Bamisparimעברית

City · Southern District · founded 1948

Ashkelon by the numbers

Ashkelon has 177,083 residents (CBS estimate, September 2026). Compared with the 100 other cities with 20,000+ residents, it is older than 70% of them, with more crime than 81% of them and has more renters than 72% of them.

Population
177,083
#12 by size of 82 cities
Average home price
₪1.5M
25% lower than the national average
Average monthly salary
₪13,268
12% lower than the national average
Crime
48.6 per 1,000
Above the national average (33.9)

How does Ashkelon compare with other cities?

Ashkelon Another of the 101 cities with 20,000+ residents

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How much crime?

48.6More crime than 81% of cities
Criminal cases per 1,000 residents, 2025
LowHigh

Do people rent or own?

33%More renters than 72% of cities
Households renting, 2022
LowHigh

Young or old?

17%Older than 70% of cities
Residents aged 65+, 2026
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Big families?

2.8Smaller households than 70% of cities
People per household, average, 2022
LowHigh
5 more comparisons

How much is rent?

₪3,799Like most (slightly below)
Average monthly rent, 2026
LowHigh

Can you live without a car?

28%Like most (slightly above)
Households without a car, 2022
LowHigh

How much does an apartment cost?

₪1,520,200Like most (slightly below)
Average apartment price, 2026
LowHigh

How educated?

23%Like most (slightly above)
Residents with an academic degree, 2022
LowHigh

How much do people earn?

₪13,268Like most (slightly above)
Average monthly wage per employee, 2025
LowHigh

Sources: wages: National Insurance 2025; housing: Tax Authority (Nadlan) 2026; age: National Insurance 2026; crime: Israel Police 2025; education, renting, cars and household size: the 2022 census, the only source at town level. Compared with the 101 cities with 20,000+ residents.

Ashkelon in national rankings

7 more rankings

How much does it cost to live in Ashkelon?

Average home ₪1.5M, 25% lower than the national average; rent ₪3,799 a month

Tax Authority sales data · to June 2026

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Average home price
₪1.5Mover the last 12 months
▲ 1.5% a year25% below the national average
3 rooms
₪1.1M
4 rooms
₪1.5M
5+ rooms
₪2.1M
Average rent
₪3,799a month
▲ 8.6% a year24% below the national average
3 rooms
₪3,250
4 rooms
₪4,400
5+ rooms
₪5,200
9.5years of the average local salary
buy an average home (before costs)
29%of the average salary
goes on average rent

Average home price by quarterAshkelonIsrael

₪1.4MQ2 21Q2 22Q2 23Q2 24Q2 25Q2 26

Source: Israel Tax Authority, Nadlan.gov.il. Averages of reported sales; with too few sales no average is shown. Years of salary use the National Insurance average wage.

Housing and construction

Ashkelon home prices by neighbourhood

▲ Ramat Kramim ₪2M▲ Mitzpe Barnea ₪1.8M▲ Afridar ₪1.8M▼ Ramat Eshkol ₪940,000▼ Shikmim ₪808,000

32K housing units in approved plans · 9 urban renewal compounds · 7 open land tenders

All 29 neighbourhoods, plans and urban renewal →

What is the average salary in Ashkelon?

₪13,268 a month for the average employee, 12% lower than the national average; socio-economic cluster 5 of 10

Wages 2025

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₪13,268average monthly salary

12% below the national average.

Ashkelon
₪13,268
Israel
₪15,140
25.3%earn up to minimum wageIsrael: 26.6%
0.9%earn 4x the average or moreIsrael: 2.6%
₪11,577self-employed monthly incomeIsrael: ₪11,928
Socio-economic cluster
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1 · lowesthighest · 10

Ranked 114 of 255 local authorities (1 is the lowest).

Wages: National Insurance Institute, 2025. Cluster: CBS socio-economic index 2021, the latest (published in 2024).

Schools and kindergartens in Ashkelon

71 schools, 314 kindergartens and 120 daycare centres

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71Schools
314Kindergartens
120Daycare centres

Schools by stream: State (secular) 39, State-religious 19, Haredi 13.

Schools71 schoolsThe full list, by stage and streamKindergartens314 kindergartensPublic and recognised, searchable by name

Source: Ministry of Education, list of active institutions

Parks, transport and health care in Ashkelon

189 parks and gardens, 122 sports facilities, 76 public transport lines

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Parks and playgrounds189 parks, gardens and playgroundsBig parks, dog parks and beachesSports facilities122 sports facilitiesCourts, halls and pools by neighbourhoodPublic transport76 linesBus and train lines and where they goHealth15 clinics and pharmaciesHospitals, health fund clinics and pharmacies

Crime in Ashkelon: is Ashkelon safe?

48.6 cases per 1,000 residents, above the national average (33.9)

Israel Police · 2025

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48.6criminal cases per 1,000 residents in 2025

Nationwide: 33.9. Up 7% from 2024. Violent offences are 19% of cases, against 16% nationwide.

Source: Israel Police, cases opened in 2025 (8,324 cases).

Road accidents6,442 injury accidentsHow many, who was hurt and whereCell antennas102 antennasWhere they are and which company runs them

Who lives in Ashkelon?

28% are under 18 (less than the national share); the largest health fund is Clalit

As of October 2026

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Age groups

Ashkelon
28%
55%
17%
Israel
32%
55%
13%

Under 18Working age (18–65)65+

Health funds (kupot holim)

Ashkelon
50%
29%
11%
10%
Israel
50%
28%
14%

ClalitMaccabiMeuhedetLeumit

13.7%self-employed among the insuredIsrael: 16.9%
1.3%get unemployment benefitIsrael: 1%
4.7%get pension income supplementIsrael: 2%
0.7%get income supportIsrael: 0.4%
4.8%get disability benefitIsrael: 3.8%
7.2%get long-term care benefitIsrael: 4.1%

Source: National Insurance Institute, statistics by town (ages as of October 2026). Benefit rates are shares of all residents.

How does Ashkelon vote?

Largest list: Likud (40%). Turnout 69%

Election for the 26th Knesset

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In the 2026 election, Ashkelon voted Likud more than the country as a whole (‎+19 points) and Joint List less (‎-9).

Turnout
Here, 202669%
Israel, 202678%
Here, 202262%

In 2022 the largest list here was Likud (40%).

Likud
39.6%
Yisrael Beiteinu
11.8%
Yashar
11.2%
Otzma Yehudit
10.9%
Together (Beyachad)
7.2%
Shas
6.3%

Ashkelon All Israel

Source: Central Elections Committee, 26th Knesset election (2026), via the Kaplan Open Source mirror (official results by locality). Compared with the 25th Knesset (2022)

How much is arnona (property tax) in Ashkelon?

About ₪299 a month for a 90 m² apartment, less than most local authorities

Audited accounts 2024

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A 90 m² apartment in Ashkelon pays about ₪299 a month in arnona on average (₪3,582 a year).

Residential arnona, average per m² a year₪39.8
Median authority: ₪41.5
Spending per resident a year₪8,680
Median authority: ₪8,818
Arnona collected of the amount billed91.8%
Median authority: 90%
Own revenue as a share of all revenue64.3%
Median authority: 45.9%

Of every shekel the authority spends, 37 agorot go to education and 15 agorot to welfare.

Source: Ministry of the Interior, audited financial reports of local authorities for 2024. Actual arnona depends on the zone and type of property.

Budget and arnona2024 reportWhere the money goes and where it comes from

Towns like Ashkelon, and nearby

Most similar: Afula, Or Akiva, Hadera

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Similar in wages, education, age, renting, car ownership, household size and population mix.

Afula70,239 residents · wage ₪12,414Or Akiva27,168 residents · wage ₪13,764Hadera109,062 residents · wage ₪14,125Nahariya70,078 residents · wage ₪14,743

Closest on the map

Ashkelon: common questions

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What is the population of Ashkelon?

Ashkelon has 177,083 residents, according to the CBS estimate for September 2026. It is the 12th largest city in Israel, out of 82 cities.

Is Ashkelon safe?

In 2025, police opened 48.6 criminal cases per 1,000 residents in Ashkelon, above the national average (33.9). It ranks 17 of 82 cities for crime rate (1 = the most).

How many schools are there in Ashkelon?

Ashkelon has 71 schools, 314 kindergartens and 120 daycare centres, according to the Ministry of Education.

How much does an apartment cost in Ashkelon?

The average apartment in Ashkelon sells for ₪1,520,200, based on deals in the 12 months to June 2026, against ₪2,034,550 nationwide. It ranks 42 of 70 cities (1 = the most expensive).

How much is rent in Ashkelon?

Average rent in Ashkelon: ₪3,799 a month, against ₪5,006 nationwide.

What is the average salary in Ashkelon?

The average monthly wage per employee in Ashkelon is ₪13,268, against ₪15,140 nationwide (National Insurance, 2025).

Is there a tax benefit for living in Ashkelon?

No. Ashkelon is not on the Tax Authority's list of eligible localities for 2026.

Which district is Ashkelon in?

Ashkelon is in the Southern District, Ashkelon subdistrict.

Data sources

CBS locality code: 7100