14 h 25 min and sets around 18:39; in late June it sets around 17:26.

How Knysna 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 Western Cape
Young family	50	#216 of 367	#40 of 62	Map
Low-income household	42	#204 of 578	#33 of 93	Map
Low-income family	53	#212 of 367	#36 of 62	Map
Single parent	55	#213 of 367	#36 of 62	Map
Pensioner couple	80	#20 of 367	#14 of 62	Map
Single pensioner	78	#93 of 367	#25 of 62	Map
Early retiree	69	#97 of 578	#37 of 93	Map
Single professional		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Young professional		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
DINKS		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Remote worker	71	#129 of 578	#31 of 93	Map
Commuter		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Car-free household		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Student		not ranked: below the minimum for campus	–	Map
First-home buyer	40	#229 of 367	#46 of 62	Map
Budget-constrained mover	49	#155 of 578	#27 of 93	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Expat professional	38	#182 of 578	#31 of 93	Map
Healthcare-first mover	57	#122 of 367	#20 of 62	Map
Nature-focused household	41	#410 of 578	#72 of 93	Map
Cross-border commuter	7	#228 of 578	#34 of 93	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	61	#27 of 578	#19 of 93	Map
Rural value seeker	36	#411 of 578	#72 of 93	Map
High-net-worth mover	54	#114 of 578	#18 of 93	Map
Lottery winner	44	#150 of 578	#28 of 93	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	67	#228 of 578	#33 of 93	Map
Coastal living	75	#31 of 138	#17 of 57	Map
Business owner	37	#207 of 578	#33 of 93	Map
Digital native		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Sea or lake shore100
Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)100
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)92
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)81
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)76
Mobility and connectivity61
Foundation48
Lifestyle and amenities46
Jobs and economy36
Affordability33
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)31
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)30
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)29
Green space27
Education and family27
Flat land (terrain relief)17
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)17
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)17
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)10
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)6
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.