Migration from Baden-Wuerttemberg to Berlin: Neukoelln and Wedding overtake Prenzlauer Berg

Almost 300,000 people from Baden-Wuerttemberg reportedly live in Berlin, typically lumped together by locals under the label "Swabians." Whether the Badeners appreciate that is another matter. What is clear: migration from Germany's southwest keeps driving demand on Berlin's housing market.

The numbers for 2017

Exactly 7,639 people moved their primary residence from Baden-Wuerttemberg to Berlin in 2017. Relative to the state's population, that is about 0.07 percent. 4,980 went the other direction, leaving a positive migration balance of 2,659 people. That makes Baden-Wuerttemberg the third-largest source of domestic migration to Berlin, after North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria. This sustained demand directly affects market trends in Berlin's housing market.

Prenzlauer Berg? That was then.

For years, Prenzlauer Berg was the go-to destination for newcomers from the southwest. Kollwitz-Kiez, Helmholtzplatz, the Boetzow quarter. That is changing visibly. At 521 arrivals it still holds third place, but rising prices and the borough's increasing maturity are putting people off. New arrivals are turning to areas with more development potential and lower rents.

Top 5 boroughs: Neukoelln and Wedding on top

The ranking of arrivals from Baden-Wuerttemberg makes it clear which districts are in demand:

1. Neukoelln: 719 arrivals
2. Wedding: 582 arrivals
3. Prenzlauer Berg: 521 arrivals
4. Friedrichshain: 507 arrivals
5. Lichtenberg: 479 arrivals

Just a few years ago, most of these neighborhoods still had an underdog reputation. They offer central locations, a lively environment, and comparatively moderate prices for apartments in Berlin. Demand from financially strong newcomers from the south drives development there.

Neighborhood level: Friedrichshain leads

Borough-level statistics can be misleading. At the neighborhood level, the most individual arrivals in 2017 went to three Friedrichshain neighborhoods: Traveplatz (110 registrations), Samariterviertel (98), and Boxhagener Platz (95). While Neukoelln as a whole leads the borough ranking, demand on the neighborhood level concentrates in Friedrichshain.

The least popular areas were Weissensee, Hellersdorf, Tiergarten, and Tegel. This is largely because most newcomers are young people, often students, who want to be close to the city center, universities, and nightlife.

[Chart] This section contained an interactive chart showing migration patterns.

[Chart] This section contained an interactive chart with neighborhood-level analysis.