Municipality profile · department 59
In Dunkerque (59), the median price per m² stands at €2,115/m² (DVF 2025 release). The median observed rent is €14/m² a month — around €642 a month for a T2.
Public data cross-referenced (DGFiP, INSEE, LocService, ADEME), recorded on October 4, 2026.
The municipality has 86,263 inhabitants, a change of -1.2% ; median living standard there reaches €22,790 a year.
In 2025, a dwelling in Dunkerque sold at a median price of €2,115/m², +3.9% over one year.
Median price per m² over time in Dunkerque
Over 11 years, the median flat price has changed by +37.0%.
| Year | Flat | House | Sales included |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | €1,687/m² | €1,538/m² | 801 |
| 2015 | €1,651/m² | €1,506/m² | 842 |
| 2016 | €1,586/m² | €1,560/m² | 923 |
| 2017 | €1,692/m² | €1,564/m² | 1,036 |
| 2018 | €1,531/m² | €1,597/m² | 992 |
| 2019 | €1,654/m² | €1,603/m² | 1,139 |
| 2020 | €1,607/m² | €1,665/m² | 1,162 |
| 2021 | €1,814/m² | €1,794/m² | 1,275 |
| 2022 | €2,063/m² | €1,879/m² | 1,240 |
| 2023 | €2,139/m² | €1,946/m² | 1,041 |
| 2024 | €2,102/m² | €2,022/m² | 1,002 |
| 2025 | €2,311/m² | €2,011/m² | 961 |
Source: DVF (DGFiP), land value request data · recorded on October 4, 2026
Number of sales per year in Dunkerque
961 sales in 2025, -4.2% compared with 2024 (1,003). The peak of the period remains 2021, with 1,276 sales.
| Year | Sales | Median price per m² | Total sales value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 923 | €1,571/m² | €131.4M |
| 2017 | 1,037 | €1,606/m² | €149.5M |
| 2018 | 993 | €1,577/m² | €143.8M |
| 2019 | 1,140 | €1,618/m² | €163.0M |
| 2020 | 1,164 | €1,644/m² | €173.3M |
| 2021 | 1,276 | €1,800/m² | €203.1M |
| 2022 | 1,241 | €1,941/m² | €214.5M |
| 2023 | 1,041 | €2,027/m² | €185.0M |
| 2024 | 1,003 | €2,036/m² | €181.6M |
| 2025 | 961 | €2,115/m² | €184.4M |
Source: DVF (DGFiP), land value request data · recorded on October 4, 2026
| Median price per m² in 2025 | €2,115/m² |
|---|---|
| Flat — median price per m² | €2,311/m² |
| House — median price per m² | €2,011/m² |
| Sales in 2025 | 961 |
| Average of the previous five years | 1,145 |
| Total sales value in 2025 | €184.4M |
| Sales recorded over ten years | 12,422 |
How to read these figures. The median price splits the market in two: half of sales were made below it, half above. It withstands the few extreme sales that distort a small commune better than the average does.
The data come from DVF, the file of sales actually recorded by notaries, not from advertised prices, which are asking prices rather than agreed ones. Only sales of a flat or a house with a known floor area are counted. DVF does not cover Alsace-Moselle, which is governed by the land register (livre foncier).
Source: DVF (DGFiP) · recorded on October 4, 2026
| Property type | Monthly rent | €/m² | Average floor area |
|---|---|---|---|
| T2 | €642 | €14/m² | 45 m² |
| room | €318 | €32/m² | 10 m² |
| studio | €530 | €18/m² | 30 m² |
| Property type | Median rent (€/m²) | Range (€/m²) |
|---|---|---|
| Flats, all sizes | 13.5 | 10.5 – 17.4 |
| Flats with 1-2 rooms | 15.6 | 12.1 – 20.0 |
| Flats with 3 or more rooms | 12.0 | 9.3 – 15.5 |
| Houses | 11.1 | 8.6 – 14.5 |
How to read this table. This is a predicted advertised rent, including service charges, per square metre per month — not the rent signed in the lease. The range brackets the estimate: most listings in the municipality fall within it. These estimates are recalculated every year with a new model, so two releases cannot be compared with each other.
Estimations ANIL, à partir des données du Groupe SeLoger et de leboncoin · Rent map 2025
Pressure measures the gap between rental demand and available supply; budget effort, the share of income a household must spend on housing. Both are scored from 1 to 8.
Source: LocService, listing rents · recorded on October 4, 2026
Breakdown of homes in Dunkerque by energy performance certificate (EPC) band. Since the loi Climat & Résilience (Climate and Resilience Act), it is this band that determines whether a home may be let.
Breakdown of energy performance certificates in Dunkerque
25,561 homes surveyed. 8.3% of the surveyed housing stock is rated F or G — that is 2,123 homes already affected, or about to be, by the letting ban. Including band E, targeted for 2034, the share rises to 30.4%.
2021 loi Climat & Résilience (Climate and Resilience Act) — applies to new leases.
Source: ADEME, energy performance certificate database · recorded on October 4, 2026
Change in EPC (DPE) assessments in Dunkerque
The share of F and G labels among assessments is falling: 10.1% in 2022, 6.8% in 2025.
| Year | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5 | 111 | 1,054 | 1,893 | 782 | 327 | 105 | 4,277 |
| 2023 | 69 | 146 | 1,015 | 1,716 | 1,013 | 323 | 125 | 4,407 |
| 2024 | 21 | 199 | 1,467 | 2,630 | 2,304 | 305 | 110 | 7,036 |
| 2025 | 83 | 282 | 1,669 | 2,062 | 739 | 262 | 92 | 5,189 |
| 2026* | 112 | 398 | 924 | 1,205 | 549 | 194 | 73 | 3,455 |
* current year, incomplete
Source: ADEME, energy performance certificate database · recorded on October 4, 2026
Why this breakdown matters. A dwelling rated G can no longer be let under a new lease since 1st January 2025; F will follow in 2028 and E in 2034. A commune whose stock is largely rated F or G therefore faces a wall of renovation work, or an exit from the rental market.
Note: these figures cover surveyed homes, not the entire stock. A survey is only required on sale or letting, so homes occupied for a long time are under-represented.
The trend line starts in 2022: the assessment changed its calculation method in July 2021, and earlier labels cannot be compared with later ones. It describes the dwellings assessed during the year (those being sold, let or just renovated), not an annual census of the housing stock.
Dunkerque has 47,346 dwellings at the 2023 census, of which 89.4% are main residences; the rest is split between second homes and vacant dwellings.
What are dwellings used for?
Source: INSEE, census
Who lives in main residences?
Source: INSEE, census
Between 2012 and 2023, the housing stock grew by +5.1% while the population changed by -5.2%: homes are being built faster than the commune gains residents, a sign of smaller households, second homes or rising vacancy.
| Dwellings (2023) | 47,346 |
|---|---|
| Households | 42,317 |
| Dunkerque | Nord | Hauts-de-France | France | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main residences2023 | 89.2%+6.8 pts vs France | 91.1% | 88.6% | 82.4% |
| Second homes2023 | 3.9%−5.9 pts vs France | 1.9% | 4.0% | 9.8% |
| Vacant dwellings2023 | 6.9%−0.9 pt vs France | 7.1% | 7.4% | 7.8% |
| Residents who own their home | 47.4%−13.4 pts vs France | 57.9% | 60.3% | 60.8% |
| Tenant residents | 51.6%+14.2 pts vs France | 40.9% | 38.3% | 37.4% |
Under each value for the municipality: its gap with France. For a rate, the gap is in percentage points (12.4% vs 7.8% = +4.6 pts); for an amount or a ratio, as a percentage of the national value.
| Private dwellings vacant for more than two years (2025) | 1,326 |
|---|---|
| Share of private housing stock | 3.9% |
Why vacancy of more than two years. A dwelling that stands empty for a few months is waiting for a buyer, a tenant or the end of building work: that is the normal breathing of the market. Empty for more than two years, it has left the market — a run-down property, a blocked inheritance, an owner who will neither let nor sell. We do not publish total vacancy from the same file: its national level varies by a third from one year to the next without the housing stock having changed, which rules out any comparison.
Source: LOVAC (Cerema, DGFiP), vacant dwellings in the private housing stock · recorded on October 4, 2026
Dwellings authorised for construction in Dunkerque
| Year | Flats (multi-dwelling buildings) | Detached houses | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 545 | 49 | 594 |
| 2022 | 396 | 37 | 433 |
| 2023 | 495 | 43 | 538 |
| 2024 | 937 | 24 | 961 |
| 2025 | 1,080 | 79 | 1,159 |
| 2026* | 122 | 20 | 142 |
Source: Sit@del, ministry responsible for housing · recorded on October 4, 2026
Sources: INSEE (census), Sit@del · recorded on October 4, 2026
| Population | 86,263 |
|---|---|
| Households | 42,317 |
| People per household | 2.04 |
Change in the population of Dunkerque
Between 2012 and 2023, the population changed by -5.2%.
Source: INSEE, population census · recorded on October 4, 2026
Age breakdown
Source: INSEE
What do people aged 15 and over do?
Source: INSEE
| Dunkerque | Nord | Hauts-de-France | France | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population trend2012-2023 | -5.2%−9.6 pts vs France | +1.1% | +0.3% | +4.4% |
| Median age2023 | 43.5 years+1.0 yr vs France | 39.1 years | 40.8 years | 42.5 years |
| Share aged under 252023 | 28.1%−0.7 pt vs France | 32.3% | 31.0% | 28.8% |
| Share aged 65 and over2023 | 22.8%+1.5 pt vs France | 18.1% | 19.4% | 21.3% |
| People per household2023 | 2.0−6% vs France | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
Under each value for the municipality: its gap with France. For a rate, the gap is in percentage points (12.4% vs 7.8% = +4.6 pts); for an amount or a ratio, as a percentage of the national value.
Why the number of people per household matters. A household is everyone who shares the same dwelling. The fewer people it has, the more demand shifts towards small homes — studios and one-bedroom flats, sought by people living alone, students and retirees; the more it has, the more demand shifts towards family homes with three or more rooms.
In Dunkerque, a household has 2.04 people on average, compared with 2.17 in France: more people living alone and couples without children, so demand leans more towards small units.
Source: INSEE, population census · recorded on October 4, 2026
| Dunkerque | Nord | Hauts-de-France | France | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median living standard (per year)2023 | €22,790−12% vs France | €23,810 | €23,950 | €25,920 |
| Poverty rate2023 | 22.7%+6.8 pts vs France | 20.7% | 19.0% | 15.9% |
| Unemployment rate (aged 15-64)2023 | 17.9%+6.9 pts vs France | 14.5% | 13.8% | 11.0% |
| Activity rate (aged 15-64)2023 | 72.1%−3.6 pts vs France | 72.7% | 73.3% | 75.7% |
| Share of retired people (aged 15 and over)2023 | 30.5%+2.4 pts vs France | 24.9% | 26.8% | 28.1% |
| Share of pupils and students (aged 15 and over)2023 | 6.5%−1.1 pt vs France | 9.4% | 8.1% | 7.6% |
Under each value for the municipality: its gap with France. For a rate, the gap is in percentage points (12.4% vs 7.8% = +4.6 pts); for an amount or a ratio, as a percentage of the national value.
How to read these figures. The standard of living is a household's disposable income (salaries, pensions and benefits, after tax) divided by its number of consumption units: the first adult counts as 1, other people aged 14 or over as 0.5, and each child as 0.3. It allows a single person and a family to be compared.
The poverty rate is the share of residents whose standard of living is below 60% of the national median. INSEE does not publish it for small communes, for reasons of statistical confidentiality: its absence is not a zero.
The unemployment rate here is the census one: people who declare themselves without work and looking for it, among the economically active aged 15 to 64. It is higher than INSEE's quarterly rate, which follows a stricter international definition.
Sources: INSEE (census, Filosofi) · recorded on October 4, 2026
Number of businesses located in Dunkerque
5,913 businesses in 2024, compared with 4,587 in 2014: +28.9% over the period.
| Year | Businesses |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 4,587 |
| 2015 | 4,553 |
| 2016 | 4,577 |
| 2017 | 4,576 |
| 2018 | 4,729 |
| 2019 | 4,905 |
| 2020 | 5,138 |
| 2021 | 5,498 |
| 2022 | 5,704 |
| 2023 | 5,793 |
| 2024 | 5,913 |
Source: INSEE, business demography information system · recorded on October 4, 2026
| Dunkerque | Nord | Hauts-de-France | France | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of businesses2024 | 5,913 | 192,716 | 405,614 | 6,437,729 |
| Change in the number of businesses2019-2024 | +20.6%−4.4 pts vs France | +25.9% | +25.0% | +25.0% |
| Businesses per 1,000 inhabitants2024 | 68.5−30% vs France | 73.7 | 67.7 | 97.3 |
Under each value for the municipality: its gap with France. For a rate, the gap is in percentage points (12.4% vs 7.8% = +4.6 pts); for an amount or a ratio, as a percentage of the national value.
In what form do businesses operate?
Sources: INSEE (SIRENE register), INPI (national business register) · recorded on October 4, 2026
Registrations and insolvency proceedings
* current year, incomplete
From 2021 to 2025, 3,019 registrations for 1,132 insolvency proceedings.
| Year | Registrations | Insolvency proceedings |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 674 | 174 |
| 2022 | 589 | 199 |
| 2023 | 572 | 250 |
| 2024 | 539 | 259 |
| 2025 | 645 | 250 |
| 2026* | 523 | 168 |
Source: BODACC, official bulletin of civil and commercial announcements · recorded on October 4, 2026
Sources: INSEE, BODACC · recorded on October 4, 2026
In 2024, the overall property tax rate on built properties is 51.54% in Dunkerque.
| Rate voted by the commune | 48.39% |
|---|---|
| Intercommunal body, syndicates and special taxes | 3.15% |
| Overall rate on built properties (total) | 51.54% |
| Household waste collection tax (TEOM) | 17.78% |
| Overall rate on undeveloped land | 144.08% |
A dwelling with a cadastral rental value of €3,000 has a tax base of €1,500: the law sets it at half the rental value. In Dunkerque, its property tax (taxe foncière) is €1,500 × 51.54% = €773 a year.
On top of this comes the household waste collection tax (TEOM), calculated on the same base: €1,500 × 17.78% = €267. A landlord can recover it from their tenant; the property tax (taxe foncière), by contrast, remains payable by the owner.
These amounts are before the collection charges retained by the State. Your property's rental value is shown on your property tax (taxe foncière) notice.
| Year | Communal rate | Overall rate on built properties | Household waste |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 48.39% | 51.29% | 17.78% |
| 2022 | 48.39% | 51.53% | 17.78% |
| 2023 | 48.39% | 51.69% | 17.78% |
| 2024 | 48.39% | 51.54% | 17.78% |
Between 2021 and 2024, the overall rate changed by +0.25 point.
How to read these rates. Property tax (taxe foncière) is calculated by multiplying the property's tax base by the overall rate: this is the figure to compare between communes, not the communal rate alone. Since 2021, départements no longer collect property tax on buildings; their former share is included in the communal rate.
A high rate does not mean a high tax. The cadastral rental value is not the market rent: it is an administrative estimate based on 1970 rents, revalued each year by a national coefficient. In a town with old, low rental values, a 50% rate can cost less than a 25% rate elsewhere.
Source: DGFiP, local taxation for individuals (2024 scale) · recorded on October 4, 2026
How to read this list. It shows the services for which at least one establishment is recorded in the commune. A service that does not appear is not necessarily absent: INSEE does not locate every facility with the same precision, and the list only includes the main ones.
Source: INSEE, permanent facilities database 2024
250 public transport stops are located in the municipality, or 2.9 stops per 1,000 inhabitants.
Public transport stops in Dunkerque
Outline of the commune, north at the top.
Source: transport.data.gouv.fr, scheduled timetables of networks · recorded on October 4, 2026
| Establishments | 11 |
|---|---|
| Average exam pass rate | 88.5% |
| Average index of social position | 95.5 |
| Establishment | Type | Success rate | Social position |
|---|---|---|---|
| COLLEGE ARTHUR VAN HECKE | Collège (lower secondary school) | 91.0% | 84.8 |
| COLLEGE GASPARD MALO | Collège (lower secondary school) | 96.0% | 107.6 |
| COLLEGE GUILLEMINOT | Collège (lower secondary school) | 93.0% | 106.7 |
| COLLEGE JEAN DECONINCK | Collège (lower secondary school) | 72.0% | 72.8 |
| COLLEGE JEAN ZAY | Collège (lower secondary school) | 80.0% | 84.1 |
| COLLEGE LUCIE AUBRAC | Collège (lower secondary school) | 83.0% | 72.1 |
| COLLEGE PAUL MACHY | Collège (lower secondary school) | 89.0% | 104.8 |
| COLLEGE PRIVE FENELON | Collège (lower secondary school) | 100.0% | 118.9 |
| COLLEGE PRIVE NOTRE-DAME DES DUNES | Collège (lower secondary school) | 99.0% | 125.7 |
| COLLEGE PRIVE SACRE COEUR | Collège (lower secondary school) | 85.0% | 90.9 |
| COLLEGE ROBESPIERRE | Collège (lower secondary school) | 85.0% | 82.6 |
How to read these figures. The pass rate is that of the brevet for a collège and of the baccalauréat for a lycée. The index of social position summarises pupils' social background: the national average is close to 100, and a higher index indicates more advantaged families. Nursery and primary schools are not covered.
Source: Ministry of National Education · recorded on October 4, 2026
Connectable means that optical fibre reaches the building or the street and a subscription can be taken out, not that the dwelling is already subscribed.
Source: ARCEP, fibre rollout · situation as at June 2026
Of the 2,404 passenger cars registered in the commune in 2024:
Why this share may look high. These are cars registered during the year, not all those on the road: electric vehicles weigh far more in recent purchases than in the overall fleet. Company and rental vehicles are also registered at the company's address, which inflates the share in communes that host head offices or rental firms.
Source: Ministry of Ecological Transition, passenger car registrations · recorded on October 4, 2026
The risks identified by the State in the territory of Dunkerque, what they mean, and what they change for a property.
Medium exposurelevel 2 out of 3
Clay soil swells when wet and shrinks when it dries. These movements crack houses with shallow foundations, especially after a drought.
For a property: At this level, a soil survey is mandatory to sell a building plot and before having a house built. For an existing house, look at the cracks and ask whether a drought claim has already been filed.
Lowlevel 2 out of 5
France is divided into five seismicity zones, from 1 (very low) to 5 (high, in the Antilles).
For a property: In this zone, no seismic rules apply to detached houses.
Low potentiallevel 1 out of 3
Radon is a natural radioactive gas that rises from granitic and volcanic soils and can build up in poorly ventilated rooms, especially on ground floors and in basements.
For a property: At this level, no particular information is required when selling or letting.
2in the commune
The commune is covered by a prevention plan for: flooding, technological risk. This is a document issued by the prefect that delimits the exposed zones.
For a property: In the delimited zones, building or extending may be prohibited or subject to requirements. The plan does not necessarily cover the whole commune: only the risk statement provided before a sale or letting says whether the address is affected.
10in the commune
An upper-tier Seveso site is an industrial installation that stores or uses large quantities of hazardous substances.
For a property: A prevention perimeter regulates planning around each site: protective works may be required of existing dwellings there.
132in the commune
A classified installation is an activity that the law subjects to declaration or authorisation because it may cause nuisance: factory, warehouse, livestock farm, petrol station, waste recycling centre, boiler room.
For a property: Their number mainly reflects the commune's economic activity: most pose no danger to neighbours. What matters is their nature and their distance from the property.
Installations and cavities recorded in Dunkerque
Outline of the commune, north at the top.
Source: Géorisques, Ministry of Ecological Transition · recorded on October 4, 2026
A prevention plan is not a bad sign in itself. It shows that the risk is mapped and regulated; it is its absence for a known hazard that should raise questions.
This page describes the commune, not an address. Before a sale or a letting, the seller or landlord must provide a risk statement drawn up for the property. You can obtain one free of charge for any address at georisques.gouv.fr.
Source: Géorisques, Ministry of Ecological Transition · recorded on October 4, 2026