Valencia neighbourhoods: where to live, prices and safety in 2026

Valencia is divided into 19 districts, and the differences between them are noticeable: income per person in el Pla del Real is 1.9 times higher than in Pobles de l’Oest, and a square metre in l’Eixample costs 2.1 times as much as in Rascanya. Below are all the districts in figures from the city council, INE and Idealista, where to live in the centre, by the sea, with children, on a limited budget and as a student, which neighbourhoods were hit by the DANA flood and what has changed in the rules for tourist accommodation. How to get a residence permit, which taxes to pay and what life in the city costs is covered in the article moving to Valencia, and the city itself in our overview Valencia.

Valencia neighbourhoods: answers to the key questions

• The most expensive district? L’Eixample with the Russafa neighbourhood — €5,117 per square metre in August 2026. Next come Ciutat Vella (€4,894) and el Pla del Real (€4,200).
• The most affordable? Rascanya — €2,447/m², but prices there rose 14.5% over the year. Close in price are l’Olivereta (€2,667) and Benicalap (€2,818). For nine districts Idealista does not give a price.
• Where is income highest? In el Pla del Real: €23,637 net income per person a year. Then l’Eixample (€23,476) and Ciutat Vella (€22,047); the city average is €16,121.
• Where to live by the sea? In Poblats Marítims — El Cabanyal-Canyamelar, El Grau and Malva-rosa. Malva-rosa beach has a Blue Flag in 2026, while El Cabanyal beach did not get one. The other five Blue Flag beaches are in the south and share their names with neighbourhoods of the Pobles del Sud district.
• Where to live with children? The most space and greenery are in Campanar, with the Parc de Capçalera, and in la Saïdia, with the Jardins del Real (Vivers). L’Eixample has the British School of Valencia and the Parc Central, el Pla del Real has the Deutsche Schule Valencia and the Hospital Clínic.
• Where is the flood risk after the DANA? The city council recognised eight neighbourhoods as affected, and all of them are in Pobles del Sud. We have not overlaid the flood zone maps on the districts, so a specific address is worth checking separately — how to do it is explained below.

All Valencia districts in figures

Population and the share of foreigners are from the city council statistics office’s district reports, municipal register at 1 January 2025; income is from the INE household income atlas for 2023, net income per person; the purchase price is from Idealista for August 2026 with the change over the year. Where Idealista does not give a district price in its public report, there is a dash.

The city’s population is the official figure approved by the government at 1 January 2025; the city council’s district reports add up to 844,424 people, because the municipal register and the approved official population are counted differently. Idealista does not publish rents by district openly. For the city as a whole, rent in August 2026 was €16.3 per square metre a month, 3.5% more than a year earlier.

Where people are wealthier and where it is cheaper

Income and housing prices in Valencia go hand in hand: the three wealthiest districts — el Pla del Real, l’Eixample and Ciutat Vella — are also the most expensive, from €4,200 to €5,117/m². Of the lower-income districts for which Idealista gives a price, the cheapest are Rascanya (€2,447/m²), l’Olivereta (€2,667) and Benicalap (€2,818). It is there that prices are now rising fastest: +14.5% over the year in Rascanya, +14.0% in Benicalap, +9.9% in Patraix and +9.8% in l’Olivereta, whereas in el Pla del Real the rise was +0.6% and the city average +6.1%.

Which Valencia neighbourhood to choose

For city life

Ciutat Vella (30,510 residents) — the historic centre: €4,894/m², the highest share of foreigners in the city at 28.4%, and the most EMT bus lines — 30. Colón metro station is the second busiest in the city: 4,878,930 journeys in 2024. L’Eixample (45,236) — the neighbourhoods of Russafa, Pla del Remei and Gran Via, the most expensive district at €5,117/m², the Parc Central in Russafa, 25 EMT lines. Extramurs (51,375) — €3,749/m², a density of 260.5 people per hectare and the main metro hub: Xàtiva is the busiest station in the city (6,135,418 journeys in 2024), Àngel Guimerà the third busiest (3,514,439).

By the sea

Poblats Marítims (57,715) — El Cabanyal-Canyamelar, El Grau, Malva-rosa, Beteró and Natzaret. It has the most metro and tram stations in the city — 13, income of €13,762 per person, and Idealista gives no district price. Malva-rosa beach has a Blue Flag in 2026, El Cabanyal does not. Camins al Grau (67,939) — the densest district in the city, 287 people per hectare, with Ayora and Marítim stations. Pobles del Sud (22,732) — El Saler, El Palmar, Pinedo and other villages spread over almost half of the city’s territory, 6,617.6 ha; the beaches of El Saler, La Garrofera, La Devesa, Recatí-Perellonet and L’Arbre del Gos have a Blue Flag in 2026. But this is also where all eight neighbourhoods affected by the DANA flood are — more on this below.

For families with children

Campanar (41,713) — 523.8 ha and 79.6 people per hectare, 2.3 times less densely populated than Ciutat Vella; the Parc de Capçalera covering 161,306 m², €3,554/m². El Pla del Real (31,206) — the highest income and the lowest share of foreigners among the urban districts, 12.6%; the Deutsche Schule Valencia and the Hospital Clínic, €4,200/m². L’Eixample — the British School of Valencia and the Parc Central in the Russafa neighbourhood. La Saïdia (48,791) — the Jardins del Real, also known as Vivers (172,834 m²), and Marxalenes park. Quatre Carreres (83,333) — the most populous district, which gained 3,067 residents in 2024; the City of Arts and Sciences, the Parque Urbano de Malilla and the most EMT stops — 151.

On a limited budget

Rascanya (58,079) — the most affordable district in the Idealista report, €2,447/m², +14.5% over the year; the first immigration office (Extranjería) is here. L’Olivereta (52,319) — €2,667/m², the Hospital General. Benicalap (50,967) — €2,818/m², Benicalap park. Jesús (54,305) — €2,850/m², prices rose 4.5% over the year, less than the city average. Patraix (60,087) — €2,896/m², the Hospital Doctor Peset and the police station that issues residence cards. Income per person in these districts ranges from €12,952 to €15,786, and the share of foreigners from 13.5 to 25.7%.

For students

El Pla del Real — the Ciutat Universitària neighbourhood and Facultats station. Algirós (36,632) — the University of Valencia’s Tarongers campus and Universitat Politècnica station, income of €17,474 per person. Benimaclet (28,716) — the smallest of the urban districts; Benimaclet station is an interchange and the fifth busiest in the city (2,825,949 journeys in 2024). Idealista does not give a price per square metre for the district, but reports that it rose 18.7% over the year.

Flood risk after the DANA

The DANA flood of 29 October 2024 hit the municipalities south of the city hardest; according to official figures at 14 November 2024, 16 people died in the city of Valencia itself. Within the city, the council recognised eight neighbourhoods as seriously affected: Faitanar, La Torre, El Forn d’Alcedo, Castellar-l’Oliveral, Pinedo, El Saler, El Perellonet and El Palmar. All of them belong to the Pobles del Sud district. In April 2026 the city council allocated €2 million for resurfacing roads in Castellar-l’Oliveral and El Forn d’Alcedo and €700,000 for sewers in El Palmar, El Forn d’Alcedo and La Torre. We have not overlaid the official flood zone maps on the districts, so we do not rank districts by risk. Before buying or signing a long-term lease, check the specific address in the PATRICOVA viewer — the Generalitat’s flood prevention plan with a public map.

Tourist accommodation: the new rules

On 31 March 2026 the city council plenary gave final approval to the rules for tourist flats: the moratorium on licences in force since 28 May 2024 has been replaced by permanent limits. Tourist accommodation may take up no more than 2% of the housing stock of a neighbourhood and a district; all tourist beds — hotels, aparthotels and flats — no more than 8% of the number of residents of the district or neighbourhood; and no more than 15% of ground-floor premises in a city block (manzana) may be used for tourism. In a residential building, a tourist flat is possible only on the ground or first floor, below the residential flats, with a separate entrance, and only if the owners’ community statutes do not prohibit it. Ciutat Vella has its own special plan. Legal tourist flats are entered in the public CATAV register. The rules come into force 15 working days after publication in the provincial bulletin.

How to look for housing by district

• Start with a short-term rental of 1–3 months to live in the chosen district, and then sign a long-term contract.
• Check the journey to work and school — a flat near a metro or tram station in an inexpensive district is often more convenient than a fashionable address without one.
• Check the address on the PATRICOVA map, especially in Pobles del Sud: flood risk depends on the street, not on the name of the district.
• Check the licence in the CATAV register if you are buying a flat to let to tourists: in neighbourhoods where the limit has been reached, a new one cannot be obtained.

How the search and the rental contract work is covered in the article how to rent a flat in Spain, and buying in how to buy a house in Spain.

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Frequently asked questions about Valencia neighbourhoods

Which Valencia neighbourhood is best to live in?

It depends on what you need. For city life — Ciutat Vella, l’Eixample and Extramurs; by the sea — Poblats Marítims; for families — Campanar, el Pla del Real and Quatre Carreres; on a limited budget — Rascanya, l’Olivereta and Benicalap; for students — el Pla del Real, Algirós and Benimaclet.

What is the most expensive district in Valencia?

L’Eixample: in August 2026 a square metre there cost €5,117 on average, according to Idealista. Next come Ciutat Vella (€4,894) and el Pla del Real (€4,200); the city average is €3,469.

What is the cheapest district in Valencia?

Of the districts in the Idealista report, Rascanya: €2,447 per square metre in August 2026. But prices there rose 14.5% over the year.

Where to live in Valencia with children?

There is more space and greenery in Campanar with the Parc de Capçalera and in la Saïdia with the Jardins del Real. The British School of Valencia is in l’Eixample, the Deutsche Schule Valencia in el Pla del Real.

Which Valencia neighbourhoods were affected by the DANA?

The city council recognised eight neighbourhoods as seriously affected — Faitanar, La Torre, El Forn d’Alcedo, Castellar-l’Oliveral, Pinedo, El Saler, El Perellonet and El Palmar. All of them are in the Pobles del Sud district. It is worth checking a specific address on the PATRICOVA map.

Which Valencia district to live in by the sea?

Poblats Marítims: El Cabanyal-Canyamelar, El Grau and Malva-rosa. Malva-rosa beach received a Blue Flag in 2026, El Cabanyal beach did not.

How many districts does Valencia have?

Nineteen: Ciutat Vella, l’Eixample, Extramurs, Campanar, la Saïdia, el Pla del Real, l’Olivereta, Patraix, Jesús, Quatre Carreres, Poblats Marítims, Camins al Grau, Algirós, Benimaclet, Rascanya, Benicalap, Pobles del Nord, Pobles de l’Oest and Pobles del Sud.

How we help with moving to Valencia

We choose the residence permit route to suit your income and family, prepare and submit the documents, and support you through to the residence card and registration as autónomo (self-employed). The most common options are the turnkey digital nomad visa and the non-lucrative residence permit.

We can also help you find a home in Valencia, to rent or to buy: we work with vetted estate agencies and mortgage brokers and check the contract and documents before you sign. See property search in Spain.